How often do I get the opportunity to unabashedly BRAG?! Not too often, so I’ll make the best of it: In June, I was thrilled to learn that the Chicago Tribune named WDJ to its annual list of “50 Best Magazines” in the U.S. And, they ranked us at #11, just after Consumer Reports and just before Time. I still feel tingly!
I’m immensely grateful for the recognition and attention, and hopeful that the exposure might help more dog owners find their way to WDJ – and all the humane, effective, and even potentially lifesaving health and training tips provided by our expert contributors. Thank you, Chicago!
Fortunately, I was quickly brought back to earth by the very stuff WDJ is rooted in: dog problems that needed solving. This came in a couple of forms: a big red one and a smaller yellow one.
I sort of kidnapped Cody, a Lab-mix who belongs to a friend’s family. The family, I learned, was in the middle of an emotional debate over the young dog’s fate, with the dad threatening to send Cody to the pound and the mom and kids clamoring for clemency. I offered to take Cody home for an evaluation and some training – really, a cooling-off period for the combatants.
It turns out, I’m siding with mom and the kids. Cody is a lovely, sweet boy in desperate need of direction and approval. He’s learning a lot, and thriving on all the attention and company – and it’s going to be really hard to send him home.
He does have some behavior issues to sort out. Not surprisingly, he’s suspicious and wary of men. He expresses his anxiousness in their presence by putting all his hair straight up and growling in a most fearsome manner – while shrinking and ducking away in fear. So, daily, I’m practicing the counter-conditioning and desensitization program described by Pat Miller on page 13 of this issue. We go out looking for men, and I toss Cody treats as they walk by. Quite a thrill for a married woman!
Then Hannah, my brother’s dog, came to stay for a week while my brother went on vacation with his girlfriend. Hannah’s arrival was not a surprise, but the intense skunk smell she was wrapped in sure was. It was a surprise, too, to Keith’s new girl-friend, who rode in the car with Hannah for the hour’s drive between Keith’s picking her up at the airport and their arrival at my house.
Why didn’t he warn us? My brother has NO sense of smell – none.
Well, it was a good opportunity for me to test some commercial skunk odor removers (results in this issue). And, as it turned out, it was a good “good sport” test of the girlfriend, too. She didn’t say a word to him about Hannah’s stench – and she did smell it. She passes, with flying colors!
Over the years I have treated literally thousands of animal patients for allergic problems, using both Western and alternative medicine methods. I have a multi-tome library of books devoted to the subject of allergies, and my allergy file-folders bulge with articles from dozens of professional journals, magazines, and Web sites.
Still, I am searching for answers.
The more I think I know about allergies, the more I read and learn about them, the more confused I get. Nothing I have tried therapeutically works with all my patients; some patients get better with hardly any effort on my part; others finally respond to my third or fourth treatment protocol (or 9th or 10th); and some never respond, no matter what I try.
Often, as I try to figure out how to give some semblance of relief for a dog’s itches, it feels like the three of us – the dog, the dog’s caretaker, and I – are stuck in the midst of a huge maze, blindly trying to find our way to the outside. And, while there may be some general rules that can help get us through the majority of the mazes (see sidebar), each and every allergic patient has its own unique construct, and the pathway through the maze is likely to be very different for every individual.
The following pathway in this article is meant to help you navigate most cases of allergy, most of the time.
How Allergy Manifests in Dogs
Allergies can present as a variety of symptoms, but in the dog, the most common symptoms occur as skin irritations: itching, scratching, digging, and gnawing at the skin, often to the point of creating open raw wounds over large areas of the body. Chronic ear infections are another common symptom. Occasionally dogs will have respiratory symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, or a nasal or ocular discharge. Food allergies may produce, in addition to skin irritations, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Symptoms can extend to include epileptiform seizures, and many holistic vets feel that allergies can ultimately result in chronic diseases such as arthritis, asthma, chronic urinary tract infections, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.
Interestingly, whereas dogs typically have itchy skin symptoms, a human allergic response usually produces respiratory symptoms. An estimated 10 percent of the human population may be allergic to animals (the rate for being allergic to cats is about twice as high as for dogs); a higher rate of 20 to 30 percent of individuals with asthma have pet allergies.
When Dogs’ Immune Systems Run Amok
It has been estimated that more than 70 percent of all skin conditions in dogs are allergy-related, but every allergic patient presents a unique diagnostic challenge, and merely deciding which diagnostic tests should be run can be the most challenging of all our decisions. The following suggestions will help you determine which of the myriad causes might be responsible for your dog’s allergies. From this information, you and your holistic veterinarian can determine the best therapeutic action(s) to take.
In a nutshell, allergy is the result of an immune system that has, for one reason or another, turned against the self. Sometimes, this reaction seems instantaneous, as when a dog receives a food that contains something to which he is allergic, and he breaks out almost immediately with rashy, itchy skin. But frequently, allergies may become made evident in your dog only after “gestating” for a long period, as long as four years or more. It can thus be almost impossible to pinpoint the exact cause that has instigated the symptoms.
We know there is a genetically derived propensity for developing allergies, but of course, there’s not much you can do about this after the fact, after your dog’s allergies have already begun to surface. About all we can do is to support breeders who select individuals for immune competence, Zheng Chi vigor, healthy vital force, or for any of the health-giving attributes necessary for long-term, holistic well-being.
First Steps to Relieving Pet Allergies
Make fleas flee. Most studies indicate that fleas are the number one cause of contact dermatitis in the canine species. So, it makes sense to look for fleas first, and if they are present, to use a low-toxic way to lower their numbers in the environment – in as natural a way as is possible. (See “Eliminate Fleas Without Poisons,” WDJ March 2002.)
However, if your dog is highly allergic to fleas, you may not have the luxury of taking your time to reduce flea populations. In these cases, a careful, limited use of the highly effective (and sometimes dangerous) “spot-on” pesticides may be necessary to quickly eliminate the flea population. This can give you time to improve his overall health and ability to withstand an occasional flea bite. Of course, a blind and sole reliance on pesticides is not recommended (see “Are Spot-On Flea Killers Safe?” February 2002).
Treat skin lesions. A holistic approach to allergies understands that external, skin symptoms are merely an outer manifestation of something going wrong inside. This is contrary to the conventional Western medicine way of thinking in which, often, only the symptoms are attacked, with little or no concern for the underlying cause.
That said, you must tend to the skin lesions, possibly with topical medications and/or soothing baths, as you work your way through the diagnostic and medical challenges of the allergic case. My favorite topical medicine for almost any skin lesion is to apply a spritz made from a tea brewed from calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis), several times a day, directly to the lesion. Other herbs such as chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla or Anthemus nobile), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), lavender (Lavendula officinalis), and mullein (Verbascum thapsus) may also be added to the herbal brew.
In every case of allergy, I initiate immediate treatment of the dog’s gastrointestinal system. As we heal the gut, we in turn enhance the immune system – recognizing that a good portion of the immune system is located in the gut wall. A balanced immune system helps the dog deal naturally with any allergen that may be causing allergic reactions, whether this allergen is contact (skin-induced), inhalant (respiratory induced), or gut induced (food allergy). It’s been my experience that if we can get the immune system balanced, most, if not all allergies, tend to go away.
Further, though I have not seen any studies that confirm this, experience has proven to me (and many other veterinarians) that some animals are allergic to the preservatives, artificial flavors, and/or artificial colorings found in some commercial dog foods. Oftentimes a simple upgrade to a higher quality diet without artificial ingredients eliminates the allergies.
I treat this “gut-check” step much as I would a confirmed case of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Here’s where your holistic practitioner can help devise a protocol that is definitive for your dog. My general approach is to detoxify first, probably with a mild herbal laxative such as aloe (Aloe vera), or senna (Cassia spp.). Then I add herbal liver helpers such as dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale), and milk thistle seeds (Silybum marianum). I’ll also try to return the gut to a normal flora by adding beneficial bugs (Lactobacillus and other so-called probiotics) and increasing the dietary fiber.
As I am working with the gut, I will try to enhance a balanced immune system using herbs such as echinacea (Echinacea spp.) or Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus). Immune enhancing supplements including vitamins C and A and zinc may also be helpful.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are a group of chemicals found in some foods, and some of them can be converted into beneficial prostaglandins. At the top of the beneficial list are the Omega-3 EFAs found in flax oil and deep sea fish such as salmon, haddock, and cod, and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), found in evening primrose, borage, and black currant seed oil. A combination of the Omega-3s and GLA seems to have the most potent effect.
A natural anti-inflammatory or cortisone-like herb such as licorice root (Glyceriza glabra) may enhance the adrenal gland and also take some of the itch away.
Many of the holistic vets I know have found that an addition of some raw meat to the diet often alleviates the symptoms. Interestingly, in what may seem to be a paradoxical finding, I’ve had several animals who tested as allergic to a specific meat eliminate their allergies when we’ve added that particular meat (raw) to the diet. Note that these have all been animals that were treated beforehand to enhance their gut immunity, with the above inflammatory bowel protocol.
Realize that in this protocol we are simply upgrading the diet and adding anti-inflammatory and immune-enhancing nutrients. This is not a “food elimination” test for food allergies – a test that we might consider down the road, if these first steps don’t seem to work. A true food elimination diet is more complex than this and will take at least two months of a strict dietary regime before we’ll have a diagnostic answer. (See sidebar.)
There is a certain amount of discipline involved with setting aside the obvious skin condition for a time while you change diets and add supplements, while you begin to think in terms of whole-body, long-term effects of whatever therapies you will use in the future. Not everyone has the time, patience, or forbearance to go through a holistic protocol for treating allergies, and it’s a waste of time for everyone concerned to try to force a holistic protocol on someone who only wants a quick fix.
The Value and Limits of Allergy Testing Dogs
If we don’t have much luck alleviating symptoms after we’ve eliminated the fleas and changed the diet, then we are confronted with further challenges.
A dog (or any animal) may become allergic to almost any substance that exists in the real world. Furthermore, there are many diseases – external parasites, fungal or bacterial infections, hormonal conditions (hypothyroidism in particular), to name just a few – that create very similar symptoms to those caused by allergies.
