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Last week a trainer friend stopped by to visit with her three dogs: Star, Kaiya, and Lhotse. As we were chatting, Laura confessed to me that she thought she’d ruined Star’s “fetch” with the clicker. “She had a great retrieve,” Laura said, “until I started clicking her for it. Now she just drops it as soon as I click. I stopped working on it because I knew I was messing it up.” I chuckled to myself. I knew this would be a fun – and easy – training fix. We set to work, and in three short sessions, Star and Laura were well on their way to rehabilitating their great retrieve. There’s a small ceramic plaque sitting on my bookshelf that depicts a spotted dog running with a stick in his mouth, and the inscription, “Born to Fetch.” It’s a constant reminder to me that dogs are very oral creatures. They are, indeed, born to put things in their mouths, as any puppy owner can attest to. When you don’t have hands with opposable thumbs, the next best way to transport objects is with your teeth. So why all the angst about teaching dogs a behavior that comes so naturally to them?
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For starters, mouth behaviors are one of the first that owners tend to suppress. The majority of the time when a puppy picks something up, he gets yelled at. He learns to restrict his teeth to a small list of legal chew objects, knowing he could be in deep doo-doo for picking up anything not on the list. Sometimes mouth behavior isn’t suppressed by punishment. Instead, a pup may learn that picking something up in his mouth is a nearly foolproof way to get humans to play “chase-me” games, as his owners flail wildly after him trying to rescue valuable or harmful items. He’ll still pick things up, but any inclination to bring them back is long gone. It’s no wonder so many owners tear their hair out and give up when they try to teach their dogs to fetch. They’ve unintentionally taught their dogs to “not-fetch.” The retrieve is such a useful behavior, it’s a darn shame we make it so hard for our canine pals. A dog who retrieves can:
-Be kept easily exercised and amused with long sessions of “Fetch the Ball” in the backyard, or even in the house in inclement weather. Exercise is a great behavior modifier: a tired dog is a well-behaved dog.
-Be taught to find and bring back lost objects.
-Compete in obedience trials and other canine competitions.
-Learn to do other things with his mouth, including open doors, pick up dropped objects, pull wagons, carry groceries, remove items of clothing, and more. Having a dog excited about retrieving also gives you a tool for keeping his attention around distractions, and for getting really sharp recalls and other operant behaviors. A highly valued tennis ball can be a great reinforcer for spiffy recalls and downs, among other behaviors.
Informal v. formal retrieves
There are different types of retrieves. The majority of dog owners are delighted with a dog who dances in anticipation of the ball, chases after it the instant it’s thrown, maybe runs around with it for a bit, then eventually brings it back, and drops it at the owner’s feet. Compare that to the formal show retrieve, where the dog sits motionless in heel position while the owner throws the dumbbell, dashes forward when the owner gives the cue, grabs the dumbbell by the center bar, returns quickly to the owner, and sits in front, perfectly straight, waiting for the cue to release the object carefully into the human’s hands.
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Even if you’re not interested in a formal retrieve, consider taking advantage of a good game of fetch as an opportunity to reinforce good manners behaviors. Consistently ask your dog to “Sit” before you throw the ball, until he starts offering to sit without being asked. “Sit” makes good things happen! It’s also a deference behavior and a good “self-control” lesson. When he’s good at “Sit for the ball!” try doing the same thing with “Down for the ball!” You can also use a valued fetch toy to install an off-switch for your dog. When it’s time to stop the game, use a cue like “All done!” or “That’s all!” and immediately put the ball where he can’t see it – in a pocket, drawer, or cupboard. Turn and walk away – totally ignoring any attempts on the dog’s part to reengage you in the game. In time, your “All done!” cue will not only serve notice to the dog that the fetch game is over, you’ll also be able to use it to end other behaviors. Whether you’re interested in an informal fetch or a formal retrieve, your task will be easier if you encourage rather than discourage retrieve-related behaviors early in your relationship with your dog. When he has something in his mouth, praise him – tell him he’s a good dog. If it’s something he shouldn’t have, cheerfully trade it for a high-value treat, divert his interest to a “legal” toy, and make a mental note to increase your management efforts to minimize his access to things he shouldn’t fetch. If it’s something he’s allowed to have, sometimes praise and let him be, and sometimes say “Give,” trade for a treat, and give him the toy or chewie back again.
Dogs who are eager to pick things up are the easy ones; it’s just a matter of shaping the retrieve you want, and if you’re going for that formal retrieve, “chaining” or “backchaining” the fetch behavior into the whole show ring retrieve routine (see “The Shape of Things to Come,” March 2006, and “Higher Education,”April 2004). It’s the ones who don’t want to use their mouths who present the biggest challenge. If your dog is not a natural retriever, don’t despair.
Designate his most favorite toy as his fetch object. He only gets to play with it when you do the fetch game. Now set it on the ground; don’t throw it! If he picks it up, click! a clicker (or use another signal or marker, such as the word “Yes!”) and give your dog a delicious treat reward. But if he only sniffs the toy, or even just glances in the object’s direction, click! and reward. In the beginning, the goal is to reinforce him just for paying attention to the object. In any series of “attention” trials with the fetch toy, he may sniff or touch it, just look at it, put his mouth on it, or maybe even pick it up. Once he understands the game you can up the ante (“raise the criteria”); you click! and treat only if he touches the toy. Then, later, you click! and treat only if he actually puts his mouth on it, and finally only if he picks it up. Once he is picking up the toy routinely, add your verbal cue of “Fetch!” (or “Take it!” or “Get it!” or whatever you plan to use). If at any time he “quits” – that is, he stops playing the game – you may have raised the criteria too quickly, or you may have trained for too long.
Training sessions should generally be five to 15 minutes in length, several times a day. If you get two or three really good responses in a row, stop the session with lots of praise and a “jackpot” – a whole handful of treats, one at a time. It’s always better to stop when you and your dog are having fun and winning, rather than when one or both of you are bored or frustrated. While certain breeds are genetically programmed to be more oral than others (Golden Retrievers and Labradors, for starters), virtually any dog can learn to fetch. Although Scottish Terriers are not known for their natural retrieving ability, my little black Dubhy surprised the heck out of me one day. I had been reinforcing the young Terrier for bringing things to me rather than chewing them up, but we hadn’t really worked on retrieving. I was tossing a ball for Tucker, our Cattle Dog-mix, in the backyard, and overestimated the older dog’s endurance. Tucker quit mid-fetch, leaving the tennis ball halfway across the yard. Dubhy, who had been watching from the sidelines, perked up, trotted across the yard, grabbed the ball, trotted back to me, and dropped it neatly at my feet. “So there!” was the only comment I could interpret from his slightly smug expression. And yes, we’ve since put his retrieve on cue, and used his “hold” behavior to teach him “Pups in a blanket,” where he lies down on a blanket, grabs the corner, and rolls over to wrap himself up. Just one more creative application for a good “fetch” behavior.
Shaping success Laura Dorfman, owner of Kona’s Touch, Inc., in Chicago, is a dedicated and talented “crossover” trainer; early in her career, she used force-based techniques. Laura began her crossover journey several years ago, attending conferences and seminars, and reading a long list of books to enhance her positive training knowledge and skills. She currently has three dogs benefiting from her positive-only pursuits: Collie/Lab-mix Star, Terrier-mix Kaiya, and Beagle Lhotse. Like many trainers, while Laura skillfully assists other dog owners with their furry family members’ training and behavior, she sometimes has doubts about her own dogs’ training programs. She brought her pack to me to address several behavior concerns, including Star’s retrieve. “Nothing to be ashamed of,” I assured her. “Even world-class professional athletes, equestrians, and yes, dog trainers, work with coaches to improve their performances. None of us are so good we can’t benefit from another pair of eyes and another perspective.” Here’s how we rehabilitated Star’s lost retrieve:
– First session: 15 minutes We decided our criterion to start would be any attention to a stuffed toy. We placed the toy on the floor. When Star sniffed it, Laura clicked a clicker and gave Star a high-value treat. We kept clicking any time Star looked at or sniffed the toy. After a dozen clicks, Star lifted the toy a few inches off the floor. Laura happily clicked and treated – and then made a common mistake. Because Star lifted the toy once, Laura wanted to immediately increase the difficulty of the desired task to “lift the toy.” Instead, I suggested we put “sniff the toy” on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement, meaning that sometimes Laura would click and treat for sniffing, sometimes not – but she would always click and treat for mouthing or lifting the toy. An intermittent schedule makes a behavior durable, and often elicits a more intense behavior. That is, Star would understand that if she kept trying she would eventually still get clicked, and her frustration at not getting clicked might induce her to mouth or lift the toy more frequently. This is an important step before raising the criteria. If a dog suddenly stops getting clicked for a behavior, she may just quit working, thinking the behavior’s no longer paying off. On the intermittent schedule, Star began putting her mouth on the toy much more frequently. Toward the end of this session we upped the ante again: Laura would click and treat for any mouthing or lifting of the toy, but stopped clicking for just a sniff. We ended the session after several consecutive mouthings, a number of which also included lifts, with some of the lifts to Star’s full height. Good progress!
– Next morning: 15 minutes Laura did not practice with Star between yesterday’s session and this morning. When we started working, Star consistently mouthed the toy, and lifted it off the floor a few inches or more at least 75 percent of the time – working above the level that we ended on the prior day. This illustrates the phenomenon known as “latent learning” – where the dog’s (or other subject’s) brain actually processes information while at rest, and learning can advance as a result. This is why it’s helpful to “end on a good note” – as the brain appears to process most what it absorbed last.
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We set our initial criterion at “any mouthing,” then put that on an intermittent schedule, and soon after expanded the requirement to “opening mouth wide enough to grasp the whole toy.” By this time Laura had really grasped the concept of shaping, and stopped trying to raise the criteria too quickly. Her clicks were well-timed, and she was making good judgmentsabout which behaviors to click without my nudging. She and Star were both learning! Star proceeded quickly to consistent “wide open mouth behavior,” which we then put on an intermittent schedule before setting the bar at “lifting toy a few inches off the floor.” Of course, as we began to click! and treat Star for “lifting toy a few inches,” more and more frequently Star lifted the toy to full height. Although we had planned for several intermediate increases in the criteria, we realized that Star was going to skip several steps for us. We started putting “lifting the toy a few inches” on an intermittent schedule, and halted the session after several consecutive full-height lifts. By this time Star had come to love her “fetch” toy, and actively sought it when we put it out of her reach, but still in sight. We used her “All done!” cue and put it out of sight.
– Same afternoon: 10 minutes Once again, Star and Laura dove right into the “fetch” exercise. Star became quite enthusiastic about this game, and consistently lifted the toy to full height. We raised the criterion to “full height,” consistently clicking her repeated successful full lifts. Next we introduced time as a criterion, intermittently reinforcing full lifts, but making sure to click all lifts and holds that lasted one second or longer – as opposed to lift/drops or lift/flings. As our last step for this third session, we increased our requirement to one-second holds, no longer clicking for lift/drops or lift/flings, ending with several consecutive successes. Our plan beyond session three was to continue raising the time criterion for the “hold” behavior, and then add movement, as the next criterion. Laura tells me that Star is continuing to make good progress in her fetch rehabilitation program. Both of them are having fun with fetch now, and Laura, more confident with her shaping.
Pat Miller, CPDT, is WDJ’s Training Editor. Miller lives in Hagerstown, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center.
Tell the truth: Who among you would get elated at the possibility of taking a trip to Utah, say, to visit a dog food factory? Oh, never mind; you guys are probably just as weird as me! I guess this is a backhand way of bragging that I got to go to Utah and see a pet food canning plant! Yippee!
And, to make the holiday season complete for me, I get to go to Chicago and see another cannery (and attend the famous H.H. Backer pet products industry show), and then go to New York and see some more dry dog food get made. Im so excited.
Part of the thrill for me is getting to see processes that Ive only read and interviewed people about. Its definitely a different experience to go and see something for yourself. No matter how assiduously I have questioned a pet food executive, asking him or her to slowly but metaphorically walk me through a plant, describing each manufacturing step and challenge along the way, and no matter how enthusiastic that person is about proper pet food production, its not as educational as actually walking through a plant.
For one thing, in this and the handful of other plants Ive gotten to tour, Ive gotten to see the raw ingredients of dog food: huge tubs of chilled chicken, giant blocks of frozen meats, bins of granular poultry meal. Silos of grain flour. Sacks that are bigger than my car, full of potatoes. In the case of a company whose foods contain carrots, apples, and cottage cheese, I got to see the boxes of carrots, bushels of apples, and immense tubs of cottage cheese. Not that I doubted it, but, hey! It was all great to see. Seeing the areas and the machines and the people that do the processing is helpful, too. How clean are the floors, and the machines themselves? Where are all the places that a foreign object could possibly contaminate the food, and what can and does the manufacturer do to stop that? Its one thing to have that conversation on the phone, and another to have it while standing on the production floor next to a clacking assembly line of shiny cans, full of dog food, whizzing along to the part of the machine that seals them closed.
There are so many details that Im finding fascinating. What sort of laboratory testing do they do, where is the equipment, who operates it, how often and what happens if they get a poor test result? Can the pet food company executive find her way from one area of the contract manufacturing plant to the next? Can he explain the advantages of the shiny new mechanism the plant manager is showing us? And the people working on the line do they have a busy, absorbed, competent demeanor, or are they wandering around with that temp worker look of being lost?
Ill be discussing what Ive learned on these tours in upcoming articles. Suffice to say for now, as you could guess, Ive been nothing but impressed by the facilities Ive seen so far. But the places Ive seen are the places that invited me, not the ones who steadfastly refuse to allow any observers in their plants.
Oh, the smell! Anyone who’s ever been in the same room when a frightened dog “blows” her anal glands or a veterinarian manually expresses them will never forget the malodorous experience. As will anyone whose dog has suffered from impacted, infected, or abscessed anal glands It’s wise for dog owners to be aware of the problems that can arise with dog anal glands, so they can seek appropriate remedies on their dog’s behalf. Preferably before they become a serious issue.
Dogs have two anal glands or sacs, one on each side of the anus, between the internal and external anal sphincter muscles. Technically, it’s the anal gland that produces fluid and the anal sac that stores it, but most veterinarians refer to either or both when they mention anal glands or anal sacs. Also called scent glands, these organs produce a brown or yellow liquid that is usually thin but which can thicken to a paste-like consistency. In small dogs, the glands are normally the size of a pea, while in large dogs they’re the size and shape of a kidney bean. At least, unless something goes awry.
Dogs, wolves, and other canids aren’t alone in having anal glands; cats, weasels, skunks, and various territory-marking mammals have them as well. Except for skunks, which routinely use their scent glands for defense, most animals release the contents of their anal glands only when they defecate or when extreme fear causes involuntary muscle contractions that expel fluid from the anal sacs. Anal gland secretions are what make dogs smell fascinating, at least to other dogs. As dogs circle and inspect each other’s hind ends, they’re savoring anal sac fragrances.
