What’s the most environmentally responsible thing to do about dog poop? Home composting systems solve the problem at home; we reviewed one in June 2000, and still use it today. But when you’re out in the world with your dog, you have to use something to pick it up and carry it to a trash receptacle. (Of course, carrying the poop to a composting facility, rather than a trash can, is the most environmentally friendly thing to do; however, few people are motivated enough to do this.)
Many dog owners save plastic bags for picking up and disposing poop. From an environmental standpoint, however, use of all “regular” plastic bags is bad. Using a plastic bag twice still requires its manufacture (with petrochemical products) and landfill disposal. If people used canvas or other reusable bags, it would eliminate untold millions of pounds of waste in our landfills – not to mention visual blight and a hazard to fish and wildlife.
Some people carry a rolled-up newspaper when they walk their dogs, and use that for picking up poop. Newspaper breaks down quickly in landfill, so this seems like a good idea.
But most people like the convenience of a plastic-type bag when they are on the trail, for containing even a sloppy poop – and its smell! Fortunately, there are now bags on the market that offer the convenience of plastic, and the ability to break down in landfill. Of course, they’re not free!
The difference between them
Two types of these “environmental” plastic bags currently exist; one is much more earth-friendly than the other. The first products on the market were described as “biodegradable,” and indeed exhibited the ability to break down physically.
Unfortunately, these polyethylene-based bags fail to break down chemically, and leave a residue of small poly pellets or fragments that can build up in the environment (and are doing just that in our oceans). So, while they don’t have as much potential for causing visual blight or taking up space in landfills as “regular” plastic bags, they aren’t completely benign, either.
Today’s newest “ecopolymers” exhibit the characteristics of total biological degradation, resulting in the total mineralization of the substance into carbon dioxide or methane, water, and humic residues – and no toxic or poly residues in the soil. This is what was defined by the ASTM in 1999 as “compostable” (per ASTM 6400).
We vastly prefer compostable products. Our highest (four-paw) rating goes to the one compostable bag we found; our lower rating goes to degradable products that cannot make the compostable claim.
It’s best to support local health food stores or independent pet supply stores; look for these products there, first. We’ve supplied sources for online or phone purchase, be aware that most charge for shipping.
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Recently I had the pleasure of driving with a couple of friends through the rural area where I grew up. Short of time and daylight, we made just two stops one at an art gallery, and one at the end of the driveway of a friend who was not home. Curiously, at both stops, my friends and I were greeted by exceedingly friendly and I couldnt help but notice collarless dogs.
The dog at the first stop was a puppy, almost an adolescent. He belonged to the young woman who was staffing the art gallery and who wasnt terribly quick to chase after him as he galloped out the open door of the gallery and greeted us as we got out of my car. A Pit-mix, the puppy seemed confident and sociable, without any of the overweening cockiness that sometimes foreshadows aggression.
We parked outside the gates of my friends ranch at our next stop, so we could pet his horses over the fence. As we took in the rural scene, a red female dog trotted down the hill from a neighboring farm, tail wagging furiously. Another mixed-breed, this dog was incredibly affectionate without being overexuberant. When my friend kneeled down to pet her, she gently jumped up and placed her paws on my friends shoulders, licked her face, and then rested her chin on my friends head, eyes squinting in joy. (I had to take a picture; check this dog out.)
After we drove away, watching in the mirrors to make sure that our new friend wasnt following my car (she didnt even hint that she might, but turned back to her home), it struck me that both dogs we met reminded me of the dogs I grew up with, just a mile or two down the road.
Our dogs, like all our neighbors dogs, were not trained, per se; didnt all have collars; ran loose most of the time; and died in sadly high numbers on the road. There were also far too many of them. Most people didnt spay and neuter, and we had lots of mixed-breed dogs. (When our Lab-mix, Donny, had 10 puppies, and someone asked my mom what kind they were, she answered semi-seriously, Well, there are four half-Sams, and six half-Buddys.)
But the dogs of my youth were also amazingly friendly and well-adjusted. I never heard of a kid getting bitten, and despite the number of intact males and females around, I dont even remember any dog fights. Separation anxiety? Obsessive/compulsive disorder? Sudden rage syndrome? Are you kidding?
Believe me, Im not condoning a return to the days when every dog reproduced and every other dog died under the wheels of a car. But sometimes it seems to me that despite all of our educated efforts to breed, raise, and train healthy, genial, biddable canine companions, todays dogs are more prone to behavior problems than the dogs of my youth. Have I romanticized the past? Or is there actually something good for dogs in a freedom-filled environment of (admittedly irresponsible) semi-neglect? I dont have the answer, but looking at the Mona Lisa smile on the face of that red dog in my picture, I cant help but think she does.
Most dog owners are responsible and understand the importance of protecting their companions from preventable disease. That’s surely what motivated the dozens of people I observed standing in a long line with their dogs and puppies at a low-cost vaccination clinic offered in a local pet supply store.
In addition to vaccinations, the veterinary business running the clinic also offers flea and tick treatments, heartworm tests and preventive medication, and identification microchip implanting, so at the head of the line, a young man in a white coat and holding a clipboard asked each client what she wants for her pet. Dozens of times, I heard an owner say something like, “Well, we just got him, so I want to get whatever shots he needs.” It was a tense moment for me every time I heard this, since I was aware that the clinic had available for sale far more vaccines than the dogs and puppies standing in line were likely to “need.”
No universal protocol
Many dog owners are surprised to learn that there is no single, universally accepted canine vaccination schedule. Most trust their veterinarians to give their dogs whatever vaccinations the vet recommends – and many vets recommend more vaccinations than most dogs require in order to be protected from contagious disease.
This can probably only rarely be accurately attributed to opportunism on the part of the vet. Most vets use the vaccination schedules they receive with the vaccinations they buy from drug companies.
Historically, this was a sound choice. For decades after the first veterinary vaccines were developed, veterinarians and government regulators alike trusted the companies that studied, developed, and manufactured the lifesaving vaccines to recommend appropriate schedules for their use. Today, though, they are realizing their trust of the vaccine makers may have been slightly overextended for a decade or two.
You see, vaccine makers are in the business of selling vaccines. So it follows that most of them recommend that their vaccines be administered annually – despite the fact that independent studies have shown that many vaccines convey immunity from disease for many years, if not the lifetime of the dog.
In a policy statement about vaccines, the American Veterinary Medication Association (AVMA) acknowledges, “The one-year revaccination frequency recommendation found on many vaccine labels is based on historical precedent and United States Department of Agriculture regulation, not on scientific data. Even in those cases where scientific data was submitted to qualify the label claim, the data generated does not resolve the question about average or maximum duration of immunity.”
For a long time, the few experts who realized dogs may receive far more vaccines than they needed were not particularly worried. “It can’t hurt ’em!” But in the late 1980s, as medical science learned exponentially more about the immune system, proof began to turn up that repeated vaccinations could have deleterious effects on companion animals.
Today we know that adverse events may be associated with the disease antigen, the adjuvant (an agent added to increase or aid the effect of the antigen), carrier substance, preservative, or a combination of any of these. The AVMA vaccination policy statement says “Possible adverse events include failure to immunize, anaphylaxis, immunosuppression, autoimmune disorders, transient infections, and/or long-term infected carrier states.”
To their credit, when vaccines can be directly linked to specific, reproducible injuries or illnesses, the vaccine makers (and regulators) leap to study the problem, as in the case of vaccination site-associated feline sarcoma. Unfortunately, the problems experienced by dogs that many practitioners and researchers suspect may be linked to overvaccination are all over the map. Some suspect excessive vaccines are linked to the increased incidences of many diseases, including cancer, epilepsy, severe allergies, thyroiditis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, Addison’s disease, and even behavioral problems such as aggression.
Get information
Fortunately, educated owners can do a number of things to make sure that their dogs are adequately protected against disease, without overvaccinating.
There are canine vaccines for more than two dozen diseases, with many vaccines available in combinations with others. Very few dogs are at risk for all or even most of the diseases. So the first step is to learn about the diseases the vaccines are designed to defend your dog against.
Before agreeing to any vaccination, ask your vet about the disease it prevents. What is its incidence? How is it transmitted? Is it more prevalent in some climates or parts of the country than others? Is the disease treatable, and if so, how many dogs recover? Then you can extrapolate the answers to your dog and locale.
If you learn that the disease kills many dogs who contract it, and the virus is everywhere, well, you probably authorize that vaccine, right? But if you lived in a city apartment with a Papillon who didn’t so much as visit parks, a vaccination for a tick-borne disease like Lyme is really not needed.
Today, most veterinarians discuss vaccines in terms of “core” versus “non-core” products. Core vaccines are those that can protect your dog from the diseases that are widely distributed in your part of the country, virulent, and highly infectious. Think of them as the vaccines with the highest benefit to risk ratio. Non-core vaccines are those that are intended for a minority of dogs in special circumstances. They may target diseases that are of limited risk in your area, or those that present only a low-level threat to your dog’s health.
“Core” vaccines
These are the vaccines for diseases that most experts agree puppies and dogs should be protected against – diseases that are highly contagious and potentially fatal.
Ronald D. Schultz, PhD, is department chairperson and a professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin in Madison. He’s also one of the country’s leading experts on veterinary vaccines, having performed research for or with literally every veterinary vaccine company in the U.S. We’ll use Dr. Schultz’s list of “core” vaccines for dogs:
For what people commonly refer to as “puppy shots,” many veterinarians use a combination vaccine that contains antigens for distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and parvo (referred to by its initials, DHLPP). If you are concerned about overvaccination, ask your veterinarian if she can vaccinate your puppy against just parvo, distemper, and adenovirus (the rabies vaccine is usually given separately later, after the puppy is 16 weeks old). A vet can purchase and use individual vaccines, but she may have to buy them in bulk, and won’t be happy about it if you are the only one in her practice who wants them.
Most experts agree that puppies should be vaccinated against distemper, parvo, and adenovirus, not before six weeks, and at least once after the age of 12 weeks; the rabies vaccine is given after 16 weeks. About two weeks after the last vaccination with distemper, parvo, and adenovirus, ask for a vaccine titer test to confirm your puppy has been successfully immunized (see “Titer Tests: A Terrific Tool” sidebar).
“Non-core” vaccines
Then there are the non-core vaccines. Some (including Dr. Schultz) refer to all the other vaccines that are available as non-core, suggesting that these be given only to dogs that need them, and only as often as needed. For these vaccines, the ratio of benefits to drawbacks is less weighted toward the benefits – at least for most dogs.
A good example is leptospirosis. The duration of the immunity typically conveyed by the lepto vaccine is generally less than one year, so to convey optimal protection from this disease, it must be given at least twice a year, every year. Also, the vaccine used must contain all four strains of the disease that are currently available to vaccine makers, because the strains do not provide cross-protection. Lepto poses a very minimal risk in many regions of the U.S. And where it is more common, there have been recent reports of new strains emerging, for which there are no vaccines yet.
All of this suggests that administering the vaccine would benefit only those dogs living in an area with a current, high rate of infection – and only if they are properly vaccinated at frequent intervals with all the available strains.
