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.
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Many of us dog lovers are accustomed to pet-sitting for each other; often, the only people we trust with our dogs are our dog-owning friends and relatives. I frequently offer to dog-sit for family and friends; it gives me a chance to use their dogs to test products and take photos for WDJ. (Readers are probably familiar with some of my most frequent guests: Paws, a handsome young yellow Labrador, who spent three days a week with me during the most destructive months of his puppyhood; Cooper, my father-in-laws well-mannered Australian Shepherd; and Jessie, a neighbors shelter Pit-mix, who is so accustomed to modeling that she now sits and smiles every time she sees a camera.)
Plus, having different dogs come over is fun for me and my son. We have begun talking about adopting a new dog, and though Im in no rush, we enjoy discussing the merits of the various sizes and canine personalities that we might consider.
Over spring break, I had the opportunity to have two new guests stay over. One was my brothers dog, Hannah. I mentioned in the last issue that I hadnt yet had the opportunity to meet her. Right after the last issue went to press, I had that opportunity, in spades, when I dog-sat her for four days while my brother was on vacation. Yowsa! Thats a lot of dog! She is the color and shape of a Rhodesian Ridgeback (sans ridge), and has a lovable, goofy disposition.
To make matters a bit more complex, I had also agreed to dog-sit my exs dog, Sally, a middle-aged German Short Hair Pointer, for a week. When I said yes to both of these dog-sitting requests, I hadnt actually looked at the calender, and didnt realize until too late that Sallys week-long stay would overlap with Hannahs four-day weekend. When I realized my error, though, I wasnt too worried; Sally is well-socialized and terrifically skilled at communicating with other dogs. She also likes being in charge of other dogs, and I figured she would be a good role model for Hannah.
But as playful and fun-loving as Hannah is, I quickly learned that she, too, likes being in charge. She enjoyed romping and running with Sally in my backyard, but when the games were over, she wanted to be the only dog who got to drink water, enjoy a toy or rawhide chew, and lay down near my chair. She accepted direction from Sally for exactly one day, and then they started having fights.
Well, thats a strong word. Fortunately, both dogs have terrific bite inhibition, so none of their scuffles drew blood. But it was nerve-wracking, managing their interactions so they could continue to play and exercise without putting them in a situation that was bound to start trouble like all of us walking through my office door at the same time.
The end result of all that management and vigilance was that I got no photos of the two visiting dogs together, and only one or two blurry frames of fast-moving Hannah and my Chihuahua, Mokie. And, after all the extra work of having big dog guests, (picking up big poo, trips to the dog park, feeding in shifts, etc.), were content with just little Mo, for the time being.
Rearranging the treats I was photographing for this article, I decided to spell a word. The decision to spell out the word “love” was not a conscious one, but it was automatic.
To our dogs, food is love – and security, affirmation, and reinforcement. When we give our dogs what trainers refer to as “high-value” treats – foods that are especially sweet, meaty, or pungent – our message gets through to them especially loud and clear. Behaviorists are highly appreciative of the ability of food treats to “classically condition” a dog to tolerate, and then even enjoy, environmental stimuli that he previously found frightening or threatening.
Plus, it’s fun for us, feeding our canine friends something they’re crazy about – the doggie equivalent of taking the kids out for doughnuts or ice cream.
Except, in the case of dog treats, we don’t have to worry about ruining our friends’ health with dangerous additives like high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils (aka trans fats), which are found in many (if not most) snack foods in supermarkets. That’s because, unlike most human treats, dog treats can easily be found in healthy flavors and formulations that dogs find irresistible.
Hold out for health
The problem is, treats are probably the most likely of all dog-related items that a person might buy impulsively, without (horrors!) even a glance at the ingredients list. That’s because treats are often so darn cute! The packaging is frequently adorable and the names are hilarious.
Regular WDJ readers, however, know that you should never buy anything for your dog without a long, hard look at the ingredients panel, no matter how cute the cartoon dog on the label looks. It’s simply pointless to spend so much time and energy finding the best healthy foods for your dog if you are going to subvert your own efforts at health-building with low-quality, additive-filled garbage.
Nowhere are these deleterious junk foods more prevalent than at your local grocery store. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Don’t buy commercially manufactured treats for your dog at the market. The treats they sell there (including most treats for kids) are just full of stuff your dog is better off without – stuff like low-quality by-products, sugar and corn syrup, and artificial colors. (See the examples of poor-quality, grocery-store treats in the sidebars.)
So where should you buy dog treats? For the utmost in quality, we recommend selecting fresh treats from local artisans. Our list of favorites includes treat makers such as Wet Noses (of Snohomish, Washington), Howling Hound Treats (Summerville, South Carolina), and Heidi’s Homemade Dog Treats (Columbus, Ohio), who hand-select the produce they buy from local farmers, as well as Rosie’s Rewards (Pray, Montana), who uses free-range Montana beef from local ranchers. Some of these folks have storefront shops; others rely on independent pet supply stores, veterinarians, and groomers to display and sell their wares. A few offer their goods only through phone orders or through their Web sites.
We have also been impressed by the number of folks who have managed to launch or grow their companies to national prominence while still manufacturing a top-quality product – companies like Cloud Star of San Luis Obispo, California (maker of Buddy Biscuits); Nature’s Animals of Mamaroneck, New York; and Pet Central of Sylvania, Ohio, maker of Waggers Dog Treats. These treats can be found in many pet supply stores and catalogs nationally, yet the company owners have maintained high standards for ingredient quality and consistent production.
What’s on the label
We hinted earlier that you have to read the label of any item that crosses your dog’s lips. Don’t be scared; it’s not that difficult! Your first task is to make sure the products don’t contain stuff that’s not good for dogs – such as artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Keep an eye out for lower-quality ingredients that indicate the maker may have cut corners to keep costs down, such as by-products or food fragments. If you are not sure you would recognize products meeting this description, compare the treats in the “Do Not Buy!” list with our selections; it’s really obvious if you just look at the ingredients list.