In healthy dogs whose diets contain sufficient fiber or roughage, anal glands do nothing more than give fecal matter its distinctive fragrance. As stool is passed, the sphincter muscles squeeze the anal sacs and force their contents onto the stool’s surface. But when sphincter muscles don’t exert sufficient pressure, or if something blocks the flow of fluid, problems develop.
Signs of Impacted Anal Glands in Dogs
The most common early sign of overly full, blocked, or impacted anal glands is scooting. Dragging her rear end over carpets, grass, or other rough surfaces is your dog’s attempt to stimulate the release of anal fluid. Affected dogs may also lick or bite the anal area in an effort to relieve their discomfort.
Abscesses are boils, pockets of pus under the skin surface caused by bacterial infections that produce heat, inflammation, swelling, and acute pain. If your dog whimpers or cries while attempting to defecate; if there is blood, pus, or swelling close to the anus; or if he is in obvious pain when sitting or moving, he may have an abscessed anal gland.
In many cases, impacted and even abscessed anal glands can be treated successfully at home, but it’s always a good idea, especially if you’re not yet familiar with anal gland problems, to have your veterinarian take a look. Some abscesses drain on their own while others need treatment.
Infected anal glands may require oral antibiotics, lancing, flushing, or other medical attention. For example, open channels or fistulas around the anus can result from infected anal glands, making the condition difficult to cure.
In severe cases, infected sacs can be so painful that the dog requires anesthesia before the sacs can be treated. Emptied anal sacs can be rinsed with a disinfecting liquid from an irrigation syringe and then filled with antibacterial ointment, a treatment that may have to be repeated several times. The most serious cases are resolved by the anal glands’ surgical removal.
What Causes Anal Sac Problems?
No one knows why some dogs are predisposed to having impacted or infected anal glands, but overweight and physically inactive dogs tend to have more problems than slender, physically fit dogs. In obese dogs, fat skin folds may block the pores and prevent them from draining. It may also be more difficult for obese dogs to groom themselves and encourage natural drainage.
Small dogs are more at risk than large dogs, in part because their small glands have tiny openings. But even giant breeds can develop anal gland problems.
One of the most important factors in anal gland health is diet. According to Juliette de Bairacli Levy (see “Grandmother Nature,” July 2006) in her Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat, most sufferers of anal gland problems are overfed pets. “The trouble would not occur,” she says, “if dogs were fed a natural diet which always included sufficient roughage.”
Richard Pitcairn, DVM, PhD, lists three main causes of anal gland problems in his Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. The first is overcrowding at home, which creates inadequate space for exercise and exploration as well as frustrated attempts to establish a territory. The second is constipation or infrequent bowel movements, especially as a result of inadequate outdoor exercise. Third, he blames toxicity resulting from poor diet and inadequate exercise. In the last cases, skin disorders and ear infections may occur as well.
To repair these problems, Dr. Pitcairn recommends improving the dog’s diet and providing adequate exercise, the opportunity to go outside and have frequent bowel movements, and psychological “space.” Many holistic veterinarians recommend a raw diet that contains either the roughage of vegetables or raw bones. Opinions differ as to whether vegetables should be served in large chunks or pureed, how much vegetable matter should be mixed with meat, and whether bones should be whole or ground, but any of these additions can provide bulk that stimulates anal glands.
Levy recommends feeding raw meat in large chunks, never ground, explaining that ground meat requires little exercise on the part of the stomach and digestive tract. Foods that are too soft or too easily digested can contribute to anal gland problems.
Another helpful addition to the canine diet is coconut. Now that coconut has become a popular health food, most natural foods markets and several online retailers carry coconut oil, unsweetened shredded dried coconut, and coconut flour.
Coconut oil is especially helpful to dogs with anal gland problems because it lubricates the intestines, acts as a stool softener, and contains medium-chain fatty acids that kill yeast, fungi, viruses, harmful bacteria, and parasites, making the dog who ingests coconut oil every day a less likely candidate for anal gland infections. Start with small amounts and gradually increase to about 1 teaspoon of coconut oil per 10 pounds of body weight, which is 1 tablespoon per 30 pounds, per day.
“In addition to coconut oil,” says Bruce Fife, ND, coconut authority and author of Coconut Cures and other books, “coconut flour and shredded coconut are very good for dogs with anal gland problems because they are excellent sources of fiber. You can soak coconut flour or shredded coconut in water, broth, or other liquid so that it’s well hydrated, then add it to your dog’s food. Start with small amounts of coconut flour or dried shredded coconut and gradually increase to about 1 teaspoon coconut flour or 2 teaspoons dried shredded coconut per 30 pounds of body weight. Soak it well before mixing it with the dog’s main meal.”
Soaking is also recommended for more familiar sources of fiber, such as wheat bran and powdered psyllium husks. Any fiber supplement can contribute to constipation and intestinal blockages if given without sufficient fluid. The easiest way to prevent problems is to soak bran or psyllium overnight or for several hours so that it doesn’t absorb fluids as it moves through the digestive tract.
Juliette de Bairacli Levy recommends soaking 2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds in 1 cup warm water, letting it stand for 24 hours, then giving the liquid as a drink and mixing the seeds into the dog’s food. All of Levy’s recommendations are appropriate for dogs weighing 40 to 50 pounds. Use more for large and giant breeds, less for small and toy breeds.
Another addition that seems to work well is dried fruit, such as prunes, apricots, or figs, which can be added to the dog’s meals. For large dogs, try 2 or 3 dried prunes, apricots, or figs per day; for small dogs try 1 or 2 every other day. These dried fruits have a mild laxative effect, but their main benefit is their fiber. Like other high-fiber foods, they increase the size of fecal matter, producing larger stools that exercise the anal glands and help prevent their blockage. For dogs eating dry kibble, it’s a good idea to soak dried fruit before adding it to food.
English Setter breeder Joan Mizer in England told canine nutritional consultant Linda Arndt of Albany, Indiana, about a Rottweiler whose anal glands were chronically impacted until the dog’s owner started giving him three pitted prunes daily. “After that,” said Mizer, “the dog never again required anal gland emptying.” When Mizer heard about the Rottweiler from her veterinarian 10 years ago, she had two English Setters whose anal glands had to be emptied frequently. She started adding three dried prunes to their food once a week and they haven’t had an anal gland problem since.
“It is a lot easier to scatter a few prunes on food than to physically empty anal glands,” she said. “Friends who have tried giving prunes to their dogs have experienced the same happy results.”
The only exception to the dried fruit recommendation is the dog who suffers from a systemic yeast infection, such as candidiasis. Linda Arndt warns that many dogs diagnosed with allergies are in fact suffering from yeast overgrowth, a problem made worse by foods containing sugar, which includes all dried and fresh fruit. Sources of fiber other than fruit are recommended for dogs with chronic allergies, frequent ear infections, and other yeast infection symptoms.
Additional recommendations from holistic health experts include adding finely minced wheat grass or other green herbs to the diet at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight (1 tablespoon per 30 pounds) per day. Alternatively, you can feed chopped vegetables, such as carrots or celery; add aloe vera juice or gel to food at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 20 pounds of body weight per day; or add a chlorophyll supplement to the dog’s food according to label directions.
Express Dog Anal Glands Yourself
Even in dogs who have never shown symptoms, anal glands should be checked periodically just to be sure that everything looks normal. Veterinarians are used to expressing canine anal glands, which is a smelly but simple procedure. If it’s ever necessary for your dog, have your vet show you how. This simple procedure can be done at home on anal glands that are full and not releasing fluid on their own, but do not attempt to express anal glands that are painfully infected or abscessed.
Expressing impacted anal glands is often easier after the area has been treated several times with a hot herbal compress or fomentation (see next section).
Professional groomers often perform this task when they are bathing the dog, to reduce the potential for creating a smelly mess, especially on long-coated dogs.
When you have experience with this task, you’ll find that it may be most efficient and clean to hold a warm, damp washcloth or gauze pad over the area as you apply pressure to the glands. This is so the expressed fluid can be easily wiped away and won’t squirt out and land on you – which is definitely an experience you won’t forget. But when you are a beginner at this task, the washcloth can make it difficult to see if you are squeezing in the right place, and whether anything is coming out! In this case, have gauze or cotton at the ready – and consider putting on some safety goggles or glasses. Really!
Raise the dog’s tail and take a look. If the dog’s anus was the center of the face of a clock, the glands would be located at around the numbers five and seven. The idea is to gently palpate the area with your thumb and forefinger to locate the glands. Think of them as small grapes embedded in the dog’s flesh; you want to squeeze the juice out of them, without expelling the “grapes” themselves. Firmly press your thumb and forefinger into the dog’s flesh, outside of the area where the glands are located, and slowly squeeze the fingers together. If you do it right, you’ll immediately see a thick fluid expressed on or around the dog’s anus. Wipe away any expressed fluid with the tissue, gauze, or cotton. Check the fluid for blood or pus, either of which indicates an infection.
Again, it may be easiest to have your veterinarian or groomer show you how to do this. And you definitely want to seek the attention of your vet if the glands appear badly infected or abscessed. Karen Doyle of Dogs Gone Grooming in Suffern, New York, has dealt with thousands of anal glands in her 26 years as a dog groomer. “I didn’t learn how to express anal glands in grooming school because they didn’t teach it,” she says. “I learned by doing it on my own dogs. But even though it’s a simple procedure, it isn’t something I do routinely. With small dogs, impacted anal glands aren’t usually serious, but whenever I see impacted anal glands in a large breed dog, especially on two consecutive visits, I suggest a visit to the veterinarian to find out what’s going on.
“You can get acquainted with your dog’s anal glands just by checking them from time to time,” she continues. “Lift the tail, take a look, and gently touch the area. You’ll be able to see at a glance whether the hair looks worn or bald from frantic licking or biting, and you can tell by touch whether the anal sacs are full or empty. Pay attention to whether the area is hot to the touch, looks inflamed or swollen, is obviously causing discomfort, or produces a thick rather than thin discharge. These are all symptoms that need attention.”
Herbal Treatments for Impacted Anal Sacs
Juliette de Bairacli Levy’s favorite way to relieve a dog’s impacted anal glands is to apply herbs internally and externally.
Brew dandelion tea using leaves and/or flowers, she says, and add this to the dog’s food and water as often as the dog will accept it. To brew the tea, use 1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh dandelion per cup of boiling water, cover, and let stand until cool.
Fomentations are hot compresses, made by brewing and straining a strong herbal tea. When applied to impacted or abscessed anal glands, they loosen, soften, and stimulate the glands and their contents, helping glands flow on their own. For most dogs, fomentations produce immediate relief from discomfort. Impacted anal glands may immediately begin to drain, or applying another fomentation several hours later may release trapped fluid.
Fomentations can help abscessed anal glands by encouraging the abscess to come to a head, burst open on its own, and drain.
To prepare a fomentation, add 1 tablespoon dried herbs or 2 tablespoons fresh herbs to 1 cup boiling water, cover, and let steep for 10 to 15 minutes. If desired, add 1 tablespoon unrefined sea salt, which has its own healing properties.
Pour the hot tea into a bowl. When the tea is cool enough to touch without burning yourself but still very warm, saturate a clean washcloth or other absorbent fabric. Wring it out slightly so that it doesn’t drip. If necessary, hold the washcloth open and exposed to the air to let it cool slightly. Test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it isn’t too hot. Fold the fabric in half and in half again. Hold the hot, wet cloth in place for three to five minutes, or until it begins to cool. Don’t press hard, but apply just enough pressure to keep the fabric from shifting. Remove, soak the cloth again, and reapply for another three to five minutes.
Dr. Pitcairn recommends applying hot calendula fomentations twice a day for three days or longer. Other holistic health experts recommend hot chamomile, stinging nettle, lavender, red clover, or yarrow fomentations. Like calendula, these dried herbs are available in most health food stores.
For anal gland abscesses, add a teaspoon of coconut oil, 1 drop of lavender essential oil, and/or several drops of grapefruit seed extract to any of these hot teas. All of these additions have disinfecting properties. Obviously, if your dog has a really painful abscess, this treatment may not be appropriate. Use a fomentation or hot compress only if your dog is comfortable with it.
Once an abscess begins to drain, the area can be left alone, treated with a warm or cool compress, or sprayed with an herbal tea or with a mixture of 1 cup medicinal-strength tea and 1 tablespoon unrefined sea salt. A tissue, gauze, or cotton ball can be used to gently wipe draining pus from below the affected area.
As mentioned, serious cases may require medical intervention. Consult your veterinarian about any abscess or impaction that does not respond to home treatment or that has progressed to an advanced stage.
Aromatherapy
Although many essential oils that have disinfecting properties are not recommended for use around mucous membranes (because they can irritate or cause pain), some essential oils, when diluted with carrier oils, are gentle enough for application to abscessed or impacted anal glands.
The secret is to use a therapeutic-quality essential oil that has both disinfecting and soothing properties, such as lavender or sweet marjoram essential oil, and to dilute it in a carrier oil that is quickly absorbed, such as jojoba, grapeseed, or sunflower oil. Hydrosols or “flower waters” are produced during steam distillation, and they combine minute traces of essential oil with the distilled plants’ water-soluble constituents, making them safe and effective for pet use.
When used as a disinfecting hydrosol, essential oils that can otherwise irritate mucous membranes, such as tea tree or oregano, can be safely sprayed on the area to help heal the infection. (For instructions and recommended resources, see our aromatherapy series, published in the December 2004, January 2005, April 2005, and August 2005 issues.)
Jake’s Canine Remedy, a topical spray developed by aromatherapist Frances Fitzgerald Cleveland, can be sprayed onto abscessed, infected anal glands. In addition to helping clear infection, inflammation, and itchiness, its essential oils have analgesic properties that help relieve pain. “If one of my dogs had abscessed anal glands,” she says, “I would definitely use it.”
Homeopathy
For abscessed or infected anal glands, Dr. Pitcairn, founder of the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy and a classically trained homeopath, recommends Belladonna 6C. “Give one or two pellets every four hours for a total of three treatments,” he recommends. “Give no food for 10 minutes before and after treatment. No further homeopathic treatment will be needed for the next 24 hours. If your dog is not noticeably improved by then, give Silicea 30C only once, providing no food for one hour before and one hour after treatment. The Belladonna helps with the initial inflammation and Silicea promotes the discharge of pus and encourages healing.”
An Ounce of Prevention
Anyone who has had to deal with anal gland problems knows that preventing anal gland problems is well worth the investment of time and effort. With the simple methods described here, you can help your dog enjoy a comfortable life free from the pain and discomfort of impacted or infected anal glands.
Anal Gland Problems in Dogs: Overview
1. Get in the habit of checking your dog’s anal glands for swelling, infection, or other problems.
2. To help prevent problems, improve the diet and add fiber.
3. Have your veterinarian show you how to express anal glands so you can do it at home if necessary.
4. Report any infection or anal gland complications to your vet.
A long-time contributor to WDJ and author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, Natural remedies for Dogs and Cats, and other books, C. J. Puotinen lives in New York with her husband, a Lab and a tabby cat.
1. Make flash cards for the five behaviors your dog knows best and start teaching your dog to read.
2. Work in short sessions, progress slowly, and give high-value rewards for success.
3. Think of different ways to incorporate reading into your dog’s life and training.
Curling up with a good book? Maybe your dog would like to read one, too.