The challenge is to figure out which substance, bug, or agent is creating the allergic response – and we may not be able to determine that substance. Not ever. Or we may be lucky and find a diagnostic test that elucidates the one cause of the allergy, and all we have to do is either eliminate this one cause from the dog’s environment or create an inner environment whereby he can counter the cause.
Using the Western medicine approach, we might decide that a complete blood count and blood chemistry would narrow our list of possible causes. A thyroid panel might also be helpful, but remember that animals will often test low for thyroxin (T-4) whenever they are sick (as with allergies). So, a low T-4 may only indicate an animal suffering from allergies; not an animal that is hypothyroid.
Oftentimes these tests are more helpful for eliminating potential causes than they are for creating a specific diagnosis. And my usual caveat for testing definitely applies here: “Only do those diagnostic tests that, depending on their outcome, will change your treatment protocol. To do otherwise is a waste of time and money.”
There are two basic types of allergy testing for specific causes: skin and blood testing. The skin test injects small amounts of potential antigens into the skin, and the practitioner looks for an excess reaction around the injection site – indicating a possible allergy to the injected substance. Various blood tests, such as the RAST (radioallergosorbent) and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) tests, check for antigen-induced antibodies in the dog’s blood. If we can identify a specific allergen from the testing, we can then desensitize the patient by injecting small doses of the allergen over a period of time – often extending over several years.
However, all of these tests have problems inherent in their design, and depending on their personal experiences with them, practitioners either “swear at” or “swear by” them. Part of the problem is that the tests are not very accurate; false positives and false negatives are common. Furthermore, and this may be an even worse problem, when we do determine what substance a dog is allergic to, we may conclude that we won’t be able to eliminate or reduce his exposure to the allergen anyway.
For example, say that tests indicate that your dog is allergic to house dust and the oak trees that grow naturally all around your neighborhood. To avoid all of this dog’s allergies, we’d have to sterilize the house and deforest the town – not practical solutions!
The Pathway of Allergy Treatments
Even the pathway we choose to take when we decide which medicine to use is not an easy or clear-cut choice. Whatever medical system we opt to use, we need to understand that each method has its way of looking at health and disease (its diagnostic and treatment paradigms) and its own set of advantages and disadvantages when treating allergies.
Conventional Western medicine’s paradigm is to confront the disease with biochemical methods (think war metaphors) and to palliate the symptoms so the patient looks well on the surface. Western medicine’s most common therapy for allergies is to use either one of the glucocorticoids or an antihistamine. Glucocorticoids have a litany of adverse side effects (see “Use Corticosteroids With Caution,” WDJ July 2004), especially when used for prolonged periods, and antihistamines can adversely affect a number of body systems in many patients. On the other hand, both these drug categories are fast-acting and are powerful at palliating the itchy skin symptoms.
There has been a recent spate of newer, non-steroidal drugs on the market. Most of these are simply another way to shut down the immune system’s overreaction. The problem is, of course, that no matter how we do it, when we shut down the immune system (rather than attempting to balance or enhance its ability as we do with alternative medicines), we have opened the door to infections and other complications of a nonfunctioning immune system.
Atopica (cyclosporine), a drug sold by Novartis, is an interesting example. Its package insert lists the following adverse reactions: vomiting (30.9 percent); diarrhea (20 percent); persistent otitis externa (6.8 percent); urinary tract infection (3.8 percent); gingival hyperplasia (2.3 percent); and lymphadenopathy (2.3 percent). Contra-indications include “dogs with a history of malignant neoplasia” (hmm), and according to the insert: “killed vaccines are recommended for dogs receiving Atopica because the impact of cyclosporine on the immune response to modified live vaccines is unknown . . .” (double hmmm).
Way back in the 1980s, cyclosporine was used as immunosuppressive therapy to eliminate organ rejection during organ transplantation. Its mechanism of action seems to be to suppress the activation of CD4 Helper T (lymphocyte) cells – that is, it has a mechanism of action different from the glucocorticoids, but with basically the same result: immunosuppression.
Then there are the alternative and complementary pathways.
Homeopathy works with the patient’s inner vital force, to enhance the ability to dispel any disease, including allergies. Homeopathic medicine is typically slow to work, and (at least in my experience when treating allergies) it is critical to find the specifically appropriate remedy that matches the totality of symptoms (“classical homeopathy”) – a process that can take many months.
Homeopathic remedies may cause aggravations, and unfortunately the aggravations often take on the appearance of a recurrence of the skin symptoms. It can be difficult to differentiate between a homeopathic aggravation (a good sign) and a worsening of the condition. Homeopathic cures are typically whole-body and long-lasting, although many of my patients have needed to re-dose their remedy every few months or so.
Acupuncture works by balancing the patient’s chi. In the case of allergies, the chi is overly active and needs to be calmed. “Zheng chi,” as the corollary to the immune system, is also enhanced.
In my experience, acupuncture almost always takes at least four or five treatments before we can determine its effectiveness, and the total number of treatments may reach a dozen or more. Most of my allergy patients need to return for follow-up acupuncture treatments on a periodic basis, usually a few times a year.
Although there are times when a simple herbal remedy is exactly what an allergic patient needs, I often find herbal remedies to be very mild in action and slow to work. I find them most helpful in enhancing and balancing specific organ systems that are under duress from the allergic condition.
I’ve seen many cases of localized skin lesions that have responded favorably and rapidly to chiropractic. Presumably, when a vertebra is out of alignment, the irritation to the associated nerve endings sends a sensation to the skin area that the dog interprets as, “Dang, that itches!” And so he scratches and bites until the chiropractic treatment readjusts the vertebral alignment.
There are a number of other therapies that occasionally surprise me with their effectiveness, especially flower essences, which work to balance the emotions, and aromatherapy, which works at a subtle inner-brain level. There are several methods that utilize various forms of applied kinesiology as an aid to both diagnosis and treatment. (Applied kinesiology tests the body’s reaction to a substance to determine if the subject is allergic to it, and it can also be used to “test” for the expected effectiveness of treatment preparations.)
Perhaps the most important concept to be clear with here is that Western medicine’s way of diagnosis (and its philosophy of treatment) is very different from alternative medicine’s methods. When a Western-trained practitioner sees an allergic animal, he immediately visualizes the biochemical symbols that are running amok, and his plan of attack is to use chemicals to block the out-of-control biochemical reactions.
An acupuncturist, on the other hand, might see an allergic response as an imbalance of energy or chi, specifically “Zheng chi” or “Righteous chi,” the Traditional Chinese Medicine correlate to the immune system.
Part of the acupuncturist’s thera-peutic approach, then, will be to enhance the Zheng chi, the life force that maintains homeodynamic bal-ance and produces optimal health.
Canine Allergy Treatment Summary
My general treatment protocol for allergies, then, would look something like this:
• Reduce the flea populations on and around the dog.
• Reduce the potential for food allergies by improving the quality of the food, and at the same time . . .
• Enhance the immune system with high-quality food and nutritional supplements.
• Don’t challenge the immune system excessively – with any vaccines that are less than absolutely necessary, for example.
• Use natural anti-inflammatory herbs and supplements.
• Consider acupuncture or homeopathy for chronic and/or severe cases (NOTE: I’ve often been disappointed when using these two in combination for treating allergies).
• Reduce environmental causes of allergy – airborne smoke and dust particles, for example. Air quality is important in preventing the passage of allergens through the air. If your dog (or anyone else in the family) has allergies, consider using a quality household air filter.
• Whenever possible, use methods that enhance the animal’s innate ability to balance its own immune system and use methods that are the most natural and have the least potential for toxicity. However . . .
• If early therapeutic attempts are not productive, consider testing for specific allergens (using skin or blood tests or a food elimination diet) if other methods do not seem to be working.
• There may come a time when you may need to resort to medicines we know to be toxic and/or medicines that shut down the immune system rather than helping to balance it. Only you can decide when your dog and even you cannot take any more itching and scratching, and the loss of hair, skin, weight, sleep, and/or sanity that often accompanies severe allergy.
It has been said that sometimes, along our journey to wellness, we need to see and feel how it looks and feels to be well, so we can try to get back to this place. Sometimes I get the feeling that dogs affected with allergies – after perhaps months of itching and scratching, of evident pain and sleep loss – have forgotten how it feels to be well. With these cases, I think it is important to let them experience wellness, however briefly, even if it means that we may have to resort to types of medications such as glucocorticoids and/or antihistamines that I would ultimately like to avoid.
I think we need to approach allergies (and other chronic diseases) with an under-standing that the treatment protocol we choose will likely require time, effort, and discipline; that we may never be able to come up with a treatment regime using a linear-logical approach; and that, in the end, we may not truly find our way out of the maze of allergies, no matter what we try.
Dr. Randy Kidd earned his DVM degree from Ohio State University and his Ph.D. 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.
To continue reading this article or issue you must be a paid subscriber. Sign in
If you are logged in but cannot access this content, a) your subscription may have expired; b) you may have duplicate accounts (emails) in our system. Please check your account status hereorcontact customer service.
Immediate access to this article and 20+ years of archives.
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!
Many animal lovers in this country are aware of an epidemic that’s affecting our companion dogs and cats. There’s no easy cure; at best we can apply palliative measures. The epidemic? Rampant homelessness.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, 6 to 8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year – and fully half of them are euthanized because they run out of time or are not considered adoptable.
Shelters are overworked, underfunded, and stretched thin in attempting to handle the influx of unwanted animals. They perform difficult and, at times, heroic work in caring for these dogs and cats. Often these animals have ended up in a shelter because they were not properly raised and trained by their owners.
Owner neglect varies greatly, from passive or unintentional neglect, such as not providing socialization or training for an active young dog, to active physical abuse. Either type of neglect can result in an animal that at best exhibits problem behaviors such as chewing, house soiling, or barking; or, at worse, becomes a menace to society. The ultimate outcome is often the same: abandonment or surrender of the troublesome animal – and the addition of yet another pet at a shelter.