Those of us who have figured out which foods don’t agree with our own dogs due to food allergies or intolerances are also on the lookout for ingredients that may make our dogs itch, develop ear infections, or suffer painful gas or diarrhea. These ingredients vary from dog to dog, although many treat manufacturers focus on a handful of ingredients – including wheat, corn, soy, and eggs – that are purported to be more commonly implicated in canine allergies or intolerances than not. One company (Waggers) covers its bases by making three treats: one is “wheatless,” one is “meatless,” and one is “sweetless” – something for every dog!
Don’t worry about the presence of sweeteners in treats (unless your dog is diabetic, in which case you should focus on the meat-based treats). After all, the assumption is your dog will receive only a small number of these per day or week.
After you eliminate treats that have stuff that is bad for your dog, look for the good stuff: things like whole meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables. The more organic ingredients you see, the better, especially for dogs with chemical sensitivities and dogs who are combatting cancer (see sidebar).
Final notes
As is always the case when we review foods, we did not consider price in our selections. As ever, we implore you to remember that you get what you pay for. Inexpensive treats cannot contain good quality ingredients, because quality ingredients cost more. Of course, you also pay more for an especially cute presentation, such as the candy box style used by Happy Pet of San Francisco for its Canine Confections. You can’t beat a presentation like this, however, if you are looking for a special gift for a fellow dog-lover.
Be aware that we do not rate or rank-order our selections. A treat either meets our selection criteria (outlined in the sidebar) or it does not; there is no “top pick” or “best on the list.” And if you are familiar with a treat that meets our selection criteria, don’t worry that it’s not as good as our selections because it’s not on our list; we obviously haven’t reviewed every product on the market. Happily, there are many more good products than we could ever list.
We grouped our new selections into two categories: cookie-type treats, which contain grains; and meat-based treats that are usually carb-free. The selections are grouped alphabetically by category.
We’ve also listed all of our past selections that meet our current selection criteria. We’ve taken only a few products off our lists; this has occurred because we have made our selection criteria more stringent – not because those products are bad.
A few years ago, I underwent extensive knee surgery. Thanks to a skilled doctor, a supportive husband, and an Internet message board comprised of people who’d either undergone or were about to embark on similar procedures, I made it through with both my physical and mental health intact.
A couple of months ago, my dog, Lucky, decided to follow in her mom’s footsteps by tearing a ligament in her knee and undergoing her own surgery.
Before she went under the knife, I researched everything I could about the procedure. As I scoured the Web, it occurred to me that if there were message boards and online support groups for humans with knee injuries, maybe there’d be an equivalent for canines and their owners.
Sure enough, I found Orthodogs, a free group (set up through a Yahoo! service) that provides support, information, and advice to owners with dogs facing orthopedic problems. And then I discovered it was only the tip of the iceberg.
There are dozens of online groups aimed at dog owners out there, covering a wide range of topics – disabled dogs; dogs with cancer; dogs who have behavioral and training issues; and even grieving the loss of a pet. Groups range in size from a few dozen people to thousands; thanks to the Web, many include members from all over the globe. Most are free – and the criteria for membership are simply time, interest, and an Internet connection. To communicate, members “post” messages via interactive tools and can even contact each other directly through e-mail.
Can a virtual community of people you’ll probably never meet really help an owner cope with a dog’s problems? Yes, say mental-health professionals.
“Finding like-minded people who understand exactly what you’re feeling and who can respond to you basically 24 hours a day is very helpful,” says Darlene Mininni, Ph.D., author of the forthcoming book, The Emotional Toolkit, and an expert in coping strategies.
In addition, says Dr. Mininni, the act of typing out your messages provides a therapeutic outlet.
“That’s an added bonus, because writing about your feelings helps you make sense of them,” she says. “It’s the same benefit of writing in a journal – and there are tons of studies that demonstrate how doing that can improve your feelings.”
Betty Carmack, a professor of nursing at the University of San Francisco, has been running a pet-loss counseling group in the Bay Area since 1982. While her group is one that meets physically, rather than virtually, she says that any kind of support network can be helpful to owners weathering a crisis with their pets.
“It’s so important for people to find some kind of validation for what they’re feeling, whether it’s online, one-on-one counseling, books, or support groups,” she says. “Now there are wonderful resources, and people don’t have to get through it alone.”
Benefits of community
One benefit of online groups commonly mentioned by participants is the feeling that they become part of a community or family. Sharing a common challenge can be a powerful bond.
Andrea Barnhart of Albany, New York, found the Canines in Crisis cancer board when her dog, Patches, began battling lymphoma and leukemia. “These people truly understand what I’m going through because they are experiencing the same emotions,” she says.
Brenda Osbourne of Owasso, Oklahoma, joined the Orthodogs group when one of her seven dogs required knee surgery.
“It was like being brought into a big extended family, and the warmth and the caring was so heartfelt,” she says. “It felt so good to be sharing what is a very frightening journey with so many other people who had not only been through it but were so willing to help you get through it.”
Osbourne became so involved in the group that she became an official moderator – a member with administrative rights who polices the message posts, keeping an eye out for people who ignore the basic rules (no profanity, no personal attacks, etc.) or have less-than-altruistic agendas, such as pushing commercial “miracle cures.” Osbourne now spends a good part of each day reviewing posts and answering questions, squeezing out the time despite her demanding career in cancer research.
In some cases, the feeling of family extends beyond the computer. In March, a group of people on the Orthodogs message board pooled resources to help a financially challenged member afford surgery for her dog. And the members of a group known as Deaf Dogs hold yearly get-togethers around the country.
“I thought (that) was amazing,” says Monica Mansfield of Ancramdale, New York, who joined the group two years ago when she became interested in adopting a deaf puppy. “It is wonderful to get to meet some of the friends you’ve made online in person. I’ve been to two different Deaf Dog picnics and plan on attending many more.”