“Not recommended” vaccines
Some experts classify some vaccines in a third category of “not recommended.” These would include any vaccine for which they perceive to be no realistic benefit.
For example, there is now a vaccine against giardia, which is a protozoan intestinal organism that dogs may be exposed to when drinking out of ponds or streams. Many veterinarians feel that despite the marketing efforts behind the vaccine, giardiasis poses little risk to most dogs.
Many experts also doubt the usefulness of the coronavirus vaccine. According to Dr. Schultz, “To date, no one can demonstrate a benefit for coronavirus vaccine.”
Other vaccination tips
When they learn that overvaccination may be harmful to their dogs, many people ask, “Why would my veterinarian suggest doing something that could hurt my dog?” The fact is, information about the potential risks of overvaccination is fairly new. Veterinary colleges, the AVMA, and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) have changed their suggested vaccination schedules in only the past few years.
A few final vaccination tips:
• Use vaccine titer tests to determine whether your dog is adequately immunized against the core diseases. (For more detailed information, see “Taking the Titer Test,” WDJ December 2002).
• Don’t rely on low-cost clinics for your dog’s vaccinations. These clinics exist to sell vaccines, not to provide full care or detailed advice. They cannot provide the full hands-on exam that your dog should receive at least once a year, and may not take the time to determine whether a vaccination is contraindicated for your dog. Instead, establish a relationship with a veterinarian who will take the time to examine your dog, ask about his health history, answer questions about the benefits and risks of various vaccines, and recommend an individualized vaccination protocol for your dog that takes your dog’s health, his lifestyle, and his environment into account.
• Do take your dog to your veterinarian at least once a year. A thorough annual (or better yet, semiannual) health examination and annual titer test is the best way to find problems early, before they are difficult and costly to treat. Your veterinarian can also help you develop a sound preventive health program to keep your dog vital to the very end of a long, happy life.
• Vaccinations are contraindicated for dogs who are not healthy. Do not vaccinate dogs who suffer from chronic or acute health problems, running a high temperature, or who have a history of vaccine reactions. This sounds simple, but many times people go to the vet for an injury, say, an abscess or to remove an embedded foxtail, and the vet notices the dog is “overdue” for vaccinations. The dog is currently battling a local infection! Do not have him vaccinated at that time.
• Don’t vaccinate elderly dogs. If your dog has been vaccinated many times in his younger years, he is probably as well immunized against disease as he will ever be. Plus, his exposure to disease decreases as he ages and travels and exercises less.
Children have never been a consideration for me, and since neither my husband nor I have children of our own, I’m also not likely to have grandbabies visiting. So why should I care whether my dogs are good with children or not?
Because children exist.
Wherever you go in today’s world, there are likely to be young humans. Unless you plan to keep your dog cloistered in your own home, shut away when friends with children visit, you need to help her be comfortable with children. Your dog’s very life could depend on it.
At one time, our culture was far more tolerant of dog bites than it is today. When I was a kid, if a dog bit a child, Mom’s response was, “So, what did you do to Nipper to make him bite you?” Children were expected to learn how to respect a dog’s space, and if Johnnie acquired a few nicks from a dog’s teeth in the process, so be it. Today, one bite, even a minor nip, can be a death sentence for a dog. Of course, in the “old” days, Mom and Dad didn’t risk losing their homeowner’s insurance over a minor dog bite or two, either.
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, children are the most frequent victims of dog bites in this country. That’s no accident. From a dog’s perspective, babies and children are weird, unpredictable, noisy, move erratically, make long, hard, direct eye contact, often cause pain, and don’t respond appropriately to a dog’s appeasement, deference, or self-defense signals.
Since most children aren’t allowed to learn by experience that when a dog stiffens, growls, and curls his lip, the next thing that usually happens is a snap or bite, kids tend to be oblivious to the various levels and intensities of a dog’s warning signals. No wonder dogs perceive children as threatening!
Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Ian Dunbar, of Berkeley, California, tells audiences at every opportunity that the best insurance against future dog bites to humans, young and old, is puppy socialization. If it’s too late for puppy socialization, it’s not too late to start playing catch-up with remedial socialization. If you already have a baby, are planning to have one soon, have distant plans for children or, like me, don’t ever intend to have human puppies, now’s the time to start your personal kid-bite insurance program.
Socializing Puppies to Babies and Kids
Many young couples acquire a puppy early in the relationship, long before the advent of the first baby. The puppy is a surrogate child, and the couple dotes on him – taking him everywhere, allowing him to sleep on the furniture, even share the marriage bed. For several years the dog enjoys his status as an only child. The couple tends to socialize with other childless adults, and the dog rarely sees human babies. Then the couple decides it is time to have a baby. Now they have a problem.
Puppies go through a critical learning period in the first few months of their lives. During this time, usually between the ages of four weeks and four months, they learn which things in the world are safe and rewarding, which ones are painful and dangerous and should be avoided, and which have no consequence. Anything not experienced during this critical period tends to automatically fall into the “dangerous” category.
This is an important survival tool for wild animals; if they don’t know for sure that something is harmless, it’s safest for them to behave as though it’s not. Herein lies the problem. If a puppy doesn’t learn that children are “safe and rewarding” during those critical months, he’s likely to assume that they are a threat.
This assumption is often supported by the behavior of many of the children that a dog meets. Human puppies poke fingers into canine ears, prod them with pencils, hit them over the head with wooden blocks, and pull fur in sensitive places. They stare directly into a dog’s eyes (a direct stare is a threat in the canine world). They compete for food, toys, and the attention of grownups. They move erratically – running, tripping, falling, swinging their arms around – and make weird noises. If you stop and think about it, it’s a miracle that dogs tolerate kids at all!
In a perfect world, every new puppy would be thoroughly socialized to babies, toddlers, and children while she was in her critical learning period. Unfortunately, many vets recommend that their clients wrap their puppies in cotton wool and keep them strictly at home until they have been fully vaccinated – which won’t occur until weeks after the critical learning period.
It’s vitally important that your puppy have positive experiences with the big wide world during her first four months, long before she’s fully vaccinated. The good news is that you can do this without going against your vet’s recommendation or exposing your puppy to life-threatening diseases. Here’s how:
Invite lots of people – including babies and children, vaccinated healthy puppies, and vaccinated, healthy, friendly dogs – over to your house for puppy parties. Give everyone handfuls of really yummy treats to feed to the puppy. (Tell everyone the puppy has to sit to get her treats and you’ll also be teaching her not to jump up on people at the same time.) Monitor your pup’s interactions with children to be sure they are all positive. Have children of all ages feed your puppy lots of treats and she’ll quickly decide that kids are a good thing, not dangerous.
You can also take your puppy out into the community to safe, canine-friendly locations. Don’t go to busy dog parks and turn her loose to play, but do take her with you to places such as a well-run puppy kindergarten class, where you can monitor her inter-actions with kids and prevent her exposure to potential disease threats. Teach her that the world, especially the small humans of the world, are a source of pleasure and reward, and you greatly reduce the risk of “Dog Mauls Toddler” headlines in your dog’s future.
Adult Dog/Kid Conditioning
Maybe it’s too late to socialize your dog to babies and children during her critical learning period. That stage of her life has long passed. Is it too late to teach her to live with children? Not necessarily. It’s more difficult, but not impossible.
If your dog’s experiences with children up until now have been neutral and she’s otherwise well-socialized, seek out gentle children and have them feed her treats. Watch her closely. If she seems cheerful and happy, continue to find opportunities for her to have positive experiences with kids.
If your dog is tense or nervous with children, take it more slowly. Let her see babies and kids at a distance, and you feed her treats. Select a very special treat, like steak or chicken, and feed it to her only in the presence of children and babies. When she notices a child in the distance, steak starts raining from the heavens – tiny tidbits, nonstop. When the child leaves, the flood of steak stops. Every time a child appears, the steak starts. When the child leaves, the steak stops. You want your dog to think that children and babies, and only children and babies, make steak happen.
When your dog looks at you happily for her steak when she sees a child in the distance, you know she’s starting to perceive children as reliable predictors of steak. Your goal is to convince her to like them close up as well, through the continued association with really wonderful food.
Gradually move closer to the children, repeating the exercise, always watching your dog’s body language to be sure she’s comfortable.
This is critical: Never punish your dog for showing signs of discomfort or even aggression, such as growling, when children are around. The growl is a critically important warning sign. It’s your dog’s way of telling us she’s not comfortable around kids. If you punish her, she may learn to suppress the warning sign, making her far more likely to bite a child one day, severely and without warning.
Think about it: You can’t punish your dog into loving children! You have to use positive conditioning and reinforcement to convince her that kids are good to have around.
The older your dog is, the longer she’s been uncomfortable around children, and the stronger her response to them is, the longer this process (known as counter-conditioning and desensitization or CC&D) will take.
Of course, you’ll always supervise her around children, even if she loves them. If your dog is merely tolerant of children, you’ll have to supervise much more closely. If she’s truly uncomfortable with them, you’ll need to confine her in a safe place where children aren’t permitted, such as her crate in your bedroom, whenever you cannot actively supervise their interactions.
Preparing Your Dog for Baby’s Arrival
When a baby – and eventually a child – is coming to live at your house, your task is more daunting, and more vitally important. As soon as you know Baby’s on the way, start helping your dog get ready. Whatever changes are going to occur in her routine should happen long before Baby arrives, so she won’t associate them with the arrival of the new family member. Ideally, you’ll keep her as much of a full-fledged member of the family as she is now, finding ways to incorporate her presence into your daily baby-routine rather than excluding her.
Here are some suggestions for helping the baby’s introduction to the family positive for your dog:
• The nursery: If this is now the dog’s room, don’t wait until the final countdown to repaint and restrict her access to it. Redecorate as far in advance as possible. Put a soft cushion for your dog in one corner of the room and teach her a “Go to your bed” exercise. Whenever you’re puttering in the nursery, reinforce her with treats for lying there quietly. You can give her a food-stuffed Kong there. When you’re not in the room, use a baby gate across the doorway to keep your dog out.
• Restricted access: If you plan to restrict your dog’s access to other rooms after the baby is born, do it now, using baby gates and closed doors, and positive reinforcement to reward her for staying in approved areas. Try to allow her access to as much of the home as possible.
• Your dog’s routine: Anticipate any changes in your routine that will change your dog’s. If Mom walks her three times a day and Dad will be taking over dog-walking for a while, start making that switch now. If Dad will become your dog’s primary caretaker, have him assume those duties as soon as possible. Plan to include Baby’s presence in as many of your dog’s activities as possible, so she thinks Baby makes all the fun stuff happen.
If you intend to hire a pet-sitter to provide some dog care, integrate him or her into the routine several months before Baby arrives. If Mom plans to walk the dog while pushing the stroller, practice this while Mom is still active and agile, so she can figure out the logistics of managing leash, dog, and stroller without tipping Baby onto the sidewalk. In fact, if your dog doesn’t already have good leash manners, start immediately by standing still when she pulls on the leash and consistently rewarding her for walking with you (see “Loose Leash Walking: Training Your Dog Not to Pull“).