Ironically, due to overcrowding, funding issues, personnel shortages, or just not knowing there is a better way, cats and dogs in many shelters are kept in conditions that do not meet the criteria outlined by the shelter for adoption to a new home. In other words, the shelter would not adopt one of their charges out to themselves, since they do not meet their own standards.
Many shelters house animals individually in stark kennels, often without comfortable bedding, appropriate toilet facilities or opportunities, toys, or companionship of their own kind. Most receive little human interaction, education, physical or mental stimulation. It is well known that:
• Solitary confinement causes progressive de-socialization and fearfulness
• Lack of toilet facilities, opportunities, and education forces cats/dogs to soil their living/sleeping areas
• Lack of stuffed chew toys prompts destructive chewing and obsessive-compulsive disorders
• Lack of stuffed chew toys and education prompts barking and hyperactivity (with allelomimetic encouragement)
• Well-meant but inappropriate exercise fosters hyperactivity, barking, jumping up, and leash-pulling
• House soiling, destructive chewing and/or scratching, excessive barking, hyperactivity, jumping up, and leash-pulling are reported as major reasons why people surrender their animals to shelters or let them stray (to be captured and taken to shelters).
The presence of these same behaviors is also a major reason why some people do not want to adopt shelter animals. Kenneling animals in the traditional fashion exacerbates such problems.
A new minimum
There are numerous and rigorous veterinary and physical health requirements for livestock and for laboratory and zoo animals. However, there are few requirements that cater to the animals’ social and psychological needs in a shelter setting. If shelter animals are to remain, or become, suitable social companions for people, they require comfort, companionship, communication, education, and entertainment.
As ambassadors for the humane treatment of animals across the nation, it is essential for shelters to place equal value on the mental and physical needs of the animals in their custody. Attention to an incarcerated animal’s mental well-being should not be an afterthought or a bonus, but on par with physical health concerns and part of the standard protocol for care.
Open Paw has created guidelines for “Minimum Mental Health Requirements for Shelter Animals” to serve as a model for shelters interested setting an example for the community by providing holistic care for their residents.
Open Paw’s vision for shelters is to raise the bar for basic domestic animal care, as well as to serve as a model for the public. Adopting Open Paw’s Minimum Mental Health Requirements (MMHR) and practicing efficient animal-friendly and user-friendly techniques for basic care and training of the shelter animals has a tremendous impact on the community. Everyone who enters the shelter observes firsthand that animal care and training can be simple, humane, and enjoyable.
Imagine: A prospective adopter walks into an animal shelter that is quiet and smells clean. The dogs are peacefully lounging on beds, happily chewing away on food-stuffed chew toys, or sitting calmly at the front of their kennels wagging “hello” at every passerby. The cats are either curled up in beds on elevated platforms or batting at dangling catnip toys. Volunteers are busily training dogs throughout the facility and cat cuddlers are patiently teaching young, playful cats to retract their claws before getting overexcited. This is the type of shelter that people travel for miles to visit, clamoring to adopt the friendly, well-trained residents. These are cats and dogs that will easily settle into their new, permanent homes.
At first glance, some of the recommendations may seem unfeasible or too labor-intensive to implement. However, following the MMHR and adopting the Open Paw volunteer training program actually reduces the amount of time required for husbandry, kennel cleaning, and upkeep. This allows staff and volunteers to spend time on the more gratifying goal of interacting with and training the resident animals.
For example, by providing access to a separate, appropriate toilet area for dogs (rather than forcing them to soil their kennels), hours of unpleasant daily manual labor is virtually eliminated. Also, toilet-trained animals are cleaner and more adoptable, meaning a shorter stay at the shelter.
Certainly Open Paw’s guidelines require a considerable paradigm shift, and of course there are initial growing pains and adjustments, but the transformation is magical. Once staff and volunteers see calm, contented, and mannerly cats and dogs, they become very eager and excited about participating in the program.
Win/win/win
Shelters that have adopted Open Paw’s MMHR have found that the noise level in the shelters goes down, which, in turn, helps attract and retain volunteers. Potential adopters see dogs who are clean and exhibit calm, friendly behavior; these dogs are many times more likely to be taken home than dogs who have stepped in their own feces as they whirl around and bark. Shelters that adopt and utilize the MMHR are able to offer more adoptable dogs – ones that have the least chance of “flunking” life in their new homes and being returned to the shelter.
What’s more, using the examples of the calm, well-behaved dogs in their kennels, shelter staff and volunteers can take the opportunity to educate prospective owners about the improved dog-keeping practices, to encourage the owners to use similar guidelines at home to maintain their new dogs’ mental health and good behavior. It’s a win for everyone.
-Kelly Gorman, CPDT, is the president and chairperson of Open Paw. To comment or to obtain more information on how Open Paw can help raise the standard of humane care in shelters, call phone (510) 644-0729, see www.openpaw.org, or e-mail kellyg@openpaw.org.
Two years ago, WDJ published an excellent two-article series about flea control by Kathleen Dudley. The first article (“Are Spot-On Flea Killers Safe?“, February 2002) discussed the potential dangers of using pesticides. The second (“Eliminate Fleas Without Poisons,” March 2002) gave readers numerous non- and low-toxic tools they could use to control flea populations in their homes. The latter article mentioned, quite briefly, something called a “light trap,” which is supposed to attract and trap fleas.
I decided to test light traps a few months ago, when warm spring temperatures seemed to cause a resurgence of fleas in the editorial office of WDJ – which is on the ground floor of my home in a part of California that is famous for fleas. Plus, I have a more or less constant stream of potentially flea-bearing dogs coming through my home and office: dogs belonging to friends and relatives, and models and “test” dogs who try out products for us. Also, I have an indoor/outdoor cat, whom (I’m sure) helps carry fleas from here to there around my neighborhood. After seeing my long-haired Chihuahua scratch and finding a couple of fleas on him, I decided that my office would make a perfect test of these products.
I searched through a pile of pet supply catalogs and found two products appearing in a number of them. I ordered both from Jeffers, which advertised the lowest price.
Electric Flea Traps Flunk the WDJ Test
Here’s how these products are supposed to work: A small electric light bulb – the size that goes into the average night light, or old-fashioned Christmas tree lights – is suspended by a plastic case over a tray that contains a super-sticky pad. Fleas are attracted to the light, heat, and supposedly, infrared rays of the bulb, and jump toward it, landing on and adhering to the sticky pad.
I kept the flea traps plugged in (there is no on/off switch on either product) for two full months. I positioned them about a foot apart, on the carpeted floor between my office door and Mokie’s crate. Mokie sleeps in my office at night, in a sleeping bag-style bed in the crate, and he’s in and out of the office all day, as are all my guest dogs. The directions of both products suggested placing the traps as close as possible to the places where pets sleep and walk.
But in two months, neither trap caught a single flea – and not because there weren’t fleas here. Using a flea comb, I removed fleas from both Mokie and my cat throughout that time. Not a lot, but at least a dozen or so per week. In addition to the combing, I employed a number of other nontoxic flea-control techniques – baths for the animals and frequent vacuuming and floor-washing.
The traps did attract and kill a few other insects, including flies, tiny gnats, and one ant. Worried that the sticky pads in the traps were not sticky enough to catch fleas, I once dropped a flea that I had combed out of Mokie’s fur onto one of the pads. It stuck! But after walking past the traps wearing white socks and seeing two fleas jump onto my socks – and not toward the traps – I had to conclude that these products are not helpful in attracting (and thus controlling or detecting) a light flea population.
I didn’t test the traps in the face of a heavy flea infestation, but given their poor performance in this test, I would choose more effective options if my home and workplace was overrun by fleas.
The article, “Home Remedies For Your Dog’s Skin Inflammation” (WDJ May 2004), was interesting and full of great information. But I would have liked to have read more than a passing glance at the end of the article with regard to diet.
For several years I’ve provided foster care for NorCal Golden Retriever Rescue, and with that came several Goldens with hot spots, chronic itchiness, etc. There was a common thread for these and other dogs from the sporting breeds I’ve encountered over the years, and that was the issue of high- and super-high protein dog foods.
People are eager to feed “the best” to their animals, and the more protein the better it is – right? (Not!) Many of the dogs surrendered through the rescue arrived with the food they were eating along with other “personal effects.” Since most of these animals were young to middle age and house-bound for the most part, I found simply changing to a food with a lower percentage of protein cleared their ailments within a few days and their coats returned to normal within a couple of weeks.
It’s very important to realize that too much of a good thing is bad and protein in concentrations designed for “working” dogs being fed to “couch potatoes” is simply asking for problems.
I found that for normally active “family dogs” a protein content of not more than 22 percent was more than adequate for proper nutrition and weight management. Dogs that actually worked in the field did well with a protein concentration of not more than 28 percent.
I also found a correlation between hyperactivity and high protein content. Some super-high protein formulas are as much as 32-34 percent protein; this is great if your dog runs 3-4 hours each day, 7 days a week, but it’s deadly “hot” for most average activity levels.
Take into consideration what kind of activity your dog engages in daily and feed him an appropriate protein content for that activity.
-Keith Wentworth via e-mail
Great point, Keith. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
———-
I love your magazine. You do good work. And I love that you don’t take any advertising.
I went to the Web sites you mentioned as sources for some of the toys in the review, “Toys to Keep ’em Busy” (May 2004) and was dismayed by what I found. In addition to selling some of those wonderful toys, one of the Web sites sells puppies! And it has all the signs of a puppy mill: all breeds, prices listed, etc.
I realize you’re in a bind. People like me in the hinterlands want to be able to buy the products you like. But can you suggest some other sites where we can buy the toys mentioned in the article?
-Carlynn Ricks via e-mail
We were horrified to learn that we had recommended a source for some of our recommended toys (such as the IQube, above) that also sells puppies. It’s absolutely not our intention to support businesses, even in a peripheral way, that support puppy mills.
There is an alternate site (www.ihelppets.com) where you can buy not only all the toys in question (Plush Ring Puzzle Toy Frog, The Intellibone, The IQube, and Hide A Squirrel), but also products with anti-puppy mill messages. We hope this helps make up for our oversight.