Don’t laugh. If Bonnie Bergin, EdD, has her way, dogs all over the world will soon be reading – maybe not books and articles, but individual words or sets of words strung together. Now president of the Bonnie Bergin Assistance Dog Institute, the world’s only academic college that awards associate and master’s degrees in dog studies, Dr. Bergin originated the service dog concept when she founded Canine Companions for Independence more than 30 years ago.
The dogs she worked with were so intelligent and responsive that from time to time she thought about teaching them to read. The idea stayed in the back of her mind until 2002, when she began a canine reading experiment. Now she has written a book, Teach Your Dog to Read: A Unique Step-by-Step Program to Expand Your Dog’s Mind and Strengthen the Bond Between You, which invites everyone to join her. “It’s an exciting project,” she says, “because we’re on the brink of a revolution. Dogs who can read are the dogs of the future.” In the future that Dr. Bergin envisions, dogs and their human companions will have a means of communicating that goes far beyond what’s possible now. Dogs may, for example, combine their exceptional sense of smell with their ability to read and help medical doctors identify specific diseases, such as different types of cancer.
Service dogs working with the visually impaired will be able to recognize and look for exit signs, appropriate restroom signs, and other important markers. Pet dogs will recognize and pay attention to signs that warn them away from furniture or kitchen counters, just as they will look for signs that invite them to relieve themselves in designated areas at highway rest stops. Dogs participating in reading programs with children, adolescents, or adults will inspire and encourage those who are struggling to read by showing how they are learning to read themselves. Most important, she says, will be the deepening of everyday communication between dogs and their humans.
“I have been training my own dogs to go to posted signs saying water, treat, or pet me, to tell me what they want,” says Dr. Bergin. “We’re still in the early stages of this two-way communication, but it has incredible implications. Dogs who can read will find it much easier to share information, and the possibilities are endless. In every way, teaching your dog to read can help your dog be a smarter, better companion, and it will deepen and strengthen the bond that connects you.”
How to Get Your Dog Reading
Puppies raised at the Assistance Dog Institute are introduced to the written word at just a few weeks of age. They literally grow up reading. But while puppies and younger dogs may have an easier time learning to read, it’s never too late (assuming that vision problems don’t interfere) to teach old dogs new words. Your first reading lesson can be this very afternoon. All you need are your dog, yourself, and a sheet of paper.
For those who would like to use Dr. Bergin’s flash cards, her printed cues and cartoon stick figures can be downloaded from her website. But you can make your own flash cards by printing words by hand in large, dark block letters or by using your computer’s largest, darkest font (avoid fonts with squiggles, serifs, or other elaborations). Print one word or cue per page in black ink on plain white paper, printed sideways (“landscape” orientation). You can laminate the cards for durability. Begin with a cue that your dog knows well. “But don’t start with sit,” she suggests. “Everyone always starts every training session with sit, and it’s a pattern dogs come to expect. I suggest starting with down or some other command.” Make a list of 5 or 10 cues that your dog responds to readily when you give a verbal instruction. Dr. Bergin’s list includes down, sit, stand, roll (roll halfway over and expose stomach), turn (spin), shake, speak, bow, up (place paws on the edge of a table, countertop, desk, or wall), kiss, and go to bed. Save behaviors that involve a prop (such as placing paws up on a table or fetching a particular toy) until the dog is adept at reading other cues, because positioning yourself near a prop is a dead giveaway, and you want your dog to focus on the card and its word, not on your body language. “We know that dogs can learn to read up to 20 written words,” she says, “from three-letter words that represent the most basic commands, to five-letter words that call for more dramatic responses, such as shake or speak, to three-word sentences such as ‘Get the shoe.'”
Start in a quiet room with no distractions. Clicker-trained dogs or dogs trained with positive reinforcement, says Dr. Bergin, are most likely to offer a variety of behaviors when they’re motivated to earn a reward, and motivated dogs who offer different behaviors learn quickly.
Day 1 Lesson Plan
Dr. Bergin recommends following these five steps in your first reading lesson (“down” is a perfect first word) and whenever you introduce a new word.
1. Get ready.
Hold your flash card in one hand behind your back. Hold a treat, ball, toy, or other favorite reward in the other, or, if you’re holding a clicker, place the reward where your dog can see it or knows it’s there.
Without touching your dog or giving any cues ahead of time, have your dog stand in front of you. Then:
2. Present the card, and 3. Immediately say the cue.
“Timing is essential,” says Dr. Bergin. “Your dog should get a glimpse of the word a split second before you say it. Also, if your dog is more used to hand signals than verbal commands, give the appropriate signal with one hand just as you bring the flash card out from behind your back with the other.” Avoid making eye contact with your dog, as that is a distraction. Look down at the top of the card or past your dog (see photo, below left).
4. Hold the card.
Hold the flash card still. Be sure you’re holding the sign with your fingers away from its letters. Don’t move. Wait for your dog to lie down.
5. Reward your dog.
As soon as your dog lies down, say “Yes!” in an enthusiastic, high-pitched voice. Dr. Bergin recommends clipping the “Yes!” so that it almost sounds like “Yesp!” as this will help you say the word faster. If you normally use a clicker to mark the end of a behavior, click as soon as the dog lies down.
While saying “Yes!” or clicking, move the card behind your back or set it on a table where your dog can’t see it. Leaving the card in sight is like repeating a cue after your dog has already performed the behavior.
Reward your dog with praise, a vigorous pet, a food treat or toy, or all of these so that he feels appreciated and looks forward to doing this again.
Repeat the exercise by doing the same five steps in exactly the same way. Then repeat it again.
During the fourth run-through, if your dog has been responding readily to the verbal cue, present the card but don’t say anything or give a hand signal. Instead, just hold the card in front of you. Don’t jiggle or move the card. Hold still, exactly as you did in the previous exercise.
If your dog hesitates for more than a few seconds or seems confused, go back to step 3 and say the word “down” or give your hand signal. With time and practice, you’ll learn whether it’s more helpful to repeat a cue or to wait and let your dog figure it out. As soon as he lies down without any prompting from you in response to of the “down” card, celebrate! Now is the time for over-the-top treats, praise, and enthusiastic rewards.
“Dogs love, need, and crave emotion,” says Dr. Bergin. “That’s why I prefer the word ‘Yes!’ to the click of a clicker. Charged feelings, preferably positive feelings, reinforce behavior. So shower your dog with praise.”
End today’s practice session on a high note and continue tomorrow. Limit each day’s training to six to nine exercises per flash card, no more than 15 minutes total. With young puppies, do considerably less, working in shorter sessions.
Introducing a Second and Third Word
To determine whether your dog is ready for a new word, test her to see if she responds to the “down” flash card without a verbal prompt or hand signal three out of five times. To introduce a new word, such as “sit,” follow the same five steps as before.
Most dogs anticipate the card that they already learned, so don’t be surprised if your dog lies down. If that happens, don’t correct or punish her. Simply move back, encouraging your dog to follow, and repeat the sequence of actions.
Many dogs sit before lying down, so if this happens, you have a split second in which to click or say “Yes!” while she is still sitting.
As soon as your dog successfully sits, remove the card and reward her. Do the exercise two or three more times to reinforce the “sit” cue.
Now that your dog recognizes the word sit, start to mix things up. Without breaking stride or indicating in any way that something different is about to happen, show her the word down without saying anything.
“Most dogs respond correctly by lying down,” says Dr. Bergin. “They get it! They can discriminate between the two words. If your dog responds this way, congratulations are in order. Give a resoundingly positive ‘Yes!’ and be generous with praise and high-value food treats.”
If your dog doesn’t recognize the difference between sit and down, practice with each card a few more times and help out with verbal cues if needed. If your dog offers an incorrect behavior, either ignore the behavior or say “No” in a calm, serious, low-key voice. Saying “No” in this way tells the dog that this isn’t the behavior you want, so try something else. Put a lot of emotion into your “Yes!” whenever your dog does something correctly, and keep emotion out of your “No” when she does something else. (See “Opinions About ‘No Reward Markers’ Vary,” below.)
End on a positive note – when your dog does the behavior you asked for, with or without a verbal cue, and you make a big fuss – and continue tomorrow. Limit each day’s training to about six to nine exercises with each card, and with puppies, do less.
“It’s important to stop while you’re ahead,” says Dr. Bergin. “It’s easy to become enthused, especially if your dog catches on fast, but if you push too hard, you’ll exhaust your dog, feel disappointed, and you’ll both burn out. The best thing you can do is end early, end on a high note, and let your dog’s mind grapple with this new challenge while sleeping. A good night’s rest can improve the next day’s performance.”
Continue to work in short training sessions. When your dog knows three words, start mixing them up and present them randomly. Always be sure your dog responds correctly to each word at least three out of five times before adding a new word. Use the same procedure for introducing each new word.
“Be patient,” says Dr. Bergin. “Whenever you introduce a new word, your dog’s overall performance will decline. Your dog knows sit, down, and stand, but when you introduce the card for bow, he forgets everything. This is when reading becomes an effort for your dog, just as it was for us when we were kids. Be patient, stick to the program, work in short sessions, review the cards, and give verbal cues as needed. Your dog will be stretching his mind in new ways, and that’s hard work. Do everything you can to make the experience rewarding.”
By the third word, many dogs express their frustration by barking or vocalizing. Don’t correct or even acknowledge this, just ignore it.
Motivated dogs may offer every behavior they can think of in an effort to win the treat or reward. If your dog runs through her repertoire by sitting, lying down, standing up, spinning around, waving, bowing, rolling over, and so forth, don’t smile or laugh. Keep a straight face and calmly ignore or say “No” to each wrong answer and give a highly enthusiastic “Yes!” for each right one.
Some dogs begin shutting down when they feel confused, becoming less physically active and offering fewer behaviors. “You have to counteract that lethargy by being a good coach,” says Dr. Bergin. “Use whatever tools you have to infuse your dog with your infectious energy and enthusiasm for the upcoming exercises. Really cheer your dog on, wave favorite treats and toys, and make the whole experience positive, upbeat, happy, and rewarding, not a boring chore.”
A lack of interest at the beginning of a reading session is a bad sign, suggesting that your dog may be on the brink of burnout. If she turns her head away, walks away, or just doesn’t want to practice, take a break. “If I had to choose between burnout or stopping prematurely,” says Dr. Bergin, “I’d stop prematurely. Put the cards away for a few days or a week. Renew your dog’s enthusiasm for life and training with favorite activities. And when you resume, keep your sessions short and positive.”
In her book, Dr. Bergin provides detailed step-by-step lesson plans, training tips, and advice for preventing and solving problems. One chapter helps volunteers train their dogs for work with children in schools and libraries.
She also describes how learning to read will help dogs conceptualize, understand new ideas, make new connections, communicate more effectively, and enhance their relationships with humans.
Opinions About ‘No Reward Markers’ Vary
In this article, Dr. Bergin describes using the word “no” in a specific way: as a “no reward marker” or NRM. This is a unique and neutral signal that lets the dog know that the behavior he is exhibiting is not the desired one, so he should try something else to find the desired behavior, for which he will be rewarded. Dr. Begin recommends keeping any emotion out of your voice when using “no” in this way, so the dog is not discouraged, but merely understands that he should try something else. The word is offered as information, not as punishment. “A firm “No” should not sound threatening, angry, frustrated, or disappointed,” says Dr. Bergin. “Use it to inform, redirect, and guide.”
However, the success of the word “no” as an NRM may hinge on more than just the owner’s scrupulousness at saying “no” in a neutral way. Unfortunately, many dog owners use the word “No!” to stop their dogs from doing anything the owner doesn’t like – chasing a cat, sniffing a countertop (preparatory to jumping up and snatching some food, perhaps), barking at someone through the living room window. That’s why some dogs develop an unconscious negative association with the word; it becomes a precursor to being punished, or is experienced by the dog as punishment itself. When these dogs hear “no,” even in a neutral tone, they may just give up, thinking anything they do next will be wrong.
If your dog “gets” the concept of the neutral NRM, and keeps trying various behaviors when you mark his incorrect attempts with the word “no,” you’re doing a good job, just as Dr. Bergin describes! However, if he “shuts down” or stops offering different behaviors when you use the word, try saying it more brightly and cheerfully. Or, better yet, try a different NRM, one without any negative associations for the dog. Some trainers use a word like “Oops!” which naturally comes out of most people’s mouths cheerfully. Other suggestions include “not!”, “try again!” (or just, “again!”), “next!”, or “cold!” (from the children’s game where a person tries to find a hidden object and is told “warmer” or colder” based on his movements as he searches).
Understanding Reading
After her first reading experiment with dogs being trained at her Assistance Dog Institute, Dr. Bergin spent the summer of 2003 studying the history of human reading. She learned that humans began their written communication by drawing pictures, which eventually became stick figures, which were eventually turned on their sides, which is how they became phonemes (symbolic sounds) and letters of alphabets.
“Our dogs were already recognizing words made of letters,” she says, “so I moved on to cartoon stick figures, which I created on my computer. I was amazed at how quickly the dogs made the connection between their word command flash cards and the stick figures that illustrated those commands. I could show them a stick figure and they all did the corresponding behavior without being taught.”
Dr. Bergin then brought a Stanford University researcher to the Institute to help her explore the canine mind with regard to reading. “I learned that printed words are hard for dogs to understand because they are abstract shapes that have to be identified and responded to, while stick figures might be easier to decipher but understanding them involves a higher level of cognition.”
What amazed Dr. Bergin the most was the ability of reading dogs to conceptualize, to make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas.
“I know that there are people who still believe dogs can’t think,” she says, “despite all kinds of scientific evidence to the contrary. Well, up to this point I knew dogs could think, but I didn’t think they thought very much. I would hear stories from people who got assistance dogs from me about how brilliant their dogs were, and I’d always take those stories with a grain of salt. I tended to dismiss them as anecdotal reports, nothing based on objective science, and I didn’t pay much attention. Now I realize that the reports were probably quite accurate, not the exaggerated claims I had assumed them to be, and I wish I could turn the clock back and hear them all again. I would pay much more attention.”
Dr. Bergin also learned that people who don’t read cannot conceptualize the way people who read can. “This helps explain why people who can’t read are so often stuck and unable to change their lives. It’s because they can’t imagine anything different. Learning to read unlocks all kinds of possibilities for them. I’m convinced that the same will be true for dogs and that dogs who can read will demonstrate degrees of intelligence, problem solving ability, and talent that we can’t begin to imagine.
“The possibilities for reading dogs are endless,” she says. “We just need to keep exploring them. Reading dogs are revolutionaries – and by teaching them to be literate beings, we can participate in their revolution. When you teach a dog to read, you’re not just teaching him a cute trick to show your friends. You’re developing his mind and helping him become a better problem solver. My hope is that these simple training techniques will transform your expectations about what your dog can learn and do at home, and that it will change the way that veterinarians, dog trainers, and breeders approach dog training forever.”
