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Probiotics Boost Canine Overall Health

By
CJ Puotinen
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[Updated August 22, 2018]

FEEDING PROBIOTICS TO DOGS

1. Give probiotics to any dog under chronic or acute stress, or who receives antibiotics.

2. For dogs with allergies or digestive problems, use a variety of probiotics with several strains of benefical bacteria.

3. When buying food sources of probiotics, look for the freshest products possible. The live cultures in products such as yogurt and kefir lose potency as they sit on shelves.

Who hasn’t heard of “friendly” or “beneficial” bacteria? Even acidophilus, once a confusing tongue-twister, has become as familiar as yogurt, in which it’s the active ingredient.

One reason beneficial bacteria have worked their way into the public’s consciousness is the excellent press they have received for helping repair damage done by antibiotics. Broad-spectrum antibiotics target not one but all strains of bacteria, leaving us thoroughly disinfected.

But no antibiotic kills 100 percent of the body’s bacteria. A few always survive, some harmful and some essential to good health. Often the harmful organisms thrive and reproduce, overwhelming the beneficial strains that normally keep them in check, resulting in a host of new health problems. According to the Royal Society of Medicine of Great Britain, fully 90 percent of chronic diseases are caused by an unhealthy intestinal system.

probiotics for dogs

This helps explain why antibiotic drugs have long-term as well as short-term side effects. Their long-term side effects include impaired digestion, gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea, chronic or systemic yeast or fungal infections, lowered immunity, and the creation of drug-resistant or “super germ” bacteria that worry public health officials around the world.

Bacterial Homeostasis: the Body’s Balancing Act

Homeostasis is a Greek word meaning stable and balanced. When the body’s systems are in homeostasis, they maintain a stable body temperature, a constant blood pH, balanced blood sugar, normal blood pressure, and a healthy population of microorganisms. For the last to occur, the body needs more beneficial than harmful bacteria. In fact, most experts estimate that for optimum health, the body should contain 80 percent beneficial bacteria and no more than 20 percent harmful bacteria.

Even those who haven’t taken antibiotics may lack beneficial bacteria because of poor diet, stress, illness, prescription drugs, travel, or environmental factors. Anything that interferes with the growth and reproduction of beneficial bacteria interferes with good heath.

Just as our dogs share many human health problems, they are adversely affected by the antibiotics they routinely receive from veterinarians as well as by environmental toxins and diet. Many pet foods contain ingredients that nourish harmful bacteria, such as sugars and starches, along with ingredients that damage good bacteria, such as chemical preservatives.

In both species, healthy intestinal bacteria typically consist of dozens or hundreds of different species. These bacteria produce enzymes; improve digestion; lower the risk of colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and similar disorders; prevent diarrhea; synthesize vitamins; detoxify the body; and protect against toxins. In dogs, conditions that coincide with bacterial imbalances include digestive disorders, flatulence, constipation, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, allergies, diabetes, arthritis, vitamin B deficiencies, chronic ear infections, skin and coat problems, susceptibility to bacterial or viral infections, bad breath, poor immune response, and, in some cases, confusion or behavioral problems.

Keeping Bad Bacteria in Check

Healthy intestinal bacteria inhibit the growth of pathogens such as viruses, fungi, parasites, and harmful bacteria.

Escherichia coli, or E. coli, is usually a harmless inhabitant of human and animal intestines, but the strain E. coli O157:H7 produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness. It was first identified during a 1982 outbreak of bloody diarrhea that was traced to contaminated hamburger.

Investigative journalist Jo Robinson has documented many benefits of feeding cattle on grass instead of in commercial feedlots. Among other things, a natural grass diet provides ideal conditions for the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut of the cattle. Recent research at Cornell University shows that grass-fed cattle have less than 1 percent of the E. coli bacteria found in feedlot cattle, while other studies show that grass-fed chickens carry significantly lower amounts of E. coli than chickens raised indoors on factory farms.

Robinson explains that because a grain diet increases the acidity of bovine digestive tracts, the E. coli that grows in feedlot cattle is less affected by hydrochloric acid in the human stomach, which would otherwise destroy it. Beneficial bacteria in the digestive tracts of dogs and people help prevent acid-resistant E. coli from proliferating when they eat beef from feedlot cattle.

The Salmonella family includes more than 2,300 types of one-celled organisms, two of which, Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium, are the most common. Salmonella can contaminate meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, seafood, and some fruits and vegetables, but it is especially associated with chickens and eggs from factory farms. Beneficial bacteria help keep Salmonella bacteria in check.

Clostridium difficile is a rod-shaped bacteria that produces two toxins that interact to cause a serious, potentially fatal disease that produces diarrhea, abdominal cramping, inflammation of the colon, and meningitis-like symptoms. In June 2006, the Centers for Disease Control alarmed therapy dog organizations by publishing a report from researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, in which a therapy dog was shown to carry a human epidemic strain of C. difficile.

The study’s lead author, Sandra L. Lefebvre, explained, “One particular strain of C. difficile has been implicated in outbreaks of Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in hospitals in North America and Europe and appears to be spreading internationally at an alarming rate. We report this toxin-variant strain of C. difficile in a healthy four-year-old Toy Poodle that visits persons in hospitals and long-term care facilities in Ontario weekly. C. difficile was isolated from a fecal sample collected in the summer of 2004 as part of a cross-sectional study evaluating pathogen carriage by visitation dogs . . . CDAD cases were occurring at increased frequency in the facility around the time the dog’s fecal specimen was collected.”

While this is the first documented case of the human epidemic strain of C. difficile in a dog, the study does not prove that interspecies transmission of C. difficile oc-curs. “However,” it states, “that possibility exists, as is becoming apparent with other pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The recurrent exposure of this dog to human healthcare settings suggests that the animal acquired this strain during visits to the hospital or long-term care facility, either from the healthcare environment or contaminated hands of human contacts. We recommend that future studies evaluating the dis-semination of this strain and investigations of the movement of C. difficile into the community consider the role of animals.”

According to Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine professor Kelly Dowhower Karpa, PhD, in her book Bacteria for Breakfast: Probiotics for Good Health, numerous studies show that the beneficial bacteria Saccharomyces boulardii has cleared C. difficile in an encouraging number of cases.

In other studies, Dr. Karpa writes, one strain of Lactobacillus given at high doses (10 billion live bacteria daily) for as little as 7 to 10 days following conventional antibiotic therapy has cured patients experiencing relapsing C. difficile diarrhea.

Because beneficial bacteria are the body’s first line of defense against pathogens, maintaining a large and vigorous population of these friendly microbes can help prevent all types of infection as well as their transmission from people to animals and vice versa.

Good Bacteria to the Rescue

Thanks to the growing popularity of beneficial bacteria, it isn’t difficult to increase their population for improved health and immunity.

Several strains are grown in laboratories for use in supplements, including the familiar Lactobacillus acidophilus. Other popular bacteria include L. bulgaricus, L. rhamnosus, L. casei, L. plantarum, Streptococcus faecium, S. thermophilus, and Bifidobacterium bifidum, formerly known as L. bifidus. L. acidophilus, which resides mostly in the small intestine, is the strain most associated with animals, while B. bifidum, which resides mostly in the large intestine and colon, is most associated with humans.

Many yogurt producers have recently changed their formulas in response to consumer demand for probiotics. Stonyfield Farm, a leading maker of yogurt and organic dairy products on the East Coast, now adds six live cultures to every product: L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus, bifidus, L. casei, and L. reuteri. As the company’s website explains, “Probiotics protect us from pathogens such as Salmonella and others by preventing their attachment to the intestinal lining. They interfere by blanketing all available surfaces, thus limiting the growth of microscopic invaders like Giardia, Candida yeast, and bacteria such as E. coli.

“Studies have shown that probiotic cultures benefit health in several ways – by suppressing pathogenic bacteria, helping control antibiotic-associated diarrhea, helping prevent traveler’s diarrhea and leaky gut syndrome, improving lactose tolerance, producing some vitamins and enzymes, decreasing toxins and mutagenic reactions, improving carbohydrate and protein usage, strengthening innate immunity, creating a barrier effect in the intestinal tract, and reducing infant food allergies and eczema.”

Beneficial bacteria have an ancient history, for people have been using them to culture and preserve foods for millennia. They are ingredients in traditionally fermented foods like sourdough bread, yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, and amazake.

Probiotics for Your Dog

The word probiotic literally means “for life,” as opposed to antibiotic, which means “against life.” Probiotics are strains of beneficial bacteria sold as supplements for human or pet use. All health food stores and many pet supply stores carry several brands of L. acidophilus and other strains that can help improve your dog’s digestion and immune function.

Probiotic supplements are especially beneficial for newborn puppies, to increase the number of desirable organisms in their digestive tract. They are also well-suited to help dogs of all ages cope with stress – travel, intensive training, competition, and boarding. It’s smart to use them to boost the immune system following surgery, parvovirus infections (which affect the small intestine), chronic diarrhea, and whelping. They should also be a standard prescription during and after the use of any antibiotic.

probiotics for dogs

Buying a probiotic supplement and following label directions is the simplest way to introduce a new supply of live beneficial bacteria to your dog’s digestive tract. Some brands require refrigeration; others have a long shelf life at room temperature. The supplement may be sold as a powder, liquid, or in tablets or capsules, some of which are enteric-coated to survive stomach acid and break apart in the small intestine. Depending on the brand, label instructions may recommend feeding the product on an empty stomach between meals, with food, or immediately before or after eating.

Some products contain a single strain of beneficial bacteria, such as L. acidophilus, while others contain multiple strains. Experts disagree as to which approach is better. Single-strain products tend to be backed by more clinical research, but some advocates favor multiple strains because that’s what the body contains.

The newest probiotics on the market are not bacteria; they are homeostatic soil organisms, or HSOs, which literally come from dirt. Soil contains so many different microorganisms that science has defined less than 1 percent of the estimated total. One gram of soil (about a teaspoon) can contain as many as 10,000 microbe species.

Until recently, dogs, cats, and people all over the world ingested a constant supply of HSOs. That no longer happens in the U.S., where indoor lifestyles and cleanliness keep HSOs out of our mouths and food supply. Now medical researchers are linking asthma, allergies, and other common health problems to a lack of exposure to everyday dirt, germs, and HSOs, especially during early childhood. Some vets make the same connection to puppies and kittens.

The manufacturers of HSO supplements grow organisms discovered in pristine parts of the world where the number of beneficial microbes in soil is unusually high. These microbes are chosen for their ability to destroy molds, yeasts, fungi, viruses, and harmful bacteria, and are usually combined with several strains of beneficial bacteria.

Time to Heal

How long does it take to repair the body with probiotics if your dog has taken antibiotics? Estimates from researchers and veterinarians range from several weeks or months to a year or several years.

The fastest recoveries are experienced by dogs who have a good supply of surviving native bacteria – that is, beneficial bacteria that they obtained from their mothers’ milk or from supplements within hours of birth – which are supported by a diet that feeds them instead of one that feeds their harmful competitors.

Another way to recover quickly is to be a good host for the beneficial bacteria introduced in supplements, so that the dog’s system provides what these bacteria need in order to reproduce and colonize.

Not all beneficial bacteria colonize or continue to multiply after the patient stops receiving probiotic supplements, but some will if given the right growing conditions, and even beneficial bacteria that don’t colonize can improve the digestive tract for as long as they are taken.

Feeding Beneficial Bacteria

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria. Prebiotics are the foods that feed them. In addition to supporting beneficial bacteria that are added to the system by probiotic supplements, prebiotics nourish whatever native bacteria survive antibiotic treatment.

In his book Cultivate Health from Within, Khem Shahani, PhD, one of the world’s leading research authorities on the role of Lactobacilli and gastrointestinal bacteria, explains the conditions for a food to be an effective prebiotic:

• It must pass through the upper gastrointestinal tract without being absorbed or hydrolyzed;

• It must be selectively fermented by a limited number of potentially beneficial bacteria in the colon;

• It must improve the composition of intestinal bacteria in favor of beneficial strains; and

• It should improve the host’s health.

Dr. Shahani lists several foods and food ingredients that satisfy these criteria and which belong to a special class of carbohydrates called oligosaccharides. Garlic, bananas, chicory, and milk are examples. Several oligosaccharides, including FOS (fructooligosaccharides) and GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides) are sometimes used as ingredients in yogurt, cultured dairy products, and other foods as well as in probiotic supplements. FOS and GOS ingredients are most popular in Europe and Japan, where they are used in more than 500 foods and nutritional supplements.

Another popular FOS prebiotic is the Jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke (it’s a member of the sunflower family), which contains inulin, a favorite food of lactobacteria. Jerusalem artichoke flour, for use in cooking, is widely sold in Japan.

Sweet whey, the part of milk that is separated out in the cheese-making process, is high in lactose, making it an ideal food for intestinal bacteria.

“In theory, prebiotics consumed alone might be able to deliver benefits, provided that the beneficial bacteria are indeed present in the GI tract in sufficient numbers,” says Dr. Shahani. “Today many probiotic supplements available in the marketplace now contain prebiotics. Such products (where probiotics and prebiotics are com-bined) are called synbiotics. This approach may provide an efficient mechanism for introducing and then enriching health-promoting probiotic bacterial.”