———-
Ears Another Solution
I just finished reading my June issue and was interested in “A New ‘Old’ Ear Treatment.” I thought you and other readers might be interested to know what I used to clear up bad ears in my Boykin Spaniel. He had a chronic problem with yeasty ears. I’ve used a product for several years for my own struggles with yeast, and decided to use the product on my dog. The product is called “Geneflora” and it is a wonderful probiotic that does not have to be refrigerated. It comes in a capsule that can be opened so you can sprinkle the contents on food.
I started sprinkling the powder from several capsules on Dudley’s food every night. A few weeks later, his ears cleared up (now they’re nice and pink) and the itching and scratching stopped. Now I just sprinkle some on his food occasionally as maintenance. He doesn’t know the difference and it keeps his bowels in working order, too.
I love this product. It has literally changed our lives for the better and keeps us happy and yeast-free. It is made by a company called America’s Bio-Plus Corporation; they can be reached at (800) 498-6640 or www.yeastbuster.com/geneflora.htm. I highly recommend the product and encourage you to look into it.
-Liz Collins Florence, SC
———-
More Positive Help For Aggressive Dogs
I am a huge fan of your magazine, and have recommended it to dozens of people. I have a comment to make about “Virtual Support, Real Help,” (June 2004). While the article is very good, the author made one poor recommendation for a Web site to go to for support and advice. It was for a message board for people whose dogs have aggression problems.
The board mentioned is run by people who support using electronic collars and other forms of corrections and punishments for aggressive dogs.
I have been an advisor on another behavioral Web site (www.doggiedoor.com, formerly www.k9u.com) for more than three years. We recommend only positive training methods and never suggest that anyone put a shock or “e-collar” on any dog, particularly one with aggression problems. The advisors on doggiedoor.com spend hours every day giving advice to dog owners about remaining positive.
-Renee Premaza, Dip. CB, CCBT Marlton, NJ
We were not aware that members on that list recommend the use of old-fashioned punishment-based methods including shock collars. WDJ does not recommend the use of verbal or physical punishment or shock collar tools in training – especially as a part of an aggression behavior modification program.
Training Editor Pat Miller has an additional suggestion for readers who are interested in a discussion group on the topic of positive solutions for canine aggression.
———-
Helpful Articles, Supportive Tone
Articles like “Rage Syndrome in Dogs” (June 2004) are exactly the reason I subscribed initially. I need to read it again because I only skimmed it during dinner, but I’m so glad to see an article written this way. It was worded in a way that most people could understand and it didn’t make me feel like I should give up on my dog. She doesn’t attack humans, just the other dogs in the house, and it only happens one to three times in a year.
I’ve been trying to pinpoint why this article is different and I think it is the human touch you put in it. It’s not a cold article about bad dogs, which makes me feel better about the situation. Thanks for a great job! (Actually, all of your articles are good, but this one really hit home.)
-Connie, Maggie, Casey & Kylie Connor Sugar Hill, GA
———-
Internet Panic Attacks
Believe me, I don’t usually fall for these things. I’m the first one of all my friends to debunk those scary, phony e-mails about new forms of breast cancer, computer viruses, and “killer” ingredients in food. But I find the ones that involve dogs to be much more difficult to dismiss! I think that’s why I initially fell for the latest one to sweep through the dog-related discussion groups and my e-mail in-box: the one that alleged that a Swiffer cleaning product was deadly to dogs.
I called Procter & Gamble, maker of the Swiffer, and was told that the story was untrue, and that their product is perfectly safe. But I still have doubts. Can you help me put my fears to rest? I use the Swiffer products – I’ve found them to be very helpful for keeping my floors dog-hair-free – but now I’m kind of nervous about using them.
-Leah Morrison via e-mail
Good for you for calling the company that makes the product in question; I did, too, after receiving, oh, 40 copies or so of the e-mail in question.
Of course, as skeptical people, we also worried about whether we’d get a straight, honest answer from company reps. So my next step was to call the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center, who confirmed that there was no credence to the report that Swiffer products are lethal to cats and dogs.
By the way, every dog owner should have the Animal Poison Control Center’s number somewhere handy: 888-426-4435. They charge for individual consultations, but they also serve as a clearinghouse for information on all sorts of toxic threats to animals. You can also go to www.aspca.organd click on the link for the poison control section.
I’m convinced the Swiffer story wasn’t true, but I do have concerns about any and all cleaning chemicals used in households with pets. As we reported in an article about the dangers of poor indoor air quality (“Toxins in Your Home?“; October 2001), our pets bear the brunt of our indoor chemical usage. The volatile organic compounds used in hundreds of products in our homes have a higher molecular weight than air, so they settle toward the floor, where our pets live and breathe.
Plus, all chemicals used on floors end up in your dog’s body. Dogs walk “barefoot” on our floors and carpets and lick their feet. This realization made me toss out all the floor cleaning products in my home several years ago. And my floors look fine! We published an article about safe alternatives for many cleaning products (“Good, Safe Housecleaning,” November 2002), and the suggested products are all I use now.
Here’s one last resource – another past article, “Danger Signals,” that ran in our August 2002 issue. It explains the meanings behind the warnings on chemical products, and helps consumers select the least-toxic products in any given category.
Our dog food coverage continues this month with a look at a category of commercial foods we haven’t examined for a while. “Dog food pre-mixes” are perfect for dog owners who want to provide a home-prepared diet to their dogs, but feel anxious about doing it right. They are also terrific time-savers for those with extensive experience at cooking for canines.
We were lucky to find renowned trainer Dr. Ian Dunbar at home long enough to interview him. In the process of setting up the interview, conducting it, and following up, we tracked his movements as he traveled to the Caribbean to speak at a conference, had a near-fatal car crash, got married, judged a pet tricks contest, taught at a conference in Wisconsin, gave a free community lecture at a local Chevy’s restaurant, and left for Thailand, I think it was? We live maybe 10 miles apart, but this helps explain why I don’t talk to Ian that often. I’m glad I made the effort, though; he raises some provocative points about the responsibilities of breeders and prospective dog owners.
Holistic veterinarian Randy Kidd has a PhD in pathology, so technical medical information doesn’t stump him. He’s done a brilliant job of explaining why corticosteroid drugs are so miraculous and, at the same time, so dangerous. If it gets too technical for you, go to the end of the article for a summation that should help guide your decision to use one of these powerful drugs on your dog, should you have to make that call someday.
There is lots more good stuff in this issue, but rather than describe all of it, allow me to announce something else I’m excited about, even though I don’t have much to do with it!
ATTENTION, BUSINESS OWNERS
Our publisher, Belvoir Media, has historically publicized subscriptions only through direct mail; up until now, you couldn’t find WDJ on a rack anywhere. However, in response to a number of requests from dog-related businesses, including veterinarians, pet supply stores, groomers, and trainers, for the first time, our publisher has a program that will enable businesses to buy copies of WDJ in bulk for reselling to their customers.
If you are the owner of a dog-related business, and you might be interested in buying a number of copies of WDJ for your customers each month (at a special price), contact Dean Lage at dlage@belvoir.comor (941) 929-1720.
I sincerely hope this will help more dog owners learn about WDJ, and the positive, practical training and holistic health information we bring you every month. Spread the word!
We frequently write about kibble and canned dog food, but have neglected some of the less common (but no less worthy) types of commercial foods. Here’s a look at commercial products that make it easy to feed a home-prepared diet.
Coming up with a really fitting name for this product category is difficult, since each manufacturer we’ve included formulates its products differently. We’ll call them all “dog food pre-mixes” – but be aware that their formulations vary widely. Corralling these diverse products into one category may be a stretch, given the products’ differences:
• Five of the seven manufacturers produce a dog food “base” containing grains and vegetables, to which a dog owner adds fresh meat to complete the diet.
• All but one of the products contain dehydrated ingredients; water is added to rehydrate them. The one exception is Spectrum’s “Just Add Base Mix,” which is actually an extruded food; the owner adds only fresh meat.
• A few of the products are intended to be cooked. The others are simply rehydrated with water and soaked before serving.
• Two of these companies make products that can be fed alone for “complete and balanced” nutrition; they meet the nutritional profiles of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) without the inclusion of meat or anything else. These products are also the only ones that were formulated with the AAFCO nutrient profiles in mind. Given that they are “complete” diets, we included them in our “food pre-mix” category only because their makers encourage consumers to add meat and other ingredients if they want to. In the case of The Honest Kitchen, the foods are even formulated to maintain a proper calcium/phosphorus ratio of 1:1 to 2:1 even if meat and vegetables are added.
Other than The Honest Kitchen and Spectrum, none of the makers formulated their products to meet AAFCO’s nutrient profiles. All expressed confidence that their products, prepared as directed, provide nourishment that is superior to that provided by conventional commercial dog foods.
• Except for the products made by The Honest Kitchen, and one by Spectrum, all of the products require the addition of fresh meat (raw or cooked) to complete the food.
• Most of the products contain herbs; some contain just one or two, some contain quite a variety. A few of the products contain other novel ingredients such as bee pollen.
• Most of the companies use at least some organic ingredients; a couple use all organic ingredients, except for the vitamin/mineral supplement used in the pre-mix. We are not aware of any organic vitamin/mineral mixes that are available to pet food manufacturers.
• Speaking of vitamin/mineral mixes, only three of the companies contain these supplements. Happy Dog’s products are mixed with a separate vitamin/mineral supplement (provided with the food).
• Two companies’ products require the addition of some sort of oil supplement.
Not rated or ranked
In our reviews of dry and canned foods, we make specific recommendations for selecting products for your dog. We’re not going to do this here; instead, we simply want to inform you about these alternatives to conventional kibble and canned food, and describe the differences between them.
We like the concept of a pre-mix that helps dog owners more easily prepare a complete and balanced diet with fresh, top-quality ingredients, and all of these products accomplish that goal. All of the products have a fresh, appealing aroma and appearance. However, some of their makers do a better job of providing information and support to consumers, and on the next two pages, we’ll note these efforts (or lack thereof) with our descriptions of the foods.
When suggested feeding amounts were provided for a range of dog sizes, we quoted the amount suggested for a 30-pound dog.