No stupid questions
Many newcomers can be hesitant about posing questions on these online boards, worrying that their inquiries are inane or redundant with earlier message posts. But most find their concerns to be unfounded.
“I wondered what they would think of another newbie asking the same dumb questions they’d heard a million times,” says Tamie Adams, an Alabama dog owner who found the Orthodogs group while researching ligament repair options for Brodie, one of her two Rhodesian Ridgebacks. “So I introduced myself and then proceeded to read, and read, and read, without posting very often. (But) as I became familiar with the other people who posted, I was amazed at how warm and caring they were to everyone.”
“I think it is a continual ‘passing of the torch’ in online groups,” says Mansfield. “Almost everyone starts as a newbie and is there for answers to their questions and to learn from the people who have more experience. Then they start becoming comfortable enough to start answering other peoples’ questions.”
Dr. Mininni says this give-and-take process can be very helpful to group participants.
“It’s important that you feel like you matter to others,” she says. “If you are both getting advice and giving it, and people are appreciative of that, those are multiple ways you’re helping your psyche.”
Advice and research
In addition to seeking the mental and emotional support offered by these groups, many owners also use them to compare notes, discuss new research and information, and give advice. Some turned to the groups in frustration after their veterinarians fell short in providing them details, or when they believed their vets couldn’t or wouldn’t provide information about adjunct therapies such as herbal remedies.
“Good grief, my surgeon didn’t give us squat!” says Adams. “I had researched herbs and supplements, but I had to get all the dosage information from (the group). I also got all of my pre-op and post-op information from the things that other people’s vets had told them.”
Paola Ferraris, of Milan, Italy, who also serves as a moderator for the Orthodogs group, says that people often appreciate hearing about the range of issues that can affect dogs before and after surgery.
“Comparing notes and reactions of the dogs post-op and pre-op can be useful,” she says. “In some cases, issues discussed – such as pros and cons of (a certain) clinic, or breed-specific (problems) that vets rarely mention – have helped people discuss all options with their surgeons, or made others aware of potential reactions and side effects of treatments.”
Members may also suggest alternative therapies or procedures that other owners hadn’t considered or even known about. “I’d have to say that if I weren’t part of this group I probably would never have explored holistic approaches or using natural herbal remedies in certain cases,” says Osbourne.
Indeed, reading posts on the Orthodogs board before Lucky’s surgery prepared me for some of the physical challenges that could plague her afterward, including constipation – something our vet didn’t mention despite our extensive consultations. It also clued me in to the potential of horsetail grass as a supplement to help speed bone healing.
Sometimes, there’s so little data out there that only talking to someone facing the same challenges can help. Monica Mansfield says the Deaf Dogs board was an invaluable resource for obtaining real-world information instead of theoretical feedback.
“There are so many things that I learned from the group that you can’t learn anywhere else,” she says. “Many vets don’t have much deaf-dog experience, since deaf puppies are routinely euthanized or culled. Also a lot of the parent breed clubs are against the placing of deaf dogs or puppies, so there is not much information to be gotten from them.”
The information provided can be more than anecdotal. It’s not unusual to find message board members posting links to recent veterinary journal publications, studies, press releases, or newspaper and magazine articles. That’s yet another way members can deepen their understanding of the challenges they and their dogs are facing.
A few drawbacks
Despite the benefits they offer, message boards must be consulted with prudence. The biggest risk of using message boards is using poor information and putting your pet at risk. Few people deliberately post incorrect suggestions, but they may not get all their facts straight. In addition, the people who are the most prolific posters aren’t necessarily the ones with the best information, which can make it tough to decide when to accept ideas and when to break out that proverbial grain of salt.
“New people don’t know who to listen to,” says Osbourne. “With a group the size of Orthodogs, new people tend to get a lot of responses and since they’re usually just beginning their journey, they don’t know how to sort out the good advice from the bad. I think it can be a little overwhelming sometimes.”
If you obtain any medical advice or information from a message board, run it by your vet before putting it into practice. Herbs and supplements may interfere with medications or affect dosages. Changing a diet can stress an ill dog if it’s not done correctly. And rehabilitation protocols vary widely. Your vet might have a very good reason for, say, allowing your dog a short daily walk post-surgery while requiring that another dog remains completely immobilized.
It’s also wise to verify what you read through independent, reliable sources rather than taking one person’s posts as gospel. When I read a recommendation about horsetail grass as a bone-healing supplement, I verified that claim through Drug Digest (drugdigest.org), a consumer health and drug information Web site; the Food and Nutrition Information Center (nal.usda.gov/fnic/index.html) at the National Agricultural Library; and Greg and Mary Tilfords’ definitive reference, Herbs for Pets.
Some of the problems with online message boards are more social than serious. One common complaint is that it’s sometimes difficult to interpret the emotions behind the typed word. “The worst drawback is not being able to get the ‘tone’ behind the posts,” says Mansfield. “It’s very hard to tell if someone is being sarcastic, serious, kidding, or angry just by their words. I think that a lot of misunderstandings happen that way, on all the groups.”
“It’s e-mail, which tends to be a very impersonal way to communicate,” agrees Osbourne. “Messages can be misinterpreted or somebody’s sense of humor doesn’t quite come through and it can cause problems.”
Also, you should be aware that your vet may not be completely supportive of your involvement in message boards, especially if what you read conflicts with his advice or protocols.
“I think some vets consider the list a big pain,” says Ferraris, “(because) people start comparing prices for surgery, rehab options, therapies, and post-op protocols.”
Maximize the resource
The best way to approach message boards is to view them as research and support tools, rather than replacements for your veterinarian. Don’t accept at face value the information you read, and keep your vet in the loop at all times when it comes to medical decisions, including complementary and alternative options. Talk to your vet about message-board questions and concerns with a collaborative mindset, rather than thinking combatively.