Dogs Help Promote Reading Skills in Others
Not only can dogs learn to read, they can actually help kids learn to read. Since 1999, registered therapy dogs have been visiting schools, libraries, and other facilities as Reading Education Assistance Dogs® or R.E.A.D.® Program participants. Founded by Intermountain Therapy Animals in Salt Lake City, Utah, the R.E.A.D. program is dedicated to improving the literacy skills of children of all ages by providing them an opportunity to read aloud to a dog in a setting that is supportive and nonjudgmental. After all, the presence of dogs helps lower blood pressure and relieve anxiety – and dogs never correct your pronunciation.
In a pilot study conducted at a Utah elementary school in 2000-2001, children in grades 2 through 6 significantly improved their reading scores. In addition, teachers reported that the participants experienced decreased absenteeism, improved self confidence and self esteem, a sense of pride in their accomplishments, increased participation in field trips, clubs, and other extracurricular activities, improved hygiene, kinder and more respectful interactions with animals, better grades, and increased use of the school’s library. R.E.A.D. program volunteers work throughout the U.S. and in parts of Canada. The program is open to registered therapy dogs and other therapy animals.
WDJ contributor CJ Puotinen and her Labrador Retriever, Chloe, are members of the Hudson Valley Humane Society Visiting Pet Program, which is a R.E.A.D. Program affiliate. They live in New York.
You can learn a lot about your dogs’ health from their poop. Its color, consistency, contents, odor, amount, and frequency can give you valuable, up-to-date information about their health. For example, it can provide early warning that your dog’s diet may be unsuitable, or that she may be grappling with parasites, viruses, unfriendly bacteria, bad water, emotional upset, food allergies, or serious illness.
So try to check it out every day. Don’t be shy! You might use a twig to poke it apart, although picking it up carefully with a bag or scooper may yield a similar opportunity to observe its qualities. This way, you’ll come to know whether your dog’s poop seems right or wrong, and when you need to do something about it.
Anytime you are not sure of what you’re seeing, check with a vet, an expert in canine nutrition, or your reliable home library. Those specialty pet supply shops that actively promote the raw diet and sell ingredients for it often have staff who are very well-informed. But there’s no getting away from it – competent doggy-doo divination begins at home. And to recognize a problematic poop, we must start with a concept of the ideal excrement.
The perfect poop
A dog’s feces varies somewhat according to whether he eats kibble, canned, or home-prepared food. But all well-formed dog poo shares certain characteristics. First, healthy stool should have a relatively inoffensive odor. For another, it will typically be brown and of an even, well-digested consistency.
Pet food industry professionals use a scale of 1 to 5 to rate poop quality. Usually, 1 means liquid diarrhea, whereas 5 indicates a hard and dry stool. The industry generally agrees that 4 is ideal, says Claudia A. Kirk, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVN and ACVIM. Dr. Kirk, an associate professor of medicine and nutrition in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, describes the perfect 4 as “a light- to dark-brown stool that is well-formed, firm but malleable, moist, and does not fall apart when picked up.”
Understand that every dog has her own version of “normal.” To be able to distinguish the good from the bad, you need to know your own dog’s poop when she’s absolutely radiant with good health!
“Normal” poop for each dog varies. Ideally, though, it is neither too hard nor too soft, and not terribly smelly.
Feces facts
Poop is the by-product of the digestive process. Food is broken down into basic molecules in the stomach and small intestine, enabling the small intestine to absorb them. Enzymes break down proteins into amino acids, carbohydrates into sugar molecules, and fat into cholesterol and di- and tri-glyceride components.
Food particles not absorbed by the small intestine pass into the large intestine (the colon), along with gut secretions, pancreatic enzymes, bile salts, discarded intestinal cells, mucus, intestinal bacteria, secreted water, minerals, and vitamins. This substance is typically green and soupy.
The party is not yet over when this matter (known as the “ingesta”) reaches the colon, which absorbs much of the water, many minerals, some vitamins, and most bile salts. Any food that is still undigested provides nutrients for the normal microbes that live in the lower gut. Fermentation of these nutrients occurs there, producing volatile (and often smelly) gases, altering the pH of the colon, and even changing some of the food into short chain fatty acids, which are very important for the health of the colonic epithelial cells (colonocytes).
Fermentation is a normal part of digestion; it produces essential vitamins such as vitamin K. Vitamins, short chain fatty acids, certain minerals, and bile acids are absorbed across the colon along with large amounts of water. As the “leftovers” move toward the rectum, removal of the water concentrates the ingesta into what we know as feces.
By the time it comes out of the dog, poop is made up of unabsorbed nutrients, cells, bile pigments, volatile fatty acids and organic compounds, mucus, water, electrolytes, and additional metabolic waste products.
Factors affecting stool quality
How wonderful it would be if we could catalog wayward types of feces and simply cross-reference them to find out whether a dog needs a new diet, more exercise, a particular remedy, or a medical procedure!
Unfortunately, poop defies neat and tidy classification. Problem poop can give us a helpful heads-up about a dog’s possible ill health, but taken as a sign by itself “it can rarely pinpoint the cause or severity of the problem, since there is huge overlap across the disorders,” states Dr. Kirk.
All kinds of things can upset the digestive system, including food with low digestibility, an out-of-balance bacterial population, intestinal disease, toxins, pharmaceuticals, botanicals (herbs), vitamin supplements, nutritional oils, nutraceuticals, food allergy or intolerance, vaccinations, exercise, and emotional stress.
How can we tell the difference between feces affected by what a dog ingests as opposed to those reflecting the presence of viruses, bacterial infections, parasites, systemic or organ disease or failure? “Unfortunately, (the latter) will look just like poop from dietary indiscretion, food allergies, and so forth,” Dr. Kirk says. So we need to look at all of these different factors.
Food digestibility
The amount of food molecules entering the colon depends on a variety of factors. One is the dog’s ability to digest an otherwise satisfactory meal. Another is the inherent digestibility of the food provided. If the diet is digestible, fewer molecules end up in the colon and fermentation is minimal. But when lots of undigested nutrients enter the lower small intestine and colon, fermentation can be profuse.
Whereas the colon normally extracts water from digested food, changing it from liquid into something solid and well-formed, the production of large amounts of gas and short chain fatty acids, when severe, will draw water back into the colon. “This is the same process that occurs in people with lactose intolerance – producing gas, diarrhea, and flatulence,” Dr. Kirk explains.
Doggy diets vary considerably concerning contents, combinations of foodstuffs, and degrees of processing. Nevertheless, Dr. Kirk offers a few generalizations about some common pet food ingredients that can affect stool quality.
Fibers constitute an important component of the diet. Some are fermentable and others are not. The type, amount, water solubility, water holding capacity, and fermentation rate of a fiber source significantly affects stool quality.
However, opinions differ about good sources of fiber for dogs. Dr. Karr-Lilienthal, companion animal specialist and lecturer in Companion Animal Science at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, recommends oats, carrots, and brassica vegetables such as broccoli. She likes beet pulp, since about half ferments in the gut, where it’s easily broken down by friendly bacteria, and because the indigestible half improves the stool quality.
Jennifer Lennon, founder of Healthy Paws, a Toronto company that produces raw diets for dogs and cats, favors ground whole black oil sunflower seeds, including the hulls; ground whole veggies, particularly roots such as beets and carrots; and ground whole pumpkin seeds.
Corn often gets blamed for causing voluminous, gloppy stools. However, Dr. Karr-Lilienthal believes that the story is a little more complicated. “Corn has a bad reputation partly because it’s a fairly common food allergen,” she says. She believes that while corn offers some nutritive bene-fits when used to provide fiber, a problem arises when pet food companies use corn – or other cereal grains – as a primary source of protein.
On this basis, she says there’s a positive correlation between the amount we pay for our dogs’ nutrition and its quality. The cheapest foods, such as generic store-brands and others, are usually formulated with inexpensive plant-derived proteins; their fiber sources may be low-cost wheat middlings or peanut hulls. The nutrients in foodstuffs like these aren’t readily available to the animal, she warns.
“It’s actually more cost-effective to feed a more expensive, higher quality diet. You have to feed a lot more of those really cheap foods to get the right amount of nutrients into your animal. As a result, more comes out the other end that they’re not able to utilize. Sometimes those animals are more gassy, too, because of the poorly digested proteins reaching the large intestine – a lot of odor comes from that.”
But not all plant proteins create the same problems. Soy is highly digestible; its issue (besides being another common allergen) is that its carbohydrates are too fermentable and can cause flatulence. Dr. Karr-Lilienthal believes that dogs need a minimum of 4 percent good quality fiber; most pet foods provide a range of 4 to 10 percent. A raw diet that regularly includes ground whole vegetable matter will more than meet this requirement.
Bacterial population
The bacteria that inhabit a dog’s gut play an important role in her food’s digestion and fermentation. The balance of intestinal bacteria is affected by both diet and drugs such as antibiotics.
Over time, intestinal bacteria adapt as much as they can to what the individual dog eats. A dog who dines on the same brand and type of commercial food daily will normally adapt to that diet and produce consistent stools.
In contrast, the poop of dogs who regularly consume a variety of foods, as those who feast on raw victuals usually do, tells a somewhat different story. The stool quality of such a dog usually falls within a consistent range of what’s normal for that individual. In either case, changing the diet too quickly or adding something new can cause bacterial overgrowth and excessive fermentation, resulting in diarrhea. This is why it’s important to allow a dog time to adjust to new ingredients in the diet, or to new brands or types of commercial foods.
Intestinal disease
Any disease that affects the intestine, whether caused by parasites, malabsorption, ulcers, tumors, food allergies, bacteria, viruses, or other culprits, can contribute to vomiting and altered stool.
Toxins
Toxins can come from many sources. Normal foods, plants, excess bile salts, metabolic by-products, and even the dog’s own bacteria can produce them. Toxins can block absorption, alter motility, destroy normal intestinal cells needed for digestion, and stimulate cells to secrete excess water and electrolytes, all of which can create problem poop.
Keep in mind that any time your dog has a persistently abnormal stool, seek professional advice early.
Pharmaceuticals
Anything that upsets the tummy can affect stool quality. Chemotherapeutic drugs and laxatives (obviously!) are good examples. Antibiotics commonly disrupt the normal intestinal bacterial population, producing side effects such as diarrhea. Opioids often cause constipation. Medications containing iron may cause constipation and darken the stool.
There are too many examples to list here. Always find out about the possible unintended effects of any drug before you give it to your dog!
Botanicals (herbs)
Again, the possibilities are many. Some herbs may cause toxicity in an individual animal depending upon the dosage and other factors. Others, like nettle, alfalfa, or flaxseed, may cause digestive upset (and dermatological reactions) if given in large quantities. As with drugs, learn all you can before using any herb, and administer it responsibly.
Vitamin supplements
Supplemented in appropriate amounts, vitamins shouldn’t cause a problem. However, Wendell O. Belfield, DVM, and others following his lead recommend using the sodium ascorbate or calcium ascorbate form of vitamin C. This is because the ascorbic acid form is hard on some dogs’ stomachs. Oil-based vitamins, such as E and A, may soften stools as oils tend to do. Large doses of B vitamins may cause stomach upset and vomiting or, less commonly, diarrhea.
Nutritional oils
Large amounts of oils (for example, flax, fish, corn, and others) will cause greasy stools and possibly diarrhea if added too quickly or if given in excess. Introduce them gradually to your dog’s diet.
Nutraceuticals
Some will cause diarrhea. MSM, ursodiol, SAM-e, and chondroitin sulfates have reportedly caused GI upset in some dogs. Again, introducing them slowly may help.
Food allergy or intolerance
Food allergy or intolerance can cause intermittent to frequent vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, loss of appetite, itchy skin or ears, eosiniphilic plaques, and a number of less common disorders. Feces quality can range from normal to diarrhea and with or without mucus or blood, depending on the severity of the allergy and what part of the intestinal tract is most affected. Stools will often be lighter in color, and diarrhea obvious, but not always.
Vaccination
According to Dr. Kirk, a dog should not normally have a stool change immediately following vaccination; a reaction may indicate an allergic reaction to the vaccine. This would usually produce diarrhea that may or may not include mucus or blood, and (or) vomiting, vasculitis, and hives. She states that vaccines for leptospirosis and rabies are most commonly associated with this kind of reaction. Note that allergic reactions and vaccine anaphylaxis have many other clinical signs, including acute respiratory distress and death – or, later, immune-mediated phenomena such as thrombocytopenia or anemia. If you observe any change that makes you suspicious of an allergic reaction following any vaccination, inform your vet right away. Subsequent exposures tend to get worse and could result in death.
Exercise
Dogs need regular exercise for their digestive health. Not enough physical activity can encourage constipation, as it does in people. But suddenly increasing a dog’s exercise level can cause diarrhea and lead to dehydration, according to Dr. Karr-Lilienthal, “because it really stresses the animal out (physically). Instead, slowly build their condition.”
Emotional stress
Never underestimate the effects of emotional stress on a dog’s well-being and digestive processes, no matter what her age. As Dr. Karr-Lilienthal says, “Anytime a dog is stressed he’s more likely to have diarrhea. Dogs are very emotional creatures!”
Common dung disorders and how to treat them
There is also quite a long list of the ways in which a dog’s poop can diverge from a normal appearance and consistency. While treatment for these conditions will vary based on the individual and the severity and duration of the abnormal poo, the following are some generalized descriptions and treatment recommendations.
Black or tarry stool that resembles this dark chocolate pudding, may indicate bleeding in the upper GI tract.
Diarrhea and loose stool
Diarrhea is the most common sign of digestive disturbance. While it’s often of little concern, it can be serious. Diarrhea’s causes are almost infinite, including infections, an ill-suited diet (one containing ingredients that the dog is allergic to or intolerant of), emotional upset, ingestion of toxic or bacterial-laden substances, worms, and many more. A lot of dogs can’t digest the lactose in milk products and get diarrhea from that.
Diarrhea results when things move along too quickly for the colon to extract enough water for the stool to take form. If it occurs only once or twice and then resolves itself, the dog’s body was probably clearing itself of material that was inappropriate, irritating, or teeming with unfriendly bacteria.
However, you’ll need to be concerned when diarrhea is severe, contains or smells of blood, contains raspberry-jam like mucus, is accompanied by other signs of illness, or continues for more than a couple of days. In these cases, it could be telling you either that the diet is wrong for the dog or that the dog may be – perhaps urgently – ill. Even in less dramatic cases, dehydration is always a danger with diarrhea; and chronic diarrhea can lead to malabsorption and long-term degradation of health.
In general, if diarrhea appears simple and uncomplicated with no other symptoms, wait a day or two. Provide plenty of water! Give your dog’s immune system a chance to do its work. Think about what she might have gotten into that she shouldn’t have. If the diarrhea doesn’t clear up, start looking to either the diet or illness for answers.
Consult with a vet anytime you see additional symptoms, after two days with no improvement, or immediately if your young puppy has the runs.
Constipation and dry stool
Possible causes for constipation include feeding a very high-fiber diet to a dog who doesn’t drink enough water to hydrate the fiber; lots of bone meal in the diet; iron supplements; opioid drugs, or consumption of indigestible items like wool, hair, plant material, rocks, or kitty litter. Lack of exercise, obesity, diseases that decrease water intake or increase output (such as diabetes, renal disease, liver problems, etc.), and hypothyroidism can all cause constipation.