In the opening ceremonies of the 10th annual conference of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, held last fall in Orlando, Florida, APDT founder Ian Dunbar offhandedly stated that he was performing the role of the conference’s opening speaker for the last time.
A native of Britain, Dunbar earned his veterinary degree in that country, but came to the U.S. to conduct further research into canine behavior at the University of California, Berkeley. After earning his Ph.D. there, he founded Sirius Puppy Training, the first and best-known provider of puppy training classes. Dr. Dunbar is widely credited for popularizing dog-friendly training methods in recent decades, thanks to his appearance at hundreds of lectures (his best guess is that the number is over 850), and a number of books and videotapes he’s written, published, and produced. He’s been tireless for decades; he’s not retiring and quitting all that, is he? We had to find out.
Recently, we sat down with Dr. Dunbar so we could catch up on news of his latest plans and projects – and ask him why he wasn’t planning to welcome the members of APDT to their annual conference anymore.
———-
WDJ: At the last APDT conference, I heard you say you were done with giving the opening speech; why?
Dunbar: Well, I’ve done 10 of them now. That seemed like a good, round number. And they have plenty of interesting, knowledgeable people to give that speech. It seemed to me that it was a good time to stop. I’ll always make myself available to them if they need me to speak about anything else. And I’ll always be present at the APDT meetings; there is no better educational conference for dog trainers in the world.
WDJ: You had us worried that you were retiring . . .
Dunbar: Not for a couple more years. I have one more project I want to concentrate on for a while.
WDJ: Which is?
Dunbar: I want to spend the next few years publicizing the importance of training and preventing behavior problems in dogs. Trainers and veterinarians today are pretty well educated in behavior, which was not the case 20 years ago. Pet dog training did not exist then, and veterinary behaviorists did not exist, apart from very few university-based academics. But the general public today is still relatively unaware of dog-friendly training.
Don’t get me wrong; the general public knows a lot more now than they used to! For example, people go to puppy classes now; there didn’t used to be puppy classes! But most people still don’t know that dog training is fun, easy, effortless . . . it’s actually what owning a dog is all about! It’s communicating and developing a relationship with a dog.
So, that’s it. I’m going to spend two or three more years really trying to push this stuff through the media.
WDJ: We can help with that! What is the most important thing you want dog owners to know? The most important thing for prospective dog owners to understand is that they can’t wait until a puppy is 12 weeks old to start working with him. So many dogs are developmentally retarded – irretrievably. Development is a great opportunity, but it can’t be missed; if you’ve missed it, you’ve missed it. If you have a shy puppy, you cannot mend him. You can improve him so he can function in society, but he will never be what he could have been. The intervention has to be as early as possible.
Dunbar: I think the best way to go is to intervene with prospective puppy owners, because they interface with the source of puppies: breeders. They can say to a breeder, “I’m sorry, the puppy is eight weeks old already! Why isn’t he housetrained? Chew-toy trained? Doesn’t he know how to come, sit, lie down, roll over? What have you been doing? Hasn’t he been handled by 50 people, 10 of them children? Why have you wasted eight weeks, two-thirds of the critical period of socialization?!” I have tried directing this message to kennel clubs and breeders, and a lot of them listen and do an incredible job, but a lot of them don’t.
But when the people who buy puppies are put in the driving seat – I think that’s the secret. We have to give pet dog training back to pet owners and let them know, “Look, you choose. You could get a lemon quite easily. You could get a puppy that is so ruined at eight weeks that it’s going to impact your life for the lifetime of the animal, 14 years, say. You’re going to be 14 years living with a dog who’s shy of strangers, your friends, relatives.” That’s a chunk out of your lifestyle. So think before you get that shy puppy! Tell that puppy producer, “Sorry, you didn’t do neonatal handling exercises. I’m going to buy my puppy elsewhere.”
WDJ: Is this message too discouraging to people who adopt older shelter dogs? If a puppy is “made” or “ruined” by 12 weeks, should people avoid getting older dogs?
Dunbar: No, no. I encourage people to get shelter dogs, but I ask them to be discerning. You have to look long and hard. If you look, the right animal is always there. It may have behavioral baggage, though. I think we do have to get stricter about what we adopt out to unsuspecting pet owners, especially with the whole fearfulness/aggression issue. If the animal is fearful, we need to tell the owner how to rehabilitate it, number one. Number two, we have to inform them that it will be a lengthy process, and not kid them that the animal is “just shy today.”
With animals that do damage, I don’t think they are suitable for adoption. They are the reason that I very strongly take exception with the “no kill” concept. Some animals have been damaged so badly that they now damage people. You can’t in good conscience, I think, set that animal loose on the unsuspecting general public. Some animals have to be euthanized. And I think it’s ridiculous to send them to some sanctuary where millions of dollars are spent keeping dangerous animals alive. What kind of life is that for the animal? I think it’s better to euthanize, and euthanize is the word I would use. It means to kill in a pleasant, non-painful way.
Even in my puppy books, I encourage people to get adult dogs. If you look with your head as well as your heart, there will be the perfect adult dog for you at a shelter.
But here’s the question to ask: Where do all these shelter animals come from? They were all three-week-old neonates once; that’s where they all got screwed up, that’s what we have to impact …
I’m getting toward the twilight of my career, I hope. I’m looking forward to gardening, and construction on the house, and writing. But I want to spend two or three more years trying to promote the education of prospective puppy owners. Selecting a puppy is no different from selecting a school for their kids, or buying a new car. You have to be really discerning.
For decades, dog owners have been bullied by the animal professions. There are a lot of breeders and vets who deliver their opinions in such a way that the owner has to take it as gospel, or go elsewhere, and they end up being bullied into taking an eight-week-old puppy that is behaviorally retarded. And not because there was anything wrong with it when it was born! It hasn’t had an education!
I just don’t understand how you could raise a puppy, and keep him until eight weeks – which, I have to stress again, is two-thirds of the critical period of socialization – and not invite anybody over to handle, hand-feed, and train him. If you haven’t housetrained or chew-toy-trained him, and he’s peeing and pooping everywhere, chewing everything – well, that’s what he’s going to do in the new home! The prospective owner gets duped.
Having said that, I must add that there are some brilliant breeders out there, and brilliant veterinarians who really get it, but that has not always not been the case, and it’s still not the case with all of them.
WDJ: Surely things have gotten better for dogs … We’ve come a long way in the last 20 years, haven’t we?
Dunbar: Well, yes, of course. The research I did in the 1960s and 70s is now common knowledge for pet owners. Most of them have a passing familiarity with concepts like socialization and behavior modification today. That’s exciting.
On the other hand, so many people live with dogs who do things they don’t like – it’s too silly for words! Especially since the behavior problems that dogs have are so easily treatable, and the temperament problems are so easily preventable.
Twenty or 30 years ago, the solutions to a lot of dog behavior problems were not there, but we have answers for most of them now. It’s not rocket science. These problems are simple; they are just behavior problems, and very easy to cure. The temperament problems – you must prevent them. And the general public needs to know how easy it is.
WDJ: Is this why you make some of your educational materials available for free?
Dunbar: That’s always been my philosophy. When I started lecturing, I always allowed anybody to tape my lectures. At Sirius, we’ve always allowed anyone to observe the classes. We have trained all our competition, Bay Area-wide, nationwide, worldwide, and I’m happy about it. Come and learn. And one special book – Before You Get Your Puppy – it’s so important that we plan to make it available for free download. Some people will still buy it, I suppose; it’s nice to have in book form.
WDJ: You also wrote After You Get Your Puppy, to help people with problems that arise after the puppy comes home. I noticed that the “before” book is much lower-priced!
Dunbar: Ah, you noticed! Doesn’t that make sense? The price of solving problems is higher than preventing them in the first place!
1. Understand that there is no way to separate the glucocorticoids’ antiinflammatory activity from their immunosuppressive activity.
2. Whenever glucocorticoids are used for prolonged periods, “wean” your dog off them gradually.
3. Consider using natural alternatives when possible, such as herbs, acupuncture, homeopathy, and a lower-stress lifestyle.
Corticosteroids are perhaps the most enigmatic of all the drugs in the western medicine man’s arsenal. It has been said by many practitioners that they are the most used and most abused of all our medicines. Corticosteroids are a necessary component of a healthy physiology and they can be life saving…or they can cause multiple adverse side effects that can be devastating to a dog’s health and well-being. Since this class of biochemicals affects nearly all cells of the body, their beneficial effects can be widespread – and their adverse effects may be totally debilitating and long-lasting.
So who are these guys that can seemingly wear both white and black hats at the same time?
What Are Corticosteroids?
Naturally occurring corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the cortex (thus the “cortico” prefix) of the adrenal gland. The adrenal medulla (inner part) manufactures epinephrine and norepinephrine, the hormones responsible for the “fight or flight” reaction, among other functions. Corticosteroids are made from the same steroidal chemical base that also produces the male and female sex hormones and the androgenic steroids made famous by athletes who want to enhance their muscle mass. However, the corticosteroids are slightly different from the androgenic and sex hormones in their chemical structure, and they are very different in the ways they affect the body.
Corticosteroids are further divided into two major classes of compounds: mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids.
Mineralocorticoids are a vital component of the body’s hormonal balancing system, even though they make up only a small portion of the overall mix of the corticosteroids in the body. Mineralocorticoids function in the kidney (in the distal tubules) where they stimulate the exchange of sodium and potassium – increasing renal excretion of potassium and increasing resorption of sodium, which in turn helps maintain the body’s water balance by increasing resorption of water.
The principle steroid with mineralocorticoid activity is aldosterone. Cortisol, the major “natural” glucocorticoid in dogs (and other non-rodent species) has weak mineralocorticoid activity. But in the natural state, cortisol’s mineralocorticoid activity is of some importance because, in the healthy animal, there is so much more cortisol secreted than aldosterone.
The name glucocorticoid derives from early observations that these hormones were involved in glucose metabolism. The vast majority of glucocorticoid activity in most mammals is from cortisol, also known as hydrocortisone.
Since synthetic glucocorticoids are used extensively in veterinary therapy, this article will focus on them.