“I’ve told my vet I participate in the group, (and) she supports it,” says Adams. “I just tell her my game plan after weighing all the input from the group and my own research, and get her feedback.”
And don’t discount the value of the boards’ social support when you’re dealing with a crisis.
“Numerous studies show that feeling connected to others and using that care when needed can decrease sadness, anxiety, loneliness, and feelings of helplessness,” says Dr. Mininni.
“I’m so thankful for the message boards,” says Barnhart. “There have been suggestions made by other visitors that have made a big difference for Patches . . . medicines, supplements, books to read, diets, you name it. And the support and comfort that I have gained have been amazing.”
-C.C. Holland is a freelance writer in Oakland, California, and regular contributor to WDJ. Her dog, Lucky, is recovering well from TPLO surgery.
1. Document your dog’s episodes of unexplainable, explosive aggression so you can describe all the details to a trainer/behaviorist, including all environmental conditions you can think of.
2. Seek the assistance of a qualified, positive dog trainer/behavior consultant. Take your documentation with you on your first visit.
3. Be safe, and be sure others are safe, around your dog.
The term “rage syndrome” conjures up mental images of Cujo, Stephen King’s fictional rabid dog, terrorizing the countryside. If you’re owner of a dog who suffers from it, it’s almost that bad – never knowing when your beloved pal is going to turn, without warning, into a biting, raging canine tornado.
The condition commonly known as rage syndrome is actually more appropriately called “idiopathic aggression.” The definition of idiopathic is: “Of, relating to, or designating a disease having no known cause.” It applies perfectly to this behavior, which has confounded behaviorists for decades. While most other types of aggression can be modified and reduced through desensitization and counter-conditioning, idiopathic aggression often can’t. It is an extremely difficult and heartbreaking condition to deal with.
The earmarks of idiopathic aggression include:
• No identifiable trigger stimulus/stimuli
• Intense, explosive aggression
• Onset most commonly reported in dogs 1-3 years old
• Some owners report that their dogs get a glazed, or “possessed” look in their eyes just prior to an idiopathic outburst, or act confused.
• Certain breeds seem more prone to suffer from rage syndrome, including Cocker and Springer Spaniels (hence the once-common terms – Spaniel rage, Cocker rage, and Springer rage), Bernese Mountain Dogs, St. Bernards, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, and Lhasa Apsos. This would suggest a likely genetic component to the problem.
The Good News About Rage Syndrome
The good news is that true idiopathic aggression is also a particularly uncommon condition. Discussed and studied widely in the 1970s and ’80s, it captured the imagination of the dog world, and soon every dog with episodes of sudden, explosive aggression was tagged with the unfortunate “rage syndrome” label, especially if it was a spaniel of any type. We have since come to our senses, and now investigate much more carefully before concluding that there is truly “no known cause” for a dog’s aggression.
A thorough exploration of the dog’s behavior history and owner’s observations often can ferret out explainable causes for the aggression. The appropriate diagnosis often turns out to be status-related aggression (once widely known as “dominance aggression”) and/or resource guarding – both of which can also generate very violent, explosive reactions. (See “Eliminate Aggressive Dog Guarding Behaviors,” WDJ September 2001.)
An owner can easily miss her dog’s warning signs prior to a status-related attack, especially if the warning signs have been suppressed by prior physical or verbal punishment. While some dogs’ lists of guardable resources may be limited and precise, with others it can be difficult to identify and recognize a resource that a dog has determined to be valuable and worth guarding. The glazed look reported by some owners may also be their interpretation of the “hard stare” or “freeze” that many dogs give as a warning signal just prior to an attack.
Although the true cause of idiopathic aggression is still not understood, and behaviorists each tend to defend their favorite theories, there is universal agreement that it is a very rare condition, and one that is extremely difficult to treat.
Idiopathic Aggression Theories
A variety of studies and testing over the past 30 years have failed to produce a clear cause or a definitive diagnosis for idiopathic aggression. Behaviorists can’t even agree on what to call it! (See The Evolving Vocabulary of Aggression, below.)
Given the failure to find a specific cause, it is quite possible that there are several different causes for unexplainable aggressive behaviors that are all grouped under the term “idiopathic aggression.” Some dogs in the midst of an episode may foam at the mouth and twitch, which could be an indication of epileptic seizures. The most common appearance of the behavior between 1-3 years of age also coincides with the appearance of most status-related aggression, as well as the development of idiopathic epilepsy, making it even impossible to use age of onset as a differential diagnosis.
Some researchers have found abnormal electroencephalogram readings in some dogs suspected of having idiopathic aggression, but not all such dogs they studied. Other researchers have been unable to reproduce even those inconclusive results.
Another theory is that the behavior is caused by damage to the area of the brain responsible for aggressive behavior. Yet another is that it is actually a manifestation of status-related aggression triggered by very subtle stimuli. Clearly, we just don’t know.
The fact that idiopathic aggression by definition cannot be induced also makes it difficult to study and even try to find answers to the question of cause. Unlike a behavior like resource guarding – which is easy to induce and therefore easy to study in a clinical setting – the very nature of idiopathic aggression dictates that it cannot be reproduced or studied at will.
Rage Syndrome Treatment
Without knowing the cause of idiopathic aggression, treatment is difficult and frequently unsuccessful. The condition is also virtually impossible to manage safely because of the sheer unpredictability of the outbursts. The prognosis, unfortunately, is very poor, and many dogs with true idiopathic aggression must be euthanized, for the safety of surrounding humans.
Don’t despair, however, if someone has told you your dog has “rage syndrome.” First of all, he probably doesn’t. Remember, the condition is extremely rare, and the label still gets applies all too often by uneducated dog folk to canines whose aggressive behaviors are perfectly explainable by a more knowledgeable observer.