More possible causes of constipation include neoplasia (growths) in the GI tract, motility disorders, and abnormal anatomy. Anatomic issues such as a broken pelvis, narrow pelvic canal, rectal or anal strictures, perineal hernias, and an enlarged prostate can constipate a dog. Any pain, including postural, can discourage a dog from defecating. A dog locked in the house all day may also become constipated from holding onto feces too long.
Ideally, every dog should have available a source of fresh water at all times. This is true even for dogs who eat raw diets and canned foods, which contain lots of moisture. However, if you’re gone all day or if you crate your dog (and especially if you feed dry kibble), provide water in the morning and assure unrestricted access to it in the evening and at night, so that he can drink until satisfied.
See if you can arrange things so that your dog is not alone and indoors all day. Old dogs, especially, need enough fiber in their food and a predictable routine to support their regularity.
For constipation, well-known animal herbalists Mary Wulff-Tilford and Greg Tilford suggest offering organic, live-cultured yogurt. If the dog is straining, they recommend ground flaxseed, psyllium husk, or marshmallow root to lubricate the intestines; give 1/4 tsp. of any of these herbs for each 20 pounds of body weight plus lots of water. Fresh chickweed may also help.
If constipation is chronic, reevaluate what you’re feeding your dog. If the digestive system has suffered long-term damage, you’ll need to do further research for more lasting solutions. Thoroughly check out the safety of any herb or drug you consider giving to a pregnant animal.
Should people give their dogs human-style laxatives for constipation, or drugs for diarrhea? “Not without your veterinarian’s input and instructions for appropriate dose,” cautions Dr. Kirk, because:
1) Some of the most familiar drugs for humans are toxic in dogs and cats. For example, the common painkiller Tylenol can cause acute liver failure in both animals.
2) Some medications may contain other drugs that pets shouldn’t have, but they are listed in a form that owners would not recognize.
3) Determining the correct dose for a dog is more complicated than it appears. One does not necessarily scale up and down drug doses on the basis of weight alone. On top of that, there are species differences in tolerance and doses. “So while Kaopectate, Lomotile, and Pepto-Bismol can be used under certain circumstances,” Dr. Kirk says, “check with your vet first to make sure of the correct dose, and that the drug does not interact with other disease conditions or medications the pet may be taking.”
4) Over-the-counter human drugs are designed to be used for 1 to 2 days, often following a dietary indiscretion. Long-term use is not advocated.
From a holistic view, it’s far better to look for and deal with the cause of poor stool quality or digestive unpleasantness instead of using a drug to control or prevent symptoms. For short-term disturbances, such as uncomplicated constipation or diarrhea, fasting is often the best answer.
Dr. Kirk advises, “For dogs with dietary indiscretion, a 24-hour fast with only clear liquids, followed by slow reintroduction of the normal food, or starting with a bland diet such as cottage cheese and rice, or giving a therapeutic intestinal diet, works better than drugs.” A number of holistic dog care books describe how to fast a dog safely, reintroduce foods afterward, and create natural therapeutic intestinal diets.
Straining
Anything that causes constipation could cause straining, plus any inflammation of the colon, rectum, or perianal region. Also seen with lower urinary tract disease. You must figure out whether the straining is related to defecation or urination, as urinary obstruction can be rapidly fatal.
Poop that is flat on one side
An enlarged prostate can press against a male dog’s rectum, causing him to strain and then pass a stool that appears flat on one side due to squeezing past the obstacle. It may also have a squishy or mushy consistency, for the same reason. If you see one-side-flattened feces, have your dog’s prostate checked.
Greasy feces
A sign that your dog is not digesting the fat in his food. If it continues, look into possible causes of malabsorption, including pancreatic trouble, parasites, or others.
Extremely stinky
Excessively stinky stools can occur for a variety of reasons. In Dr. Kirk’s experience, high meat diets typically produce the worst odor due to the skatols and sulfides produced during meat breakdown.
In contrast, Lennon has found that with appropriate raw fare, dog poop frequently has almost no odor at all. As with most other aspects of stool quality, a healthy dog on raw rations may exude a wider array of aromas in her feces than a dog on processed fare, but Lennon has seen dogs on processed food whose stinky poop has become perfectly pleasant after switching to raw comestibles. Again, the suitability of the diet to the dog and the degree to which the dog has adjusted to the diet will play a crucial role in the olfactory aspect of doggy-do.
In any case, feces should never smell alarming; a scent of blood or severe rancidity should alert you to something amiss. Beans and some cruciferous vegetables may cause flatulence, due to certain starches that break down poorly in the intestinal tract. Food allergies or sensitivities can result in smelly gas and stool, too. Intestinal parasites, such as Giardia, create their own end-products that also smell. Viruses, such as canine distemper, have a specific effect on the GI tract, as well. Both are examples of conditions that produce distinctive, identifiable stool odors.
Odd contents
Poop may at times contain indigestible food chunks such as raw carrot, whole nuts, or unchewed (whole) seeds. Grass is also common; dogs eat it for many reasons, one of which is to help them clear out troublesome matter from their digestive tract. However, nonfood items such as bits of plastic, wood, or other intriguing things can cause a blockage or other problems. If their appearance is only occasional, you probably don’t need to be concerned. Do, though, look for ways to stop your dog’s access to nonfood “extras.”
Poop containing chunks of undigested food, especially difficult-to-digest ingredients such as raw carrot, is not a cause for alarm. Chunks of plastic or wood should trigger a hunt for and elimination of the nonfood items from the dog’s reach.
Hair
Dr. Karr-Lilienthal points out that when a dog’s poop contains significant quantities of his own hair, it can indicate a problem – but one involving the skin, rather than the digestive system! If you see a lot of hair, think: possible allergies, fleas, or insufficient grooming – by you or by the dog!
Mucus
Mucus means an irritated colon. The trouble can range from mild to severe, and is caused by common culprits – “wrong” bacteria, parasites, viruses, sticks passing through, etc. If it doesn’t clear up after a bowel movement or two, you’ll need to figure out what’s up.
Absence of stool
If she otherwise seems perfectly fine, don’t worry if your dog occasionally fails to defecate for a day or two. But if she hasn’t passed any stool or gas for a couple of days, or is vomiting, dehydrated, and/or her abdomen feels tender and hard, she may have an intestinal blockage. If blockage is total, your dog will need immediate surgical intervention, as this condition quickly becomes life-threatening.
Signs of partial blockage include slightly bloody or watery brown feces, which may indicate that the intestine has telescoped in on itself. Swallowed objects that can block the intestines include stones, bones, toys, or, according to Dr. Karr-Lilienthal, chunks of hard chew items such as “Greenies.” By the time you notice it, the damage caused by blockage may already be quite severe.
Odd colors
When everything’s in balance, look for a range of light to dark browns – anything from ocher to mahogany. A complex mix of healthy digestive secretions color feces this way. Stool produced by a dog on a raw diet will vary more in hue than will that from commercial food. Be aware that dyes used in some foods or treats can stain feces almost any color. Fresh-ground raw beets may innocently stain poop a deep red that can look (and ooze) almost like blood, whereas commercial diets that contain beet pulp probably won’t have the same effect.
Yellow, hard stool often results from a diet that contains a lot of bone meal. Soft yellow stool can indicate a serious problem like a viral infection, especially if it’s yellow diarrhea, with or without vomiting.
Green may not always mean there’s something wrong, but it can indicate imbalances. These may be momentary and caused by something recently eaten, or reflect longer-term problems such as parasites or an organ issue.
White or very pale and hard. This is often produced by dogs on a raw diet containing bone meal. It may appear in one feces but not in another on the same day. It may be slightly difficult for the animal to pass, as it can be comparatively hard, but is not usually a cause for concern.
The addition to the diet of good quality vegetable fiber can help to ease the situation. Some raw food advocates maintain that harder solids such as bone meal or undigested bits of carrot in the stool help keep dogs’ anal glands healthy by stimulating them to express as the poop passes by.
Bloody (red). This is an emergency situation. It could have been caused by the dog having swallowed something that’s causing damage in the GI tract, or by a severe food allergy. It can also signify other problems, such as cancer. Frank red blood or mucus that looks like raspberry jam can indicate life-threatening disease. When you see bloody stool, have your dog seen by your vet right away.
Black or tarry. Tarry or black stool, possibly resembling coffee grounds, may signify bleeding from the stomach or from high in the small intestine. Blood from high in the GI tract gets digested on its way through, which is why it comes out black. This is obviously an emergency. However, a meal of raw organ meats, such as brain or spleen, may also produce black feces in healthy dogs. Dr. Kirk adds that Pepto-Bismol can cause very dark stool. If you don’t know why your dog’s stool is black, get qualified help, quickly.
Poop proud
So, dig in and get a load of what you can learn from your dog’s poop. What it has to tell you could save your dog’s life, and will certainly give you guidance about how to best support his health. And don’t feel too self-conscious! Most likely, the only one who will stare at you while you’re scrutinizing what he left behind is your dog, himself. While he might find your sudden interest a bit curious, he won’t think it’s weird. After all, poop is one of his favorite subjects. Don’t you care more about his opinion – and his well-being – than what anyone else thinks?
Maybe I am what my wife calls me: a grumpy old man. I know that her assessment of me is close to right whenever I see a litter of puppies – admittedly so cute, so precious, so darling – and the first thing that comes to my mind is “Think ahead!”
There is simply no phase of a dog’s life that demands more preparation than when our cute little puppies are making the transition from a life in the womb to a life of personal independence and social interdependence with the family of man.
Responsible, holistic puppy care begins long before the puppy arrives at the homestead. In fact, the first step to creating a healthy puppy is the selection of the puppy’s parents! The best predictors of long-term health of puppies are the health history and personality of the parents. Breeding stock should be proven to be sound in body, mind, and socialization.
The next step has to do with the care and feeding of the mother, which has a huge impact on her puppies’ health. If your family will be a part of the dam’s pregnancy and whelping, your preparations should actually begin long before she is bred. By strengthening the mom’s organ-system and immune-system functions, you will help ensure that she is able to “build” uncompromised, healthy puppies.
In the womb
After fertilization, the eggs spend several days migrating from the oviducts and forming firm attachments to the wall of the uterus. Fertilized eggs that attach to the middle portions of the uterine horns are in the best position to receive the dam’s transferred nutrients; larger and healthier placental attachments provide better nourishment for the developing puppies.
Puppy development in the uterus is rapid. During the first two weeks the embryonic cells differentiate into all the cells that will be needed for the body’s development. At about two weeks of age the fetus is tiny, but has a head, spine, limb buds, and tail. At this stage it is still being nourished by the yolk sac, an attachment to the fetus that develops from the ovum. This early time is the most critical stage of development; any drugs or diseases in the mother now can severely damage the fetuses.
By the end of three weeks, all of the tissues and organs necessary for life have developed. At about three weeks the fetuses can be felt if the mother is reasonably thin.
By day 35 after fertilization, all of the puppy’s body characteristics are apparent. By day 40 the eyelids, claws, hair, and skin color are visible, and the puppies’ skulls can be felt through the mother’s abdominal wall. At 42 to 45 days of fetal age the pups have the form of miniature dogs, and their skeletons can be seen on X-rays. From this time until birth, three weeks later, the fetuses simply continue to grow.
Most pregnancies last 62 to 65 days, but there is considerable variation. Large litters often have shorter gestation (perhaps 57 days or even shorter), whereas small litters may not be delivered until 67 to 68 days (or more) into gestation.
A certain amount of emotional development also occurs during gestation. We know that human infants are influenced in the womb by their mothers’ personalities and lifestyles. I’m not sure that we need to chant calming mantras throughout our dog’s pregnancy (although it can’t hurt!), but I am convinced that puppies born into a calm and nurturing household typically end up being calm and healthy themselves.
Vaccination
Whether or not to vaccinate is a delicate subject for holistic-minded caretakers, and the question of vaccinating during pregnancy is even more controversial. We want the mother to pass the maximal possible level of antibodies against common diseases to her puppies, and vaccinations are one way of assuring this.
As a general rule, modified live virus (MLV) vaccines are contraindicated during pregnancy, but some veterinarians believe that many of the killed vaccines are relatively safe to give during the last few weeks of pregnancy. By giving appropriate vaccines about two weeks before whelping, they argue, we assure that the maximal amount of vaccine-produced antibody will be present to be passed on to the pups. However, killed vaccines typically yield the highest percentage of allergic reactions.
Another argument against vaccinating the mother during pregnancy is that, since her immune system has been altered to allow for the presence of developing puppies (which are actually foreign bodies of a sort), gestation is a time of maximal immune compromise – and vaccines given then may not be effective. Vaccinating a female when she is in heat may also prevent the vaccine from being fully effective.
As a holistic practitioner, I like to see puppies adequately vaccinated against the predominant diseases when they are puppies. Immune-competent dogs will develop all the immune-ability they are capable of with these early vaccines, so once titer tests confirm the pup’s antibody response to the vaccine is adequate, I don’t feel further vaccines are necessary.
Once again, for breeding stock, the most important thing is to know the history of the parental stock and to know whether they have been reasonably disease-resistant in their lifetimes. When in doubt, vaccine titers should be used to evaluate the breeding dog’s immune status before she comes into season or is bred.
Internal parasites
Internal parasites are another concern during pregnancy, as much for the human children that may handle the puppies as for the puppies and their mother.
The larvae of the roundworm (Toxocara canis) lie latent in the mother until around the 42nd day of gestation. Then, when the mother’s natural immune system is suppressed by hormonal changes, the larvae cross the placenta into the puppies, most of them setting up residence in the puppies’ livers. Some larvae also migrate to the mother’s mammary glands, and these can be passed to the puppies through her milk.
Dogs can also be infected by consuming eggs from the soil in the environment (generally through normal grooming) or by consuming a prey animal (usually a rodent) that is carrying developing worms. Larvae can live in the soil for months.
Ancylostoma caninum is the most common hookworm of dogs (and cats) in the northern hemisphere. Hookworms suck blood from the intestinal wall and are considered the most pathogenic (harmful) parasitic infection of young dogs. Severe infestations can lead to profound anemia and death in puppies.
Most dogs are infected initially by oral contact with larvae, which crawl out of infected feces and move to the surface of the soil or vegetation. Puppies can also become infected by ingesting the milk of infected mothers. Larvae can live in the soil for months – a continuing source of infection.
Humans are not a normal host of the canine hookworm, but on contact with infective larvae, they can develop a condition called creeping eruption or cutaneous larva migrans (itchy skin). Almost all puppies (experts estimate 90 to 100 percent) are born with roundworms and/or hookworms, or will be infested with them shortly after birth, even if the mother has tested negative for worms. (Detection during pregnancy is nearly impossible for several reasons.) With this in mind (and considering the potential for infecting children who will come into contact with the puppies), some vets recommend de-worming the mother several times during her pregnancy and de-worming the puppies several times, beginning about 3 or 4 weeks after birth.