Activities of Glucocorticoids in Dogs
Glucocorticoids (especially cortisol, the predominant natural glucocorticoid) stimulate several processes that collectively serve to increase and maintain natural conversion of glucose. These effects include:
• Stimulation of gluconeogenesis, the synthesis of glucose from other sources such as amino acids (protein building blocks) and lipids (fats). Glucocorticoids stimulate the enzymes that enhance this process, especially in the liver.
• Mobilization of amino acids from tissues, generating a substrate for gluconeo-genesis.
• Inhibition of glucose uptake in muscle and fatty tissue, thus conserving glucose.
• Stimulation of fat breakdown, releasing fatty acids, which provides energy to various tissues and adds more substrate for gluconeogenesis.
Glucocorticoids have potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. These are the primary medicinal uses of the glucocorticoids and will be discussed more fully below.
Glucocorticoids also have multiple effects on fetal development, including their role in promoting maturation of the lung and production of the surfactant necessary for lung function immediately after birth.
Excessive glucocorticoid levels resulting from administration as a drug or hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease) have effects on many systems. Just a few of the examples include inhibition of bone formation, suppression of calcium absorption, and delayed wound healing. Note that these effects suggest that there probably are many physiologic roles for the glucocorticoids that we are not yet fully aware of. Also note that these effects can occur from drug administration, and most of them are ultimately detrimental to health and healing.
Insufficient production of cortisol is called Addison’s disease (or hypoadreno-corticism). This disease may be caused by autoimmune destruction of the adrenal cortex or as the result of infectious disease and is often accompanied by an aldosterone deficiency. Aldosterone deficiency can be acutely life threatening, causing severe electrolyte imbalance and loss of normal cardiac function. Other signs of Addison’s disease include weakness and lethargy, diarrhea, and cardiovascular disease.
Inflammatory and Allergic Conditions Often Treated With Glucocorticoids
Abortion Alopecia – loss of hair Calcinosis cutis – calcium deposits in the skin Delayed wound healing Diabetes mellitus Gastrointestinal ulceration Growth suppression Hyperlipidemia – excess fat in the blood Latrogenic hyperadrenocorticism – Cushing’s disease Immunosuppression – secondary infection, infections that worsen Insomnia, agitation, behavioral changes Insulin resistance Ligament and tendon rupture Muscle atrophy Osteoporosis Panting Polyphagia – excess hunger Polyuria (excess urination) or polydipsea (excess thirst) Proteinuria – excess loss of protein in the urine Psychosis or behavioral changes Seizure threshold lowered Skin thinning
Physiological Effects of Glucocorticoids
Metabolic: Increase gluconeogenesis and protein breakdown; antagonize insulin activity; mobilize free fatty acids
Cardiovascular: Vasoconstriction
Gastrointestinal and liver: Induce alkaline phosphatase enzyme (blood chemistry tests routinely reveal an elevation of this enzyme when glucocorticoids are being used therapeutically); decrease calcium and iron absorption; promote fat and glycogen deposition in the liver; increase secretion of digestive hormones; alter mucin structure
Kidney: Increased glomerular filtration rate; promote water, sodium, and chloride retention; increase potassium and calcium excretion
Neurologic and muscular: Euphoria or behavioral changes; muscular atrophy; muscular weakness
Endocrine: Decrease ACTH production; suppress thyroid-stimulating hormone and T-3 and T-4 concentrations
Inflammatory and immunologic: Decrease prostaglandin and leukotriene formation; inhibit mononuclear phagocytosis and chemotaxis; decrease cytokine production; depress cell-mediated immunity
Miscellaneous: Stimulate appetite; inhibit fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis; accelerate bone resorption
Control of Cortisol Secretion
Cortisol and other glucocorticoids are se-creted in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary gland. The secretion of ACTH is in turn under the control of the brain’s hypothalamic peptide, corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), creating a classic hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of control over the ultimate secretion of the glucocorticoids. It is important to recognize that, in the natural state, the brain (hypothalamus) is the primary controlling organ, and whenever the animal is stressed, there will be increased production of cortisol.
Any form of glucocorticoid (whether drug-induced or endogenous – from stress, for example) exerts a negative feedback on this axis and shuts down further secretion of the glucocorticoids. The negative feedback mechanism is medically important because after shutdown, the axis may take several days to gear up again to a normally functioning level.
Effects on Inflammation and Immune Function
From the medical perspective and certainly from the holistic perspective, the most important thing to realize about the very potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties of the glucocorticoids is that there is absolutely no way to separate these two properties.
Whenever the glucocorticoids are administered (or produced naturally), the result will be a combination of anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities. Thus, using glucocorticoids is always a balancing act; the multiple actions of glucocorticoids simultaneously allow for beneficial and adverse effects.
The anti-inflammatory activity of gluco-corticoids is primarily directed toward inhibiting the production of arachidonic acid, which in turn inhibits the production of inflammation-causing prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) also inhibit prostaglandins (by inhibiting a later enzyme in the cascade, cyclooxygenase), but not leukotrienes.
The immunologic activity of the glucocorticoids is directed primarily toward the cellular component of the immune system: monocyte phagocytic function and cytokine production. Some lymphocytes may be destroyed by the glucocorticoids, particularly neoplastic (tumor-inducing) and activated lymphocytes. These effects can be either beneficial (e.g., treating immune-mediated conditions or some lymphocytic cancers) or detrimental (e.g., impairing the body’s defenses against fungal, viral, and bacterial infections).
In what may be an overlapping function (anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive), glucocorticoids produce the classic “stress leukogram,” a white blood cell (WBC) picture of increased mature neutrophils, decreased lymphocytes and eosinophils, and variable increases in monocytes.
Pharmacologic Uses of the Glucocorticoids
Glucocorticoids are commercially available in a variety of forms for either systemic (oral tablets or liquids and injectables) or topical use, and the relative potency and duration of action of these products varies widely.
If we assume the potency of cortisone (the natural glucocorticoid produced by the dog’s adrenal) to be “1,” relative potencies of commercial products may be 5-6 times as potent (prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, triamcinolone), and even as much as 40 times as potent (dexa-methasone and betamethasone).
We can also categorize commercially available glucocorticoid products based on the length of time they suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. On average, short-acting glucocorticoids (hydrocortisone and cortisone, the naturally-produced glucocorticoids) suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis less than 12 hours; the suppressive activity of long-acting glucocorticoids (dexamethasone and betamethasone) lasts more than 48 hours, and in many cases, the exact duration in dogs is not known. Intermediate-acting products (prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, and triamcinolone) fall somewhere in between.
Commercial products have variable mineralocorticoid activities when compared to cortisone or hydrocortisone. Prednisone and prednisolone, for example, have about half the mineralocorticoid activity of the natural glucocorticoids, and most other synthetic products have almost none.
Some synthetic glucocorticoid compounds require conversion to an active metabolite. For example, prednisone requires conversion in the liver to prednisolone to become active. Because this conversion is necessary, prednisolone is a better choice for topical application, but since the conversion is rapid and nearly complete, the two drugs are interchangeable for systemic use.
Finally, the biologic half-lives of the glucocorticoids are different (prolonged) from their plasma half-lives, which are responsible for the variability of duration (from short-acting to intermediate to long-acting).
This is because the biologic effects of the glucocorticoids are largely due to alterations in genetic regulation of protein production, and these alterations create a longer time of activity.
Note that glucocorticoid amounts naturally fluctuate in the body throughout the day. Therapeutic protocols should take this diurnal variation into account and, where necessary, prescribe amounts of the drug that would correspond to these daily variations.
Also note that all cases where glucocorticoid therapy has been prolonged (for more than a few days), there is the possibility that the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis has been shut down by the negative feedback mechanism. These cases, then, require a gradual reduction from the therapeutic levels rather than abrupt cessation. The time and method of “weaning” depends on the glucocorticoid used and the duration of its use. Check with your veterinarian for the correct protocol.
Natural Options
There are many natural alternatives to the glucocorticoids, substances that have anti-inflammatory activity and/or that enhance a balance of the immune system’s function.
• Herbs – There are many herbal remedies that are anti-inflammatory, enhance the immune system, prevent pain, and are specifically directed toward a body system, balancing it in response to inflammation or pain.
Of special interest here is meadowsweet, the original source of aspirin (the old botanical name for meadowsweet, Spirea, is how aspirin got its name). The term salicylate (the “active” ingredient in aspirin) comes from the Latin name for willow, Salix. The herbs that contain salicylate include meadowsweet, wintergreen, the bark of aspen and cottonwood, birch, black cohosh, and willow.
In addition, there are several herbs – examples include licorice, wild yam, yucca, sarsaparilla, and fenugreek – that contain steroidal saponins that have a chemical structure very similar to cortisone. These steroidal saponins have direct anti-inflammatory, cortisone-like effects, and in addition, some of them inhibit an enzyme in the liver that breaks down natural cortisone, thus making it available longer.
Herbal steroids typically do not create an atrophic effect on the adrenals, and in fact are often used to aid in the weaning process from therapeutic glucocorticoid levels.
• Acupuncture has been shown to be beneficial to the immune system and for prevention of inflammation. In addition, acupuncture alleviates pain of arthritis and may promote healing.
• Homeopathy works by enhancing the vital force, an unmeasurable component of the healthy body that has been likened to the immune system.
• The contribution of a low-stress lifestyle to health is also unmeasurable, but undoubtedly valuable. Remember that the body constantly produces glucocorticoids, and whenever there is an excess production, there is the potential for disease. Excess glucocorticoids are produced with excess stress; think about the “Active Dog, Tiny Apartment Syndrome,” a dog left home alone for extended periods (away from the healthy “pack” and forced to abnormally control elimination patterns), constant noise pollution, lack of exercise and open air walks – all these are potential stressors.
In my opinion, the best anti-stressor in the world is to let your dog be a dog; let him reunite with his true inner nature and with a natural and healthy outer environment.
Putting It All Together
Okay. So we have the facts before us, and here’s a summary:
• There are both natural and synthetic glucocorticoids, and the synthetically produced products have a wide range of duration and potency.