• Greetings: If your dog hasn’t already learned how to greet people politely, give yourself several months to teach and reinforce polite greetings. Reward her with treats and attention for sitting in front of you. If she jumps up, turn your back and step away from her. Be consistent! If you sometimes reward her for jumping up, she won’t understand that it’s inappropriate to jump up when Mom or Dad’s arms are full of Baby.
• Doorways: If your dog doesn’t already know how to wait before going through a door, there’s no time like now to teach her (see “Training Your Dog to Stay Using Cues“). You don’t want her to knock over a pregnant Mom as she comes and goes, and you certainly don’t want to worry about chasing an escaped dog down the street while Baby lies unattended on his blanket on the living room floor.
• Stairways: If you have stairs in your home, your dog may think it’s a great game to charge up and down them at your side. It’s much safer for your babe-in-arms – or for the very pregnant Mom – to either have the dog wait at the top or send her down the stairs ahead of you. Start this routine now, making it a fun, positive game. You can toss a treat or toy down the stairs for her and have her wait there until you join her, or ask her to “Wait” until you get to the bottom and then invite her to “Come on down!”
• Leave it: Teach your dog a positive “leave it” cue so she’ll happily respond (and be rewarded for it) when you ask her to stop kissing the baby, or to drop the pacifier that will inevitably fall on the floor (see “Teaching Your Dog to “Leave It” On Cue).
• Escape route: Before you know it, Baby will be crawling around after your dog on the floor. Even dogs who love kids need a getaway plan. Provide your dog with an escape route, such as a low barrier she can jump over or an elevated surface she can jump on so she can escape from Baby’s grasp when she’s had enough. Show your dog how to use it, and practice until she’s skilled at the maneuver. Dogs who are cornered by small tormenters without a way to escape may feel compelled to bite in self-defense.
How to Handle Your Dog When the Baby Comes Home
When Baby arrives, your dog will be excited to see Mom after she’s been away. The day before Mom and Baby come home, have Dad bring home a blanket that’s been wrapped around Baby, to pick up his scent. Show the blanket to your dog. Let her sniff it, and feed her yummy treats. Then put the blanket in her bed. When Baby comes home the next day, his scent will already be familiar to your dog.
When you all get home, have Dad hold Baby outside while Mom goes in to greet your dog. If the dog forgets her polite greeting manners in her excitement, she won’t hurt Baby, and she won’t get yelled at. You don’t want her first introduction to Baby to be negative! Then have Dad come in with Baby, while Mom has treats ready to reward the dog for greeting Dad and the human puppy nicely.
Rather than banishing the dog to the backyard while everyone settles in, encourage her to lie calmly on her rug, or if necessary, use a tether to keep her out of the midst of chaos until things calm down (see “Tethering Your Dog for Training“). Have Mom sit on the sofa with Baby while Dad rewards the dog’s good behavior on her rug with treats, praise, and a Kong stuffed with irresistible goodies.
If you’ve done your homework well, your dog will soon love Baby as much as you do, and you’ll have successfully set the stage for a long and happy relationship between your dog and your child.
NEWBORNS AND DOGS: OVERVIEW
1. Enlist the help of friends with children and neighborhood children to socialize your pup during his optimum socialization period up to the age of 14 weeks and beyond.
2. Find locations (vet’s office? groomer’s?) where there will be sympathetic, dog-friendly folks willing to help you with remedial socialization for your adult dog.
3. Make preparations for your new baby well in advance so the experience is as positive and stress-free for your dog as possible.
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Recommendations for the best dog food for your dog.
Dry food, homemade diets and recipes, dehydrated and raw options, canned food and more.
Brands, formulations and ingredients all searchable in an easy-to-use, searchable database.
Plus, you’ll receive training and care guidance to keep your dog healthy and happy. You’ll feed with less stress…train with greater success…and know you are giving your dog the care he deserves.
Subscribenow and save 72%! Its like getting 8 issues free!
How often does it happen that you buy a product for your dog and are completely thrilled with the products performance? Despite the number and variety of toys, training aids, beds, and other dog-care items in the pet product marketplace, its rare to find something that works well in every way. Were always on the lookout for products that work well, look good, wash easily, and resist wear. If they are available at a reasonable price, great although we have been known to spend a small fortune on products that meet all the above criteria and have become indispensable to us.
An example? In late 1999 we ordered a dog bed from PC Panache for a review that we published in January 2000. It was the office dogs bed for more than three years, and has served as a guest bed for two more. Despite frequent washing of the cover, and minor nibbling by a variety of guests, it succumbed only this year to the persistent digging and then joyful tearing of a frequent guest, an Australian Shepherd who, apparently, didnt get walked enough in his week-long visit with us. Although the original purchase price was over $100, the bed paid for itself many times over. (If you want one, call 610-689-3829 or see www.pcpanache.com.)
If you and your dog enjoy a product like this, wed love to hear about it. Wed like this years installment of Gear of the Year, published in our December issue, to feature some of your top picks after weve had time to order and test them ourselves! You can mail or fax your suggestions to the editorial office, or e-mail them to WDJTopProducts@aol.com. Please include some clues about how we can find the product: its manufacturers name and location, for example, and/or the name and location of the place you found it.
Speaking of quality …
I know Ive mentioned BARK before, but I cant say enough good things about the quarterly literary magazine for people who love dogs. [Full disclosure: Ive contributed a few small articles to the magazine over the years, and because of this, I am listed among its contributing editors.] Claudia Kawczynska and Cameron Woo started the magazine in 1997 to help organize dog owners near Berkeley, California, to create off-leash dog parks in the area, but BARK quickly became a whole lot more.
Today, a national magazine printed in full color, BARK is frequently and accurately described as the New Yorker for dog owners. It features dog-related memoirs and fiction from authors such as Caroline Knapp, Alice Walker, and Pam Houston and some of the best are collected in an award-winning book, Dog Is My Co-Pilot. (About the book: Youll find yourself laughing out loud a dozen times, and teary-eyed another half-dozen. Its a great collection.) BARK also features top-shelf reporting on anything canine health, behavior, training. The work of artists who produce extraordinary work with dogs as their inspiration frequently appears as well.
BARK contains advertising, but Woo and Kawczynska are incredibly picky about which ads they will accept; you wont see an ad for shock collars, for example, or health-related products that make exaggerated or unproven claims. For more information, see www.thebark.com or call (877) 227-5639.
Pay attention to your dog’s water consumption; it’s an important clue as the state of his kidneys. Make sure he’s got plenty of fresh, pure water at all times. Photo by PK_Photos, Getty Images
Every day, thousands of dogs are diagnosed with kidney disease. The first suggestion most conventional veterinarians make is to switch from whatever the dog has been eating to a low-protein “kidney diet” food. Clients are sent home with bags or cans of “prescription” food and warned not to feed high-protein foods or treats of any kind.
Most dogs, even chow hounds, approach their new, low-protein food with suspicion, since these diets are generally much less palatable than foods that contain more animal protein. Many refuse to eat. Conventional veterinarians are used to this response and tell their clients to stick to the new food for their dogs’ own good. “Your old food is too high in protein and will actually speed kidney failure,” they warn. “Keep giving him the prescription food. He’ll come around when he gets hungry enough.”
Eventually most CRF patients do accept their new food, though without much gusto or enthusiasm. Worse, despite their food’s low protein levels, the dogs’ slow deterioration continues.
After their dogs have died, many owners look back and wonder whether they did the right thing. Now a new approach to feeding dogs with kidney disease offers a different scenario – one that’s more likely to keep CRF dogs, and their human companions, happy.
A paradigm shift
It’s a fact of life that not all medical discoveries and “breakthroughs” in disease treatment prove to be as promising as they seemed at first. Adopted on the basis of a few small, encouraging studies, some strategies are found later to cause mixed or even adverse results.
This is definitely the case with the currently predominant treatment strategy of giving dogs with CRF a low-protein diet. Newer research has radically changed and fine-tuned the dietary recommendations for canine CRF patients. Those using the latest recommendations to feed their CRF dogs a therapeutic home-prepared diet report excellent results. Best of all, most dogs love the combination of high-quality protein and freshly prepared ingredients.
About CRF
Chronic renal failure affects male and female dogs of all breeds and all ages. Its underlying cause may be hereditary or related to inflammation, tick disease, progressive degeneration, damage following acute renal failure, or unknown causes. Acute renal failure may be triggered by a trauma injury, exposure to poisons like antifreeze or rat poison, or damage caused by medications, bacterial infections (such as leptospirosis), fungal infections, or dehydration.
Many animals born with poorly constructed or poorly functioning kidneys succumb to kidney failure at a young age. Most cases of chronic renal failure are seen in dogs age seven or older. Chronic nephritis, a common diagnosis in CRF patients, involves low-grade, long-term inflammation of kidney tissue that causes permanent damage to delicate renal tissue.
The protein debate
As soon as they diagnose kidney disease, most American veterinarians prescribe a low-protein diet. They believe that protein harms the kidneys and that reducing protein consumption slows the progress of kidney degeneration. This is because early research on rats was assumed to be true for dogs, and excess protein causes problems for rats. A number of pet food manufacturers sell low-protein prescription diets for dogs with chronic renal failure, and those who prepare their own food at home are warned against feeding meat, poultry, and other foods that are high in protein.
“Those recommendations are based on a myth,” says Wendy Volhard, author of Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog. “In fact, the whole theory of low-protein diets for dogs with kidney disease was blown apart in 1975 by David Kronfeld, PhD, who was at the time a veterinary researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. His concept was not to feed less protein but rather to feed higher-quality protein.
“The low-protein myth is like an old-wive’s tale, something based on ignorance that just won’t die. Yes, inferior-quality protein can harm a dog’s kidneys, but the solution isn’t to continue with inferior-quality ingredients and feed less of them. The solution is to improve the quality of ingredients and in that way provide what the dog needs for good health.”
Studies disproving the prevalent low-protein prescription have been widely published in veterinary journals and textbooks. But it is moving into the mainstream very slowly.
“Most vets who did not graduate from college in the last few years (and some of those as well) are still unaware of or dismiss the newer studies that show low-protein diets neither slow the progression of kidney disease nor prolong life,” says Mary Straus, a lifetime dog lover from the San Francisco Bay area who researches health and nutrition issues.
“Too many dogs are forced to eat Prescription Diet k/d® or similar low-protein prescription foods,” says Straus. “These can actually cause harm. When protein levels are very low, the body will cannibalize itself to get the protein it needs. This creates more waste products than if you feed the proper amount of high-quality protein in the first place. Also, k/d is not very palatable, and many dogs with kidney disease will eat only enough of it to survive, or stop eating entirely if that is all they are offered.”
Older dogs actually require a higher level of protein to maintain their body stores of protein than do younger adult dogs, says veterinary nutritionist Patricia Schenck, DVM, PhD, of Michigan State University’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. In an article published in Veterinary Nutritionist, Dr. Schenck wrote, “Reducing dietary protein in older pets may have adverse effects. As pets age, their ability to utilize nutrients decreases. The only time dietary protein restriction is appropriate in renal failure is when the disease has become severe.”