Prebiotics such as sweet whey and FOS should be introduced gradually, however, because they ferment in the large intestine, producing gassiness, abdominal discomfort, belching, bloating, and flatulence until the body adjusts.

Foods such as sauerkraut and other lactofermented vegetables contain and feed beneficial microbes, making them both probiotics and prebiotics. Lacto-fermentation breaks down and releases gases before these foods are consumed, making them far less likely to cause adverse reactions. In fact, dogs receive far more nutrition from lactofermented vegetables than from the same untreated vegetables, even if they are pureed or juiced. This is because lactofermentation breaks down, tenderizes, and predigests vegetables, increasing their vitamin content. Many natural food markets sell raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut, kimchi (Korea’s traditional sauerkraut), and other lactofermented fare. But these foods are easy to make at home, with or without special equipment. (For details, see “It’s All in How You Make It,” March 2001.)

Another easy addition to your dog’s diet is homemade yogurt. Goat milk is often recommended for dogs because it’s easier to digest than cow’s milk, and when its lactose is broken down through fermentation, it’s far less likely to cause digestive problems than other dairy products.

Commercially produced yogurt, including “live culture” brands, lose potency as they sit in stores, even on refrigerated shelves. Making your own in an electric yogurt maker is the easiest way to insure that your dog receives the maximum number of live cultures possible. If you let yogurt ferment undisturbed for 24 hours, beneficial bacteria will break down 100 percent of its lactose for maximum digestibility.

Kefir, another fermented dairy product, is even easier to make because it doesn’t require heat. Kefir’s vigorous beneficial bacteria, which easily colonize in the digestive tract, include Lactococus spp., Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus kefyr, Kliyveromyces marxianus, and Saccharomyces unisporus.

Don’t underestimate the health benefits of lactofermented foods. In 2005, researchers at Seoul National University in Korea announced that a culture fluid of Leuconostoc kimchii, a beneficial bacteria in kimchi, showed clear remedial effects for chickens suffering from bird flu, Newcastle disease, and bronchitis. Previous research showed that Pediococcus pentosaceus, another lactic ferment from kimchi, successfully prevented infection from harmful bacilli, including Helicobacter, which causes gastritis, and Listeria and Shigella sonnel, which cause food poisoning. Some research suggests that traditional European sauerkraut may help protect dogs and people from cancer.

Beneficial bacteria may be tiny microbes, but they’re big supporters of your dog’s immune system. Yours, too!

A long-time contributor to WDJ and author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, Natural Remedies for Dogs & Cats, and other books, CJ Puotinen lives in New York with her husband, a Lab, and a tabby cat.

Consistent Dog Training With Regards to Men and Women

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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By Pat Miller

Science and common observation tells us that male and female brains are different. That’s no surprise to anyone who has noticed the gender-related differences that often occur in relationships between men, women, and their canine companions. Some of the differences can be beneficial, while others may be detrimental to domestic tranquility as it relates to life with the family dog.

The question is, which differences should be nurtured and encouraged? Which ones need to be addressed to prevent the dog from being confused and creating behavior problems? And how can that be accomplished?

In general, men tend to be more physical with their dogs, and more assertive, enjoying rough-and-tumble wrestling games and expecting the dog to understand and obey. Women tend to be softer, more into cuddling than wrestling, and take more interest in teaching the dog to understand the complex world of primate (human) communication. Of course, these are generalizations; there are certainly men who like to cuddle their dogs and women who are into canine wrestling matches!

A time to be physical

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The same physical behavior may be appropriate with one dog and inappropriate with another. My own husband enjoys more physical interaction with our dogs than I do. This works out fine with Tucker, our 70-pound Cattle Dog-mix, who gets a wild-eyed look and a huge grin on his face when Paul starts pushing and grabbing at him, or teases him by slapping at his paws. With excellent bite inhibition, Tucker enjoys the interactions with open mouth and fierce growls, but in 13 years of rough play has never put a tooth on human skin.

For Tucker, Paul’s physical games are appropriate and acceptable. Just last week, however, I had to remind my beloved that paw-slapping is not appropriate play for Lucy, our two-year-old Cardigan Corgi. This is especially true when she’s chewing a bone, because she has mild resource-guarding behaviors that could easily be exacerbated by confrontational games, and has always tended toward being mouthy.

When a family member insists on physical interactions with a dog like Lucy, the solution is to agree on physical games that don’t reinforce inappropriate behaviors. My favorite for this is Tug of War – with rules. (See “Tug: Play It by the Rules,” October 2004.) The dog’s teeth are directed to an acceptable tug object rather than human skin, and dog and human can be as rough as they like as long as it’s mutually enjoyable to both parties, and both can play by the rules. A valuable side effect to Tug is that, properly played, it reinforces a healthy hierarchy between dog and human, as the human most often ends up in possession of the tug prize. A good leader controls the good stuff.

On the gentler side of Tug, the game can be used to elevate status for a dog like our Bonnie Wee Lass, a Scottie/something mix who, at the age of one year, is finally outgrowing her submissive urination behavior. Because I play more softly than Paul, I’m a better Tug partner for Bonnie, deliberately avoiding rough play that might intimidate her, and letting her win the game far more often than I let her assertive packmate, Lucy, end up with the prize.

Other more physical interactions that may appeal to the “Men Being Men” dog-owning set include high-arousal canine activities like agility. Even men who aren’t into canine competition (which seems to be more popular with women, perhaps because of the precision and discipline required) can romp with their dogs just for fun over agility and natural obstacles. Many men revel in their dogs’ athletic ability as they leap over jumps and navigate teeters and fallen logs. Dock diving, where dogs leap long distances off docks and splash-land in water to retrieve objects, also tends to appeal to many men.

It’s important to recognize and acknowledge the value of physical games. They can be great exercise when done appropriately. They’re also great relationship builders. A rousing game of Tug can be a great stress and exercise reliever for a high-energy canine suffering from cabin fever due to inclement weather. Don’t grudgingly tell your partner, “All right, if you must roughhouse with the dog, go ahead, as long as you do it the right way . . .” Instead, let him know how much you appreciate him playing with and exercising the dog. Help him understand why game rules are important, and reinforce him for playing by the rules. Humans respond well to positive reinforcement, too!

Presence

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The male voice is more intimidating to most dogs than softer, higher-pitched female tones. Without even thinking about it, men can “command” obedience from dogs, eliciting appeasement behaviors with their naturally deeper, louder voices, larger physical form, and generally more assertive presence.

Of course, men can overdo intimidation, causing dogs, especially those with soft personalities, to shut down, withdraw, even become fearful in response to the male presence. In fact, if the male partner overdoes the intimidation thing, constantly using a stern voice to get the dog to comply with “commands,” it can interfere with a female partner’s ability to succeed with a gentler training approach.

Women are often magically adept at helping a soft or shy dog build confidence and getting dogs to happily buy into a training program. Their softer body image, higher pitched voices, and greater willingness to be silly can result in dogs who offer uninhibited, joyful behaviors in training and relationship. On the other hand, some women can overdo “soft and silly,” to the point the dog may have difficulty taking them seriously.

It’s vital to recognize the value in both the male and female style of interacting with dogs. Each gender can benefit by deliberately learning to use tools of the other and to dampen their own gender-related behaviors when appropriate to enhance their communications skills with their dogs. Dogs can benefit if partners have discussions about how their personal styles and relationships with their dogs differ, which parts benefit the training program, and which of their own human behaviors they might strive to modify to achieve the greatest success.

Tips for mom ’n pop training:
If you and your partner don’t yet have a dog, talk about gender-related differences and how closely you each fit your gender stereotype or not. Be sure to look for a dog who can accommodate your styles. If either partner is very loud and assertive, avoid very soft canine personalities. If either partner is very soft and non-assertive, avoid very strong, pushy dogs. It’s not fair to get a dog who’s poorly suited to one human style or the other and expect the partner to change overnight to be able to cope with the dog’s training needs.

If you already have your dog, you can:

• Acknowledge that there are good and not-so-good things about both gender training styles and agree to work on them together. Sit down with your partner and discuss how your training and relationship styles and preferred activities differ.

• Make a list of interactions that each partner has with the dog, and agree on which are beneficial and which are detrimental. A sample list might look something like this:

Man – Can get the dog to sit or come reliably and consistently using a deep, calm voice (beneficial); encourages the dog to jump up (detrimental); plays Tug with the dog (beneficial) but doesn’t always play by the rules (detrimental); usually feeds dog (beneficial) but is too casual about feeding, setting the bowl onto floor as dog dances around and jumps up (detrimental); always requires the dog to sit calmly to attach leash to go for walk (beneficial) but yells at the dog if he doesn’t sit promptly (detrimental); and takes the dog for long hikes (beneficial).

Woman – Takes dog to training classes and practices daily (beneficial), but often “chatters” to the dog during training, to the point that the dog tunes her out (detrimental); is consistent about using treat rewards and other reinforcers for desirable behaviors (beneficial), but sometimes reinforces inappropriate behaviors because they’re “cute” (detrimental); routinely grooms the dog, using positive reinforcement and desensitization to help dog enjoy the grooming experience (beneficial); has the dog sit at the door to go outside (beneficial), but sometimes lets the dog out anyway if she can’t get him to sit (detrimental); chases the dog when he grabs something he’s not supposed to have (detrimental).

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• Agree to acknowledge (reinforce) each other for all the good stuff on the lists. The partners might agree to put a quarter (or a dollar!) in a rewards jar every time they see the other perform one of the beneficial activities. When the tally in the jar reaches a pre-determined amount, the partners can use it to pay for a fun date together (a weekend at a dog-friendly B&B?), or to buy something they both want.

• Agree to work on self-awareness corrections for detrimental behaviors. Whenever one partner realizes that s/he did one of the detrimental activities a quarter (dollar) goes in the corrections jar. Partners should avoid correcting each other; nothing goes in the jar for correcting your partner! Partners can use the money in the jar to buy agreed-upon toys, treats, and training equipment for the dog.

• Agree in advance to do it all in good humor, always remembering that it’s in the best interests of the dog, and of family harmony. Viva la difference!

Dog Trainers Note How Men and Women May Train Differently

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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1

Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. Dogs are from Neptune. A well-known trainer recently made a public comment about men’s inability to act silly with their dogs, to the detriment of their ability to use positive training methods effectively.

Are we really three alien species, destined to live forever in a world of miscommunication and misinterpretation? Is one gender truly better suited to bridge the communication gap between the human and canine species? We fervently hope the answer to the first question is “No!” – and strive to offer Whole Dog Journal readers new information and resources every month to help cross the species barrier. If the 38 trainers who responded to our casual survey on this topic are right, the answer to the second question may be, “Not better, just different!”

For starters, it appears that women are significantly overrepresented, at least in the positive dog-training community, which is where we posed our questions. In a survey of its members a few years ago, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, then about 3,000 strong, found that approximately 80 percent of its membership was female. Respondents to our recent questionnaire were 95 percent female (36 of 38). Here are some of their thoughts on the subject of men versus women in the pet-dog training world.

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Question: Among your clients, what approximate percentage are male and what percentage are female?

Answer: Women appear to be overrepresented on the client side of the equation as well as the professional side, although not as overwhelmingly – about 2 to 1 instead of close to 20 to 1. One trainer responded that her clientele was 50/50 male and female. The rest were heavy on the side of female clients, ranging from 60 to 98 percent women. The average of all the answers was 68.8 percent female, 31.2 percent male.

Are there generalizations you would make about the differences between the training styles of men and women?

The general consensus was that women are less likely to use force, are more verbal, more patient, better at listening to instruction, more willing to follow instruction, better at paying attention to and reading dog body language, more supportive of the concept of force-free training – and less likely to be consistent and structured in their training. Trainers noted that men are more likely to want fast results, more apt to use physical strength, more likely to participate in discussions, more interested in “how” than “why” – and less willing to use animated body language and “happy voice.”

Trainer comments
• Kathie Compton, mARFa Dog Training, Marfa, TX: “Generally, men tend to be more reluctant to give enthusiastic praise and are less animated with their dogs. Men and women take to positive training about equally, but women seem to have an innate understanding of the concept – perhaps because they value the importance of communication in a relationship and tend to be primary caretakers.”

• Maggie Blutreich, CPDT, Bravo! Force-Free Training, Wingate, NC: “Women seem more flexible and patient, able to assess many options before arriving at an action or conclusion. Some men seem less able to reward successive approximations – waiting for or even insisting on the entire behavior to manifest before marking and rewarding. Also, men can be quicker to physically react.”

• Susan Shaulis, Cedarwater Dog Training, Germantown, MD: “I think it’s more that men and women have a different way of going about things. Men have an easier time becoming the pack leader and disciplining, and women have an easier time praising and relaxing the dog.”

• Ritsa Larkin, CPDT, Happy Hounds Dog Training, Selden, NY: “I need to encourage men more to find their ‘inner happy voice’ and not be so monotone when communicating with their dogs. I sometimes need to remind women not to use so many words – they can have conversations with their dogs all day (I know I do) – but in training, simple and concise is best.”