Whelping
Unless you want the newborn pups to arrive on your new satin bedspread, construct a whelping box a few weeks before the pups are due, and get Momma Dog accustomed to using it. Position it in a quiet, secluded, draft-free place. Line the floor of the box with a thick layer of newspapers, cover this with a warm layer of heavy towels or a mattress pad, and provide a heat source that will produce 85° to 90°F at floor level. Make sure there is adequate space in the whelping box for mother and pups to escape from the heat if they want to.
A whelping box for a large dog can be about four to five feet square; a smaller dog’s box can be about two to three feet square. One side is low so the mother can easily get out; barriers are also put in place to enable the pups to get away from their mother when they need to.
Prepare family members for their potential role of cleaning and drying the arriving pups, but make sure everyone understands that most mothers will simply want to be left alone. In fact, a whelping female can stop the birth process until gawkers (or, in the wild, predators) leave the area.
The female about to give birth may become nervous up to 36 hours before parturition (“parturition,” the act of giving birth, is from the Latin parturire, to have the pains of labor). She may pace, appear anxious, and try to build a nest or dig a hole in the ground. She also stops eating and may shiver or even vomit. Hormonal influences usually cause the mother’s temperature to drop to less than 99° F within about 24 hours of the onset of parturition. There is a normal sequence of events that will occur during the birthing process, and whelp-ologists divide these into three stages. Stage I, cervical dilation, is marked by uterine contractions that are due to an increase in estrogen, accompanied by a decrease in progesterone and pressure against the cervix. The dam will be restless, turning around in circles and panting; she may also vomit. All signs increase in frequency and intensity for up to 12 hours as this stage progresses. She will then alternate between Stage II, expulsion of the fetuses, and Stage III, expulsion of placentas. After delivering a pup, the mother licks the membrane off the pup and severs the umbilical cord with her teeth. (Mothers that have a dental structure where the teeth don’t meet may not be able to chew the cords – yet another reason to look at her physical characteristics before you have her bred.) Within 5 to 15 minutes after each pup is born, its placenta is passed. It is normal, but not necessary, for the mother to eat the placentas – although she may vomit if she eats more than one or two.
Pups are typically born every 30 to 60 minutes. They may be delivered head first (about 60 percent are delivered this way) or tail first; either way is considered normal. The birth of the first pup should occur within four hours after the mother is in strong labor, and the normal interval between pups only rarely goes beyond two hours. Veterinary assistance may be required if these basic time lines are exceeded.
If the mother ignores the pup or doesn’t clean it, you may need to assist in the process. Tear the placental membrane and remove it from the puppy’s head and nostrils. Gently suck (a large-sized syringe is a good tool here) and swab fluid from the mouth and opening of throat, and then gently swing the puppy headfirst in a downward path while supporting its head and trunk in a dry, warm towel. If respirations don’t begin spontaneously, the pup may need chest and facial massage with a dry warm towel.
To encourage breathing, stimulate the acupuncture point Governing Vessel 26. GV 26 is located on the midline of the nose, on the upper lip just below the nostril openings. This point is an acute emergency point – good for treating shock, anoxia (lack of oxygen), cardiac arrest, or collapse. The point can be stimulated with anything sharp at hand: the point of a knitting needle, the nail of your index finger, or an acupuncture needle, if you happen to have one. Newborn puppies are not equipped with a great thermoregulatory system, so they need to be kept warm and dry. Usually a 25 watt bulb hung over the whelping box will provide enough heat. During the first week, the temperature under the heat lamp should be about 85° to 90°F. This should gradually be decreased to about 75°F over the next three weeks. If a mother leaves her pups for half an hour in a typical room temperature of 72° F, their normal body temperature of 100°F drops to a chilling 94 to 95°F.
Colostrum is a specialized milk the mother provides for a short amount of time after giving birth. It is rich in nutrients, but most importantly it supplies protective antibodies to the puppies. Since a puppy’s immune system does not develop until several weeks after birth, the pup relies on its mother’s antibodies for whatever immune-capability it will have. About 80 percent of the immune-capability that the puppy receives is from colostrum; the remaining 20 percent is passed through the placenta during pregnancy. It is thus absolutely critical that puppies receive the colostrum within hours after birth; production of colostrum occurs only shortly after birth, and a puppy’s digestive system is set up to absorb it for only a short time.
Shortly after whelping, the mother will gather all the pups to her and feed them. This is a good time to observe general health; a newborn pup may look and move like an amoeba, but it should actively seek a teat to suck. Once there, the pup should be able to latch on and suck strongly.
After the first feeding is a good time to give the puppies their first exam. All pups in the litter should be approximately the same size. An unusually small puppy may be an indication that it has some sort of genetic defect. The runt of the litter may require supplemental feeding for normal development. Even though they are tiny creatures, pups should have a sturdy feel of substance about them. They should have an active sucking reflex; and they should not persistently cry or whine.
If the mother refuses to feed the litter (or one member of the litter), or if she is not providing enough milk (indicated by persistently crying puppies), you may need to provide supplemental feedings. Commercial milk substitutes are available; check with your vet.
Birth to weaning
From birth to weaning can be the most enjoyable time of all because the mother will do most of the work, including the feeding and cleaning up the puppies’ feces – so long as she is given enough fuel to get the task done. You have three main jobs: a) monitor the pups to see that they are growing normally; b) give the nursing mother plenty of good-quality nutrients (to feed the litter the bitch may require more than 150 percent of the nutrients she needed for herself); and, c) make sure that all the pups get handled on a many-times-a-day basis.
A puppy’s eyes are shut and her ears are sealed at birth; they begin to open at 10 to 16 days of age. By 28 days, a pup’s vision and hearing are almost as good as an adult’s. Pups can sit up at two weeks of age and stand at three weeks. Pain sensation is present at birth, but it may take several seconds for pain to register with the brain. By three weeks, a pup registers pain as quickly as an adult dog. The growth rate of puppies varies widely, depending on the size of the dog. Birth weights can multiply more than tenfold within the first seven to eight weeks, and energy needs are about twice that of adult dogs the same size.
Smaller-breed puppies have a higher metabolic rate per pound and reach maturity quickly; medium-breed puppies grow at a moderate rate. By the time he reaches adult size, a smaller-breed dog may have multiplied his birth weight 25 times; a larger dog’s weight may have increased 100 times. Large- and giant-breed puppies normally grow at a slower rate. If we attempt to speed this rate (by feeding a diet containing excess calcium or other nutrients, as the most common example), the puppies are more vulnerable to developmental diseases of the skeletal system.
While physical aspects of the growing puppy are important, equally important is his social development. The mother will have a primary impact on her puppies’ early social skills. She controls puppy behavior by licking, nipping, growling, biting, and leaving the vicinity. The amount of control the mother exerts early on will help to mold the pup’s personality as it develops into an adult. Good mothering skills will show the puppy what is expected without applying corrections too aggressively. If the mother is too aggressive, the pup may grow into a dog that is less active socially; such dogs also tend to perform poorly on tests of mental ability. Human contact is also crucial during the growing phase and social development. Exposing the puppies to an enriched environment is important. As they mature, frequently taking them away from the mother to areas that offer a safe, slow, but ever-increasing amount of mental stimulation will also prove valuable.
Weaning is a natural and gradual process that mother dogs have been doing for eons. Our job is to provide food for the puppies. Beginning at about three to four weeks of age, mix up a watery gruel of the puppies’ food, and let them nose into it. You may need to encourage some of the pups. As they all get the idea, you can gradually decrease the fluid in the food.
Weaning should be complete by six to eight weeks of age, and puppies will be ready for a new home at eight weeks. Both of these are critical time frames. Pups should stay with the litters and their mother until they are at least eight weeks old; the primary time for learning socialization skills from their mother occurs when the pups are between six and eight weeks old. About eight weeks of age is the perfect time to be totally weaned away from mother and move on to another home. If a pup stays with the mother and litter past 10 to 12 weeks of age, it becomes more difficult to socialize to the family of humans.
Of course, we can’t always control the factors that will go into producing the healthiest puppies (although, I might argue, we can try, by planning to purchase a puppy from a breeder who can prove she has taken care of all of the above!). For many of us, those factors are out of our control – like when we adopt a puppy from a shelter. Even so, there is still much we can do to help assure that the puppy we intend to make a part of our family reaches his or her potential.
Acquiring a puppy
Preparations for a puppy’s arrival will support your training efforts and his long-term health. For starters, don’t choose on impulse; give some thought to the selection process. The cute little bundle of fur will be with you for 10 to 15 years or more. Be realistic about the type of dog that will fit into your family environment.
If at all possible, get a puppy that a) you can socialize, or b) has already been well-socialized. There’s only a small window of time during which a puppy is most accepting of new people and experiences: from 8 to 12 weeks. Puppies who were sequestered throughout that period usually grow into fearful adults.
Your puppy-to-be should pass your own physical exam. Pups should have bright eyes, a shiny coat, and they should move easily with no limps or gimps. Compare one pup to others in the litter and check for symmetry of body parts. A healthy pup will feel substantial when you pick it up, squirm a bit, and eventually relax in your hands. Make sure your purchase is contingent on veterinarian approval, and take the pup immediately to your vet for a final check.
Things that can go wrong
Most puppies are raised to weaning without any major problems. However, sometimes things do go wrong.
Although most whelpings go without a hitch, it is a time of stress, and things can go wrong. Hypoxia (reduced oxygen supply) or lack of proper nutrition are the most common causes of death in neonates (newly born), and these two factors are compounded if the pups become chilled or wet.
Studies show that about 17 percent of puppies die before weaning, but after weaning the rate falls to 4 percent. Most of the puppy losses (56 percent) occur during the first week of life; there is another mortality peak at weaning. Thus, the puppy’s first week is the most critical, and it is the time to monitor progress of all the litter members closely. Experienced breeders identify puppies with special neonate collars, and weigh each individual daily. If any of the puppies seem to be failing to thrive, the mom and the entire litter should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Bacterial infections (neonatal sepsis) are more common in puppies with parasites, those who were not kept warm enough, failed to receive adequate nutrients from the dam, or were born with defects of the immune system. A variety of “bugs” may be responsible; usually gram negative bacteria predominate. Affected pups may have an unusual clinical presentation or signs may be virtually absent. They often cry and become restless and weak, or develop hypothermia or diarrhea. Failure to thrive is a common symptom, but may be difficult to assess without further testing, including at least a CBC and possibly other tests. Treatment consists of warming the puppies, fluid therapy if necessary, and antimicrobial therapy. This is one time when the big guns of Western medicine are indicated.
No matter what therapy is used – natural medicines or conventional drugs – it is important to note that drug/biochemical distribution in puppies younger than five weeks old is different from adults. Compared to adults, puppies have a lower total body fat, a higher percentage of total body water, lower concentration of albumin, and a poorly developed blood-brain barrier. Dosages need to be reduced by 30-50 percent of adult dose and/or the frequency of administration will need to be changed. Most drugs ingested by the mother will appear in her milk, but generally only at about 1 to 2 percent of her dosage.
Malnourished puppies are smaller, lighter, exhibit feeble attempts to suck, and/or are not attaining the expected weight gain for their age. High-pitched, constant crying or inactivity with an accompanying weak sucking reflex are advanced indications of malnourishment. When you handle these puppies you may also be able to detect reduced body tone and muscle strength.
These puppies often respond well to added nourishment. Commercial milk replacers are available, and the pups can be fed using a feeding tube or small baby bottle. As a rule, extremely weak puppies, those without a sucking reflex, or pups with a body temperature under 95°F do not have good survival rates, no matter the effort expended.
Puppy hypoglycemia is an idiopathic syndrome in toy breeds of dogs that is seen in the first six months of life. It seems to correspond with a relative immaturity of the liver, but can usually be managed by providing frequent meals of a commercial puppy diet. The problem usually resolves as the animal matures.
Fading puppy syndrome is actually a catch-all, descriptive term that includes many or all of the diseases that cause a puppy to fade or not thrive.
As the dog moves from puppy to adolescent, we humans become more and more involved in its healthy progression through life. The pup’s developing immune system is now ready to be stimulated in specific ways; vaccines and wormers will have to be considered; he will have to adapt to new routines and new foods; and he needs to become house trained and further socialized to other people and animals – all within a very short few weeks.
Dr. Randy Kidd earned his DVM degree from Ohio State University and his PhD in Pathology/Clinical Pathology from Kansas State University. A past president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, he’s author of Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Dog Care and Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Cat Care.
When I’m driving on the road and see a dog in someone else’s car, it makes me smile. I love it when people care enough about their dogs to chauffeur them around town. I love it even more when the dog is in a crate or seat belted in place.
My smile quickly vanishes, however, if the dog has her head stuck out the window, is sitting in the driver’s lap, darting back and forth across the seats, or worse, riding loose in the back of an open pickup truck. And the ultimate crime – leaving a dog in a hot car – motivates me to grab my cell phone and call out the animal cops.
As much as we love our dogs and want them with us all the time, we have an incontrovertible obligation to transport them safely, for their own welfare as well as ours, and that of other drivers on the roads. All dogs, large and small, should learn to ride politely in their cars. There’s a long list of safety hazards concomitant with having an unrestrained obstreperous canine in a moving vehicle. Here are some:
A dog who interferes with driver’s physical ability to drive the car. A dog sitting on the driver’s lap can interfere with steering. A dog who gets on or under the accelerator or brake pedals, hits the gear shift, or blocks the driver’s view can cause an accident.
A dog who interferes with driver’s mental ability to drive the car. When the driver’s attention is taken away from the road to deal with dog’s behavior, the dog has become a safety hazard.
A loose dog can become a flying missile if the car stops abruptly or is hit by another car.
If the car windows break or the doors pop open in an accident, a loose dog can escape, get hit on the road, or run off and become lost.
An unsecured dog can interfere with the efforts of rescue workers in an emergency.
A dog with her head out the window can suffer injury to her eyes from bits of flying debris, or worse, can have her head smashed by objects that pass too close to the car (other vehicle mirrors, signs, branches).
A loose dog can fall or jump out of an open window or back of a truck.
The temperature in a parked car on a warm (not even hot!) day can kill a dog.
I’m probably missing some, but I hope that’s enough to make you stop and think next time you’re planning an outing with your furry friend. That doesn’t mean you have to leave your dog buddy at home; there are lots of options for keeping everyone safe while enjoying canine company in your car.
Reducing the Risk
Not every dog loves car outings. Some high-risk car behavior is a result of canine stress and/or arousal. Reducing stress and arousal will decrease car-ride risks and increase car-ride enjoyment for both of you.
Tools and techniques for reducing stress in the car include covering your dog’s crate to reduce sensory stimulation; using a Calming Cap (see “Now You See It, Now You Don’t,” next page) for the same purpose; and incorporating a program of counter-conditioning and desensitization to overcome your dog’s car-related fears and arousal triggers (see “Road Scholar,” May 2001).
Additional tools for maximizing your car safety and pleasure are those that restrict your dog’s movement about the cabin. Many dog owners choose crating as a relatively safe car restraint option. This can be an excellent choice, and it does have drawbacks. To be super-safe, the crate needs to be fastened securely in the back of the vehicle.