• Glucocorticoids are a necessary hormone for body maintenance, and therapeutic doses can be beneficial – and harmful.
• Glucocorticoids affect all cells in the body. Their activities are thus far-ranging.
• There is no way to separate the glucocorticoids’ anti-inflammatory activity from their immunosuppressive activity.
• Veterinarians have a variety of products available to them, and each of these products has its niche in the therapeutic toolkit.
• Many diseases respond favorably to glucocorticoid therapy.
• There are many adverse side effects that may come along with glucocorticoid therapy.
• Whenever glucocorticoids are used for prolonged periods, the patient needs to be gradually weaned off them.
• There are some natural options available – options that are likely not as potent, but almost certainly not as potentially harmful.
Now comes the most difficult part. Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of the glucocorticoids, how and when do I choose to use them for my dog? Unfortunately, there’s no good answer. Once again, regrettably, we have to fall back on the old truism, “It all depends. On the individual dog. On the particular case as it is presented. And on the family situation.”
Here’s my take: I would never hesitate to use massive doses of short-acting glucocorticoids in an emergency: anaphylaxis, immune-mediated system collapse, acute trauma, nerve damage. I know that even these applications are now being questioned – because we don’t really have scientific proof that they work for dogs – but the time I spent in an emergency clinic where I used glucocorticoids to effectively treat hundreds of “shocky” animals demonstrated to me their effectiveness.
However, I would think long and hard before I ever used glucocorticoids for dermatitis or chronic immune-mediated diseases. I’d think in terms of the alternative medicines first here – combining both anti-inflammatory and immune system balancing methods – and I would hope these would be potent enough to be curative.
On the other hand, I am not comfortable demanding that we stick with the alternatives no matter what. I think there may come a time with some patients when we do them more harm than good, trying to make the alternatives work. Sometimes a quick regime of short-acting glucocorticoids is just enough to give the animal’s immune system a chance to recover enough to gear up on its own.
For an arthritic animal I’d think even longer and harder about ever using the glucocorticoids. I’ve simply had too much success with acupuncture (along with chondroprotective agents and herbs), and the glucocorticoid side effects (demineralization of bone, weakening of the ligaments and tendons, the possibility for infection), which all seem to work against everything we are trying to accomplish. Furthermore, the glucocorticoids have no pain-relieving activity, and pain is one of the key components of arthritis.
In all cases, I think it is imperative that we (to use a currently popular metaphor) have an exit strategy. Decide beforehand what your exit protocol will be – how long before you think of using alternative tactics, how will you judge results, and most of all, if and when you do decide to quit, what you will use for a “weaning off” protocol.
Finally, I think there may be a place for glucocorticoid therapy for the end-stage animal, for treating any of the diseases where we might commonly use them. It seems to me that in these cases, the advantages may outweigh the disadvantages.
Glucocorticoids are often an inexpensive way to stimulate the metabolism; they may alleviate inflammation; and they oftentimes create a “feel-good” attitude in a previously depressed dog.
Further, in these cases we won’t have to worry about long-term effects, nor will we likely be confronted with the necessity of gradually weaning the animal from the therapy.
Dr. Randy Kidd earned his DVM degree from Ohio State University and his Ph.D. 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.
The domestic dog is, inarguably, a social species. There is little scholarly disagreement over the fact that the dog’s social dependency makes him exceptionally aware of the behavior of others, and contributes to his own behavior and learning abilities.
There is, however, ongoing discussion about how much, and how, dogs can learn by interacting with each other – the question of “social learning” through contact, joining in the action, and pure observation without active participation.
You may have seen it yourself when you got a new puppy. You’re positive ol’ Spot taught little Junior where to go to the bathroom in the yard, how to find the water dish, and the importance of barking vociferously at strangers. Junior certainly came running hot on Spot’s heels when you called the pair, thus learning the importance of the word “come.” It even seems like the new pup learned how to sit politely for a treat by watching Spot perform that well-practiced behavior. But did he really learn by watching Spot? Or was it all just coincidence?
Following the dog who responds to the “Come!” cue helps the newcomer learn it, too.
Social Learning
The term “social learning” encompasses several closely-related concepts. Some clearly apply to the learning processes of dogs. Others are more debatable.
Allelomimetic behavior (mimicking), or group-coordinated behavior, relies on the hardwired inclination of a social animal to follow and mimic members of the social group. Puppies are genetically programmed to follow and copy others of their kind. This is an important factor in early learning; it comes into play when Junior chases along when you call Spot, or when you run away from Junior and call him to chase after you.
Social facilitation is related to but different from allelomimesis. It refers to behaviors performed in a group, where the presence of another dog causes an increase in the intensity of the behavior. Two dogs acting in concert may run faster, bark louder, jump higher, eat more, or eat faster than a dog performing alone. For this reason, trainers and behaviorists often caution against adopting a second dog for the primary purpose of resolving the behavior problems of Dog #1; you can easily end up with louder barking, or an increase in destructive behaviors, rather than the hoped-for decrease in undesirable behavior.
It is likely that the amplified magnitude of behavior is a result of an increased state of arousal, stimulated by the presence of one or more additional dogs. While the negatives of this effect are obvious, social facilitation can have a positive effect as well, such as the increased speed and intensity of a competitive flyball dog due to the presence of the running dog in the next lane.
The flip side of social facilitation is called social interference – the irritating phenomenon that occurs when the presence of other dogs playing nearby interrupts your dog’s ability to pay attention to your training session. This is known in training class as a “distraction.” It’s wise to teach Junior his new behaviors in a quiet environment, free from such social interference. Make sure he knows them well before you can expect him to be able to perform them in the face of major distractions.
Local enhancement includes pieces of social facilitation, mimicking, and trial-and-error learning, but is different from true observational learning in that the dog actively participates in the behavior in the presence of the other dog and/or other environmental cues. Spot starts digging a hole; Junior joins in, and learns that digging holes is fun and rewarding as he follows Spot under the fence. Simply watching Spot dig the hole was not enough to inspire Junior to dig his way out of the yard; it was actually a combination of watching, participating, and enjoying the whole process that characterizes this as local enhancement.
Another example of local enhancement is when Junior learns to coordinate his clumsy puppy legs and jump into the car much more quickly by following behind Spot than he would by trying to climb in on his own. Junior’s performance is enhanced by Spot’s immediate example, and learning happens more quickly for Junior as a result.
New dog-walking clients learn how to behave in this complex situation through “local enhancement,” which includes social facilitation, mimicking, and trial-and-error-learning.
The Extent of Dogs’ Observational Learning
This brings us to the controversial question of true observational learning in dogs. Can our canine pals learn by simply watching?
“No” is an easy answer. Four necessary conditions for observational learning are: attention, retention, motivation, and production. That is, the dog must pay attention to the dog performing the modeled behavior; retain the information gathered about the behavior during the observation; be motivated to reproduce the behavior in a time and place removed from the original; and finally, produce the behavior, or some reasonable facsimile thereof.
In training, for example, one dog could watch you through a window while you train another dog to lie down on cue. You could then take the observer dog to a new room and have him perform the down behavior for you, on cue. Not likely!
If dogs were adept at observational learning, you could plop Junior in front of the television, pop in your favorite videotape about clicker training, leave him there while you head off to work, and come home to a trained dog. There would be no need for dog trainers, or dog training classes. Sometimes we wish it were that easy!
Still, some studies have determined that puppies, at least, have some capacity for observational learning. A 1997 study conducted by Slabbert and Rasa determined that pups between the ages of 9-12 weeks who were permitted to observe their narcotics-detecting mothers at work generally proved more capable at learning the same skills at six months of age than control puppies the same age who were not previously allowed to watch their mothers working.
An 1977 experiment by Adler and Adler found that puppies who watched other puppies learn to pull a food cart into their cages by an attached ribbon proved considerably faster at the task when later given the opportunity themselves. At 38 days of age, the “demonstrator” puppies took an average of 697 seconds to succeed, while the observers succeeded in an average of 9 seconds.
These are startling and exciting findings. While evidence of observational learning has yet to be found in adult dogs, the potential for it in puppies may change, yet again, our definition of a responsible breeder. One day, we may come to expect good breeders to set her puppies on the sidelines so they can watch their mothers run through obedience routines, agility courses, and service dog, search-and-rescue, or drug-sniffing jobs before they are placed in their new homes.
Put a Good Dog to Work
While we wait for more scientific information on observational learning in puppies, we can take advantage of social learning opportunities that we know can enhance our dogs’ behaviors.
If your new dog is an only dog, you can still make use of his innate social mimicking behavior to encourage him to follow you while teaching him “come.”
If you do get a new dog, structure some training sessions so that he can learn from your more-experienced dog’s knowledge of good manners and skills. For example, before you open the door to let your dogs out, wait for Spot to sit (we hope he has already learned this “good manners” behavior), and then calmly wait for Junior to do the same. Spot’s calm behavior sets a good example for Junior to mimic. If Junior hasn’t quite figured out the sit, that can come later; as soon as Junior is standing calmly, open the door and let them both out as their reward for calm.
Rather than chastising Junior for barking at a passing skateboarder when you’re out playing in your fenced yard, grab Spot’s ball and run with him away from the skateboarder, playing with him in loud excitement, to make use of social facilitation to turn Junior’s unacceptable intense barking into acceptable intense play.
Finally, remember that you can utilize the presence of other dogs to amplify the magnitude of your dog’s desired behaviors, while taking care to avoid those circumstances that might amplify the undesirable ones. In other words, it might be wiser to spend more time with your new dog in the presence of well-mannered dogs at a daycare or training center than in a pack of unruly, barking dogs at a dog park.
Training a dog is a big challenge – we can use all the social learning help we can get!
What You Can Do
What You Can Do – Identify one or more situations where you can use your dog’s natural allelomimetic talents to mimic you and enhance his training. – Find a friend’s dog that you can use to socially facilitate an increased intensity in your dog’s positive behavior. – Watch your dog and see if you can see any examples of true observational learning.