 

Do you tend to teach men differently from women? If so, what are the differences?

Answers to this question varied, but the majority of the trainers who responded emphasized that they try to use teaching styles based on individual needs rather than gender assumptions. This speaks well for the pet-dog training profession, and is a pronounced change from old-fashioned training methods, where there was usually one way to do things and you were expected to do them that way, regardless of your own (or your dog’s) learning style and personality, or relationship with your dog.

• Felicia Monteforte, MVP Dog Training, Sayreville, NJ: “I don’t look at gender when training, I look at personality and go from there. If there are differences, it would generally be to have men try to loosen up a bit, and teach the women how to click with long nails.”

• Susan Brumbelow, CPDT, Douglasville, GA: “I’m not aware of differences in my training methods based on gender. But I do vary my methods based on an individual’s skill, coordination, and patience.”

• Ann Dupuis, Your Dream Dog, Randolph, MA: “I try to tailor my teaching style to each individual. Some people want to see something demonstrated multiple times before they try it; others like to jump right in and try it out. Some really appreciate learning the why’s and how’s behind what I’m teaching; others just want to see it work. I haven’t noticed any quantifiable differences based on gender.”

• Marni Fowler, CPDT, Class Act for Dogs, Gainesville, FL: “I may be a little more touchy-feely with my comments and praise when it comes to women. I may tend to make more comments on how cute the dog is, whereas with a man I may comment more on the dog’s cleverness or physical fitness. But it really depends on the individuals as to what I think would work better for them.”

• Mary Elizabeth Van Everbroeck, Pet Guardian Education and Animal Advocacy Services, Inc., Warminster, PA: “Yes, men are results-oriented and tend to become bored more quickly than women. I tailor my instruction to accommodate this difference between the sexes. Men are generally more apt to be ‘focused’ while women are more ‘contextual.’ Effective instruction requires an appreciation for both skills in order to help pet owners and their dogs.”

• Peg Dawson Harrington, The Happy Hound, Nashville, TN: “I’m not really conscious of teaching differently; the physical stuff is the same. I do use different analogies when speaking to men; I’ll liken clicker training to ‘just another video game.’ And then there’s the ‘spit the treats into the dog’s mouth’ thing that doesn’t go over as well with my women clients, but the guys – for the most part – seem to like it.”

 

Do you find that it’s easier for men or women to learn clicker skills, or about the same?

Trainers were all over the map on this one. Many found gender-linked clicker skills to be about the same. Others found distinct differences. This supports the concept that training skills are less about gender and more about individual personality and ability.

• Jo Jacques, WiggleBums! Dog-Friendly Training & Behavior Counseling, Salem, MA: “About the same, but I find women tend to stick with it longer.”

• Mary Lou Carroll, Puppy-Luvs Dog Training, Elizabeth City, NC: “Women generally seem to pick up on the timing more quickly. Perhaps their observational skills tend to be a little better, on average? Men seem to fumble more with all the ‘stuff’ – clicker, gear, treats, etc.”

• Jim Barry, Rhode Island Dog Guy, Middletown, RI: “This seems not particularly related to gender but rather to manual dexterity, which is gender-neutral. I do find that probably a higher percentage of women are open to carrying a clicker around, and young men in particular seem to find it a little ‘dorky.’ ”

• Sabine Hentrich, Four Positive Paws LLC, Greenbelt, MD: “For whatever reason, in my experience men tend to be better at learning clicker skills. They can be faster, have better timing in general, and are good at observing their dogs. They also tend to be less inhibited about making mistakes and can laugh at their own blunders more easily than their female partners. The clients I have the most trouble with are elderly female clients, and I frequently encourage them to use a verbal marker instead.”

• Pam Parrish, Pamadona Weimaraners/Weimaraner Rescue of the South, Huntsville, AL: “Men seem to be intimidated by the clicker. I suggest they use a voice marker instead, and they seem to like that better.”

 

If you use a marker other than the clicker, do you find that it’s easier for men or women to learn the marker skills, or about the same?

With verbal marker skills, there seemed to be more of a consensus among trainers that gender doesn’t seem to matter.

• Frances Dauster, CPDT, P’s and Q’s Dog Training! LLC, Grand Bay, AL: “About the same. It seems like the men work harder at good timing, whereas the women more often have it naturally.”

• Elaine Berg, Golden Rule Dog Training, Keller, TX: “I have found women will try harder to remember the verbal marker than men – at least in front of me. I don’t know what happens when they are doing their homework.”

• Ann King, Canine King, Yonkers, NY: “I truly believe this one is dependent on the individual. Although, I often wonder though if I changed my marker word from ‘Yes!’ to ‘Score!’ if it would be a breeze for men to mark the behavior…”

• Margaret A. Johnson, CPDT, CC-SF SPCA, The Humaner Trainer, Austin, TX: “I think people are all over the map on this one. Doesn’t seem to matter if they are men, women, engineers, artists… It’s who has the best observational skills and timing. The best person I’ve had was a deaf student – probably because she reads a lot of body language when interpreting the world. Next best are kids.”

 

Is there anything else you’d like to say on the topic of Men v. Women in dog training?

• Silvia Golz, CPDT, Best Friends Companion Dog Training, Appleton, WI: “I think that the women clients take a woman trainer more seriously than they would a male, and vice versa for the men. My male clients tend to be the “Yes, but . . .” clients more so than the women.”

• Bea Pludow, CPDT, Canine Behavior Specialist, El Cajon, CA: “Women generally appear less dangerous to dogs. Men generally appear more dangerous, in my experience, because there are fewer of them involved in the training and socialization process, and they are bigger and stronger-sounding and -smelling than females. Although I have met some ‘really dangerous’ women trainers!”

• Ali Brown, CPDT, Great Companions, Slatington, PA: “I only wish I saw more men in the rally ring, the agility ring, and in my classes.”

• Lisa Giesick, CPDT, Ohana Pet, Marina, CA: “I think it would be wonderful to have more men as positive trainers. If more men embraced positive training, I think it would get rid of the thinking that positive trainers are ‘foo foo’ trainers who are just afraid to show their dog who is boss!”

• Joan Hunter-Mayer, CTC, The Inquisitive Canine LLC, Ventura, CA: “As long as there is a constant increase in positive reinforcement methods and a decrease in aversive techniques, I don’t care about the gender of the trainer, human client, or poochie client.”

Supported by science
So there you have it: an industry-insider look at the differences between the sexes as we relate to our canine companions. Is there any scientific basis to our perceived differences? One list reader sent us this quote from Mind Wide Open, a book about the physiological differences between male and female brains:

“It is inevitable that natural selection would craft slightly different toolboxes for each sex. Viewed with modern imagining technologies, men’s and women’s brains are nearly as distinct from each other as their bodies are. They have reliably different amounts of neurons and gray matter; some areas linked with sexuality and aggression are larger in men than in women; the left and right hemispheres are more tightly integrated in women than in men. And of course, those brains – and the bodies they are attached to – are partially shaped by the two different kinds of hormones, the androgens and estrogens, which play a key role both in development and adult life experiences.”

Modern, positive trainers strive to base their training programs on scientific data rather than anecdotal evidence alone. The information provided by imaging technologies affirms and supports professional intuition regarding gender-related differences in training.

The trainers we surveyed were aware of and receptive to the idea of sex-based differences in training; dog training is clearly as much about people as it is about dogs. Trainers who are aware of gender tendencies can watch for them and use them to everyone’s advantage when working with human clients. Even better are trainers, such as those we surveyed, who can use gender tendencies to best advantage while also working with the learning styles and skills of each dog owner as an individual, not as a stereotype. The best of both worlds!

Natural Remedies for Cleaning Dog Wounds

By
CJ Puotinen
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16
cleaning dog wounds

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR CLEANING DOG WOUNDS: OVERVIEW

1. Clean cuts, abrasions, or wounds with skin-soothing herbal teas or an herb-vinegar rinse.

2. Spray or apply skin-healing hydrosols, essential oil blends, salves, or other topical products that stimulate cell growth, fight infection, and speed repair.

3. Give your dog enzymes and other supplements that help heal wounds from the inside.

4. Keep natural first-aid products on hand to treat bites, cuts, scrapes, and other wounds as soon as they occur.

Your dog just had surgery, stepped on broken glass, caught her tail in a door, has a puncture wound, got bit or scratched, tangled with barbed wire, or has an abrasion that came from who knows where. You want the wound to heal quickly without bleeding, pain, or infection. The following strategies help with cleaning dog wounds.

Topical Remedies for Cleaning Dog Wounds

Herbal Tea Rinses

Any wound can be cleaned and encouraged to mend with a strongly brewed herbal tea, which can be applied as a spray, rinse, wash, or compress.

Herbs known for their skin-healing properties include comfrey (Symphytum officinale) leaf and root, St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) blossoms, calendula (Calendula officinalis) blossoms, broad- or narrow-leaved plantain (Plantago spp.) leaves, and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) leaves and blossoms. Most herbal supply companies and natural foods markets sell dried herbs that can be used for wound treatment, or you can plant your own. Comfrey and lavender are easy-to-grow perennials, calendula is a self-seeding annual, and plantain and St. John’s wort grow wild in much of the U.S.

Comfrey is important to wound-healing because it contains allantoin, a cell growth stimulant. The plant used to be called “knit bone” because it helps heal broken bones when applied topically. Comfrey works so quickly that it should not be applied to sutures that will have to be removed or to puncture wounds in which bacteria might be trapped by rapidly healing skin, but it is highly effective on scrapes, burns, cuts, insect or spider bites, and other injuries.

Teas containing soothing anti-inflammatory herbs like German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), or lavender help reduce itching and discomfort when sprayed or applied topically.

To brew an herbal tea for wound cleansing or treatment, use 2 teaspoons dried herb or 2 tablespoons fresh herb per cup of boiling water. Cover and let the tea steep until cool. Strain, refrigerate, and apply as needed, up to several times per day.

Vinegar Rinse

Apple cider vinegar has long been used for first aid. Applied to cuts, wounds, dull fur, skin infections, calluses, and itchy areas, vinegar soothes skin, improves the coat, aids healing, and helps repel fleas and ticks.

For an old-fashioned skin tonic, try this simple blend of herbs in vinegar. Combine fresh or dried rosemary leaves, calendula blossoms, rose petals, juniper berries, lavender stalks or flowers, lemon peel, orange peel, sage, cinnamon, cloves, and/or chamomile blossoms, in any combination. Arrange herbs loosely in a glass jar (fill only one-third full with dried herbs) and cover with raw (unpasteurized) organic cider vinegar. Seal tightly and leave the jar in a warm place, in or out of the sun, for a month or longer.

Strain, transfer to storage bottles, and keep in a cool, dark place. Shake well before using to improve coat condition, rinse wounds, heal sores, repel insects, and soothe irritated skin. For dogs with white or very light coats, substitute plain white vinegar.

Willard Water

Willard water concentrate can be added to water, herbal tea, or hydrosols at the rate of 1 teaspoon per quart to help the liquid penetrate and speed the healing of burns, cuts, wounds, and other injuries.

Unrefined Sea Salt

Mineral-rich unrefined sea salt can be added to any tea that will be used to treat wounds.

Lightly salted and strained chamomile tea makes an excellent eye wash. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt per cup of tea.

To make an effective spray for any skin disorder, cut, or wound, combine 4 cups of any herbal tea, such as those described above, with ¾ cup aloe vera juice or gel and ½ cup unrefined sea salt.

Even plain salt water is a wound-healing treatment. Years ago in my dog’s obedience class, a female German Shepherd Dog suffered from a sore that wouldn’t heal despite repeated trips to the veterinarian over several months. When her owner applied a solution of 2 tablespoons unrefined sea salt in ½ cup water, the sore improved the same day and healed within a week.

Aromatherapy

Hydrosols are the “flower waters” produced along with essential oils during steam distillation. Hydrosols contain trace amounts of essential oil as well as all of the distilled plant’s water-soluble components. As a result, hydrosols are like a strong herbal tea combined with very dilute essential oils, making them safe for topical application even on young puppies and weak or elderly dogs.

Hydrosols are less expensive than essential oils, but they have a shorter shelf life. For best results, buy hydrosols from a reliable distributor and keep them refrigerated.

Leading hydrosols for wound care include the previously mentioned lavender plus helichrysum, also known as immortelle or everlasting (Helichrysum italicum); tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia); oregano (Origanum vulgaris); and witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana).

Essential oils have significant healing properties, but most essential oils – even those of the highest therapeutic quality – are so concentrated that they can overwhelm a dog’s sensitive olfactory system, causing discomfort, or have a harsh effect on the wound itself. Because they’re so powerful, essential oils can be greatly diluted without losing their effectiveness. Kristen Leigh Bell, author of Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals, recommends approximately 10 drops of essential oil per tablespoon of base oil for canine use. Diluting threapeutic-quality essential oils makes them both gentler and more affordable.

Ten drops of essential oil, such as those from plants listed above, in a tablespoon of base oil is an effective blend for cuts, wounds, scrapes, irritations, burns, bruises, and post-operative incisions.