Space is another consideration. Crates require a lot of room. If you have a mini-car and a maxi-dog, there’s no room for a crate – you need to explore other options, like canine seat belts.
When the “fasten your seatbelt” sign lights up on your dashboard, so can your dog’s. Many dogs ride comfortably and calmly secured in their seats with a belt designed for just that purpose. There are numerous models to choose from. (See “Seat Belt Your Dog,” February 2004.)
To avoid the potential for serious injury to his neck, though, be sure to select one that attaches to a harness, not your dog’s regular collar. Some dogs who habitually pace nervously back and forth in their cars settle down and relax when restricted by a seat belt. It’s easier on your nerves, too!
If you choose the seat belt route, be aware that the air bag danger that precludes small children from riding in the front passenger seat applies to dogs, too. Either disable your passenger air bag so Rover can ride in the front, or strap him into his seat belt in the back seat.
There are dogs who are not good seat belt candidates – typically puppies, young dogs, and others who might be tempted to try their teeth out on the seat belt or harness straps. Reprimanding your dog for chewing his belt comes under the “driver distraction” risk category. You can try applying a sour-tasting product such as Bitter Apple to the straps. This works for some dogs – but not all.
Another solution for strap chewers is a tasty stuffed Kong or other chew to keep their teeth otherwise occupied (see “King Kongs,” October 2000). You’ll need to secure the Kong so it doesn’t fall off the seat out of reach of your dog, by running a cord through the hole at the small end and tying it to a handy spot in the car. If that doesn’t work, you may need to give in and buy a bigger vehicle to accommodate a crate, or settle for a physical barrier. You might also teach your dog to love a basket muzzle and have him wear one while he’s belted in the back.
Barriers are designed for use in station wagons, mini-vans, and SUVs, and range in price from $40 to $80. The metal barriers are pressure mounted, and tend to be sturdier than the mesh ones, which attach with straps.
Barriers are not as safe as crates or seat belts. While they may protect human passengers from flying dog bodies in case of a wreck, they don’t protect the dog from getting bounced about the back of the vehicle, or stop him from escaping through broken windows. If you have a large dog and a small car, barriers won’t work; you’re still out of luck – and will need to reconsider the seat belt option.
Good Car Manners
Congratulations if you have already accustomed your dog to riding in the back seat (or “way back” of your car) with a harness and securely fastened seat belt. This, or a securely fastened crate, is the safest mode of car travel for your dog. But if you choose to ride with your dog unrestrained in your car, the least you must do is teach him to be calm and lie down in a safe spot other than your lap. (Dogs who are quiet and well-mannered in the car, but prefer to sit up and look out the windows, would be safer if they were secured with a harness and seat belt. When sitting up, a dog’s center of gravity is higher, putting the dog at higher risk of being thrown through the air in an accident.)
Some dogs prefer to lie down on the back seat, the floor of the back seat, or the way back of a station wagon, with little or no guidance. Dubhy, our Scottish Terrier, lies like a rock on the back seat of a car – you wouldn’t even know he’s there. In contrast, Bonnie, our newest acquisition, paces nervously in the car, and if allowed will attempt to climb into the front seat, and sometimes my lap. Given how deeply ingrained this behavior is, attempting to train her to lie down in the back seat would probably cause both of us undue stress. We crate her in the car, even for short trips. Your dog should have a solid and reliable “down” behavior on verbal cue (see “Sit Happens,” February 2001) before you expect him to ride politely in your car. If he does have a solid down, you can cue him (and reward!) for lying down quietly while you are driving (or rather, when you are safely stopped during drives).
If your dog does not reliably respond to a “down” cue, a program to teach polite car manners is in order. This will require two people – one to drive the car, one to reinforce your dog for appropriate car behavior. A large empty parking lot is a good place to start your lessons, to minimize distractions for both driver and dog.
Cue your dog to lie down on the back seat. When he does, mark the behavior, with the click! of a clicker or a verbal marker (such as the word “Yes!”), and give him a treat. Drive a short distance while your helper continues to mark the desired behavior and reward your dog at a rate of reinforcement high enough to keep the dog in his down position. Depending on your dog, this may be every few seconds to start, or it may be a slower rate if your dog is already reasonably calm in the car.
Continue to drive short distances with stops in between to give everyone a break. Gradually increase the distance of your practice runs, while your helper gradually decreases the rate of reinforcement. As you increase the length of the runs, keep the time between reinforcements of a random interval – some longer, some shorter. This way, your dog won’t get antsy as he starts anticipating the next click; he’ll never know when it’s coming! Have your helper ultimately fade the clicks and treats altogether as the car is moving, since you won’t be able to click-treat safely when you’re driving alone. Your goal is to have her reinforce polite car behavior only occasionally, and only when the car is stopped.
When your dog rides well in an empty parking lot, move your practice sessions to a parking lot with traffic, so your helper can reinforce your dog for riding politely in a more stimulating environment. Again, start with a high rate of reinforcement. When he has impeccable manners in the parking lot with clicks and treats only when the car is stopped, you’re ready to take it on the road, still with your helper present to reinforce appropriate car behavior. With that step accomplished, you can fly solo. Go back to the empty lot and give it a trial run. If your dog has learned his lessons well, you’ll zip through this part with ease. Drive a short distance with your dog lying down in his back-seat spot. Don’t try to click and treat while you are moving! Stop, click, and treat.
As long as he’s staying in his place, gradually increase the length of your runs, sometimes giving him a click and treat when you’re stopped, sometimes not. When he’s ready, move to a parking lot with traffic, and practice there until you’re ready to face the real world.
Pat Miller, CPDT, is Whole Dog Journal’s Training Editor. Miller lives in Hagerstown, Marland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center.
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There are two articles in this issue that deal with various things that happen at the dogs nether end. Dog Gone Dung contains everything you ever wanted to know about dog poo and come on, admit it: You were afraid to ask. Butt Scoot Boogie is about canine anal glands, and what can go wrong with them, and what you should do about it. Assigned months apart to two, ahem, regular WDJ contributors, they arrived in my e-mail in-box at about the same time . . . and so I thought, what the heck, lets just go ahead and get it all over with at once.
Teaching dogs to read? Have we finally lost our minds? Actually, no! CJ Puotinens fascinating article on page 10 is about the efforts of Dr. Bonnie Bergin, who trains dogs for people with all kinds of challenges, including the lack of ability to speak. She realized long ago that dogs could be trained to recognize symbols even letters of the alphabet as cues for behavior. Creative people (such as CJ herself) are putting dogs ability to read to work in helping kids learn to read. You have to check it out.
Finally, concerning Pat Millers article on the facing page: Many of us bring our dogs with us when we take road trips or just run errands in our cars. The article reminds us of some critical car safety tips we ought to keep in mind for the sake of our dogs, ourselves, and our fellow drivers. Loose dogs, especially excitable or unruly ones, really are a hazard to themselves and others in cars.
A few days after Pat sent me the article, I received the following e-mail from her:
So, Im driving back through town after doing shelter assessments this morning and in the next lane (a one-way street downtown), I see a sedan with the front passenger window open and a tricolor Beagle-mix half-hanging out the window.
Hunh, I mused. I just wrote about that! He really could fall out of that window!
So we go a couple of blocks, and I pull slightly ahead of the car. After I pass it, I glance in my rearview window just in time to see a tricolor blob go Splat! onto the pavement.
I jam on the brakes, hit my flashers, jump out of my van, and dash after the dog, who is now limping down the street away from me, a little stunned, but walking. I call to him, with no acknowledgment. He turns into a parking lot that goes through to a busy street. Just then the owner comes up behind me and calls to the dog, who looks up but doesnt stop. The owner calls again, running toward the dog, and this time the dog pauses. The owner reaches for the dogs collar, but the dog evades his reach and circles back toward me. I kneel and schmooze him up, he comes up to me, and I calmly grasp his collar and hold him until his owner steps up to take him.
As we walk back through the traffic jam weve created, the owner thanks me and says, I guess I wont let him do that anymore!
Fortunately, no harm done, but in my 50-plus years Ive never actually seen a dog fall out a car window. Talk about synchronicity!
Pat finished her story by writing, Hey, Nance, do you think you could use an article about winning the lottery?
1. Treat hot spots with home remedies and lick granulomas with natural remedies that speed healing and tissue repair while clearing bacterial infections.
2. If necessary, keep your dog from licking and irritating the area by applying a bitter-tasting topical product or fitting the dog with an Elizabethan or cervical collar.
3. Help prevent future hot spot outbreaks by improving your dog’s diet and lifestyle.
Your dog has a weeping, oozing wound on her leg or a yucky red blob on the top of her head, and at first you wonder how she injured herself. But if you’ve been around the dog-care block, you realize that it isn’t a cut or scrape. That gooey mess might be diagnosed as pyotraumatic dermatitis, wet eczema, or a Staphylococcus intermedius infection, but it’s what everyone calls a hot spot.
Painful, irritating, swollen, and warm to the touch, hot spots can emit pus and smell awful. They can be triggered by bacteria, yeast, fungi, mange, fleas, irritating grooming products, swimming pool disinfectants, contaminated lakes or ponds, lawn-care products, or other environmental factors. Some dogs break out in hot spots weeks or months after being vaccinated. In many dogs, hot spots mark the return of seasonal allergies.
Most veterinarians treat hot spots after clipping and shaving fur around the lesion, a process that in severe cases can require sedation or the use of a local anesthetic. The area is washed with a disinfecting soap or rinsed with a liquid antiseptic. Astringents, anti-itch agents, antihistamines, hydrocortisone sprays or creams, drying agents, or antibiotics may be applied. In some cases topical treatment is accompanied by steroid injections or oral medication.
If the patient can’t leave a hot spot alone, she may have to wear an Elizabethan or cervical collar, which prevents the dog from biting, licking, or chewing the area while it heals.
Any dog can get a hot spot, especially those with heavy coats who live in humid climates. Sometimes swimming dogs get hot spots on their necks, which stay moist under collars. Dogs with a history of allergies, ear infections, anal sac irritations, or tangled hair mats are likely candidates. Breeds associated with hot spots include Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, St. Bernards, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Collies, and German Shepherds.
Lick Granulomas
Lick granulomas, officially known as acral lick dermatitis or ALD, occur when a dog licks excessively on a leg, paw, or other area, producing an itchy ulceration. Over time the licking forms a thick, hairless, red patch that may be accompanied by infection. Most lick granulomas are the size and shape of a silver dollar, but some extend for several inches in all directions.
A lick granuloma can result from an insect bite, cut, skin infection, imbedded foreign object, allergic dermatitis, arthritis pain, deep-seated fungal infections, external parasites like scabies and demodex, skin cancer lesion, or inflamed nerves or neuropathies, or it might begin for no apparent reason. In the last case, it’s considered a behavioral problem similar to human compulsions like nail biting. Psychological factors that contribute to compulsive licking often involve boredom, being crated for long periods, the addition of a new pet or person to the household, the death or loss of a companion animal, the absence of a family member, a move to a new house, or being boarded away from home.
The breeds most associated with ALD include Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Boxers, Dalmatians, English Setters, Shar Peis, and Weimaraners. In these breeds, allergy-related ALD is most likely to appear in middle age, when the dog is at least five years old. In many cases, symptoms coincide with seasonal allergies.
Anti-inflammatory drugs such as cortisone, antibiotics such as Cephalexin and Clavamox, laser therapy, antifungals, allergy shots, and psychoactive medications are conventional treatments for ALD. As with hot spots, an Elizabethan or cervical collar may be necessary to allow the wound to heal without being disturbed.
Finding the Cause of Hot Spots
Because conventional therapies can have serious side effects and because hot spots and lick granulomas are notorious for recurring, holistic veterinarians look beyond their obvious symptoms to their underlying causes.
Richard Pitcairn, DVM, PhD, author of Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, disagrees with conventional veterinarians who diagnose various skin and coat problems as separate diseases. All skin and coat disorders, he says, are a single basic problem that manifests in individual animals depending on heredity, environment, nutrition, and other factors.
“One dog may have severely inflamed, moist, itchy hot spots near the base of his tail,” he explains, “while another may have thick, itchy skin along his back, with greasy, smelly secretions – but they are really the same health problem.”
According to Dr. Pitcairn, skin disorders stem from:
Toxicity, most of it from poor-quality food and some from environmental pollutants or topically applied pest-control chemicals.
Suppressed disease, the remains of inadequately treated conditions that were never cured and which may cause periodic discharge through the skin.
Psychological factors such as boredom, frustration, anger, and irritability. “As I see it,” he adds, “these are nearly always secondary issues that simply aggravate an already-exiting problem.”
What’s the cure? “It is possible to alleviate or even eliminate skin problems simply through fasting, proper nutrition, and the total health plan I describe in my book,” says Dr. Pitcairn. “It is surprising how much improvement can occur by these measures alone.”
He adds, “The most difficult conditions to treat are those previously dosed with lots of cortisone or its synthetic forms such as azium, depo, flucort, prednisone, or prednisolone. Corticosteroids effectively suppress symptoms like inflammation and itching, but they are in no sense curative.”
Fasting Your Dog Can Help Heal
The first step in Dr. Pitcairn’s treatment of hot spots, lick granulomas, and other skin problems is a short fast followed by an improved diet.
Juliette de Bairacli Levy recommends fasting for every canine illness. As she explains in her book, The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat, “During a fast, the body burns up fat deposits. As large amounts of body impurities are embedded in the fatty tissue of domestically reared dogs, the body begins to be cleansed deeply as stored fat is oxidized. Also the stomach and intestines, relieved of their usual tasks of dealing with food, can now concentrate on clearing away toxins.”
For skin conditions, Levy recommends feeding water only for two days, then water supplemented with honey, a tablespoon or two depending on the dog’s size, at mealtimes for an additional two days.
When it’s time to reintroduce food, consider switching from commercial pet food to a home-prepared diet, which is a simple, effective way to avoid processed grains, soy, chemical preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, synthetic vitamins, and other hard-to-digest or inferior-quality ingredients that can contribute to hot spots and skin irritations. If it’s not possible for an owner to feed her dog a home-prepared diet, upgrading the dog’s commercial food to a better-quality protein-based food may do the trick.
Another helpful strategy is to feed the dog once per day, removing food after 15 to 20 minutes, and omitting snacks and access to food dispensers. The canine digestive tract is designed for short feasts and long famines, not constant grazing.
For improved digestion and assimilation, try supplementing your dog’s food with an enzyme product such as Prozyme and/or Willard Water.
Adding Seacure, a predigested fish protein powder, is another way to speed tissue repair. Dee Eckert, the manufacturer’s director of operations, has received numerous reports from customers whose dogs recovered from hot spots and lick granulomas in record time. “Some of these dogs had lost over half their fur to hot spots,” she says, “but once they were put on Seacure, their sores healed quickly and their hair grew back.”
Topical Remedies for Treating Hot Spots
When it comes to topical remedies, holistic veterinarians, groomers, breeders, and owners have dozens of favorites. Here are a few.