Your first step is to find a skilled and positive trainer/behavior consultant who can give you a more educated analysis of your dog’s aggression. A good behavior modification program, applied by a committed owner in consultation with a capable behavior professional can succeed in decreasing and/or resolving many aggression cases, and help you devise appropriate management plans where necessary, to keep family members, friends, and visitors safe.
If your behavior professional also believes that you have a rare case of idiopathic aggression on your hands, then a trip to a veterinary behaviorist is in order. Some dogs will respond to drug therapies for this condition; many will not. Some minor success has been reported with the administration of phenobarbital, but it is unclear as to whether the results are from the sedative effect of the drug, or if there is an actual therapeutic effect.
In many cases of true idiopathic aggression, euthanasia is the only solution. Because the aggressive explosions are truly violent and totally unpredictable, it is neither safe nor fair to expose yourself or other friends and family to the potentially disfiguring, even deadly, results of such an attack. If this is the sad conclusion in the case of your dog, euthanasia is the only humane option. Comfort yourself with the knowledge you have done everything possible for him, hold him close as you say goodbye, and send him gently to a safer place. Then take good care of yourself.
The Evolving Vocabulary of Aggression
Different behaviorists and trainers have used and continue to use different terms for what was once commonly known as “rage syndrome.” The confusion over what to call it is a reflection of how poorly understood the condition is:
Rage syndrome – This once popular term has fallen into disfavor, due to its overuse, misuse, and poor characterization of the actual condition
Idiopathic aggression – Now the most popular term among behaviorists; this name clearly says “we don’t know what it is”
Low-threshold dominance aggression – Favored by those who hold that idiopathic aggression is actually a manifestation of status-related aggression with very subtle triggers
Mental lapse aggression syndrome – Attached to cases diagnosed as a result of certain electroencephalogram readings (low-voltage, fast activity)
Stimulus responsive psychomotor epilepsy – Favored by some who suspect that idiopathic aggression is actually epileptic seizure activity
“Rage syndrome” is not the only aggression term that has undergone a metamorphosis in recent years. Even the way we look at aggression is changing. Where once each “classification” of aggression was seen as very distinct, with its own distinct protocols for treatment, it is becoming more widely recognized that most aggressive behavior is caused by stress or anxiety.
It is now generally accepted by the training and behavior profession that physical punishment should not be used in an attempt to suppress aggressive behavior. Rather, aggressive behavior is best managed by preventing the dog’s exposure to his individual stressors, and modified by creating a structured environment for the dog – through a “Say Please” or “Nothing in Life Is Free” program – and implementing a solid protocol of counter-conditioning and desensitization to reduce or eliminate the dog’s aggressive reaction to those stressors.
We also now recognize that aggressive dogs may behave inappropriately and dangerously as a result of imbalances in brain chemicals, and that the new generation of drugs used in behavior modification work help rebalance those chemicals. This is in stark contrast to older drugs, such as Valium, that simply sedated the dog rather than providing any real therapy. As a result, many behaviorists recommend the use of pharmaceutical intervention sooner, rather than later, in aggression cases.
Here are some of the newer terms now in use to describe various types of aggressive behavior:
Status-related aggression: Once called dominance aggression, a term still widely used. Status-related aggression focuses more on getting the confident highranking dog to behave appropriately regardless of status; old methods of dealing with dominance aggression often focused on trying to reduce the dog’s status, often without success.
Fear-related aggression: Once called submission aggression. A dog who is fearful may display deferent (submissive) behaviors in an attempt to ward off the fearinducing stress. If those signals are ignored and the threat advances – a child, for example, trying to hug a dog who is backing away, ears flattened – aggression can occur.
Possession aggression: Previously referred to as food guarding and now also appropriately called resource guarding, this name change acknowledges that a dog may guard many objects in addition to his food – anything he considers a valuable resource, including but not limited to toys, beds, desirable locations, and proximity to humans.
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She is also author of The Power of Positive Dog Training, and Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog.
1. Consider a yucca supplement for a dog with digestive problems that prevent him from properly utilizing his already top-quality diet, or for a dog with arthritis.
2. Use yucca for four days, and then discontinue for three days. An on-and-off-again schedule will help prevent irritation of digestive tissues.
3. Discontinue the use of yucca if the dog exhibits digestive upset such as vomiting and discuss this with your holistic veterinarian.
When valuable herbs gain momentous popularity in the mainstream marketplace they often show up as “buzz words” on various product labels. By market decree such herbs become not only popular, but stylish. After all, why would anyone want to buy an herbal cold remedy that doesn’t contain the mighty echinacea?
Usually when mass-market, celebrity herbs are born, oceans of research and published introspection soon follows to satisfy the curiosities of the consumer. We want to know why certain herbs keep showing up in the products we buy and use, and rightly so. Nevertheless, many herbs remain as ambiguous words on the labels of our favorite animal care products.
By San906 (Own work) [CC0]
Why is this so? Because manufacturers are largely prohibited, by federal regulations, to provide any tangible clues about the medicinal or nutritive attributes of the herb ingredients they list on their animal product labels.
One of the best examples of this is yucca – a succulent, cactus-like member of the lily family that inhabits desert areas and garden landscapes throughout America. Anyone who has studied natural dog and cat food labels, shampoo labels, and ingredient lists for livestock feeds has seen the name of this important plant food and medicine, yet very few of us can cite its intended purpose, much less a broad view of its holistic potential.
Yucca as a Nutritional Aid to Dogs
The description “nutritional supplement” really doesn’t fit yucca as well as the term “nutritional aid.” Although yucca root contains notable quantities of vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, niacin, phosphorous, protein, and B vitamins, this herb’s greatest nutritive and healing powers are chiefly attributable to a group of compounds collectively known of as saponins, which are found in the root of yucca.
Saponins are plant glycosides, which are characterized by their tendency to dramatically foam up when agitated with water, much like soap does. When ingested in very small amounts with food, saponins contribute a cleansing and penetrating action upon mucous membranes of the small intestine, which in turn helps with the assimilation of important minerals and vitamins through intestinal walls.