An even more effective combination would be to use calophyllum or tamanu oil (Calophyllum inophyllum), which is pressed from the fruit and seed of the tamanu tree of India and Polynesia, as the base oil. Calophyllum oil is one of the most prized oils for healing wounds, burns, rashes, insect bites, broken capillaries, skin cracks, eczema, psoriasis, and other skin conditions. This oil can be used full-strength or diluted with equal parts jojoba, olive oil, or other base oil.

Any herbal oil can be turned into a salve by adding beeswax or other thickeners, as described in “Healing Oils For Your Dog“.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil’s medium-chain fatty acids fight harmful bacteria, viruses, yeasts, fungi, and parasites, making it a perfect salve or dressing for cuts and wounds of every description. The only down side to coconut oil is that in temperatures below 75oF, it’s solid. Keep some in a small jar or bottle for easy warming in hot water.

Coconut oil is an excellent carrier oil for essential oils. But there is another down side – most dogs love the flavor and will quickly lick it off. If the wound is where your dog can’t reach, keeping it moist with coconut oil is an excellent idea.

EMT Gel

Many products are sometimes marketed as a first-aid kit in a tube, jar, or bottle, but EMT Gel truly is. Its key ingredient, collagen, is a fibrous protein found in connective tissue, muscles, ligaments, skin, bone, and cartilage.

EMT Gel’s specially processed bovine collagen acts as a tissue adhesive, providing a matrix for new cell growth while sealing and protecting wounds and significantly reducing pain, bleeding, scarring, wound weeping, and the risk of infection.

One of EMT Gel’s success stories comes from Shannon Rogers-Peisert of Liberty, Missouri, whose black Labrador Retriever, Cody, severed an artery while jumping a fence. “There was blood everywhere,” she says. “I had a sample of EMT Gel and thought to use it before taking Cody to the emergency clinic. The vet said it kept Cody from bleeding to death.”

In New Mexico in 2002, Troy Sparks and a friend spent quail season’s opening day hunting with Lucy, his Llewellyn Setter. When they returned to the truck, he noticed a blood clot on Lucy’s neck, and as he began to clean it, blood poured down her neck. Sparks applied EMT Gel, gauze, and vet wrap to hold it in place, then drove straight to Lucy’s veterinarian two hours away. When the vet removed the dressing, Sparks says, a six-inch stream of blood shot out. After getting stitches, Lucy recovered quickly.

Once applied, EMT Gel can be left undisturbed, which simplifies dressing changes. The collagen forms a plug that stops bleeding by encouraging clotting, and its occlusion of nerve endings reduces pain. Veterinarians in research universities and clinical practice recommend EMT Gel for abrasions, lacerations, skin ulcers, gunshot wounds, bites, first- and second-degree burns, electrical injuries, frostbite, post-surgical incisions, suture and IV sites, skin graft sites, and other wounds.

Sample sizes are no longer available. EMT Gel is sold in 1-ounce tubes and has a two-year shelf life.

The company also makes an EMT Gel Spray for the treatment of scrapes, scratches, and other minor skin injuries. In addition to wound-healing collagen, the nontoxic spray contains an extremely bitter taste that deters dogs from licking it off.

Tree resin, Pitch, and PAV Ointment

Tree resin or pitch contains powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal ingredients. In fact, pitch from America’s coniferous trees has been a folk remedy for centuries to treat skin infections, black widow and brown recluse spider bites, flea and tick bites, wasp and bee stings, gum infections, poison oak and ivy rashes, ringworm, staph infections, burns, scalds, surgical incisions, and other injuries.

The medicinal use of pitch had all but died out when it was resurrected in the 1970s by Forrest Smith, a retired logger from Northern California. Now his NATR (North American Tree Resin) company is the leading source of resin from the pitch of Pacific coast Douglas fir, yellow pine, and other coniferous trees.

Smith became interested in the healing properties of pitch when a medical missionary took some to South America. The physician spent years in remote areas, where he routinely performed surgery without sterile equipment or antibiotics. Before closing every incision, he covered the area with pitch and applied more before bandaging the wound. He was a steady customer for over 15 years because none of his patients developed an infection and all experienced rapid healing.

Smith recounts a friend’s experience years ago when he tried to help a dog that had been hit by a car. The dog was everyone’s friend, so the man did his best to patch him up even though his entrails were covered with sand as he lay by the side of the road. “My friend had some pitch with him,” says Smith, “and he poured it over the sandy intestines and shoved them back into the abdominal cavity. Then he covered the wound with more pitch and tied the dog together, no stitches, with rags wrapped around his body. That dog healed completely and lived in good health for several more years.”

More recently, a customer called to say that when her small dog was bit on the foot by a copperhead snake, the foot swelled quickly. “Not knowing what to do,” she said, “I found your resin bottle and covered the dog’s foot with it and wrapped it up. Soon he quit complaining and the next day he was running around as if nothing was wrong.”

Smith does not prescribe tree resin for snake bites or any other medical condition, but pitch has a long record of use for venomous bites and stings.

Pitch can be used full-strength or added to herbal salves and oils in any proportion. Mixing pitch with olive oil or another carrier helps it spread and reduces its stickiness. NATR’s products include full-strength pitch, pitch diluted with olive oil, a Hot Spot Pet/Livestock formula, and the company’s most popular product, PAV salve, which stands for Pitch and Vaseline petroleum jelly. All are safe for pet use. Avoid eyes and mucous membranes, and keep flammable pitch away from fire or flame.

Internal Supplements to Accelerate Your Dog’s Healing Process

Several vitamins and minerals are known to have healing properties, but zinc is especially important for wound healing. Supplementing the diet with a product like Standard Process Dermal Support, which contains zinc and other skin-healing ingredients from whole-food sources, provides the body with easily assimilated nutrients that help repair damaged tissue.

Zinc and other trace minerals are found in unrefined sea salt. Salt’s electrolytes and the enzymes they help produce are important to healthy immune function, rapid wound healing, adrenal health, and the regulation of bodily fluids. Add up to 1/8 teaspoon unrefined sea salt per 25 pounds of body weight per day to food.

Seacure

High-quality protein is essential for wound healing and for the repair of damaged fur and skin. Seacure, a deep-sea fermented whitefish powder, is predigested so that its amino acids and peptides, the building blocks of skin and hair, are immediately absorbed and utilized. The product is available in chewable dog-treat tabs and as a powder as well as in 500-mg capsules.

To help dogs recover from surgery, cuts, wounds, broken bones, or other trauma injuries, give at least twice the label’s recommended maintenance dose of 1 capsule, 1 tablet, or ¼ teaspoon powder per 10 pounds of body weight.

“There is no maximum dose,” says Dee Eckert, the manufacturer’s director of operations. “Several years ago my Basset Hound, Fergison, was attacked by another dog and suffered a severe puncture wound to his snout. I immediately took him to the vet, who said he would have a scar and that the hair on his nose would never grow back. Since he is allergic to many medications, surgery was not an option.

“After the vet thoroughly cleaned the wound, I took him home and gave him 3 tablespoons of Seacure daily. Within 48 hours, the wound closed and scabbed over. By the following week, it had completely healed and the hair was growing back. Fergison’s case was not unusual, for many pet owners, breeders, and vets have sent reports about how quickly wounds heal when Seacure for Pets is added to the animal’s diet.”

Colostrum Supplements

Colostrum, the “first milk” produced by mammals after giving birth, has become a popular supplement because of its immune-boosting properties. Some holistic vets, like Stephen Blake, DVM, of San Diego, feed colostrum to injured animals and also apply it to their cuts and wounds.

“I have found colostrum to be the best topical agent for healing any possible wound,” he says. “It works twice as fast as any other products I have used in the past 33 years. Colostrum contains EgF (epithelial growth factors) and IgF (insulin-like growth factor). Without adequate growth factors, the body cannot repair damaged cells, no matter how well the patient is being fed.”

Because research has shown that salivary amylase and hydrochloric acid in the stomach improve the activity of colostrum’s growth factors, Dr. Blake recommends offering the powder by itself on an empty stomach half an hour or more before a meal. “I give it once per day, first thing in the morning,” he says. “I haven’t yet met a dog who doesn’t like it that way, but if one exists, I would add it to food.”

To help injured dogs heal quickly, Dr. Blake recommends giving twice to three times the recommended maintenance dose of one 500-mg capsule or 1/3 teaspoon powder per 25 pounds of body weight per day. For an injured 50-pound dog, this would be 4 to 6 capsules or between 1 and 2 teaspoons powder per day.

For topical application, Dr. Blake mixes colostrum powder with enough water, herbal tea, or hydrosol to create a thin paste, which can be applied directly to wounds. “Your dog will want to lick it off,” he warns, “so keep him busy for five minutes while it gets absorbed, then let him do what he likes. Leave the wound open to breathe and apply colostrum twice a day until healing is well under way.”

Wobenzym

Wobenzym is a German enzyme product that is taken between meals on an empty stomach. Just as it’s given to human accident victims and surgical patients in large doses to speed healing and prevent swelling, tenderness, and bruising, it can be given to dogs immediately after injury or surgery.

Corneal ulcers, bruises, cuts, trauma injuries, and surgical incisions respond quickly to Wobenzym, which prevents swelling, breaks down inflammation, and speeds healing. Most dogs respond well to 1 tablet per 10 pounds of body weight (up to a maximum of 5 tablets at a time) given every 1 or 2 hours until improvement is seen. That dose is continued for several days or as needed. Once recovery is under way, a typical maintenance dose is up to 5 tablets twice or three times per day. See the October article for detailed instructions.

Wobenzym thins the blood and is not recommended for dogs with bleeding or platelet disorders, and caregivers should watch for small blood spots on the gums, pale gums, bloodshot eyes, or any abnormal bleeding. Reduce or discontinue the product if these unusual side effects occur.

Arnica Tincture

An important first-aid item, arnica tincture is best known for its dramatic effect on bruises and trauma injuries – and for its “external use only” labels. European physicians have long prescribed arnica tea or tincture as a cardiac agent, but it is such a powerful heart stimulant that most American herbalists believe arnica should never be taken internally or used on open wounds.

By taking such a cautious approach, say some experts, users deprive themselves of arnica’s most important potential. In small doses, arnica can stop internal bleeding and stimulate healing, especially after trauma injuries. For emergency use, give 1 drop of arnica tincture directly on the tongue or diluted in water per 15 pounds of body weight two to four times daily.

This simple therapy saved the life of Rosie, a cat whose encounter with a taxi resulted in a broken sacrum and broken tail. Because they believed she would never urinate or defecate normally, Rosie’s vets recommended putting her to sleep. But after a week of taking Herb Pharm’s arnica extract twice per day, Rosie was eliminating normally and made a rapid recovery.

Ed Smith, the founder of Herb Pharm, told me that Rosie’s story is typical and that arnica treats injury-caused incontinence and other problems in people as well as pets. A highly regarded herbalist and researcher, Smith finds no justification for the warning labels on arnica products. In addition to its internal use, he recommends applying arnica tincture to bleeding wounds and other injuries to reduce swelling, pain, and bruising. The sooner it is used after injury, he says, the better it works.

Barefoot Outdoors

Mother Nature’s healing aids include unfiltered natural light, which all of us need for optimum health, and direct (barefoot) exposure to earth or grass. Insufficient natural light can disrupt endocrine function and slow healing. Most dogs seek natural light, just as they seek contact with the bare earth or grass.

According to San Diego health researcher Dale Teplitz, “Clinical research suggests that standing on the earth can decrease inflammation and increase circulation to accelerate healing in dogs and people. When we are wounded, the immune system springs into action sending scavengers to the site to break down damaged tissues for removal from the body. Earth contact provides an unlimited supply of free electrons to neutralize excess free radicals that cause inflammation.”

Freelance writer CJ Puotinen is the author of  The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care and many other books.

Post-Operation Acupressure for Dysplastic Dogs

By
Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis
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0

[Updated February 8, 2018]

During the past decade, conventional veterinary surgery has made great strides in helping dogs lead more comfortable and fuller lives. But an ancient therapy – acupressure – nicely augments the more modern medical practice and increases its benefits.

Oak, a Golden Retriever puppy, is a good example of how one of the newer surgical procedures benefited and extended his life, and how acupressure improved the surgery’s effectiveness.

golden retriever hip dysplasia

As in many service dog breeding programs, Oak was bred for one particular trait: his temperament. In this case, Oak and his Golden Retriever littermates were bred to be calm, easygoing, highly social, and trainable. When breeding for a single trait, often the health of an animal is compromised in other ways. Unfortunately, every puppy in the litter had orthopedic problems and none were able to fulfill their intended mission of being a service dog.

By the time Oak was 10 months old, it was clear that he had severe hip dysplasia. Radiographs confirmed that there was literally no hip socket on his right side.

After consulting with three veterinary surgeons, it was decided that the best course of action was a triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO), where the hip is reformed to create a socket. This procedure was considered experimental 10 years ago when Oak was much in need of it. Today, it is a common surgery for hip dysplasia.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Post-Op Healing

Immediately following the surgical procedure, Oak received an acupressure session specifically for post-operative issues to support him in his recovery. Acupressure, like acupuncture, is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The intent of Oak’s acupressure sessions was to bring more chi (pronounced “chee” and also seen as Qi or Ki), the life-promoting energy that the ancient Chinese saw as essential for all life; and increase “Blood” flow, to optimize the healing process while maintaining the body’s energetic balance.