Healthy geriatric dogs require about 50 percent more protein than young adults, say canine health writers Susan Thorpe-Vargas, PhD, and John C. Cargill, MA. Depending on the quality of the protein, they say, it should make up 20 to 30 percent of total calories ingested. “Protein restriction can result in impaired wound healing, diminished immune function, and lowered enzyme activities and cellular turnover. Dogs with impaired renal function do better with dietary phosphorus restrictions.”
A new action plan
Mary Straus’s dog Nattie was a healthy, athletic Chinese Shar-Pei who had no trouble keeping up with young dogs even at 10 and 11 years of age. She ate kibble and received annual vaccinations until 1997, when Straus learned about the health benefits of raw diets and the harm that can be caused by repeated vaccinations. Nattie was 10 years old when she was converted to a raw diet and stopped receiving vaccinations. Four years later, at age 14, Nattie was diagnosed with kidney disease. After much research, Straus put the newest diet plan into place for Nattie.
“I modified her diet to reduce its phosphorus but kept her protein levels high,” says Straus. “Her diet was around 37 percent protein on a dry matter basis, and she thrived. Her kidney numbers actually improved for two years, and when she died at age 16, her illness had nothing to do with kidney disease.
“People need to know this information, as well as how to formulate a homemade diet or what foods to add if they are going to feed k/d or one of the other low-protein commercial diets for kidney disease.”
Dietary goals
When developing a diet for dogs with kidney failure, the recommendations from leading experts are to feed:
Moderate to high amounts of fat
Moderate amounts of high-quality protein
Low amounts of phosphorus
Moderate amounts of low-phosphorus carbohydrates
Plenty of water, juices, broth, and other liquids
Although guidelines vary, a sensible goal is a diet whose total calories come 1/3 from fat, 1/3 from protein, and 1/3 from carbohydrates.
Fat provides calories and energy, and most dogs have an easy time digesting it. Good sources of saturated fat include fatty meats, butter, whole-milk yogurt, egg yolks, and coconut oil.
Polyunsaturated vegetable oils, such as canola, corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, and flax seed oil, are not recommended for CRF patients. Neither is cod liver oil, because of its high vitamin D content, which failing kidneys have difficulty processing. But fish oil (fish body oil, not fish liver oil) has been shown to help dogs with CRF.
When adding fats and oils to the home-prepared diet, start with small amounts and increase quantities gradually. Too much too soon can lead to diarrhea. Dogs prone to pancreatitis should be carefully monitored.
What are the best sources of protein? Most experts consider eggs to contain the highest-quality protein, but their yolks contain moderate amounts of phosphorous. One strategy for feeding eggs to CRF dogs is to feed one or two egg whites for every whole egg. Calcium is a phosphorus binder, so add small amounts of finely ground eggshell to each meal (½ teaspoon per pound of food) to help reduce the amount of phosphorus absorbed by the body.
Other foods high in phosphorous include bones, fish with bones, cheese, and organ meats. “Bones are so high in phosphorus,” says Straus. “that I would avoid them or feed them in small amounts, such as one-third the normal quantity, even with early stage CRF. Like egg yolks, organ meats such as kidney and liver contain many nutrients that are important for canine health and should be included, but in moderate amounts.”
Understanding Phosphorus
Feeding a low-phosphorus diet has been shown to benefit dogs with kidney disease. Bones are very high in phosphorus and should be eliminated or fed in very small amounts. When formulating a diet for a CRF patient, never add bone meal, but instead use a calcium source that does not include phosphorus, such as ground eggshells or calcium carbonate.
Other foods high in phosphorus include dairy products (especially cheese), fish with bones, organ meats, and egg yolks. These are nutritionally dense foods, so they should not be eliminated from the diet. Instead, feed them in reduced amounts in combination with low-phosphorus grains and vegetables. Low-fat meat is higher in phosphorus than fatty cuts, so unless your dog has a problem with fat, feed higher-fat meats and whole-milk dairy. Always add calcium, which acts as a phosphorus binder, to all meals. You can use ½ teaspoon ground eggshell, or around 1 gram (1,000 mg) calcium, per pound of food.
On her DogAware website, Mary Straus lists recommended phosphorus levels for dogs of different weights in different stages of kidney disease along with nutritional information, including calories and phosphorus levels, of dozens of common foods. To help caregivers plan their dogs’ menus around phosphorus levels while providing enough calories to prevent weight loss, a common problem in CRF dogs, Straus color-codes these foods.
■ Code Red: Feed in small amounts. These include low-fat meats such as ground turkey, lean ground beef, or skinless chicken breast; organ meats, such as beef heart, chicken liver, beef liver, or beef kidney; canned fish, such as jack mackerel, pink salmon, or sardines in tomato sauce or water (not oil); high-phosphorus grains such as oatmeal; dairy products such as cottage cheese, whole-milk yogurt, whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, or whole eggs and egg yolks. Raw meaty bones, including chicken parts (backs, necks, wings, and legs) and turkey necks should be fed in limited amounts, if at all.
■ Code Blue: Feed in moderate amounts. Higher-fat meats such as dark-meat chicken and skin, 20-percent-fat ground beef, pork, lamb, and liverwurst; green tripe; winter squash such as acorn or butternut; and whole grains such as brown rice, millet, and whole-wheat bread.
■ Code Green: Okay to feed in large amounts. Egg whites, yams or sweet potatoes, white potatoes, cereals such as Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice, or Malt-o-Meal, glutinous (sticky) rice, white rice, barley, and white bread. Grains should be cooked, and boiling vegetables may reduce their phosphorus levels.
Further diet tips
Recently, green tripe, a food traditionally fed in Europe, has become a staple for many American dogs, including CRF patients. Green tripe is the raw, unprocessed stomachs of cud-chewing animals like cows, goats, or sheep. Supermarket tripe is white because it has been bleached and deodorized, which destroys fragile nutrients. Green tripe contains easily digestible protein, beneficial bacteria, abundant enzymes, and relatively low phosphorus levels.
Tripe smells awful to humans but sublime to dogs, including CRF patients who have otherwise lost interest in food. Thanks to increasing demand, frozen green tripe is available from mail order sources and some local distributors of raw frozen foods.
If you choose to feed a prescription dry or canned food rather than a home-prepared diet, add fresh protein foods, either raw or cooked, such as meat, eggs, egg whites, and tripe, especially in the early stages of the disease.
If you feed a diet based on raw meaty bones, substantially reduce the amount of bone. If the diet calls for bone meal, like the Natural Diet developed by Wendy Volhard, follow her advice to switch from lean to fatty meats and substitute calcium carbonate for the bone meal to reduce phosphorus levels.
While dogs are not designed to consume grains or starchy vegetables, most CRF diets include up to 50 percent carbohydrates in order to provide calories and nutrients while keeping phosphorus levels low. Steaming or boiling vegetables reduces phosphorus levels if you discard the cooking water. Alternatively, puree or juice them to improve assimilation. Note, however, that dogs with arthritis may be sensitive to nightshade plants, which include white potatoes, peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes.
Whole wheat, oatmeal, brown rice, millet, and other whole grains are moderately high in phosphorus and should not be fed often or in large amounts. White rice is low in phosphorus, and glutinous or sticky rice is the lowest-phosphorus grain. To help make grains more digestible (as described in “It’s All in How You Make It,” WDJ March 2001), soak them overnight to remove enzyme-suppressors and naturally occurring toxins.
“I have had good luck with Malt-o-Meal, which is low in phosphorus,” says Straus. “You have to be careful about feeding vegetables to dogs with kidney disease. I recommend using white potatoes and yams because they provide a lot of calories without adding much phosphorus, unlike many of the low-cal veggies.”
Dogs with high blood pressure, which can be related to kidney disease, may need reduced salt in their food. Home-prepared diets are naturally low in salt, but cottage cheese is high in salt, canned fish can be rinsed to remove salt, and processed foods should be checked for their sodium content.
Because dehydration creates serious problems for dogs with kidney disease, it’s important to provide abundant water. “Make sure fresh water is always available,” suggests Straus, “even if excess drinking causes your dog to become incontinent. If your dog already drinks a lot of water, ask your vet about giving subcutaneous fluids to help the dog stay hydrated.” Hard water contains minerals that are best avoided, so use filtered or low-mineral bottled water.
Dogs with kidney disease can lose interest in food, so look for foods and flavors that can revitalize a flagging appetite. “It’s important for these dogs to eat something,” says Straus, “even if it’s not one of the recommended foods. Try offering your dog’s food at different temperatures, experiment with raw versus cooked, and offer multiple small meals rather than just one or two large ones. My Nattie wouldn’t eat raw eggs, but she loved eggs scrambled with a bit of cheese. The cheese wasn’t the best thing for her, but it got her to eat.”
Green tripe can be added to food as a flavor enhancer, as can Seacure, a very fishy-smelling powder sold as a protein supplement. “If you feed a commercial food like k/d and your dog won’t eat it, find something else, preferably a homemade diet that provides high-quality protein while controlling the amount of phosphorus,” she says.
Plus, she adds, most dogs love fresh food. “The higher moisture levels in fresh foods help protect their kidneys, and they feel better and enjoy life more.”
Recommended Supplements for CRF Patients
Salmon oil or other fish body oil (not cod liver oil). Feed up to 1 gram (1,000 mg) per 10 pounds of body weight daily.
Coenzyme Q10. In a recent human study, kidney disease patients improved on a dose of 60 mg CoQ10 three times daily. Adjust this for your dog’s weight by using 15 mg per 25 pounds of body weight, three times daily.
Vitamin E, 50 IU daily per 25 pounds of body weight. Also give vitamin B-complex and moderate amounts of vitamin C, around 500 mg for a 50-pound dog. Avoid multivitamin/mineral products that contain phosphorus or vitamin D. Buffered or ascorbate forms of vitamin C may be easier on the stomach.
Glandular supplements that support the kidneys are often recommended by holistic veterinarians. Canine Renal Support from Standard Process is available from veterinarians, licensed health care practitioners, and some online sources.
Herbal supplements. Traditional kidney tonics include dandelion leaf and root, couch grass, and marshmallow. Look for teas and tinctures that contain these and other gentle, supportive ingredients, or consult Herbs for Pets, by Mary Wulff-Tilford and Gregory Tilford (BowTie Press).
Dogs have become very popular in the last decade or so, and with their increasingly higher-profile place in our society, there has been a boom in businesses that create unique and useful dog-care products. Collars might just be the most ubiquitous.
There’s an adage: “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.” We think it ought to be dog collar. There are now hundreds of special-purpose collars on the market: products that purport to prevent pulling, safety collars that release under tension, light-up or reflective collars for walking in the dark, collars with built-in retractable leashes or poop-bag dispensers . . . the list is almost endless.
Equally endless is the selection of plain old “regular” collars, products that provide only the most basic services: offer a place to secure your dog’s ID and your leash. It’s astonishing how much variety can be brought to the most basic product. Even in the “regular” collar category, there are products that emphasize certain abilities: increased strength, for example, or comfort, light weight, smoothness on the coat, or ease of use. Or, of course, fashion. Collars that look cool while working well – what more can you ask for?