The results can be astounding. In studies conducted at Colorado State University, cattle fed small quantities of yucca root showed greater weight gain than those without. Other trials have concluded that chickens that are fed yucca have a tendency to lay more eggs, and dairy cattle tend to produce more milk.
Other research shows that when added to dog food, yucca can help reduce the emission of noxious odors in urine and feces. This finding comes from studies in which the chemical breakdown of urea (the body’s final by-product of digested proteins) were examined. The findings: anhydrous ammonia, which is largely responsible for the less-than-delightful odor of animal excrement is caused by a single microbial enzyme called urease, was inhibited when food supplements containing preparations of Yucca schidigera were fed. In the studies, fecal and urine odors were reduced by up to 56 percent in dogs and 49 percent in cats.
While the notion of less-offensive stool and less yard cleanup is attractive to many, the issue of excess urease should not go unchecked, as this kind of imbalance may lead to health problems that are much more serious than a soiled backyard.
Excess urea (and larger, more offensive stools) are often the result of a poor quality diet, where protein fillers (like soy meal) or cheap meat by-products cannot be efficiently broken down and eliminated during the digestive process. If left unchecked, this can lead to serious problems, such as urinary stones, kidney disease, arthritis, or chronic skin problems.
In other words, feed a balanced, natural diet, and excess fecal and urine odor shouldn’t be an issue in the first place.
My bottom line: yucca root can be helpful for optimizing a good quality diet that has been specially tailored to the needs of dogs that need added help with nutrient absorption. However, yucca really has no value as a supplement to lousy food.
Steroidal Effects of Yucca
Yucca root also possesses chemistries that add powerful medicinal activities to the veterinary herbalist’s goodie bag. Among these chemistries are sarsasapogenin, smilagenin, and various other compounds that are loosely known by the herbal/scientist community as “phytosterols.”
Herbalists theorize that phytosterols serve the body by stimulating and assisting the body in the use and production of natural corticosteroids and corticosteroid-related hormones. Unlike corticosteroid drugs such as prednisone, yucca is thought to work in concert with natural autoimmune functions of the body – actually supporting immune system functions as opposed to shutting them down.
It can be reasonably hypothesized that the natural, corticosteroid-like actions of yucca may play a role in the body’s natural production of growth hormones, which in turn may contribute significantly to the accelerated growth and production we see in animals that receive it in their food. And although this theory has not been established as “fact” by the scientific community, we know that yucca is very safe in the diet when fed in moderation and in a sensible manner.
What all of this means is that yucca can be a very useful natural remedy in the treatment of arthritis.
In a study conducted at the beginning of the twentieth century, yucca was found to bring about safe and effective relief (from pain and inflammation) to human arthritis patients when taken four times daily over a period of time. Although this study has been repeatedly discredited by the American Arthritis Foundation because of the contro-versial manner by which the study was conducted, the beneficial effects of yucca in humans and animals remain clearly validated in the minds of holistic practitioners who have repeatedly used it and witnessed positive results.
In my experiences with monitoring the therapeutic effects of yucca root in arthritic dogs, yucca can be very useful toward reducing inflammation of the knees and hips, especially when the herb is used concurrently with liquid extracts of licorice root (Glycyrrhizza spp.), alfalfa, and a liquid glucosamine supplement. Part of this may be attributable to the improved assimilation of glucosamine, another possible attribute of yucca’s amazing saponin constituents.
Undiscovered Values of Yucca Root for Dogs
Although scientists largely remain focused on the saponin constituents of yucca, it is obvious that there is much to discover about several other compounds within this plant. Native Americans used the roots, leaves, and flowers in a wide variety of applications, ranging from burns and digestive disorders to contraceptive applications.
A water extract (tea) of Yucca glauca (“small yucca” or “soapweed”) has been shown to have anti-tumor activity against a certain type of melanoma in mice. Its mechanism in this context is believed to stem from its polysaccharide constituents, not necessarily its steroidal saponins.
Perhaps most famously, yucca’s high saponin content has been widely exploited to make soap and shampoos.
A Few Words of Caution
Yucca root is classified by FDA and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) as “Generally Regarded as Safe” (GRAS) for use in animal feeds and supplements. Yucca root powders, extracts, and other preparations can be used very safely in dogs and other mammals. Nevertheless, several controversies have been raised over the years concerning the safety of yucca’s saponin constituents.
Many of these concerns stem from cases of intestinal bloating or photosensitivity in livestock. Most of these events were triggered when too much saponin-rich, fresh alfalfa was fed while the plants were in bloom (alfalfa should only be harvested and fed prior to blooming).
There have also been reports of bloating and other digestive problems that have been attributed, at least in part, to cheap, fibrous, saponin-rich vegetable by-products (such as beet pulp) that are used in lieu of whole vegetables in commercial dog foods.
Then there are the numerous scientific studies in which animal subjects suffered digestive distress when they ingested (or were force-fed) isolated saponin compounds in chemical concentrations far exceeding than those naturally found in yucca root, or for that matter, any other herb. Such an experiment, in my mind, only proves that animals (and humans) shouldn’t eat soap.
Saponin is found in many of the vegetables we eat and frequently feed to our dogs (including yams, beets, and alfalfa sprouts), yet a few outspoken individuals insist that anything that contains saponin must be harmful. This is simply not true. Virtually anything will produce a toxic reaction if ingested in too much abundance, including herbs and vegetables.
Common sense rules here. Too much of virtually anything will likely cause some sort of toxic reaction, and yucca root is no exception. Remember this: Yucca is also known as “soapweed.” If used in excessive amounts over an extended period of time, yucca may eventually irritate the stomach lining and the intestinal mucosa. This in turn may cause vomiting. In fact, many of the Native American tribes of the southwest used yucca preparations to induce vomiting in cases of food poisoning. If vomiting or any other adverse effect is observed, discontinue use.