In TCM, “Blood” is not only the nutrient-rich, red fluid that flows through our veins; it is more broadly defined as fluids that nourish and moisten the body’s organs, bones, and other tissues.

acupressure for hip dysplasia surgery

Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute

According to TCM, there are energetic pathways (called meridians) where chi and Blood flow through the canine body. Along these meridians there are specific points, or acupoints, where we can apply pressure and actually influence the flow of chi, Blood, and other body fluids. When there is an interruption or blockage of chi along the meridian, acupoints are used to restore the natural harmonious flow of chi and Blood so that the body can heal itself.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, any surgical procedure represents an insult or injury to the body that disrupts the flow of chi and Blood. To support the animal’s healing process, we select acupoints that can:

• Help with pain management;
• Clear the effects of anesthesia;
• Minimize the building of scar tissue;
• Reduce swelling and collection of body fluids; and,
• Enhance the circulation of chi and Blood to ensure the removal of toxins and provide nourishment to the injured area.

Canine Acupressure Points for Post-Surgical Healing

canine bladder meridian

Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute

POINT FUNCTION & LOCATION
BL 17 Improves Blood and chi circulation. Lateral to the caudal border of the spinous process of the 7th thoracic vertebrae.
BL 60 “Aspirin Point” relieves pain in the body. Located at the thinnest part of the hock, lateral aspect.
LI 14 Relieves pain, promotes circulation of protective chi and Blood. Benefits the immune system. Located at webbing of dewclaw.
ST 36 Promotes chi and Blood flow and benefits the immune system. Located just lateral to the tibial crest.
SP 6 Promotes Blood and chi circulation. Located about three inches above the tip of the medial malleolus.
LIV 3 Helps remove toxins, regulates and tonifies Liver Blood. Found between the 1st and 2nd metatarsal bones.

Recovering from the Triple Pelvic Osteotomy

Oak’s acupressure sessions began within an hour after surgery, while he was still under the influence of the anesthesia. For the first four days, he received a session every 24 hours. For the following two weeks he had an acupressure session every third day.

A week after his extensive TPO surgery, Oak went back to the surgeon for a check-up. As he walked down the hall and into the examination room, the surgeon, while watching him walk asked, “Is Oak here for his month check? He is walking very well.”

Within a week, Oak had gone from being in extreme pain and almost completely immobilized to being able to walk comfortably and evenly on both flat terrain and up and down stairs. Thanks to his basic good health and acupressure sessions, Oak’s rapid recovery took the surgeon by surprise.

Because of the advancements in conventional medicine and the powerful healing capacity of TCM, Oak, now 10 years old, is still able to jump into the back of an SUV, run up and down hills, play with buddies, and swim in ponds.

My Golden Retriever’s Acupressure Session

Start by finding a comfortable location for both you and your dog. Take a few even breaths in and out while thinking about how you want to help your dog.

Rest one hand on the dog’s shoulder. Using the heel of your other hand, place it at the top of his head and gently stroke down his neck, just off the midline. (For smaller dogs, use your index and second fingers to stroke down the dogs neck.) Staying just to the side of the dog’s spine, continue to trace the path of the Bladder Meridian (see illustration, next page), going toward his tail and over his rump, then down the outside of his hind leg to the tip of his outside toe.

Repeat this intentional stroking procedure three times on each side of the dog following the Bladder Meridian. In the illustration (right), note that the meridian is located on both sides of the spine, so you should work on both sides of the dog.

Begin working on the points by resting one hand on your dog wherever it feels comfortable; this is your anchor hand. You can move it whenever you need to for comfort. You can use either the thumb or two-finger technique to perform the point work, depending on which is more comfortable for you and your dog.

• Thumb technique: Place the fleshy tip of your thumb directly on the acupressure point at a 90-degree angle and hold the point gently but with intent. Count to 30 before moving to the next acupoint.

• Two-finger technique: Put your middle finger on top of your index finger and then place your index finger at approximately a 90-degree angle to the point. Gently, but with intentional firmness, apply pressure directly on the acupoint and count to 30; then move to the next acupoint. The two-finger technique tends to work best for smaller animals and in places where it is difficult to reach.

Once you have finished stimulating the acupressure points on one side of your dog, be sure to hold the points on the other side. Doing both sides will ensure a balanced and more complete treatment.

Observe your dog’s reaction to the work on the points. “Energy releases” mean your session is working. Healthy energy releases include yawning, deep breathing, muscle twitches, release of air, deeper relaxation, licking, and softening of the eye. If your dog is overly reactive to a particular point or exhibits a pain reaction, skip it, and try that point again at a later session.

Complete your acupressure session by resting your hand comfortably on your dog’s shoulder just the way you did when starting the treatment. Place the heel of your other hand, or index and middle fingers, just off the midline of the top of his head and stoke down the Bladder Meridian: down his neck, over his back to his hindquarters, keeping your hand to the side of his spine, and down the outside of his leg to his outer toe. Your opposite hand can lightly trail along the same path as the working hand.

Repeat this procedure three times on each side of your dog. It can take 24 hours for the effects of an acupressure treatment to be fully experienced.

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.

Is Your Dog Overweight?

By
Randy Kidd
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By Randy Kidd, DVM, PhD This has become a nation of fat people – and fat dogs. Once again our dogs are mirroring us, no matter how bad that picture looks. It has been estimated that (depending on the survey and the way “obese” and “overweight” are defined) from about 25 percent to more than half of dogs seen by veterinarians are overweight or obese, and many practitioners feel that even these numbers grossly underestimate the true extent of the problem. For more perspective we can refer to numbers from a medical database maintained by Banfield, The Pet Hospital (a chain of 500-plus veterinary hospitals). Its data indicate that of the 3.5 million animals seen in the chain’s hospitals each year, almost 83 percent are categorized as exceeding their recommended weights. More worrisome, the obesity trend seems to be accelerating in recent years, much as it has in humans. The percentage of heavy dogs seen at Banfield increased from 49 percent to 83 percent from 1999 to 2004. The problem of defining obesity in dogs stems in part from the wide variance that exists in “normal” weights for different breeds. Most fat experts define an “overweight” dog as being 10 to 15 percent above the ideal weight for the breed; an animal is obese when he weighs 15 to 25 percent or more than the breed’s ideal weight. Another way to look at obesity is to look at it structurally rather than limit its definition to a set weight standard. Under this guideline, obesity can be defined as an increase in body weight beyond the limitation of its skeletal and physical requirements, resulting from an accumulation of excess body fat.

Whatever the definition and true statistics are for overweight and obese dogs, obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in dogs, and many practitioners feel it is today’s number one health danger for dogs. According to existing statistical evidence, the increased incidence of obesity (in both dogs and humans) has dramatically risen only over the past 10 years or so. Obesity is a, well, growing problem without an end in sight. And for fat people and fat dogs, this is not a good sign. It is interesting to note that it is not just dogs and their people that are overweight; overweight and obese cats are also a concern, and the Banfield survey mentioned above found that many exotic pets – birds, ferrets, and rabbits – are overweight too, again with the percentages of overweight animals increasing over the past few years. Being fat is not healthy Obesity in dogs may be associated with the following diseases: hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism, diabetes mellitus, non-allergic skin conditions, arthritis, and lameness. Increased weight puts added stress on bones and the ligaments and tendons of joints, making them more susceptible to traumatic injury. Fat dogs don’t ambulate as well; they become couch potatoes, resulting in “stuck” joints that cause the dog to want to lie about even more – a cycle that ultimately leads to a painfully immobile animal. The immune system is compromised when an animal is overweight, making him more susceptible to infections and autoimmune diseases. Being overweight adversely affects the intricate balance of many, if not all, the body’s hormonal systems, resulting in any number of hormonally related diseases. Being overweight also adversely affects the skin; overweight animals typically have dull, lusterless skin that is in turn more susceptible to disease processes. No matter how you look at it, the obese animal has a poorer quality of life than his trimmer counterpart. He also actually has a shorter life. Purina Pet Institute’s 14-year study showed that dogs who ate 25 percent less food than their well-fed counterparts in the study lived longer – on average 13.5 years, compared to the average age of death of 12.2 years for their chubbier trial mates. In addition, the less-stuffed dogs had fewer signs of aging (grey muzzles, etc.) and a much lower incidence of hip dysplasia than did the overfed dogs. My dog, fat?! Determining this may take more than a good long look at the dog. In the first place, folks who are overweight tend not to see the fat in front of their eyes. Many studies have shown that most overweight folks don’t realize they are carrying excess baggage, and other studies indicate that folks who are overweight also tend to have overweight pets – and they don’t recognize the added pounds in either themselves or their pets. Another problem is that dog breeds have so many distinct body types it is often difficult to see through the normal body type into the fat of the matter. There is help, however, and it comes in two forms: a body condition score, developed by Purina, and the availability of an unbiased opinion. The body condition score (BCS) is a chart that provides a numerical ranking from 1/emaciated to 5/obese for dogs and cats. (1 = emaciated; 2 = thin; 3 = moderate; 4 = stout; 5 = obese.) The chart is easily accessible on the Internet, and it comes complete with examples of how the typical animal within each ranking would appear. Most veterinary clinics also have a copy of the chart for easy viewing. The best way to use the chart is to first compare your dog to the chart and then use your hands to feel for body condition. A fit dog should have an indented waist and the waist line should tuck-up slightly behind the ribs. (Remember that some breed standards may vary somewhat from this ideal.) Dogs tend to put on fat over their shoulders, ribs, and hips and around the tail head. You should be able to feel individual ribs and the space between each rib, and the shoulder blades, hips, and tail head should be readily palpable. Since folks tend not to notice just how fat they or their animals are, it’s probably a good idea to get an unbiased opinion – check with your vet, and ask for an honest fat appraisal. One caveat here: It may be best to have a thin and fit vet do the evaluating; out-of-shape vets might also tend to overlook fatness in their patients, and they will almost certainly minimize the importance of exercise for overall health. There are also several newer ways to evaluate the fatness of your dog that may prove to be more valid than the more subjective BCS. Leptin is a peptide hormone synthesized and secreted primarily by fatty tissue. Increased plasma levels of leptin correlates with body fat, probably better than either body weight or the BCS. There is now a simple blood assay for leptin that may prove useful for quantitative obesity assessment in small animals. Other methods of assessing body fat that are more hi-tech (and usually more expensive) include ultrasonography, bioelectric impedance (determines the amount of various body fluids as well as measuring leanness); DEXA scan (Dual Energy X-ray Absortiometry – determines bone mineral content and density, muscle mass, and percent of body fat), and the D2O dilution method (deuterium oxide dilution – determines total body water, a measurement of body fat). How obesity happens In dogs (and their people) obesity has become a health problem of epidemic proportions. The solution to the problem of fat dogs can actually be reduced to a simple equation (more exercise; fewer calories). But there are many instigating factors associated with obesity. A truly holistic approach to keeping your dog’s weight within its ideal range will consider these, along with an exercise program and a diet that provides the requisite number of calories for the amount of “work” the dog does. Specialists in bariatric medicine – the study of overweight, its causes, prevention, and treatment – feel that obesity may have numerous causes that can loosely be categorized into: environmental, behavioral, available foods, and biological components. So far, bariatric medicine is primarily a human specialty (one could predict that the specialty will soon develop in veterinary medicine), but many of its methods can, by extension, be applied to animals. In fact, some of the work that is used to help define and treat human obesity was originally done on laboratory animals, including dogs. There are at least two potential obesity-causing components of the environmental factors to consider: the dog’s social environment and his physical environment. The number one cause of obesity in our dogs is humans. “Over-love” is an important part of why our dogs are overeating; we want to make them happy! They beg, and we reinforce the behavior (making it more likely to happen again) by feeding them. The more they beg, the more we feed them, the more they beg – and the weight goes on. Giving our dogs treats – often as we wolf down a fatty, carb-loaded, nutritionally empty treat ourselves – has become an American way of life. There’s another social aspect to overeating: often, in multiple dog families, the presence of other dogs encourages some of them to overeat. Apparently the social aspect of being in a “pack” of dogs creates the competitive desire to wolf down the available food before the other dogs can get their fair share. A dog’s social environment is also an important consideration for how much he will weigh as an adult. Every practitioner will tell you that the fat dog often has a fat person at the other end of the leash. The way we humans have adapted our physical environment is also involved in our pet’s propensity to be fat. In a few short decades we have moved from a mostly rural population to a society where most of us live in cities or suburbs. Back when I started veterinary practice, the greatest majority of the dogs who visited my practice could be considered “free range” dogs – they were country dogs with several acres to roam over, or they had an in-town backyard to play in that would be considered huge by today’s standards. Today’s dogs are often enormous dogs, kept in small apartments, and their backyard “playground” is the size of a postage stamp. Further, the art of walking and chatting with the neighbors has been lost – and along with it, the evening walkabout that once upon a time gave the family dog some time to stretch out, run around, and rub noses with the other neighborhood dogs. Our own sedentary lifestyle and the way we have sardined ourselves into a living environment surrounded by concrete has made it difficult for us to help our dogs get the amount of daily exercise they need. Recent surveys show that even when folks know full well that they are overweight, that their dogs are overweight, and that exercise is the answer to the problem, they still will not take the time to walk their dogs the 150 minutes per week that is considered the minimal time necessary for maintaining body condition. There’s more: One theory says that pollutants in the air may be partly responsible for obesity. Organochlorines are fat-soluble chemicals that are almost ubiquitous in today’s environment – they are a continuing contaminant in our air, coming from a variety of sources including the outgassing of plastics (such as polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs) and pesticides such as chlordane, aldrin, endrin, dioxin, dieldrin, and DDT/DDE. Their presence may be related to a biochemical process that results in weight gain in animals.