Selection Criteria
Sometimes when we do a review of a certain type of product, there are only a few to examine, so we can try them all and tell you which ones performed well and which ones you shouldn’t waste your money on. Since this category is so huge – even with specialty collars excluded – all of the products we are going to tell you about in this review qualify as “top picks,” earning our four-paw rating (see “Rating System and Product Details” sidebar). We won’t bother telling you about the many products that failed our in-store examination, or the catalog-sourced products that disappointed us. We’d rather use the space on products we really like.
What, exactly, do we like in a collar? To start, we look for top-quality materials – leather that is soft and supple, evenly dyed, neither greasy nor dry; nylon that feels smooth and pliable; and buckles and snaps that open and close easily and securely. Next, we examine the quality of the workmanship. We want to see tight, even stitching, and nylon ends that are smoothly heat-sealed to prevent fraying. The collar should be constructed in such a way that it lies nicely around the dog’s neck, without pressing or bending inward in a way that could rub or otherwise cause the dog to be uncomfortable.
Next, we look for products that are easy to use. Sometimes this is a result of good hardware – for example, when the maker utilizes a D-ring that is especially large, making it easy to clip a leash onto it. In other cases, the ease-of-use is a result of good workmanship, such as when the holes for a buckle are punched a little on the large side, to make it easier to align the tongue of the buckle with just the right hole.
Last, but not least, we look for products that offer a lot more than the usual amount of attractiveness. Hip? Elegant? Showy? Any and all qualify.
Okay, let’s get on with it. In no particular order, here are the collars currently on the market that we like best.
Hemp Collars
Wow! Hemp has to be the softest, most comfortable, but strong fabric we’ve ever felt. Planet Dog has put the material to great use in its flat collars, available in an unlined style or lined with a soft fleece material.
As we went to press, we learned that Planet Dog recently discontinued its models with the belt-type buckles (shown in center and left, above) in favor of metal side-release style buckles. (The smallest size has plastic buckles – lighter for little dogs.) We liked both types, but the side-release models are more adjustable, so it’s fine with us.
We were originally attracted to the fleece-lined collar for dogs we know with very thin coats; leather, nylon, and even cotton can rub bare spots on some of these dogs’ necks and throats. The fleece does a nice job of keeping the coat intact, but we found that the unlined hemp was easy on these dogs’ coats, too. We also liked the ample size of the D-rings for attaching leashes.
Planet Dog offers these collars in just a few groovy colors: apple-green, orange, and purple. Matching leashes are available.
The company literature claimed that hemp takes washing well, and just gets better with time. That’s been our experience so far.
Soft Web Collars
There are dozens of nylon collars on the market, but we don’t know any company besides White Pine that uses this very soft, silky nylon for its collars (and leashes, long lines, and harnesses). It’s an absolute pleasure in the hand, making the order of a matching leash a necessity! The material is colorfast and can be washed frequently without stiffening. The collars come in a variety of widths, from 3/8″ (which is very lightweight, for tiny dogs) to an attractive 1″ for big dogs. They are also available in a wide variety of bright, pretty colors.
The Soft Web collars are available in two styles: the “Soft Snap,” which has a plastic side-release buckle (shown in the center of the photo above), or the “Soft Slip” (the outer collar in the photo), which is a limited-slip collar. The latter type of collar tightens slightly with leash tension to prevent a dog from slipping out of it, but if properly fit, they cannot choke a dog). The D-rings on the collars are black stainless steel. Best of all is the reasonable price.
Tail Waggin’ Collars
These are the second-most expensive collars we’ve featured here, but also the most attractive, in our opinion – colorful, unique, well-made, and perfectly functional.
Wendel Wirth, proprietor of “a tail we could wag” (yes, it’s spelled with all small letters), made the first “Tail Waggin’ Collar” for her own dog out of an old leash and a worn Guatemalan sash. She and her dog received so many compliments about the collar, that she began sewing a limited number of the collars and selling them in a local bar and grill. A thriving business was born.
Wirth now offers collars (and matching leashes) in a number of gorgeous patterns, all of which are traditional Mayan designs, woven for the company by native Mayans in Guatemala. The woven cotton is then stitched to a strong, soft nylon backing. The hardware used includes large solid brass D-rings and plastic side-release buckles that are slightly curved, for the dog’s comfort. Little touches like these really improve the performance of a product, and we just love these collars.
Top Rope Collar
This flat collar has a couple of cool features that almost make it too “tricked out” to include in this “regular” collar review.
It gets its name by virtue of an elegantly simple (and probably soon-to-be-copied) feature: a plastic “keeper” that keeps a large D-ring conveniently positioned at the back of the dog’s neck, where you can quickly and easily snap the leash on and off. Plus, with the leash fastened at the back of the dog’s neck, he’s less likely to step over the leash when you’re not paying attention. Too cool! An extra-heavy side-release buckle also serves as “ballast,” helping to hold the collar in the “right” position. This might prove a bit too clunky for a very small dog, but then again, the smallest size can be adjusted down to only nine inches, so perhaps this is self-limiting.
Another innovative feature (shared by some of Ruff Wear’s other collars) is a separate plastic loop, sewn onto the nylon fabric, for your dog’s ID tags. No more accidently clipping the leash onto the flimsy little ring the ID tags hang on!
The Top Rope Collar is available in four solid colors and four cool patterns.
Knot-A-Collar
Here’s another basic collar from Ruff Wear with some neat “extra” features.
The Knot-a-Collar has a minimal appearance that some owners will like; it looks like just a bit of light, mountain-climbing-type rope tied around the dog’s neck. But as the name suggests, the knots that the collar is tied with are what makes it special. You slip the buckleless collar over the dog’s head; it takes two hands pulling on the collar a certain way to adjust its fit. When a leash is attached properly to the stainless steel ring on the collar, no amount of tension will make the collar tighten. But if the dog snags the collar on something, it will slide loose enough to free him.
Ruff Wear has again included a separate ring on which the dog’s ID tags can be hung, so you don’t accidently snap the leash onto the flimsy ID tag ring.
The Knot-a-Collar is available in three colors and two widely adjustable sizes.
Mrs. Bones Collars
Okay, we know: That’s a crazy price for a dog collar. These collars are for dogs who belong to completely dog-crazy people.
All of Mrs. Bones collars are made of washable fabric, and use solid brass hardware, or in some designs, plastic side-release buckles. That’s the only generalization we’ll make about these collars, because the company offers a head-spinning array of deluxe fabrics and patterns to choose from. The tiny ones start at 5/8″ wide; the giant collars are up to 2″ wide. The fabrics include velvet, brocade, tartan, and silk-lined models.
All of Mrs. Bones collars are available in three different basic forms. The first has a standard plastic side-release buckle (the nice, curved kind). The second is what Mrs. Bones calls a “sighthound” style – a “limited slip” design that slides over the dog’s head and then is adjusted to fit. The D-ring for leash attachment is sewn into a separate loop of fabric that tightens to a limited degree with tension on the leash.
The final style is a “single loop” design that also passes over a dog’s head and is adjusted with a slider to fit. The latter style is particularly well-suited for tiny dogs or dogs with delicate skin or coats, since there is no buckle to rub the coat or irritate the dog’s neck.
Simply put, Mrs. Bones has the biggest offering of really gorgeous and unique designs available; there are several hundred styles and sizes to choose from, and the collars are custom-made for your dog. If it’s important to you to have the only collar of a particular kind in your whole town, Mrs. Bones is the place to shop.
Presidio Collar
This is a very simple collar that makes our list by virtue of the unique material it is made of: BioThane, a patented material made of a polypropylene webbing that is coated with urethane.
Used increasingly in horse tack, BioThane is an incredibly strong, flexible material, and available in a wide variety of vivid colors (and even a glow-in-the-dark option for an extra $2, but we didn’t test that one). BioThane is also waterproof, if the material is heat-sealed at every spot where it is cut or punched. We couldn’t detect evidence of heat-sealing in the products we tested, but even if OllyDog doesn’t do it, it’s a simple thing to do yourself, with a fire-heated blade or screwdriver.
These collars are lightweight, smooth, and so flexible, they must be comfortable. They can be ordered in one of two widths: 3/4″ or 1″. The hardware appears to be high-quality stainless steel. Best of all, the material can be kept clean and odor-free with the wipe of a sponge.
The topic turned to crating on one of my trainer e-mail lists recently. I was horrified to read that some shelters and rescue groups refuse to adopt to prospective owners who intend to use a crate with their dogs. What madness is this?
I first discovered crates some 30 years ago, when they were relatively new to the dog scene. I was skeptical about putting my new Australian Kelpie puppy in a “cage,” but since Keli was part of a Canine Field Agent program for the Marin Humane Society where I worked as a Humane Officer, I was determined to do everything perfectly right. I reluctantly decided to try crating.
On the third night, when I went to deposit Keli in her crate, I found Caper, my three-year-old Bull Terrier, happily curled up in the pup’s den. Caper smiled up at me and thumped her tail in the blankets, clearly saying, “This is wonderful! Can I have one of my own? Please, can I?”
I bought Caper a crate of her own the next day, and have been a total crate advocate ever since. How could they now be perceived as a bad thing?
As I followed the discussion, I realized that the negative crate perspective stemmed from concerns of “overcrating.” Apparently some owners crate their dogs all day while they’re at work, let them out for a couple of hours when they come home, and then crate the dogs all night while everyone is sleeping. This, some shelters fear, is too much time in a crate for a dog’s physical and mental health.
They’re right.
The crate is an invaluable management tool. Like any training tool, it can be misused. Even when used properly, it’s not necessarily the appropriate tool for every dog in every circumstance. The discussion that follows may help you decide when, and whether, it’s the right choice for you and your canine pal.
Overcrating Dogs
A properly used crate can be the answer to your housetraining prayers. I was astounded by the ease with which I was able to housetrain my Kelpie pup. I also, however, was in the enviable position of being able to take my baby dog to work with me, so I was never tempted – or compelled – to crate her for longer that she could “hold it.”
If you’re a normal person whose boss frowns on dogs at work, you simply can’t crate your pup all day while you’re gone. He’ll be forced to eliminate in his crate, breaking down his inhibitions against soiling his own den – the very inhibitions you rely on to be able to accomplish house-training.
A general rule of thumb is that puppies can “hold it” during the day for up to one hour longer than they are months old. In other words, your eight-week-old baby dog can be crated for perhaps up to three hours during the day. They can usually go somewhat longer at night because metabolism slows, but it’s a rare two-month-old who can go through the night without a potty break.
So, you can only crate your pup during an 8- to 10-hour workday if you can arrange for at least two bathroom breaks. One quick run home at lunch won’t be enough, at least not until he’s five to six months old.
In addition to performing necessary bodily functions, a growing pup needs to move around in order to develop properly. Some runaround time during the day helps him develop mentally and physically, practicing skills and learning lessons he can’t make up later in life.