Those of us who like dogs can’t help but touch them. We are irresistibly drawn to adore them with our hands, to pet them, stroke them, rub their ears, and get lost in the ecstasy of dog beneath our fingertips. Dogs pull not only our hearts but also our hands into a companionship of touch, a relationship we hope is mutually satisfying.
Caressing a dog can be a direct line to nirvana, calming nerves, lifting mood, relieving suffering, a spiritual experience that soothes the soul.
Touching a dog feels so good because our body responds with a release of the neurochemicals of pleasure that have positive physiological effects as well.
During the past couple of decades, science has proven what we canine lovers have always known: petting a dog is good for you. Studies have shown it lowers blood pressure, decreases cholesterol levels, and reduces the risk of heart disease. Alzheimer’s and AIDS patients, autistic children, and nursing home residents often improve when they have contact with a dog. Pain, grief, stress, depression – the list of studied situations where petting a dog has proven beneficial to humans is lengthy.
“When I got my dogs, I wanted to touch them,” says Kathy Diamond Davis, author of Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others. “I have rheumatoid arthritis and when I touch them, it relieves the pain.”
But what about the dogs? Are there benefits for them?
Until quite recently, these questions were seldom considered and studied even less. Mostly these experiments evaluated the impact of researchers on laboratory animals, or, the effect of lack of touch on long-term personality development.
“There has been little research looking at the effects of dogs interacting with people,” says Rebecca Johnson, PhD, RN, and director for research at the Center for the Study of Animal Wellness at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia. “Now we are interested in the animal side of the equation.”
The Chemistry of Touch
Dr. Johnson and her veterinarian colleague, Richard Meadows, DVM, began an ongoing study in 2002 that involves people, dogs, and a robotic dog. Although the study is looking for new means to treat human illnesses such as depression and cancer, it’s also geared to determine if beneficial chemical changes occur in petted dogs.
In a quiet room, participants are instructed to pet their dogs; in some iterations of the test, an unfamiliar but friendly dog or a canine robot is used. Prior to beginning, blood is drawn from both the human and the dog, and their blood pressure is monitored continuously. After both the human and dog experience a 10 percent decrease in blood pressure, the experiment is stopped and blood is drawn again.
“The dogs are like sponges in enjoying the petting,” Johnson says. “Their blood pressure goes down, no problem. But the humans take longer.” Some dogs have even gone to sleep.
Preliminary findings largely show ben-eficial changes occurred in the dogs’ levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin, beta-endorphin, prolactin, oxytocin, dopamine, and beta-phenylethylamine. Cortisol, the “stress hormone,” also decreased.
In future studies, the researchers hope to explore the impact of quantity of touch on dogs as this may help to further explain the chemical changes that occur during petting. Says Dr. Johnson, “We are always trying to uncover answers on how the human-animal bond works.”
Released in response to gentle touch, neurotransmitters affect bodily functions in a positive manner. “Petting has broad physiologic effects on the cardiovascular system of the dog,” says Franklin McMillan, DVM, DACVIM, coauthor of the forthcoming book, Unlocking the Animal Mind.
In “Exploring the Bond,” Dr. McMillan cited data from recent studies describing the physiological, health, and emotional effects of touch on animals.
One study found that as a result of touch, a dog’s coronary artery blood flow increased to the same level as during intense exercise. The heart rate of dogs increased when a person joined them in a room, but would drop dramatically within one or two seconds of being stroked.
In another study, whenever dogs were exposed to a stressful stimulus such as pain or fear, their heart rate and blood pressure decreased significantly if they were petted.
Other animal studies have indicated that touching also increases immune response, slows changes associated with aging, reduces harmful cholesterol levels, enhances development of the brain and nervous system, and promotes physical development.
Neurotransmitters associated with positive touch also affect behavior and emotion. Observed animals who were routinely touched were found to be more resistant to stress. In addition, their separation anxiety was diminished, they displayed less fear, and their learning capabilities were enhanced.
Researchers at the Biofeedback Institute in Boulder, Colorado, discovered that stroking horses (also humans and one dog) had a measurable effect on brain waves. The wave patterns were those often associated with optimal brain function, creativity, learning, or relaxation.
“Reductions in adverse emotional states are important,” notes Dr. McMillan, “but the data also indicate some direct beneficial effect of human contact.”
Types of Touch
The way in which we touch our dogs is important.
“I have video that I show veterinarians on how to correctly pet a dog. The same dog goes from relaxed to ‘on guard’ then back to relaxed again in about two minutes, just based on petting,” says Karen Overall, VMD, PhD, DACVB, and research associate in the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. “Fast scratching or rubbing makes dogs aroused, while slow, firm petting calms them down.”
In studies where touch produced beneficial results, the contact was “gentle” or soothing. Davis has noticed that dogs prefer to be petted by someone with “knowing hands” – an assuring touch by those who understand dogs. “Some people pat dogs, hard, on top of the head. I don’t think that does much good,” comments Linda Tellington-Jones, creator of TTouch, a specialized therapeutic touch. “However, there is a difference when you put your hands on an animal and make the connection with care.”
Grooming or even just running our hands over our dog’s bodies to scan for physical problems can qualify as beneficial touch.
Massage is another purposeful touch. Besides feeling good to dogs, says Maryjean Ballner, author of Dog Massage: A Whiskers to Tail Guide to Your Dog’s Ultimate Petting Experience, “Massage increases blood flow at the massage area, speeds arrival of fresh nutrients, expedites removal of waste products, and loosens tight muscles.”
With practice, anyone can use massage to relax or reassure a dog. In a quiet, comfortable place, lead into massage with soft petting. Let your dog guide the technique. Feedback that you’re giving a good massage may include “power” tail wagging, doggy grins, drooling, leaning or sprawling against you, and flopping belly up. Massage can elicit a “glorious, incredible response,” says Ballner.
According to Tellington-Jones, TTouch goes beyond massage to augment training and improve behavior. “Massage is wonderful for dogs; it relaxes them,” says Tellington-Jones. “TTouch relaxes but also makes them alert and heightens their senses in a non-anxious way.”
TTouch is an extensive series of circular movements or gentle lifts, using the fingertips on various parts of the body. Rather than relaxing muscles, the technique is designed to activate cells and neural pathways.
In tests, says Tellington-Jones, massage was found to produce alpha brain waves, while TTouch caused both hemispheres of the brain to be activated, resulting in the activation of beta (used for logical thinking) and two additional brain waves, as well as the release of stress-reducing neurotransmitters.
Tellington-Jones has taught TTouch practitioners to help dogs alter aggressive behavior, reduce nervousness, and as a training method for competition. “We’re interested in working with animals in a way that increases their intelligence,” she says. “We allow the cells in our hands to talk to the animal’s body and remind them of their potential and function.”
Emotional Benefits
The emotional benefits of petting to our dogs may be more important than the physical. “Most animals are tactile and need to be touched; they like it,” says Allen M. Schoen, DVM, author of A Kindred Spirit: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way We Live. “Touch stimulates healthy socialization. The more you touch a dog, the more easily he is socialized.”
“Dogs are a social species, and humans have developed such a degree of social dependency in them, that their need for touch is critical,” agrees Dr. McMillan, “If they are not touched, they suffer emotional pain.”
Touch may also ameliorate the angst that accompanies healthcare for many dogs. When Dr. McMillan did the research for his article, he sought information on how human contact could improve veterinary care and promote healing.
“Whether touch actually improves health beyond the elimination of stress, we don’t know,” says Dr. McMillan. “But we presume it benefits health because of the beneficial physiology. Perhaps touch blunts, eliminates, or counteracts the adverse effects of stress, and thus aids recovering and healing.”
Dr. Schoen encourages owners to visit or even stay with their dogs while they are in the hospital. Dogs left alone or not petted commonly become depressed and in serious situations may even “give up” if deprived of contact with their people.
As part of their education, veterinary students must take a surgical course and perform operations on dogs. Retired veterinarian Robert Houston recalls that in his senior year, he had to learn 14 different procedures over a period of 16 weeks. Normally students would have access to 14 dogs, one for each procedure. After discussions with his lab partner, they decided for humane reasons to limit the number of dogs on which they would operate to one.
Houston operated with as much skill as possible and followed up with good nursing care. He and his lab partner alternated visits, so that the one of them visited the dog every two hours. During this time, they talked to the dog and stroked him. “While it was sometimes heartbreaking, our dog survived every procedure,” says Dr. Houston, now retired from the Air Force Veterinary Corps. He gives a lot of credit for the dog’s survival to the caring contact they shared.
A new trend in specialty clinics is to have a place for clients to stay with their animal overnight. “It makes a big difference in their recovery,” says Dr. Schoen.
Dr. McMillan hopes to see more veterinary clinics move in this direction. He also feels it is helpful to have owners present during medical procedures. Technicians note that pets receiving chemotherapy seem to experience less discomfort and accept treatment more calmly when they’re held and stroked while the drugs are administered.
“The more human contact during any kind of illness or recovery, the better,” Dr. McMillan says.
Scientists have barely begun to look at why loving touch can positively effect healing, but Schoen believes it’s because “love is the greatest healer and touch is a great expression of love.”
Communicate Through Touch
The use of touch can be effective in training, too. “When I train my dogs, I use touch to guide them into position,” says Kathy Diamond Davis, who trains therapy dogs.
Touch can also be the means for expressing complex emotion.
“Touch is one of the most critical ways of connecting with all other living beings,” says Dr. Schoen. “Touch is a powerful connection that can have a negative or positive impact. It’s our responsibility to relate to our dogs from the most positive perspective possible.”
Maryjean Ballner, author of Dog Massage, writes that touch transcends every other way of communicating with our animals. Touch is not egocentric, but altruistic. When we pet our dogs, it should be from a place of integrity and with the message of unconditional love.
-Lexiann Grant is a member of the Dog Writers Association of America and an eight-time recipient of the Maxwell Medallion for excellence in dog writing.
I recently fostered a dog who first greeted me at the shelter that I sprung her from by jumping up on me. I spent the first two days with her almost exclusively working on preventing her from jumping. When I introduced her to a friend, my friend immediately held her arms out and greeted the dog’s enthusiastic jump up with a big hug, petting, and cooing