Yucca Dosage for Dogs
Although yucca has become a popular additive in pet foods, I do not feed foods that contain more than two percent yucca root on a daily basis unless a therapeutic purpose for a higher dose has been identified by a holistic pet care professional.
It is best to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations of yucca supplements that are formulated specifically for dogs. Yucca products vary according to their concentrations and added ingredients. If the product you buy does not have a suggested feeding amount on its label, then call the manufacturer or shop for a different brand.
As a food supplement for dogs with suspected malabsorption: Mix ¼ – ½ tsp. of dried, powdered yucca root (available at health food stores) to each pound of food fed each day. Feed on a schedule of four days on, three days off each week; this will help prevent overstimulation and subsequent irritation of digestive tissues that may otherwise occur with long term use.
As an anti-inflammatory and tonic for dogs with arthritis: Use a liquid tincture product that has been specifically formulated for use in dogs, and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations or the advice of your holistic veterinarian.
Alternatively, an alcohol-free liquid extract can be used. Again, buy one that is formulated for dogs and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Greg Tilford is a well-known expert in the field of veterinary herblism. An international lecturer and teacher of veterinarians and pet owners alike, Greg has written four books on herbs, including All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets, (Bowie Press, 1999), which he coauthored with his wife, Mary.
For Walt Cooper and his yellow Labrador Retriever, Sandy, a little sneezing turned into a big health problem. But by embracing a holistic approach that included both traditional veterinary medicine and a naturopathic element, Cooper has managed to extend his companion’s lease on life and keep her as happy and healthy as possible.
Walt Cooper, 60, a radio programmer living in Liverpool, New York, has shared his life with dogs for many years, but has a special affinity for yellow Labs. Sandy, his third yellow Lab, has been his beloved companion since late 1992, when he got her as a pup.
“She’s like talking to a human being,” says Cooper. “We’re very bonded. She has great enthusiasm.”
As a conscientious owner, Cooper was quick to notice when Sandy, then 10, began sneezing in June of 2003; occasionally, the discharge would have a bloody tinge. Instead of a simple foxtail or other foreign object in her nose, Cooper’s veterinarian discovered a mass in one of Sandy’s nasal cavities. The preliminary diagnosis was hemangioma, which is a benign lump formed by dilated small blood vessels in the skin. Although they’re not normally considered dangerous, Cooper agreed to a biopsy – just in case.
The pathology report came back with encouraging news, confirming the mass as benign. But Cooper had a gut feeling that he couldn’t ignore, and he decided to seek a second opinion for his beloved dog at the nearby Cornell University Hospital for Animals. “As we were getting this report, we thought we’d better get into Cornell just in case,” he says.
Cooper and Sandy made an appointment with Cornell’s oncology department, and agreed to a CT scan, blood tests, and additional biopsies. “They took 10 or 12 samples, and then we had a problem because (her left) eye became filled with blood because of the procedure,” says Cooper. “So she was in pretty bad shape at Cornell.”
Then came the kicker. The veterinarians at Cornell gave Cooper a revised diagnosis: Rather than a benign hemangioma, they said, Sandy was suffering from hemangioendo-thelioma – a rare type of cancer. Even worse, the CT scan revealed it was spreading into adjacent tissues.
“Hemangioendothelioma is an unusual diagnosis,” says Blaise Burke, DVM, a resident in radiation and medical oncology at Cornell’s veterinary hospital and Sandy’s primary clinician. “The most common types of tumors in dogs in the nasal cavity are adenocarcinomas. I don’t believe such a thing as hemangioendothelioma (in the nose) has ever been reported in the literature.”
Because of the proximity of the mass to Sandy’s eyes and brain and the fact that it was already spreading, attempting to excise the tumor wasn’t an option. Instead, Dr. Burke prescribed a course of radiation treatment – and he warned Cooper that Sandy’s future might be grim.
“This is a tumor with a rather poor prognosis, (with) a median survival time of around three months,” explains Dr. Burke. Cooper was told Sandy might have 8 to 12 weeks left to live at best.
Cooper agreed to let Sandy undergo radiation therapy in an effort to slow the spread of the tumor. However, after five of the six procedures were completed, he discontinued the treatment due to concern over some serious side effects.
“Her eye hemorrhaged, there were ulcers in her mouth . . . it was bad,” says Cooper. Sandy also developed conjunctivitis in response to the radiation. In the space of a couple of months, Sandy went from a happy, healthy dog to a cancer patient who was taking steroids, several types of antibiotic drugs, and painkillers.
Research begins
In an effort to help combat the effects of some of the drugs, Cooper began looking into some nutritional options. Sandy had already been on some basic supplements to help with her arthritis, including a glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplement, so Cooper wasn’t a stranger to the idea and knew where to start.
“I figured the first thing was to get good bacteria back into the body, because of the antibiotics, so I started with yogurt and cottage cheese,” he said. Then he stumbled across some information about turmeric (also known as curcumin), a spice used in many curries; some studies had found turmeric reduced tumor size. He figured, since the conventional veterinary treatment options for the cancer were nearly exhausted – additional rounds of radiation therapy were not recommended – why not try this? After checking things out thoroughly, he added turmeric to Sandy’s diet as well. Soon, Cooper became an avid researcher.
“I started talking to different people and reading different publications; I didn’t just go off and just do stuff (indiscriminately),” he said. “I would have to hear it in triplicate, from at least three sources, and also for canines, and make sure everything was right.”
Cooper looked up medical studies, read articles from journals and magazines (including WDJ), visited Web sites, and experimented with mixing different additives and supplements into Sandy’s diet. Her daily rations soon included things like flax seed oil, milk thistle extract, MSM, Ester-C, garlic, digestive enzymes, and a host of other supplements (see sidebar). Cooper’s goal: “To keep the immune system working as well as possible.”