The organochlorine (OC) theory basically works like this: Obese animals have higher concentrations of OCs in their bodies. With weight loss, the blood concentration of OC increases as they are released from fatty tissue. An increased blood OC level has been associated with reduced fat oxidation, reduced resting metabolic rate, and reduced skeletal muscle oxidative capacity (reduction in the muscle’s ability to work and use up calories) – all these effects may be due to a decreased effectiveness of the thyroid gland. The end result is that as the animal loses weight, he releases OCs from fat reserves into the blood, which decreases his ability to metabolize carbohydrates effectively … which ultimately allows the weight that he has lost to return as weight gain. All this spells yet another reason to avoid pesticides whenever possible, and to avoid plastics if possible – for example, use glass or stainless steel feeding and watering bowls instead of plastic ones. Lots of contributors For eons the canine species roamed the forests and fields, hunting and scavenging for whatever morsel of food they could find. Being a carnivore is hard work, sometimes exciting in the extreme, and it takes a certain amount of skill to fill one’s belly with any regularity. For our pets, all that is gone now; the only effort and skill required is the ability to find the food dish. And the food dish is mostly filled with processed carbohydrates, not the meaty proteins a dog’s digestive system is adapted for. And so, our obese dogs have reason to blame the foods they eat for some of their problems. Many commercial pet foods, over the years, have increased dietary fat levels and improved the palatability of their foods. Most commercial foods simply contain too little meat-derived protein, too many grain-based carbohydrates, and too much fat. Fat adds to a food’s palatability and, in the case of kibble, is sprayed onto the extruded food so the dog will eat it. Just as their human counterparts, dogs vary widely in their level of physical activity and in the amount of food they want to eat each day. Since these behaviors are innate, the best we can do is to notice them and then offer compensatory actions to counteract their tendency to create an overweight dog. For instance, most Border Collies will probably not need to be encouraged to exercise more; they tend to be hyperactive enough. A pooch who wants to sleep all day, however, may need a little encouragement to get into his daily walk. You may be able to appease the dog who is a perpetual beggar by feeding him very small amounts of food several times a day, being sure that the total amount of food stays within the recommended amount of calories for the dog’s ideal weight. Again, like their human counterpoints, dogs have a wide range of resting metabolic rates. Those with a high metabolic rate can seemingly eat anything and everything and never get fat; the animal saddled with a low metabolic rate can literally look at food and get fat. The key is to recognize these differences and to compensate for the dog with the low metabolic rate by limiting his daily food intake and being certain he is getting enough exercise. • Spaying and neutering: Both of these two operations have an effect on the animal’s potential for future weight gain. Information (from Ohio State University) indicates that when an animal is spayed or neutered, his or her energy needs decrease by about 25 percent. Other factors that add to a spayed or neutered animal’s propensity for weight gain include: a) lack of roaming – males, especially, don’t roam as much after neutering; b) no expenditure of energy for reproduction, gestation, and lactation; and c) perhaps the most important, an owner who has demonstrated his devotion to the dog by having him or her neutered or spayed; owners who care may also be the type who simply must feed a begging dog treats throughout the day. The bottom line here is that spayed or neutered animals will not get fat just because they lack their gonads. True, they will likely need fewer calories, after the surgery – but so long as they are fed foods that provide them with some caloric reduction, and so long as they continue to exercise adequately, they will not gain weight. • The genetic hypothesis: Some breeds of dogs, including Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Cairn Terriers, Basset Hounds, Shetland Sheepdogs, Dachshunds, and Beagles tend to be more prone to obesity. While the genetic hypothesis has merit, not all dogs with genetic susceptibility to obesity become overweight, and any individual of any breed of dog or mutt will become obese if he is fed too much for the energy he expends. It should also be noted that in humans there have been several gene-loci identified as associated with obesity, and each of these loci has in turn several additional, associated genes that have been identified as contributing to the overall propensity for the individual to be obese. In other words, genes may be important, but trying to find the one that is the contributor to obesity is like searching for one particular flake of Parmesan in the spaghetti sauce. • Age: As an animal ages, his metabolism slows, and often creaky joints and the simple lack of a burning desire to chase all things interesting can lead to a diminished expenditure of calories. The result can be a gradual increase in weight – unless we watch the calories and decrease them as the animal ages. • Stress: Chronic stress can have a huge impact on a dog’s weight. Stress causes the adrenals to secrete excess amounts of glucocorticoids that alter glucose metabolism, which (via a complex of enzymatic and hormonal reactions) ultimately leads to an accumulation of body fat. In addition, stress can lead to alterations in the homeostatic systems of the body to the extent that other diseases occur. • Diseases: It’s been estimated that diseases account for less than five percent of the total number of cases of obesity in humans, and a like percentage probably occurs in dogs. In reality, it is often impossible to determine which comes first: the disease causing the obesity, or the obesity precipitating the disease. Diseases that may be associated with obesity in dogs include: hypothyroidism, Cushing’s (hyperadrenocorticism), diabetes, insulinoma (tumor of the insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas), and diseases of the pituitary. The “cure” As you’d expect whenever you have a disease process that counts so many patients, there are a plethora of “cures” for obesity on the market. Seemingly, humans will try anything – from crazy diet plans, to stapling their stomachs, to filling themselves with non-nutrients to create a sense of satiety. Drugs abound: drugs to increase metabolism (amphetamines and others); drugs to stop the absorption of fats; drugs to fool the brain into thinking the belly is full or into thinking its caloric needs have been met, and on and on. None of these high-tech solutions to obesity have worked long-term in humans or animals – unless the intervention is coupled with long-term social and behavioral modification and most importantly unless an adequate amount of weekly exercise (approximately 150 minutes per week) is included in the program. There are several diet foods available in today’s marketplace, and these often combine a lowered amount of carbohydrate, low fat (5 to 8 percent dry matter basis), and a food source with increased levels of fiber (10 to 25 percent dry matter basis). A reducing diet should begin with a goal that recognizes the animal’s ideal weight compared to the standard for its breed or type. A program of gradual weight reduction – somewhere between 3 to 5 percent of body weight per week initially and about 1 percent of body weight per week as the dog nears ideal weight. The amount of weekly weight loss to shoot for will depend on the current weight of the animal, his age, and general health. To achieve this weight reduction, the diet should provide enough food to meet about 50 to 70 percent of the requirements for the animal’s ideal or normal weight. Instead of one or two daily meals, small meals may be fed frequently during the day, and snacks and table foods should be eliminated entirely. The burden of resisting a constantly begging dog can be lessened by feeding small amounts (1 tablespoon or so) several times a day and carefully monitoring future food allotments once the desired body weight is attained. It may be best to have a veterinarian monitor the animal’s progress on a monthly basis – again because folks are often too close to their animals to see that they are overweight, and it can be difficult for many of us to create an environment of tough love. One study, for example, showed that caretakers who were allowed to institute a diet program on their own were unsuccessful (probably too many treats given to the begging dogs on the side); whereas the same diet, monitored by a veterinarian, produced the expected weight loss during the time frame of the trial. There is evidence that acupuncture may be effective for helping to reduce weight. Acupuncture is evidently extensively used to aid weight reduction in China; it operates by enhancing the digestive system, thus making nutrients more bioavailable and quenching the desire to overeat. Remember, too, that acupuncture and chiropractic will help keep your dog’s joints “oiled,” and thus make it easier for him to get out and about every day. Some herbs have also shown some promise for helping an animal reduce its weight – when they are combined with a long-term program of behavioral modification and exercise. Due to the recent interest in an easy-fix for fatness, the list of weight-reducing herbs has become endless, but some of the following may be helpful: aloe vera, astragalus, chickweed, dandelion, fennel, fenugreek, green tea, plantain or psyllium, red pepper, and Siberian ginseng. Check with an experienced herbalist for dosages and methods of use for these herbs. One of the more promising of the weight-loss supplements for dogs appears to be DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), although its popularity for weight reduction in dogs has come as the result of one study only. Animals in this study were fed a high-fiber, low fat diet, with half of them receiving high doses of DHEA. All dogs on the study lost weight, but the dogs fed DHEA lost almost twice as much – 10 percent vs 5.5 percent. Several years ago DHEA was a popular human supplement, used as the cure-all for aging, among other things, but it went out of favor when it was discovered it also had some adverse side effects. So, to my way of thinking, the jury’s not yet out on DHEA for dogs; check with your holistic vet. Simple, if you can do it Today’s sophisticated science often overwhelms common sense and rational thinking, and thus we have come up with a variety of reasons to explain why our dogs (and ourselves) are getting progressively fatter. While some of these explanations can be used to help prevent obesity in predisposed animals, most don’t offer us much more than an excuse for feeding our dogs unhealthy foods or for not exercising adequately. The real answer to the problem is to feed fewer calories, especially empty calories, and to exercise more. Couple this with an environment that values fitness and a life-style that enhances playful interaction with other critters (four-legged and two-legged) and you have all the prescription you and your dog need for staying fit and trim. -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.

New Information about Wolbachia may Change Heartworm Treatment

By
Mary Straus
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For some time, biologists have been aware of and studied an organism called Wolbachia that lives symbiotically inside heartworms. But recently, study of this microscopic creature has given researchers new ideas about how to combat its host (the heartworm) to benefit its host, the dog.

Wolbachia is a genus of rickettsial organisms, a microorganism positioned somewhere between viruses and true bacteria. Like viruses, they grow only in living cells, but like bacteria, they are vulnerable to antibiotics. Bacteria in the Rickettsia genus are carried as intracellular parasites inside a number of what we have always thought of as tiny parasites (such as ticks, fleas, and lice). Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a disease caused by a rickettsial organism carried inside ticks.

Recent studies indicate some of the adverse effects of both heartworm infection and heartworm treatment, including inflammation, embolism, and allergic reaction, may actually be due to the presence of Wolbachia inside the heartworms, in addition to the heartworms themselves. Researchers have learned that treating a heartworm-infected dog with doxycycline for 30 days to kill the Wolbachia parasite weakens the heartworms and makes them unable to reproduce, and greatly reduces the chance of adverse reaction during heartworm treatment.

The takeaway message? Any dog that is currently infected with heartworms should be treated with doxycycline for 30 days. If the infected dog will be treated with Immiticide (fast-kill method), it is best to give the doxycycline prior to beginning Immiticide treatment. This should make the treatment much safer, by greatly reducing the potential for embolism and allergic reaction to the death of the worms. There may also be benefit in continuing to give doxycycline during treatment.

Doxycycline should also be given to dogs that are being treated with monthly Heartgard (slow-kill method) or any type of alternative heartworm treatment method, as it will weaken the heartworms, prevent them from reproducing, and reduce the chance of adverse effects caused by the heartworm infection itself, and by the worms dying.

It appears unlikely that the Wolbachia parasite persists in the body after the heartworms have been cleared, though researchers do not know for certain at this time. To be safe, it may be best to give doxycycline for 30 days to any dogs that have completed heartworm treatment in the past, to clear any possible remaining Wolbachia.

Because Wolbachia is a rickettsial organism, similar to those that cause tick disease, it may be advisable to use the higher dose of doxycycline that is recommended for treatment of tick disease, which is 10 mg/kg, twice a day.

Veterinarians may contact Merial, the manufacturer of Immiticide, for more information on this topic. For updates, see www.dogaware.com/heartworm.html.

Letters: 08/06

By
Nancy Kerns
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Thanks for including “Safe Pain Relief” in your May 2006 issue, about our study on arthritic dogs being treated with DGP (Dog-Gone Pain). As American BioSciences’ DGP product manager, I have personally spoken to many of your subscribers since the article appeared and am amazed, but not surprised, at how knowledgeable they are.

I would like the opportunity to respond to some of the letters you published in the June 2006 issue. I certainly appreciate caution when choosing a product that has a proprietary blend of ingredients. However, it can be very difficult for natural health product manufacturers to protect their formulations from “copycat” products. We use the designation “proprietary blend” on our label to keep our formulation confidential. We realize the importance for veterinarians to have complete knowledge of the ingredients, therefore all DGP ingredients are, and always have been, divulged to licensed vets or healthcare professionals who agree to maintain confidentiality.

Further, while there is substantial evidence (including results reported in the May issue) that DGP is safe and effective, American BioSciences has always prided itself on the science behind its products. With that said we are in the process of designing a much larger study to be conducted in a university setting. When this study is complete, you and your readers will be the first to know the results.