Finally, a pup who spends his entire day in a crate stores up mental and physical energy. When an owner comes home exhausted after working all day, she’s rarely in a state of mind to cope with pent-up puppy frenzies, or to provide adequate exercise and mental stimulation to make up for a day of relative deprivation. The rela-tionship suffers, and the pup gets relegated to the backyard, alone, or worse – put back into the crate.
While adult dogs are more physically capable of “holding it” for extended periods than puppies, it’s still not appropriate for a dog to be routinely crated for 10 hours. Hence, the concerns of adoption agencies.
Solution for Overcrating Your Dog
Alternatives to crating include finding alternative confinement options, arranging for multiple bathroom breaks, or finding a daycare situation of some kind.
Some owners simply leave their dogs – including puppies – outside in a fenced yard during the day. This allows the dog total freedom to poop and pee at will. It also leaves him vulnerable to threats from the environment – theft, poisoning, accidental escape, snakes, raccoons, skunks, coyotes. I even met a pup once with a huge scar across his back – souvenir of a brief flight, fortunately aborted, in the talons of a Golden Eagle.
Outdoor confinement also leaves the dog free to practice inappropriate behaviors such as digging, escaping, and barking, and exposes him to the extremes of weather.
It might be safer to confine your pup indoors, either in a small puppy-proofed room such as a bathroom, or in a secure exercise pen. This requires newspapering the floor, and perhaps encouraging the dog to use one of the commercial pee pad products or a litter box, essentially giving him permission to eliminate in the house.
This solution has risks as well. Your pup can learn to rip up vinyl flooring and chew on cabinets if he’s loose in a bathroom. He may be able to knock over his exercise pen if it’s not well secured, climb out (some come with lids), or get a leg caught between the bars. If you plan to use an ex-pen, get him used to it while you’re home, to be sure none of these things are likely to happen.
Multiple bathroom breaks may be easier than you think. If there are two adults in the household, perhaps you can stagger your lunches – one at 11am, one at 1pm – to give him two breaks. If not, a commercial pet sitter can take a daily turn at potty breaks. Other options include friends, neighbors, or family members who live close enough to provide the service until the pup is older. You might even find a local teenage dog lover who would cherish the opportunity to earn some spending money.
Finally, Spot may just need to go somewhere else during the day. Commercial doggie daycare centers are increasingly popular and available.
If Your Dog Soils His Crate
If Spot eliminates in his crate even when not overcrated, your first course of action is to rule out medical problems. Loose stools, a urinary tract infection, or other incontinence problems make it impossible for a dog to hold it for normal periods of time.
Assuming all is well, there are several other possible causes of crate soiling:
• Your dog has been routinely overcrated in the past, and was forced to soil his crate. His inhibitions against soiling his den have been damaged. He now thinks the crate in an acceptable bathroom.
• Your dog isn’t eliminating outdoors before being crated.
• Your dog has separation anxiety (SA) and is voiding his bladder and bowels during his SA panic attack.
Solution for Crate-Soiling
Your approach to Spot’s crate-soiling behavior depends on the cause. If he has learned to soil his crate, it may help to change his bedding, or remove bedding altogether until he’s retrained. Bedding that absorbs fluids, such as a blanket, can make it more comfortable for your dog to be in his soiled crate. His current bedding also may have become his preferred substrate. Try newspaper instead, a square of heavy duty compressed foam rubber (the kind used for flooring), or no bedding. A tether may be a reasonable alternative to nighttime crating.
Make sure his crate is the correct size – big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. If it’s too large he can potty in one end and sleep in the other.
Perhaps you’re just not making sure Spot eliminates outside before you crate him. In your morning rush to get to work on time, you let him out in the backyard and assume he empties before he comes back in. That may be an incorrect assumption. If it’s cold or rainy, he may have huddled on the back porch, waiting to be let back in. Perhaps he was distracted digging for moles under a bush, or barking at the kids walking past the yard on their way to school. Maybe he gets a cookie for coming back into the house, so he’s skipping the step where he’s supposed to go pee on the grass first. It could be a substrate preference problem – he wants to pee on grass, and all he can find is snow!
Set your alarm to awaken you 15 minutes earlier than normal, so you can go out with Spot on leash before and after he eats his breakfast to make sure he’s empty when you crate him. If he’s reluctant to out in inclement weather, create a sheltered potty spot, so he doesn’t have to eliminate with rain or snow dumping on his head, or strong winds buffeting him. Would you be able to “do your business” under those conditions?
If he’s determined to go on grass, it’s the dead of winter and there’s no grass available, you may need to scrape snow away from the grass in his sheltered potty spot or provide indoor-grown grass until you can teach him a new substrate preference. Maybe Astroturf would work!
When Your Dog Refuses to Go Into the Crate
Dogs who refuse to enter their crates may have never been crate trained, or the crating process was somehow abused. Spot may have been overcrated and now resists entering a den he fears he’ll be forced to soil. Perhaps someone previously used his crate as punishment, or forcibly crated him. He may have had a bad experience in a crate that may have been improperly secured and rolled with him in it, or by having loud noises or other fear-inducing stimuli occur while he was crated.
Teach Your Dog to Love the Crate
Whatever the reason, you’ll need to embark on a program of counter-conditioning and desensitization to change Spot’s association from bad to good, and retrain his crating behavior.
Start by scattering yummy stuff around the outside of his crate, placing a couple of tidbits just inside the door so he can stick his head in to get them. Gradually toss more yummies inside the crate to entice him further in. When he’s going in easily, start handfeeding tidbits while he’s inside, to encourage him to stay in. If you use a clicker, you can now begin to click! and give him a treat for going into the crate.
When he’ll go in and stay calmly inside the crate while you feed treats, close the door gently, feed treats through the door, and then let him out. Gradually increase the length of time you keep the door closed, until he’s quite comfortable with this step. Then take a step away from the crate, click! and return to give him his treat. Continue this process until he is happy to enter and stay in his crate.
You can play another crating game to motivate your dog to “kennel.” Take something scrumptious, like a meaty knucklebone, and put it in the crate. Show it to your dog, then close the door with him outside the crate. Let him spend some time trying to get into the closed crate to get at the bone, then open the door allowing him to zoom in (and back out, if he wants) to claim his prize.
To keep crating fun for your dog, be sure to practice crating games often, not just when he’s going to be crated for extended periods. You can also give him food-stuffed Kongs and other interactive toys to keep him happy in his crate.
If your dog absolutely refuses to enter the crate, get one that comes apart. Take the top off, then start the counter-conditioning process.
Incessant Barking in the Crate
Sometimes barking happens because the dog really needs to go. While it’s critically important to heed your dog’s bathroom calls, it’s equally important not to succumb to crate barking when it’s simply his insistent plea to get out and play, or cuddle. The more often you let him out on demand, the more the behavior is reinforced, and the harder it will be to ever successfully train him to stay quietly in his crate.
Solution to Barking in the Crate
If you’re just starting your dog’s crating lessons, be sure he empties his bowels and bladder before you begin, so you know he doesn’t have to go. Ignore his barking, and let him out of the crate when he’s quiet. At first, he may be quiet for just a few seconds. Mark the quiet with a “Yes!” or a click! so he knows it’s the quiet behavior that gets him out of the crate. Gradually increase the length of quiet time before you let him out.
If your dog has already learned to demand-bark to gain freedom you’ll follow the same procedure as above. However it will take longer to extinguish the behavior because it’s been previously reinforced. Your dog is likely to go through an extinction burst – more and/or louder barking, as he tries to make this formerly successful behavior work again. Be strong; if you give in during an extinction burst you will reinforce your dog for an even more intense behavior, and it will be even harder to make it stop.
At first, listen for and reinforce even very brief pauses in barking. You have to show your dog what behavior will work – quiet – if you want him to offer more of it.
When Your Dog Panics in the Crate
This is very different from demand barking. Some dogs, particularly many of those with separation anxiety (SA), can’t tolerate the close confinement of a crate. They experience a full-blown panic attack, and frantically try to escape from their prison.
A panicked dog’s efforts to escape from his mental and emotional anguish may include hysterical, non-stop barking and howling – for hours and hours without pause; frantic attempts to bite and claw his way out – often breaking teeth and ripping out nails in the process; and stress-induced urination and defecation – which he proceeds to paint all over the walls of his crate as he thrashes around.
Solution to Panicking: Don’t Crate the Dog
You cannot subject a panicked dog to these conditions. You must address the SA problem through behavior modification, and may someday be able to use a crate with your dog, if you are successful in modifying the SA. In the meantime, look for doggie daycare-type management solutions.
When Your Dog Gets Aggressive in the Crate
Some dogs become ferocious in their crates, usually manifesting territorial aggression, fear aggression, or resource guarding. The behavior is alarming, especially to an unsuspecting passer-by – human, canine, feline, or other – who inadvertently walks too close to the crate and is greeted with a fierce roar and crash when the dog lunges into the side of his kennel.
Managing Dog Aggression in Crates
Management is your best approach to this behavior, followed by behavior modification.
Dogs who are aggressive in their crates shouldn’t be subjected to environments in which the behavior is constantly triggered. These dogs should not, for example, be left crated and unattended at canine sporting events. If children are in the household, they must not be allowed to approach Spot in his crate.
Some dogs will crate calmly if the crate is covered to reduce the stimuli that triggers their aggression. Others do well as long as there’s nothing of high-value to be guarded in the crate, such as a favorite toy or stuffed Kong.
If Spot is fearful, taking refuge in his crate out of fear, be sure to do nothing to intimidate him while he’s crated. No reaching in, for example, to remove bowls, toys, or dog from crate. You may do better to refrain from crating a fearful dog until he’s become more confident with you, to avoid setting him up for crate aggression.
To modify crate aggression, return to your old friends, counter-conditioning and desensitization. If your dog is aggressive to passers-by, arm yourself with a large supply of high-value treats (canned chicken, rinsed and drained, works well), and sit next to the crate. When your dog alerts to a member of the trigger species (whether it is dog or human) passing at a noticeable but low-arousal distance, begin feeding him treats, non-stop, until that someone is gone. Each time the trigger appears, wait for your dog to notice, then start feeding him tiny tidbits of chicken, non-stop, until the trigger is gone.
Keep watching your dog’s reaction. You’re looking for his response to the appearance of the trigger to change from wary or alert to “Yay! Where’s my chicken!” When you get the latter reaction consistently, move the trigger closer and repeat the lessons, until the trigger can pass next to the crate.
If your approach triggers an aggression response, do lots of practice sessions where you walk up to the crate and drop chicken into it, so your dog learns to associate your approach with good stuff. Never punish your dog for being aggressive in his crate – you’re likely to make the behavior worse!
The Best Kinds of Crates
Some dogs crate best in wire crates, others seem to prefer the plastic airline-style kennels. Portable, collapsible soft crates have become hugely popular. Some owners only crate through the puppy stage, others use crates throughout their dogs’ entire lives. Both are acceptable.
Despite the potential for crating woes with some dogs, I remain a staunch fan of this invaluable management tool. We can educate owners about proper crate use to avoid overcrating and other abuses. The crate is so useful, it distresses me to hear that some well-meaning shelter folks have such a low opinion of it. Let’s not throw the puppy out with the bath water!