EMT Gel, made from bovine collagen, stimulates and literally supports new cell growth by acting as a tissue adhesive while sealing and protecting hot spots, lick granulomas, and other injuries, including severe or deep wounds. The gel significantly reduces pain, bleeding, scarring, wound weeping, and the risk of infection. EMT gel comes in a tube. EMT Gel Spray is recommended for the treatment of scrapes, scratches, and other minor skin injuries, and it’s ideal for lick granulomas and hot spots because it contains a bitter, nontoxic ingredient that deters dogs from licking it off.
Another product mentioned in August’s wound healing article is the North American Tree Resin Company’s Hotspot/Livestock Formula, which contains highly antiseptic resin or pitch from coniferous trees. In addition to treating staph infections, cuts, fungal infections, and other wounds, pitch salve quickly repairs the damage caused by hot spots and lick granulomas.
The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil make it a skin-healer with antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Coconut oil can be applied directly to hot spots, lick granulomas, boils, and other skin conditions, and is making a comeback in the diets of the health-conscious. Most dogs love the taste, so it’s easy to add to food.
The recommended maintenance dose is 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight. For topical application, it can be made less appetizing with a top layer of grapefruit seed extract, which has a bitter taste, or a tablespoon of coconut oil can be mixed with 10 to 15 drops of any skin-healing essential oil that has a medicinal odor.
Willard Water is a concentrate added to water for enhanced healing benefits. Wendy Volhard, author of Holistic Guide for the Healthy Dog, applies a dilute solution of Willard Water to hot spots as soon as they appear. “It dries up the inflamed areas overnight,” she says.
Cortney Rice of New City, New York, used Willard Water on her six-year-old Rottweiler, Kalle, who had a two-inch-wide hot spot on her inner left leg, just below the knee joint. “It was red, oozing, sometimes bleeding, and very warm to the touch,” Rice describes. “It did not respond to Pramoxine HCl, which our veterinarian prescribed. I diluted a teaspoon of Willard Water concentrate with 8 ounces water and sprayed it twice a day, thoroughly soaking the hot spot and the area around it. By the second day, the hot spot had dramatically dried up and the skin was cool again. Kalle hasn’t licked her knee since the first application, plus she loves getting sprayed with it. I have continued this treatment for six days now, and her skin looks great.”
Herbs and Aromatherapy for Hot Spot Treatment
Hot spots and eczema, says Juliette de Bairacli Levy, are often nature’s way of ridding the body of accumulated toxins from commercial pet foods and/or a lack of exercise. She treats hot spots and lick granulomas with fasting, natural diet, and medicinal herbs, adding her own herbal antiseptic tablets to the dog’s food to speed healing from within.
Vermont herbalist Rosemary Gladstar has followed Levy’s nutritional recommendations for all of her Bernese Mountain Dogs, including Deva, who arrived with mange and large, bald, weeping hot spots.
“Having shared my life with a breed that’s prone to hot spots, I have a lot of experience,” Gladstar says. “In addition to fasting dogs and putting them on a natural diet, I apply powdered goldenseal (Hydrastic canadensis) to the hot spot. It will stick, especially if there is that awful ooze, or you can mix it with aloe vera gel, comfrey (Symphytum officinale) tea, or powdered comfrey and aloe vera to make a paste that heals the sore. Thanks to her natural diet and herbal first aid, Deva, who is now nine years old, continues to thrive, and her coat looks terrific.”
Aromatherapy’s essential oils and hydrosols offer many effective ingredients for the treatment of hot spots and lick granulomas. As WDJ has explained in the past, essential oils and hydrosols (“flower waters” produced during steam distillation) have significant healing properties, as do the carrier or base oils in which essential oils can be diluted for safe, effective pet application. Hydrosols of any of the plants mentioned here can be applied full-strength to hot spots and lick granulomas.
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), helichrysum, also known as immortelle or everlasting (Helichrysum italicum), and carrot seed (Daucus carota) essential oils are famous for their skin-healing properties. Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii) and sweet marjoram (Origanum marjorana) essential oils heal the skin while relieving stress. Peppermint (Mentha piperita) essential oil relieves pain and itching while stimulating circulation and healing. German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), frankincense (Boswelia carteri), and myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) essential oils reduce pain, itching, and irritation. Juniper berry (Juniperus communis) essential oil is recommended for eczema and hair loss.
Kristen Leigh Bell, author of Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals, recommends labdunum or rock rose (Cistus ladaniferus) essential oil in wound care blends because of its antibacterial, astringent properties. She also uses niaoili (Melaleuca quinquenervia veridiflora, or MQV) essential oil for any type of allergy manifesting itself in the skin. MQV oil is related to tea tree oil but has a more pleasing scent along with powerful antibacterial and antihistamine effects.
Unrefined sea salt helps heal wounds of every description, and when essential oils are added to sea salt and water, the result is a highly effective hot spot spray or wash. To a glass jar containing 1 cup of unrefined sea salt or kosher salt, add ½ teaspoon (30 drops) of any of the essential oils mentioned here, in any combination. Close tightly, then shake and rotate the jar to mix well. Store in a cool, dark place. When needed, dissolve 1 tablespoon of the salt in ¼ cup cool water. Shake or stir to dissolve. Spray on hot spots and lick granulomas, or saturate cotton and apply three or four times per day.
Ten to 15 drops of essential oil in a tablespoon (½ fluid ounce) of carrier oil is another effective treatment for these conditions. Calophyllum or tamanu oil (Calophyllum inophyllum) is one of the most prized carrier or base oils for the healing of wounds, eczema, and other skin conditions. Coconut oil, rose hip seed oil (Rosa mosquette, R. rubiginosa), and kukui nut oil (Aleurites moluccana) are other effective carrier oils renowned for their ability to fight infection, stimulate cell growth, and reduce or prevent scarring.
Years ago, Colorado aromatherapist Frances Fitzgerald Cleveland was out of town when her dog, Jake, developed a hot spot. The steroid shot he received caused kidney failure and Jake died. In his memory, Cleveland blended Jake’s Remedy, which contains purified water, apricot kernel oil, and a proprietary blend of essential oils. Oscar, Cleveland’s seven-year-old black Labrador Retriever, swims every day, gets sprayed every day, and has never had skin problems.
Shelley Voorhees of Littleton, Colorado, reports that her champion Rottweiler was a blood donor in 2000. “He had a severe reaction to the scrub that was used, and he developed a hot spot that covered his neck and chest,” she says. “After a course of antibiotics, the hot spot was still very inflamed and still oozing. I tried Jake’s Remedy, and within 48 hours the oozing stopped. The hot spot healed within a week and his hair quickly grew back.”
At AromaDog, Faith Thanas combines essential oils with rosehip seed, jojoba, and evening primrose oils to make Hot Spot Anti-Inflammatory, a healing blend that calms and soothes.
“It’s been tested over and over with great results,” she says. “Rose geranium balances the system, repairs capillaries, regenerates cells, and heals wounds. Rosewood is a cellular stimulant. Pine is anti-infectious and good for sores and eczema. Helichrysum and lavender are an extremely healing combination, especially for open wounds. This product also contains Rescue Remedy, the Bach Flower Remedy blend that supports dogs in all types of emergencies.”
In Hollywood, Florida, Paul Funt’s American Bulldog, Diesel, had two very large hot spots on his head and face. “Both were extremely irritated and infected,” he says. “I tried several herbs sent by my homeopath and finally gave up. Then Diesel saw a doctor who sent him home with AromaDog’s Hot Spot remedy, which I applied twice daily. Within two days, the hot spots were almost completely healed, and after five days they were gone.”
Kansas aromatherapist Joan Clark developed Hot Spot Mist with the essential oils of blue chamomile, lavender, helichrysum, and tea tree in a base of fractionated coconut oil, callophyllum oil, jojoba, borage seed oil, aloe vera, and St. John’s wort.
“My success stories include my own dog, Sabrina,” she says. “She got a hot spot on her neck, and as soon as I noticed it I used the Hot Spot Mist along with lavender hydrosol to keep drying it out. It disappeared in less than 48 hours and left a nice healthy scab.”
Additional Therapies for Hot Spots and Lick Granulomas
Physical symptoms are easy to address, but conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorders, boredom, frustration, and anxiety are more challenging.
Obviously, it can make a difference to give a bored dog something interesting to do, an anxious dog the reassurance of a stable, predictable routine and positive training, and a frustrated dog plenty of interesting outdoor exercise. Any dog can be treated with energy-balancing techniques like Tellington TTouch, massage, Reiki, acupuncture, and nutrition.
Flower remedies, also called flower essences, can help, too. Kris Lecakes Haley, a Bach Flower Remedy practitioner in Arizona, has found that white chestnut and chestnut bud flower remedies effectively address repetitive chewing and licking, while crab apple and beech help with allergy-driven skin eruptions.
In Bach Flower Remedies for Animals, Helen Graham and Gregory Vlamis recommend walnut for eruptive conditions like hot spots and agrimony for anxiety that manifests in skin conditions. Flower remedies work best when diluted with water and applied frequently to the mouth, ears, nose, abdomen, and paw pads or sprayed in the air near the dog.
With the help of improved nutrition, effective topical treatments, rewarding routines, active outdoor exercise, and emotional support, any dog can enjoy a happy, healthy life free from hot spots, lick granulomas, and other skin problems.
A long-time contributor to WDJ and author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats, and other books, CJ Puotinen lives in New York with her husband, a Lab, and a tabby cat.
What if animal healthcare practitioners were only paid if animals were healthy? In times of old in China that is the way it worked. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors, known as “barefoot doctors,” would go from village to village and receive housing, food, and payment only if the community was healthy.
The reasoning was simple: If the community was not well, and that often included the animals, it meant the barefoot doctor was not doing a good job, so why should they reward him? When the community was well, they lavished him with riches, food, and elegant accommodations.
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When you think about it, paying a healthcare practitioner as a reward for good health makes sense. This approach reinforces good health rather than “rewarding” illness. Paying our medical doctors and veterinarians only when we were all healthy would turn conventional healthcare for animals and humans on its head. It must be said, though, that conventional healthcare practitioners have begun to see the virtue of focusing on health and creating illness prevention programs.
Focus on health
Chinese Medicine has always focused on health. From a TCM perspective, most illness is understood as a breakdown of the immune system. When the body’s natural defenses are not strong, external climatic pathogens, such as wind, cold, and heat can “invade” the body and illness can occur. To maintain the body’s defense system the animal must live a balanced, healthy lifestyle.
Supporting a healthy lifestyle for our dogs means natural nutrition, daily exercise, adequate rest, social interaction with other dogs and humans, and avoidance of toxins and stressful environments.
To further contribute to the dog’s health, a TCM practitioner would recommend some form of bodywork. Dog trainers and health-care practitioners can readily offer acu-pressure sessions to support the animal’s health – but so can you, the dog’s guardian! Go barefoot!
A health maintenance acupressure session
Acupressure is noninvasive, safe, and available to everyone. The theoretical basis of acupressure is the same as any other form of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Health is achieved by maintaining the natural balance of energy and other vital substances so that the body’s natural ability to defend itself will be strong. In TCM, life promoting energy is called chi, pronounced “chee,” and also written as “qi” or “ki.”
There are invisible energetic pathways, or channels, throughout the dog’s body. Along these energetic pathways there are specific pools of energy known as acupressure points, or “acupoints.” By using gentle thumb or two-finger pressure on these acupoints we can actually influence the flow of energy along the pathway.
Acupoints have particular energetic attributes. Some acupoints are known to enhance the flow of blood, while other acupoints reduce heat. The selection of an acupoint for inclusion in an acupressure session is based on the point’s energetic characteristics. Note that each acupoint can have several energetic attributes.
For a health maintenance acupressure session we want to select acupoints that have the particular characteristic that will support the smooth and harmonious flow of chi, Blood (in TCM, this means all nutrient-rich fluids), and other body fluids in the dog’s body. This session is like providing your dog with a general, overall tune-up in order to prevent any immune system weakness.
Acupoint selection
In the West, we have taken the liberty of naming acupoints after the energetic pathway or channel on which they are located, as well as numbering them. Each of the major pathways is named after a specific organ system to which it is energetically related.
For instance, the first acupoint included in our health maintenance acupressure session is identified by Western TCM practitioners as Large Intestine 4. The translation of the Chinese name for this acupoint is “Joining Valley,” which is more poetic and descriptive since LI 4 is located on the top-side of the webbing of the dog’s dewclaw. The webbing sort of looks like a joining valley, doesn’t it? If the dog’s dewclaw has been removed, just place your thumb or fingers on top of where it was.
Some of the energetic characteristics of Large Intestine 4 (LI 4) are that it tonifies (i.e., increases the energy of) protective or defensive chi while facilitating the smooth flow of chi throughout the dog’s entire body.
Large Intestine 11 (LI 11) is the next acupoint selected for this acupressure session. LI 11 is known to facilitate the flow of chi and Blood, plus it invigorates Blood, thus improving the circulation of nutrients. The translation of the Chinese name is “Crooked Pond” and it is located in the cubital crease of the dog’s elbow.
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Stomach 36 (St 36) is a very powerful point that has many energetic characteristics and it is selected for this session because it is one of the most “tonifying” (enhancing) acupoints on the body. St 36 is used to restore collapsed chi, build defensive chi, and defuse pathogenic factors. Its name, “Leg 3 Miles,” refers to the energetic properties this point provides, that is, even if exhausted, by stimulating St 36, the animal’s legs can go another 3 miles.
We need to address the spirit of the dog in this session, too. Governing Vessel 14 is known to calm the spirit and clear the mind. Additionally, GV 14 regulates and facilitates the flow of chi. The point is located on the dorsal midline in the depression at the base of the dog’s neck where there really is a “Big Vertebra” for which it is named.
Most dogs love acupressure on the next point, Bai Hui. It is a traditional point for animals in particular. It is known to distribute Liver chi, which helps regulate the emotions, while it warms and restores collapsed yang energy. Located on the dorsal midline at the sacrum – where it feels flat between the hips, the Bai Hui point is translated from the Chinese as “Point of 100 Meetings” is also known as the dog’s “Heavens Gate.” One explanation for calling it “Heaven’s Gate” for the dog is that the dog’s sacrum is the closest to heaven when he is eating and that’s when he is in heaven!
By placing your thumb, or two fingers, or even scratching on each of these five acupoints bilaterally (on both the sides of the dogs) in turn, you will be able to support your dog’s immune system by balancing his energy and strengthening his body’s natural ability to defend itself against illness. Focusing on health gives your dog real strength.
-Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis are the authors of The Well-Connected Dog: A Guide to Canine Acupressure, Acu-Cat: A Guide to Feline Acupressure, and Equine Acupressure: A Working Manual. They founded Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute, which offers a practitioner certificate program and training programs worldwide, plus books, meridian charts, and videos. Contact them or purchase these products at (888) 841-7211 or www.animalacupressure.com.
A couple of days ago, I received a text from a dog-training client, wondering about a video she had just watched—and which she linked in the text. “Is meat meal bad for dogs?” she asked. She followed that message with, “I get that she’s selling her own pet food, but is it (meat meal) that bad?”