Stephanie Johnson,
American BioSciences
Blauvelt, NY

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I have been a subscriber to WDJ for more years than I can remember and have anticipated every issue. Your information and advice support my conviction that conventional medicines are in general unsafe and to be used only over the short term when there is no alternative.

My Lab-mix companion, Rebecca, almost 12 years old, has had ligament and joint problems. We endured two TPLOs on her hind legs and the subsequent removal of the plate in one. Though she is a happy dog and doing well, I often wonder just how much discomfort she is really in due to her slowed activity patterns and resulting limp when she overextends her enthusiasm with people and other dogs. Consequently your article on DGP immediately caught my attention. The glucosamine, MSM, Omega 3, and tumeric, in addition to other supplements that she has taken for many years, have helped but not totally alleviated her discomfort.

I placed an order for DGP through The Harmony Company. On the same day the product arrived I saw the follow-up letters you printed in the June issue. I usually eschew canine products for the reasons outlined – questionable research, lack of precise ingredients, failure to adjust formulas in light of new information.

I immediately called American BioSciences and spoke to the product manager for DGP, Stephanie Johnson. I was impressed by her enthusiasm and the substance of her support. The thought of someone suggesting that DGP could work because it contains an undisclosed NSAID – when in fact so much care went into the quality and production of the product – without the opportunity of counterargument in the same issue was quite disturbing. It would have been nice to hear her argument before pushing my panic button. We wondered how many people will not use DGP – when it could help – without calling her as I did.

We spent a lot of time on the phone, and went over all the other supplements that I give Rebecca. On Johnson’s advice I am going to discontinue, for the time being, glucosamine, MSM, and vitamin C because of the anticoagulant compounding of these supplements with DGP. Johnson’s concern speaks volumes.

One thing more. Evidence-based medicine is often a chimera tainted with ego, politics, and economic concerns. I’ll take homegrown anytime. I hope you are not in your room too long.

Rita Gold
Tucson, AZ

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Newsbriefs

By
Nancy Kerns
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Writing this column is always the last thing I do before sending an issue of WDJ to press. At this moment, I’m 24 hours away from taking my desk apart and loading it and my computer – the very last things in my former home and home-based office – into my car for the trip north to my new home-based office. With my attention (and family!) scattered all over the state, please forgive the news-dispatch style of this installment.

• You may start to see products on pet store shelves boasting a new label that looks like this:

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Companies whose products we have tested and/or reviewed favorably have long lobbied for a way to publicize those good reviews – and to distinguish themselves from companies who tell consumers, falsely, that something is WDJ-approved. We’ve developed an official “seal of approval” that recipients of our positive reviews can use to promote their products. Only this seal is the real deal; if it doesn’t look like this, check your back issues.

• We love you, Chicago! For the third year in a row, the Chicago Tribune has named WDJ to its list of Top 50 Magazines. “In ranking the magazines every year, we consider whether they’re interesting, whether they have great journalism, but most importantly, whether they are successful in fulfilling their mission and accomplish what they set out to do,” said Tim Bannon, editor of Chicago Tribune’s Tempo section. We’re so pleased to be counted among publications that meet that description.

• Check out the New York Times article “Modern Love: What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage,” published on June 25 (and available online at www.nytimes.com). It’s an excerpt from author Amy Sutherland’s new book, Kicked, Bitten and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the Premier School for Exotic Animal Trainers. In it, Sutherland discusses training her husband with modern behavior-altering techniques such as ignoring unwanted behavior and rewarding desired behavior – something, ahem! – that WDJ has been talking about for more than nine years. Glad to see the rest of the world catching up!

• There are some terrific articles in this issue. In our recent interview with Dr. Susan Wynn (“Building Credibility,” June 2006), the holistic veterinarian mentioned that she was very excited about recent studies touting the benefits of probiotics for dogs. In “Probing Probiotics,” CJ Puotinen offers a detailed guide to the uses and types of probiotics for dogs. Two articles on varying treatments for treating wounds and surgical incisions may come in handy this summer for many active dogs and their concerned owners. Pat Miller teaches us how men and women can work together best to train the family dog. And Dr. Randy Kidd offers compelling reasons to do what you already know you need to do: get out there and walk your dog more frequently and longer. Enjoy!

-Nancy Kerns

On Moving

By
Nancy Kerns
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The San Francisco Bay Area, where I’ve lived for the past 10-plus years, just might be the center of the holistic dog-care world. You are more likely to see dogs being walked wearing head halters or front-clip harnesses than choke chains. People trade information about the best holistic veterinarians in the area – not just clues on how to find the only one in a five-county area. The pet supply stores carry a dozen different brands of top-quality dog foods, and raw frozen diets, too. Most of the health foods stores have pet care sections. Positive puppy socialization classes and daycare facilities abound.

Things are about to get interesting for me, since I’m sort of moving back in time – in terms of dog training and care. This month, right after I ship this issue to the printer, I’m packing up both my home and my home-based office of WDJ and moving 150 miles to the north and east. Oroville is a small northern California town said to contain about 13,000 people; I suspect they have to reach pretty far outside the city limits to come up with a total that high.

My dad lives about 15 miles out of town, and I’m looking forward to being close to him. I’m also really looking forward to life in a much quieter town. Quieter, at least, except for the barking dogs! That’s going to take some getting used to (and I suspect I may get involved in a community dog-care education project).

Where I live now, many of my neighbors have a dog; some have two. All of the dogs in my immediate neighborhood spend most of their times indoors when they are not being walked or hanging out with their owners in the yard. But in Oroville, I’ve noticed, there are many dogs who seem to live outdoors full time, in yards and chained to trees or porches. Lots of yards contain several dogs – and lots of dogs aren’t contained in any way, shape, or form at all! I’ve never before been in a town where you can spot several loose dogs in any given hour. On one memorable walk, as we scoped out available real estate, my husband and I were confronted on a sidewalk outside a school by a huge, growling, collarless St. Bernard, who was being egged on by a tiny, greasy, collarless Chihuahua-mix. As I said before, it’s going to be interesting.

I’ll still spend a lot of time in the Bay Area; so many of WDJ’s models (canine and human) and friends are here. And I couldn’t do what I do without the regular help and support of my holistic vet (Dr. Jenny Taylor, of Creature Comfort Holistic Veterinary Center) and famed positive trainer Sandi Thompson, who has taught thousands of puppy training classes in the Berkeley area.

Please note WDJ’s new editorial office addresses (PO Box 1349, Oroville, CA 95965 and 1655 Robinson Street, Oroville, CA 95965). This is the place to send letters to the editor (me!), questions about articles, and product information and samples. As always, inquiries about subscriptions (such as magazines not received, problems with payments, gift subscriptions) should be directed to the subscription services department. Questions about WDJ’s website, online access, and back issues should be directed to our customer service department in Connecticut.

-Nancy Kerns

Understanding Behavior-Altering Drugs For Dogs

By
Mary Straus
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By Mary Straus

Ten years ago, my dog Piglet woke me in the middle of the night, trembling violently and utterly terrified. It took me hours to track the source of her panic to a barely audible high-pitched beep that sounded once every two minutes, coming from a smoke alarm’s low battery indicator.

Thus began Piglet’s long history of noise phobias. Below is the story of my struggle to help her cope with these phobias and, eventually, generalized anxiety disorder. While I would urge anyone dealing with anxiety issues to first try natural methods of treatment, it is important to know there are medications that can offer your dog quality of life that may not be obtainable in any other way.

A brief history
For years, Piglet reacted only to high-pitched beeping noises, such as cell phones, pagers, the microwave oven, the theme from The Twilight Zone, etc. I tried many natural treatments, including T-Touch, an Anxiety Wrap, melatonin, flower remedies, dog appeasing pheromone (DAP) diffusers, counter-conditioning (scary noise = treat), and just about everything else I heard of that can help dogs with anxiety and phobias. Several of these helped a little, but none solved the problem. We dealt with her issues mostly by trying to avoid “scary noises,” including giving up some of my favorite TV shows!

Piglet was normally a confident dog, cautious with people but not fearful, comfortable with other dogs, eager to explore new places. When she was frightened by beeping sounds, she would pant, pace, tremble, try to hide, dig compulsively both indoors and out (to the point of making her nails bleed), and come to me for attention and comfort, though comforting her did not help. I knew enough not to reinforce her attention-seeking behaviors, but I did try various things, such as distracting her with clicker training (which would work only as long as I could keep it up, then she would go right back to her fearful behaviors), giving long, slow strokes, just putting my arm around her, sitting with her while completely ignoring her; nothing made any difference.

As we could avoid “scary noises” most of the time, her anxiety attacks were not frequent and she was able to live with her phobias pretty well.

This began to change three years ago, when my next-door neighbors completely rebuilt their house. We were out for a walk one day, soon after construction had started, when a stump digger close to us backfired loudly just as we were passing. After that, Piglet became reactive to all of the construction sounds from next door, which gradually generalized to any loud noise she heard while on our walks.

Sounds that had never before bothered her, such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, loud trucks, and even the sound of other dogs barking, now frightened her. Most of our walks were spent trying to avoid these noises, and when she did hear them, she wanted to turn around and go home.

Eventually, Piglet was startled on a walk by a loud chirping noise from a ground squirrel. After that, she began waking at dawn, reacting to the sound of birds in my yard. Soon she was spending most of the night awake, pacing, panting, unable to rest and pawing at me to get up as well. Her noise phobias had escalated to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Neither of us could live like this. We had to find something to help.

Types of anxiety medications
There are several types of anti-anxiety medications (anxiolytics). Benzodiazepines are fast-acting and can be used on an as-needed basis, or combined with longer-acting drugs for a quicker response and when a little more help is needed. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and azapirones must be given continuously, and require several weeks to reach full effectiveness. Dogs with frequent or severe anxiety will benefit from these longer-acting drugs to decrease overall anxiety and reactivity.

All of these are prescription medications. It is important that you work closely with your veterinarian, or with a veterinary behaviorist, when using anxiolytic drugs. It is also important to do behavior modification as well, as drugs alone will rarely resolve a severe anxiety problem by themselves, just as behavior modification alone often will not work without drugs. A dog behaviorist (veterinary or otherwise) can help you with this.

Following is a summary of the different types of anti-anxiety drugs, what they are commonly used for, and what you need to know before using them. With the exception of clomipramine, the FDA has not approved the use of these drugs in dogs, as the drug companies have not submitted the necessary research. However, many of these drugs were tested on animals before use in humans, and they have been used off-label by many vets.

I’ve found Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook to have the most current information on drug dosages and interactions. Some of the following is taken from that source, and some from various papers written by noted veterinary behaviorist Dr. Karen Overall and other veterinarians.

Benzodiazepines (BZs)
Benzodiazepines are fast-acting drugs that can be used on an as-needed basis for dogs that need periodic help with anxiety, such as those afraid of thunder or fireworks. They can also be used in combination with TCAs or SSRIs when first starting treatment to hasten the effects, or on an ongoing basis, either regularly or as needed to prevent or lessen acute anxiety episodes. For example, one might use a benzodiazepine with tricyclic antidepressants for a dog suffering from separation anxiety with a panic component.

The effects of BZs do not last very long, usually only a few hours. When used continuously, they are addictive (create physical dependency).

Benzodiazepines commonly used with dogs include alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), and diazepam (Valium). These drugs are used to treat anxiety, noise phobias (including thunder phobia), panic attacks, and separation anxiety. They should be used with caution in fear-aggressive dogs, as they may lower fear-based inhibition and increase the likelihood of the dog biting.

Their safety range is very wide, and they can be combined with most other medications, including TCAs and SSRIs, as well as with pain medications such as tramadol. They can also be used together (with dosage of each reduced). As with all anti-anxiety medications, you should start with a low dose and increase only as needed. “The key to treatment for noise phobias and panic is to give the benzodiazepines early and often,” says Dr. Overall.

Alprazolam is Dr. Overall’s drug of choice for dogs with storm and noise phobias and dogs who panic. It takes effect very quickly, within 20 minutes of being given, and does not tend to cause sedation. Alprazolam has some effect if given after the dog becomes anxious, but it works far better if given ahead of time. For dogs with thunder phobia, it should be given whenever a storm is expected, rather than waiting until it arrives, though more can be given at that time, if needed. The recommended dosage range is quite wide, with the highest dose being 10 times the lowest dose.

Clonazepam is used less frequently than alprazolam, as it takes a little longer to be effective, but it is also longer-lasting. There are two recommended dosage levels for clonazepam: one for seizure control, and one for anxiety. It is important to be aware of this, as the dosage for seizure control is much higher than that used for anxiety. I was reassured to realize how high a dose could be given without being dangerous.

Diazepam is more sedating than the other drugs in this class, and may have less anxiolytic effect, so it is generally not recommended for anxiety. It is the shortest-acting of this drug class in dogs, and does not take effect as quickly.

In Piglet’s case, benzodiazepines were a lifesaver. I found an article by Dr. Overall that discussed the use of alprazolam for noise phobias (see “References” sidebar). I started Piglet at 0.25 mg (0.017 mg/kg), but that had little effect, so I went to 0.50 mg (0.03 mg/kg), which did help. I started by giving Piglet this dosage of alprazolam whenever she would wake me up, which was generally a couple of hours after we went to sleep. She would usually settle down within an hour after getting the medication. It helped, but wasn’t enough.