Pat Miller, CPDT, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She is also author of The Power of Positive Dog Training, and Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog.
by Randy Kidd, DVM, PhD The reproductive system has what seems to be a relatively simple task: to provide the mechanisms necessary to maintain survival of the species. However, the mechanisms involved are complex, and maintaining a functional balance of the hormonal, mechanical, and physiological requirements for reproductive success can be difficult at best. What’s more, while dogs (and for that matter, all animals) are hard-wired to maintain reproductive viability at all costs, very small alterations in the balance of any one of the functions involved with reproduction can produce profound results throughout the body. This month, we’ll examine the male reproductive anatomy and physiology, and deal with the female next month. Anatomy The scrotum is the pouch of lightly haired skin that contains the paired testes and their attached epididymides. The testes are the functional units that generate the production of sperm; they also contain cells that produce a variety of hormones. The reproductive “plumbing” begins with the seminiferous tubules, which coil throughout the interstitial tissues of the testes. Each seminiferous tubule empties into an epididymis, which, in turn, empties into a vas deferens, which in turn opens into the urethra. The primary function of the testes is to produce the male gametes or sperma-tozoa; this process is termed spermatogenesis and takes from 55 to 70 days in the dog. The exact timing of testicular descent into the scrotum has not been established, likely due to the small size of neonates, the softness of immature testes, and the tendency of the cremaster muscle to hold immature gonads in the inguinal region. In one study of Beagles and mixed-breed dogs, the testicles were in their final scrotal position at seven weeks of age. In another study (of German Short-Haired Pointers) there was a correlation between the time of passage of testes through the inguinal canal and completion of deciduous dentition – they both occurred at about 30 to 35 days of age. Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism results if one or both testes remain within the abdomen after closure of the inguinal canal. The penis develops from the same embryologic tissue as does the female’s clitoris, and the testes are derived from the embryologic tissue that produces the female ovaries. Development into male or female depends on the presence of the Y chromosome, which fosters the production of testosterone, thus promoting the development of the male sexual characteristics. In the male canine embryo, the mesenchymal tissue inside the glans penis ossifies to form a bony os penis. The penis of the adult dog is composed of the proximal body and the distal glans penis, which includes the bulbus glandis and the pars longa glandis. The bulbus glandis is a cavernous expansion of the corpus cavernosum urethrae. It surrounds the proximal portion of the os penis, and when it fills with blood during erection, it expands into a bulb-like structure that is held within the female’s vagina during copulation. Disorders of the male canine reproductive system There are several disorders of the canine male reproductive tract that deserve mention. They can be categorized into congenital defects, acquired disorders, neoplasias, and functional disorders. Congenital defects of the penis are relatively rare, but include the following: • Penile hypoplasia (incomplete or underdevelopment), usually due to aberrations of the XY chromosomes. • Hypospadia, a defect that results in an abnormal location of the urethral orifice. • Persistent penile frenulum. Normal separation of the glans penis from preputial epithelial cells occurs before birth. If it doesn’t, a tag of skin that restricts movement may cause the penis to deviate. • Congenital preputial stenosis (a narrowing of a duct or canal) often occurs with concurrent phimosis (entrapment of the penis within the prepuce). Cryptorchidism is a congenital condition in which the testes fail to descend into the scrotum. The condition may be bilateral or unilateral (75 percent of the cases are unilateral). It is considered the most common reproductive disorder in dogs, affecting between 1 to 15 percent of dogs, and it is inherited as a sex-limited autosomal recessive trait. Since cryptorchid testes have a much greater risk (6- to 13-fold) for developing Sertoli cell tumors compared to normal testes, and since the trait is inherited, bilateral castration is recommended, even in cases of unilateral cryptorchidism. Acquired disorders include: • Injury/contusion to either the penis or testicles, perhaps as a result of fighting or failure to jump cleanly over a fence. • Fracture of the os penis, again from trauma or as a result of a breeding accident. • Balanoposthitis, inflammation of the glans penis and prepuce, generally from a bacterial infection. • Paraphimosis, a failure of the glans penis to retract normally into the prepuce. • Inflammation or infection of the testes is termed orchitis; epididymitis or inflammation of the epididymis may also occur. Either of these can be caused by any number of bacteria. Of particular interest is brucellosis, an infection that causes resorption of the fetuses early in gestation or sudden abortion during the last trimester of pregnancy. Caused by the Brucella canis organism (or occasionally by B. abortus, B. suis, or B. melitensis), it is a highly contagious disease that can spread rapidly through a kennel by contact with infected fetuses, vaginal discharge, or occasionally by venereal means. Infected male dogs may develop generalized swellings of the lymph nodes, and they frequently show signs of a painful orchitis, epididymitis, or prostatitis. Neoplasias of the penis run the gamut of common types of tumors seen at other body sites, and, except for transmissible venereal tumors (TVTs), they usually occur in older dogs, beginning at around 10 years of age or older. TVTs generally occur in younger dogs since they are transmitted at coitus. TVTs grow, invade, and metastasize most widely in an immune-compromised individual, so immune-supportive therapy is indicated as a part of any holistic protocol for treating them. Tumors of the canine testes are the second most common neoplasm affecting the male dog, representing about 5 to 15 percent of diagnosed tumors. Tumors may develop in any of the tissue types that occur in the testes, but the most common tumors involve the germ cells (seminomas) and tumors of the Leydig and Sertoli cells. Dogs with undescended testicles (cryptorchid) are much more likely to develop testicular tumors, specifically Sertoli cell tumors and seminomas, than are normal dogs. Testicular tumors may be asymptomatic; many occur as a difficult-to-palpate, discrete mass within the testis. Most do not grow rapidly nor metastasize to other body sites. Some (slightly more than half of all) Sertoli cell tumors result in a feminization syndrome as a result of the production of estrogenic steroids by the tumor tissue. The feminization syndrome may cause significant dermatologic changes such as hair loss without itching and hyperpigmentation; behavior changes may also be noted. Seminomas may be associated with other clinical problems such as prostate disease, alopecia, perineal hernia, and other tumors (especially perianal gland adenomas). Prostatic tumors include adenomas, which are generally benign, and adenocarcinomas, which can be quite difficult to treat since they tend to metastasize to other tissues rapidly and because complete surgical excision is rarely possible. Tumors are treated via Western medicine by the usual means: surgical excision, and/or some form of chemo- or radiation-therapy. Alternative therapies for tumors of any type include homeopathy or acupuncture; nutritional supplements and herbal remedies may be included to support the primary therapy of choice. Functional disorders Failure to achieve an erection is a fairly common functional disorder of the male dog. Reasons for this condition include: • The female is not at the receptive stage of heat (this is the most common cause). • Pain (from prostatitis, for example, or arthritis or other conditions of the hips, legs, or lower back), which prevents mounting of the female. • Fear/anxiety about the female or the breeding environment. • Drugs that have anti-androgen activity – for example, ketaconazole, a commonly used drug for treating fungal infections. • Priapism, which is a persistent erection in the absence of sexual stimulus, is occasionally seen in dogs with spinal lesions. Rarely, it occurs due to thrombo-embolism of penile vasculature. This condition differs from the frequent erections seen in young excitable small breed dogs, which respond to behavioral modification, castration, and/or progestin therapy. Prostate problems The prostate, an accessory sex gland in the male dog, is located just caudal to the bladder in the area of the bladder neck and proximal urethra. It encircles the urethra and has several ducts that enter the urethra throughout its circumference. It produces prostatic fluid, which acts as a transport and support medium for sperm during ejaculation. The prostate increases in weight with age until it reaches its normal size; it then stabilizes through adulthood until it begins to grow again in aged animals. However, if the dog is castrated before sexual maturity, normal growth of the prostate is completely inhibited. If the dog is castrated as an adult, the gland will decrease in size to about 20 percent of its normal adult size. Some practitioners refer to age-related prostatic weight increase as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition commonly seen in aged humans. In contrast to human males, however, the uncastrated dog’s prostatic enlargement usually does not cause dysuria (difficulty in urination) due to urethral obstruction; the dog’s prostrate tends to enlarge outward, away from the urethra. Treatment may be required only if the enlarged prostate causes abnormal signs such as dysuria or straining when defecating. Other diseases of the prostate are fairly common, especially in the older dog, and may lead to fertility problems. In the aging dog, fluid cysts may develop in association with age-related hyperplasia. Urinary incontinence True incontinence (involuntary urine leakage) must be differentiated from behavioral urinary issues such as lack of housetraining, submissive urination, territorial marking, or senile loss of housetraining due to canine cognitive dysfunction. There are several causes of incontinence, including excessive water consumption; infection of the urinary tract or bladder stones (either of which can cause irritation and stimulate the “need to pee” feeling); spinal cord irritation; weak bladder sphincter; and several diseases, including diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus, Cushings syndrome, and kidney failure. Western medicine treatments have included hormone therapy, alpha-adrenergic agonists, anticholinergics, and surgery. All of these except the anticholinergics work by attempting to restore neuromuscular control and tone to the bladder sphincter. The anticholinergics work by relaxing the bladder’s muscle fibers, thus facilitating urine storage. All of these treatments (with the excep-tion of surgery, which has not been very successful without additional medications) have proven to be fairly effective. The problem is, all the medications listed above may cause severe side effects, and some have been removed from the market. Both phenylpropanolamine, the popular alpha-adrenergic agent, and diethylstilbestrol (an estrogen), are now available from special pharmacy compounding outlets. My choice for treating urinary incontinence is to first of all perform a chiropractic evaluation and adjustment if indicated. Many patients respond to this initial treatment, and periodic adjustments seem to keep their spinal cord fit enough to allow for urine retention. If indicated, I also add acupuncture treatments for their ability to help enhance the balance of hormones throughout the body, as well as for their ability to treat spinal or other inflammatory conditions that might exist. There are also several herbal remedies that have been especially developed to help with treatment of this condition, and in my mind the idea of treating all castrated individuals with herbs that contain steroidal precursors warrants further study. In any event, only after I’ve tried all the alternatives am I tempted to resort to Western medicine drugs. Fertility evaluation There are several ways to evaluate the functional capacity or breeding soundness of the male dog, including observation of sexual behavior (libido), general health, soundness of rear quarters, spermatogenic capacity, and functional evaluations of other, associated organ systems. Daily spermatozoa production is highly correlated with testicular weight and this latter highly correlated with scrotal width. Scrotal widths are measured with calipers. The ejaculate should be evaluated for sperm count, motility, and morphology. Frequency of ejaculate does not affect daily sperm production, but it depletes the sperm reserves contained in the epididymis. Thus, when high sperm concentrations are desired (for example, when sperm are being collected for preservation), the number of sperm is maximized by having the dog ejaculate only at four- to five-day intervals. Healthy animals have a high percentage of sperm that are actively and rapidly swimming in a freshly collected sample. Sperm morphology is evaluated by staining the cells and observing them under a microscope. Stained slides may also reveal the abnormal presence of high numbers of bacteria, white blood cells, or red blood cells. At least 75 percent of the sperm cells should be morphologically normal. Sometimes, fertility evaluations include an examination of the bacteria that resides in the prepuce and distal penile urethra of the male. However, even perfectly healthy and fertile dogs have a normal population of bacteria in those locations. There are often at least three or four different species of bacteria found. On the other hand, some studies indicate that a high bacterial count, especially if there are high numbers of gram negative bacteria along with large numbers of white blood cells, indicates infection. If total numbers of bacteria are high, rule out infection as a potential cause of infertility. Outside factors Poor thyroid function is known to adversely affect libido and breeding soundness in animals, and other organ systems will likely be shown in the future to have intimate connections to the reproductive system. A complete breeding soundness exam will certainly include an evaluation of thyroid function, and an evaluation of other organ systems may also be indicated. Recently, there has been much to-do about estrogenic factors in the environment – airborne “sexual toxins” such as pesticides, herbicides, and manufacturing by-products of plastic production. This news is worth following. Some final breeding hints: • Be certain the dog has reached puberty. • The dog’s libido and efficiency will increase with age and experience – at least, until the onset of old age problems. • Be certain that the female is truly in standing heat. To be sure, use a combination of hormonal, cytological, endoscopic, and behavioral evaluations for the female. • Wherever possible, stay out of the way and let nature take its course. The second most common cause of breeding failure is well-meaning folks who feel the need to interfere and thus disrupt the “ambiance” necessary for good reproductive contact. • Realize that sometimes the mating was simply not meant to be. Sometimes, for whatever the reason, the couple may not be attracted to each other, and they may never be able to “hit it off.” Alternative treatments I think acupuncture and chiropractic are essential when treating at least two conditions of the reproductive system: incontinence and breeding soundness. I’ve had very good results in some (but certainly not all) cases of urinary incontinence using chiropractic adjustments alone or in combination with acupuncture. The typical animal who will benefit from chiropractic adjustments will have a palpable subluxation somewhere between T-12 and L-3. Acupuncture and chiropractic have also cured many an animal from “infertility” that was caused by pain in their hindquarters. Acupuncture has been shown to enhance sperm production, libido, and overall vitality. Herbal remedies offer a good alternative way to treat bacterial infections. Antibiotic herbs such as goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) and Oregon grape root (Berberis aquifolium), and immune-stimulating herbs such as echinacea (Echinacea spp.) apply here. In addition, I think it is healthy to support male hormone production after an animal is castrated, even though I realize this is controversial. The major controversy seems to be that the phyto-hormones are not actually hormones, but rather, precursors to hormones. Those stuck on a biochemical paradigm say that only preordained amounts of the biochemical will be effective. I happen to like the herbal remedies because they are precursors of the steroidal hormones; I like the idea that the animal’s body can select the precursor it needs along with the amount it needs. To my way of thinking, this way of supplying a hormone has the best chance for being applied in a healthy manner by the dog’s own systems, and it has the least chance to interfere with the intricate feedback methods already in place in the body. Some plants that provide anabolic steroidal precursors include wild yam (Dioscorea villosa), sarsaparilla (Smilax officinalis), licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), damiana (Turnera aphrodisiaca), and saw palmetto (Serenoa serrulata). Check with an herbalist experienced with using herbs for treating animals for proper dosages and delivery methods. Also With This ArticleClick here to view “To Neuter or Not to Neuter Your Dog, That Is the Question”Click here to view “New Reasons to Spay, Neuter”-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”.