My vet then suggested that I give an increased dosage of alprazolam at bedtime, before Piglet became anxious. Rather than giving her 0.5 mg (barely enough to help) after she had awakened me with her anxious behavior, I began giving her 1 mg (0.07 mg/kg) at bedtime. This made a huge difference. The alprazolam did not sedate Piglet; it just relaxed her enough to be able to sleep, without anxiety waking her up during the night. By giving it to her before she became anxious, she was able to sleep through most of the night.

After consulting with a veterinary behaviorist, I started giving Piglet 1 mg alprazolam every eight hours, to try to prevent her from becoming anxious. Her anxiety was under control, but she seemed to be on something of a roller coaster, becoming more reactive each hour after the alprazolam was given. I generally had to get up once during the night to give her a dose, as it was too short-acting for her to be able to make it all the way through the night without waking and becoming anxious.

I decided to switch to clonazepam, as its effects last longer. Because the recommended dosage range of clonazepam for anxiety in dogs is similar to that for alprazolam, I tried giving Piglet the same dosage (1 mg), but quickly found out that was not enough. I increased the dosage to 2 mg (0.13 mg/kg), still well within the recommended range. I gave this amount twice a day, at bedtime and after breakfast. With clonazepam, Piglet was able to sleep through the whole night.

Azapirones
There is only one drug in this class used with dogs: buspirone (BuSpar). Buspirone is used to treat cats for inappropriate urination, but is now also being used to treat dogs for phobias and other anxiety disorders, including fear aggression, especially if accompanied by signs of poor socialization. It is not helpful for panic disorders, but is effective for more generalized anxiety.

Because buspirone has few side effects and does not cause sedation, it is an excellent first choice for treating dogs with aggression or anxiety that is not too severe. It must be given continuously for at least four to six weeks in order to determine whether or not it will help. Again, it’s best to start at a low dose and increase if needed. Buspirone can be combined with TCAs or SSRIs, though it is questionable whether this helps or not.

I learned about buspirone from Amy Cook, a dog trainer in Oakland, California, who has a special interest in fearful dogs. Amy has dealt with fear and anxiety in many dogs, including two of her own, and has learned a lot about the medications used for treatment.

Buspirone helped a number of Amy’s clients, as well as the dog of a colleague that had developed noise phobias and was unable to continue her flyball participation because of it. That dog responded wonderfully to Buspirone and was able to return to her flyball team with the help of this medication.

We started Piglet on a low dose (10 mg, or 0.7 mg/kg) twice a day for a month, and then increased to 15 mg (1 mg/kg) twice a day for another month. Unfortunately, it did not help, and I weaned her off it.

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
Tricyclic antidepressants are used with dogs to treat anxiety, panic, phobias, and obsessive compulsive disorders, such as shadow chasing and lick granulomas. They are also used to treat aggression that is caused by underlying anxiety.

The tricyclic antidepressants most commonly used with dogs are amitriptyline (Elavil) and clomipramine (Clomicalm). The general recommendation is to start with a low dose, then increase every two weeks as needed. These drugs do not take effect immediately, and several weeks’ treatment may be needed before their effectiveness can be fully ascertained.

The most common side effect of TCAs is sedation. Anorexia (loss of appetite) is also common, but usually goes away after a few days. Giving with food and dividing the dosage between meals may decrease gastric side effects.

My own vet prefers to use amitriptyline as a first choice when treating anxiety, not because it’s the most effective drug, but because it is inexpensive and he feels it is safer than clomipramine.

Amitriptyline’s most common side effects are dry mouth and sedation. It is well suited to dogs with relatively mild anxiety disorders, including anxiety-related aggression and submissive urination. It is not useful for compulsive disorders.

Amitriptyline can relieve chronic pain, and also has some action as an antihistamine.

Clomipramine is best suited for situations involving anxiety, including separation anxiety, as opposed to reactivity. Clomi-pramine is also very effective at treating compulsive disorders.

TCAs can cause bone marrow suppression. It’s important to do blood work a couple of weeks after starting this drug (as well as before, for older dogs), then monitor every six months to a year thereafter.

I tried giving Piglet amitriptyline for her noise phobia before she developed generalized anxiety disorder. With my veterinarian’s guidance, I started Piglet on 25 mg (1.7 mg/kg) twice a day, then increased it to a very high dosage of 25 mg three times a day after a month.

Piglet tolerated the drug very well, and she did not have problems with sedation or other side effects. However, as time went on, I noticed no improvement in her behavior, even after we increased the dose, so I weaned her off it.

After Piglet’s anxiety worsened, my vet and I decided to try clomipramine (Clomi-calm). We started at 20 mg (1.3 mg/kg) twice a day. After two weeks, I increased to 25 mg (1.7 mg/kg) twice a day. Again, Piglet tolerated it well; she had no stomach upset, and her blood work was normal after two weeks. She was on clomipramine for a total of only three weeks before I began weaning her off, as I did not feel it was helping, but in retrospect, I realize that she got much worse when I weaned her off the drug. It is very important not to give up too soon when giving TCAs or SSRIs.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are antidepressants and anxiolytics, used to treat aggression, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic disorders, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. SSRIs are stronger, more effective, and longer-acting than TCAs, and may take longer to fully assess their effects. They are considered safer than TCAs, but they can have side effects, including gastric upset and sedation.

It is important to do blood work before starting, especially for older dogs, and monitor periodically after that. SSRIs can be combined with TCAs using low-end doses of each, which may help them take effect faster and lessen the chances of side effects.

Fluoxetine (Prozac) is the most commonly used SSRI with dogs, and has the longest half-life in people. Others include sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil), all with similar potential side effects, though paroxetine is more difficult to wean off and may have a shorter half-life, leading to more variation in its effects.

The usual methodology is to start with a low dosage, and then increase if no improvement is seen after three to four weeks. Treatment must continue for at least six to eight weeks before you can know for sure whether it helps.

Fluoxetine is used to treat aggression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, separation anxiety, and panic and avoidance disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Fluoxetine works well for conditions involving reactivity, including some forms of aggression. Paroxetine is used to treat depression, social anxiety, and agitation associated with depression. Sertraline is useful particularly for generalized anxiety and panic disorder.

After consulting with the veterinary behaviorist, we started Piglet on fluoxetine, at a low dose of 10 mg (0.7 mg/kg) once a day, and then increased to 15 mg (1 mg/kg) after two weeks.

Piglet did have some loss of appetite with this medication. Fortunately, after about a week, this problem went away. It also seemed to sedate her for the first couple of days, but she was normal after that. Her blood work was fine when we rechecked it a couple of weeks after starting the drug.

The fluoxetine helped, but I still felt that she was on edge and overly reactive.

I decided to make one further change and switch her to sertraline instead of fluoxetine. Sertraline is long-acting, similar to fluoxetine, which is desirable. I did discover that it is much more expensive, as there was no generic available (a generic version is expected to be released sometime in 2006). We started Piglet on a once-a-day dose of 25 mg (1.67 mg/kg).

Other factors influencing anxiety: chronic pain
Shortly after switching her to sertraline, Piglet underwent surgery to remove a broken carnassial (the largest tooth in the mouth), as well as a small tumor I had discovered between her toes. Because many medications can be dangerous to combine with SSRIs or TCAs, I had to be careful what pain medication was used.

I wanted to use tramadol, an effective prescription pain reliever, but had seen warnings about combining it with SSRIs, due to the risk of serotonin syndrome, though I later learned that this could be done with caution.

Instead, my vet suggested using Buprenex (buprenorphine), which is put into the cheek pouch and absorbed through the mucosal membranes (this works very well with cats; they don’t really know how well it works for dogs).

After she recovered from surgery, Piglet’s anxiety level reduced. In fact, she became almost normal again. I believe that she must have been experiencing some chronic pain that lowered her anxiety threshold. Although I know for certain that the tooth had just broken, it’s possible it was cracked and painful for a while before it was removed; she had stopped being an avid chewer some time before that, although my vet could find nothing wrong with her teeth. I also think that the small tumor in her foot may have been bothering her for a long time, though I was unaware of it.

For the next few months after the surgery, Piglet did not have a single anxiety attack. She had a few minor episodes, where she became restless, with some pacing and attention-seeking behaviors, but no panting, trying to hide, waking me up at night, etc. These episodes did not last very long, usually only about 20 to 30 minutes, before she was able to settle down again. At this time, I was giving her sertraline (25 mg once a day) and clonazepam (2 mg, twice a day).

Setback
Suddenly, Piglet became progressively worse over several days, culminating in a full-blown anxiety attack; I don’t know what caused it. I first suspected a defective batch of clonazepam, which I had just refilled, but when I switched to the name-brand Klonopin, she continued to have problems.

I spent another couple of months trying different things. I took her off Metacam (a prescription arthritis pain reliever), thinking that it might be upsetting her stomach, but that didn’t help. I put her back on Metacam and added tramadol, in case pain was still contributing to her anxiety, but that also did not help. She was not as bad as she had been originally, but she was still having full-blown anxiety attacks periodically, and was on edge most of the time.

After discussion with my veterinarian and veterinary behaviorist, we increased Piglet’s clonazepam to 3 mg (0.2 mg/kg), on the high end of the range for anxiety, but still well below the dosage used for seizures. This helped some, but not enough.

I finally decided to increase her SSRIs, though both my vet and the veterinary behaviorist were concerned with this. Because fluoxetine (Prozac) is considered to be two-and-a-half times as effective as sertraline (Zoloft) at the same dosage level in humans, but the dosage ranges given for dogs are similar, I twice tried to switch Piglet from sertraline to fluoxetine, but both times she got much worse and I switched her back. I then increased her sertraline dosage from 25 mg to 37.5 mg (2.5 mg/kg) once a day. Within a few days, she was back to normal.

That was over three months ago, and she has continued to do great since. On the rare occasion that she starts showing signs of anxiety, or if I have to leave her alone for too long, I give her melatonin (3 mg) plus a very small dose of alprazolam (0.25 mg). I am in the process of very slowly reducing her clonazepam dosage (it is addictive, so I am making only small changes every two weeks), and she is continuing to do well with the reduced dosage.

Don’t stop too soon
In hindsight, I believe that the SSRIs (fluoxetine and sertraline) and the TCAs (particularly clomipramine) helped more than I realized at first. Because they must be given for a few weeks before they reach full effectiveness, and because Piglet needed the addition of benzodiazepines, which are quicker-acting, I discounted the effect of the other medications.

I no longer question the impact of these slower-acting drugs. I would encourage anyone who tries TCAs, SSRIs, or buspirone to not give up too soon, keep using them for at least one to two months and preferably longer, before deciding that they’re not working and trying something else. If needed, you can combine them with the quicker-acting benzodiazepines to get some relief while waiting for the other drugs to take effect.

Piglet enjoys her walks and explores new places again, and no longer avoids areas where she might hear loud noises. Although they still disturb her a little, she doesn’t try to head for home when she hears them. She sleeps through the night peacefully and is relaxed during the day, even playful again. She is more interested in everything. It’s a small miracle, at her age (she is now 14), to see such improvement.

Although only the benzodiazepines are physically addictive, it is important to wean off all anti-anxiety medications slowly, reducing dosage gradually every one to two weeks, rather than stopping abruptly. Stopping SSRIs and TCAs too quickly can result in symptoms returning. Stopping benzodiazepines too quickly can lead to seizures; they must be weaned slowly as they create physical dependence.

Final (I hope!) notes
Piglet’s current drug regimen consists of sertraline (37.5 mg/day) and clonazepam (2 mg twice a day, and decreasing).

I have learned that when you find medications that work, you need to continue to give them for some time. A dog must be treated with SSRIs or TCAs for a minimum of three to five weeks before you are able to assess the effects; then, you must maintain treatment until all the dog’s symptoms are gone or are at the same low, consistent level, for at least another one to two months. Treatment should be continued after that for at least as long as it took to achieve that level, before even beginning to think about weaning them off. Total length of treatment should be a minimum of four to six months.

One of the mistakes I made was always trying to give the minimal drugs possible; every time I would see improvement, I would try to reduce the amount of drugs she was getting, and then she would get worse again. I have learned that it takes time to overcome anxiety disorders; they do not go away overnight.

If needed, I am prepared to keep Piglet on these drugs for the rest of her life. She is tolerating them well, with no side effects and continued normal blood work, and the improvement in her quality of life is so dramatic that I no longer fear having her on them. I have come to realize that there is no harm in relying on drugs when they are needed.

In hindsight, I wish I had tried using alprazolam for our walks when Piglet’s reaction to outside noises first escalated; I think she would not have gotten so bad if I had treated the problem early. I would never recommend anxiety drugs as a first choice, before trying to address anxiety with natural methods, but when a dog’s quality of life is at stake, the drugs can perform miracles. They have given Piglet back her life, and for that I am grateful.

-Mary Straus does research on canine health and nutrition topics as an avocation. She is the owner of the www.DogAware.com website. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with Piglet.

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