Bart, a two-year-old Husky in Palm Desert, California, licks his paws incessantly and is always itchy. This morning he also vomited. Not in the easy-to-clean patio, but in the middle of the kitchen floor.
“At least it wasn’t on the sofa this time,” mumbles Linda, his guardian, as she rummages beneath the sink for a bottle of household spray cleaner. Finally she finds it – the good stuff – the same brand that her mom used when she was a kid. She cleans up the mess and gives the spot an extra squirt and a light wipe, leaving the spot a little wet to assure an extra measure of disinfectant action.
In the living room Bart is still chewing. Linda looks at his paws and sees that they are raw and scabby between the toes. As she strokes his coat she notices a strange lump on his front leg. It wasn’t there before.
“This isn’t just fleas,” she thinks to herself. “It can’t be! I just had the entire yard sprayed last week. Besides, it has been too darned hot to leave him in the yard much, and he hasn’t had a flea on him since he got his spot-on flea remedy last month.”
Linda figures that it isn’t food allergy, either. She spends a lot of money on his dog food – the best natural recipe kibble she can get at the health food store. Sometimes Bart even eats home-cooked food, and he gets essential fatty acids, digestive enzymes, and a vitamin supplement with each meal. And as if that isn’t enough, Bart also gets twice daily doses of a dandelion/milk thistle herb tincture product that the holistic vet said is supposed to support Bart’s liver and help his body detoxify.
But his problems aren’t improving, and Linda is becoming discouraged. She lights her last cigarette and sits down by Bart’s bed. “Is this whole natural pet care thing just nonsense? Am I getting ripped off?” she wonders.
Incomplete understanding
Bart and Linda’s dilemma is not unique. Several thousand other people will likely become discouraged each year by disappointing results from the natural products they buy and use. Many will abandon their pursuit of animal wellness altogether, returning to old ways of feeding bargain- basement foods and spending huge amounts of money on symptomatic treatment of their dogs’ chronic disease.
Is it because most natural remedies don’t work? Is it because natural-recipe foods are a waste of money?
Certainly not.
Indeed, there are some misleading label claims out there, and there are too many junk products in the natural pet marketplace these days. But unscrupulous manufacturers of these products are not to blame for their failures.
In the case of Linda and many other holistically inclined dog lovers, failures in achieving desirable results do not rest with the foods, supplements, or holistic vet services they use, but with the mindset from which these products are used.
Bart’s problems stem largely from what his caregiver has not considered. The fact is, Bart is well-nourished, and the herbs he gets probably are supporting his liver and helping to move toxins out of his body – but Linda isn’t looking at the bigger picture, and his health may never improve until she does.
Bart’s feet may be covered with sores because he is allergic to the organophos-phate pesticides Linda sprays on the back lawn. Even worse, these organophosphates have been linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that has been on the rise in both humans and animals in recent years.
Or it may be the household cleaner she uses, which may harm Bart’s liver as he licks it from his feet every day. It may even lead to cancer.
Then there’s the spot-on flea pesticide she uses on him, a product that most people believe to be totally safe. Indeed, the manufacturer’s own research says the product is toxic only to sucking insects and other invertebrates, and therefore it is safe for dogs. What the manufacturer didn’t tell Linda or her veterinarian is that studies also show that the active ingredient in the product is a potential neurotoxin to mammals – after it is licked from the skin and ingested.
Nor was she told about the studies that suggest that long-term, recurrent use of the pesticide may cause chromosomal deformity (genetic disease) and thyroid disease. The fact is, nobody told Linda that most if not all of the spot-on flea killers haven’t been studied enough to accurately predict what their long-term health effects are. Obviously, the manufacturers who are making millions off of the product aren’t in a big rush to find out and tell people.
Then there is Linda’s smoking habit. Secondhand smoke kills people, and there is no reason to think that it is any less harmful to dogs. In fact, since dogs age at a much more accelerated rate than we do, it is reasonable to think that their bodies may succumb to the effects of secondhand cigarette smoke more quickly than ours.
So, is Linda wasting time and money on premium food and supplements? Not en-tirely; good nutrition and systemic support are always important. But Bart is not going to enjoy the full results of her efforts until she takes a hard look at the bigger picture. And that bigger picture includes Linda’s lifestyle.
Holism can’t be done halfway
The value of natural diets and supplements cannot be fully realized until the human caregiver is willing to adopt a holistic life-style. Likewise, no course of natural canine therapy can be entirely effective unless all elements of wellness are first considered.
The word “natural” on a product label may lead some people to think that the product must be safer and deeper in its therapeutic or nutritional values, but the truth is that all this word really suggests is the possibility of greater purity and superior quality. Even cream-of-the-crop products that really are made with all-natural ingredients cannot guarantee any greater levels of efficacy over conventional alternatives unless they are used as part of a holistic agenda that factors all elements of physical, emotional, and environmental health into the wellness equation.
My intent is not to question the love, conviction, or intelligence of any of my readers, nor to denigrate anyone like Linda. But I remind you that we are all prone to becoming complacent when it comes to managing the health of our dogs. We are also prone to seeking out and getting what pleases us, even if it isn’t in the best interests of those around us. Like Bart, the non-complaining Husky who has been raised in a small apartment, in the hot, arid climate of Palm Desert, California. What was Linda thinking?
Even though my work and lifestyle immerses me in the world of holistic animal care each and every day, I, too, catch myself reaching for a quick fix at times when I should be looking deeper into my dogs’ health issues. Just last week I caught myself giving Willow, my Shepherd-cross, an herbal breath formula without first checking her teeth and gums. I was busy, and it was two days before I remembered to examine her mouth carefully, to eliminate an oral infection as the cause of her bad breath.
Loving someone is not always easy. And caring for someone holistically is not an easy job – especially when that someone is not human. And although it’s great to include our dogs as members of our families, it is important to remember that they are really not like us at all. Sure, we can give them human names, dress them in silly clothes, give them fancy haircuts, and feed them foods that are packaged to appeal to human sight and smell – but we must always remember that their health is highly dependent on how well we are able to respect and honor the “ways of dogs.” The family dog, after all, is still an animal by nature.
What I am saying may sound simple, but it’s not. To accept and fulfil a dog’s needs, we must put our human tendencies aside long enough to stop catering to our needs for conveniences and consider the effects of our own, human condition.
Diet as an example
Diet presents us with a perfect example of my point.
Dogs need foods that are fit for them, not necessarily for us. It is common practice for pet food manufacturers to draw consumers to their products by the way their products are packaged, how the product looks, smells, and even tastes to humans (believe it or not, some companies even use human taste testers).
But this does not diminish the reality of what dogs need: muscle and organ meats, connective tissues, raw bones, and even an occasional snack of pre-digested vegetable matter (dogs sometimes eat grass and other things twice, to improve digestion). Which brings us to raw food – many people will not feed it to their dogs simply because they (humans) find it too repulsive. The dog may not think it’s repulsive, and he doesn’t care about the shape or color of his kibble, either.
Consider negative influences
Thinking holistically also means going places within the human mind where we really don’t like to go – places where we are forced to consider the consequences of our actions and reassess the impacts of our bad habits. In this uncomfortable place we are forced by our love to consider aspects of our own behavior that may contribute to the misery of our dogs. Loud music, angry arguments, cars with exhaust leaks, loud vehicles, new carpets and linoleum (toxic gassing), fresh paint, wood smoke, fireworks, or even a box of dark chocolates left out on the coffee table may contribute to our dogs’ stress and increase risk of illness.
Then there are issues of unnecessary and/or over-vaccination, prophylactic use of antibiotics, tail docking, and ear cropping – things we would never do to our human children, but often will not think twice about when it comes to our beloved pooches.
Indeed, moving toward adopting a completely holistic lifestyle can be difficult – but it’s what true love and true healing are all about, isn’t it?