Keeping Sandy happy
The approach appears to have paid off. “She’s lasted this long, we’ve been lucky,” says Cooper. “They said if she made it to Labor Day (2003), she’d be lucky.”
As of April 2004, Sandy is still battling eye problems and occasional nosebleeds, but she is active and happy. “She’s about 60 pounds, no fat, has a nice waistline, good teeth, her eyes are doing pretty good, and her appetite’s good,” says Cooper.
Walt maintains that a regular exercise regimen has also contributed to Sandy’s good spirits and thus, her robust immune system. “We play ball 10 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes at night, plus walking, so she stays in top physical shape,” he says. “Even when she was quite ill and feeling bad, a little ball-playing would perk her up, even if we were just rolling the ball for her a short distance in the house.”
Sandy’s veterinarians are also pleased with her condition.
“We’ve seen Sandy quite a bit, and we’ve all been really pleasantly surprised at how long she’s been going, given the kind of tumor and its location,” says Dr. Burke. “I think she’s looking pretty, she has good energy, good appetite, and her quality of life – in spite of her disease – is pretty good.”
On his own
Dr. Burke credits Sandy’s state of health, at least in part, to her radiation treatments. But he doesn’t know about Sandy’s steady diet of supplements, because Cooper hasn’t shared that information with him.
“I didn’t really think about it,” says Cooper, when asked why. “With most vets, if you tell them you’re using supplements, they’ll just say if it works, it works. Most vets I know don’t really mention anything alternative medicine all that often, unless they’re into that sort of thing.”
But wasn’t he concerned about possible interactions with her medical therapy? “When I started, given the seriousness of the diagnosis, they offered very little hope that she would live very long. And I just wanted to do anything I could to reduce the side effects of the medications she was on. Plus, it gave me something more that I could do for her. Honestly, I didn’t know that much about all of it when I started. But it was so successful – from the beginning, she did better than they predicted she would – that I got more and more into it, and started researching all sorts of things,” says Cooper. “I didn’t know that much when I started, but I sure know a lot now.”
As a general rule, it’s not a good idea to use herbs or an extensive supplement regimen without your veterinarian’s blessing, or at least his knowledge. Unless an owner is very knowledgeable about dosages, expected effects, possible side effects, potential drug interactions, the ways that the herbs or supplements can affect the drug dosages, etc., he could unwittingly cause a problem that neither he (nor the unsuspecting veterinarian) would be able to address appropriately.
This is where the assistance of a holistic veterinarian can be a huge asset. Many dog owners utilize the services of a conventional practitioner for emergency and/or primary care and diagnosis, and a holistic practitioner for advice about alternative or complementary treatments. At least one member of your dog’s healthcare “team” should be experienced and knowledgable about nutritional supplements and herbal treatments. (See “Coordinating Care,” WDJ May 2002.)
Walt researches the supplements and herbs he administers as well as the vet-prescribed drugs very thoroughly, watches his dog like a hawk, and feels confident that he could detect signs of a problem and take appropriate steps. Again, in most cases, if the dog’s primary care veterinarian uses only conventional medicine and is unsympathetic, uninterested, or even opposed to the use of adjunctive complementary therapies, an owner should consult with another veterinarian who is familiar with both the complementary and conventional regimes the dog will receive.
In Cooper’s case, extraordinary research was the name of the game. Cooper relies on scientific studies that he finds online, information from reputable publications and Web sites, and consultations with veterinary clinicians – and he warns anyone interested that it’s hard work.
“For anyone getting into this, you really have to read up on things,” he says. “Go to the Internet and download any (scientific study) abstracts you can get. Check everything out. I’d have to verify something two or three times before I’d give it to my dog, and then have to figure out the amount.”
Nothing better than vigilance
Another important part of Sandy’s success has been her owner’s unfailing ability to observe the slightest change in her condition or frame of mind. Cooper is quick to note any changes in Sandy’s demeanor and behavior and take action as soon as possible. For example, he recently discontinued many supplements – all the ones that can thin the blood – after she had some bloody discharge following sneezing. Also, he doesn’t hesitate to check in with his veterinarians, or whisk Sandy into the clinic if he sees anything awry.
Despite being unaware of the nutritional components of Sandy’s care, Dr. Burke recognizes that Cooper is the type of owner who’s willing to do anything it takes to improve his dog’s situation.
“Walt seems very diligent about watching her for any changes, and he will be quick to bring them to our attention,” says Dr. Burke. “I think his goals are to keep her comfortable and as happy as he can keep her for as long as possible. He’s really taken good care of her and it’s been a real pleasure to work with him.”
Beyond expectations
There’s no way of knowing the state of Sandy’s cancer without conducting another CT scan or chest X-rays, and Cooper has opted not to do that thus far, based both on expense and the fact that even if tests show the cancer has spread, there’s nothing more medically that can be done. But he is encouraged by the results he’s seen so far.
“Every time I’ve gotten to a roadblock and have exhausted everything I’ve read, somehow, somewhere, I either pick up an article or come up with something else that can help,” he says. “I call Sandy the comeback kid, because every time I think we’re at the end, something good happens.”
Holistic dog care means using everything at your disposal: attentive dog care, quick action, conventional veterinary medicine, high-tech innovations, alternative and complementary medicine where applicable, and sympathetic, sensitive nursing with the dog’s preferences and quality of life foremost in mind. We admit that this takes an extraordinary owner.
Walt Cooper embodies this description perfectly. But he brushes any such compliments off. “I’d do just about anything for this dog,” he says.
-C.C. Holland is a freelance writer in Oakland, California, and regular contributor to WDJ.
1. Keep your dog’s ears clean. Use a gentle cleaning agent such as green tea, or a commercial product such as Halo’s Natural Herbal Ear Wash.
2. Use a pinch of boric acid to keep the dog’s ears dry and acidified.
3. Consult your holistic veterinarian in cases of severe or chronic infections; she may need to treat an underlying condition.
Chronic dog ear infections are the bane of long-eared dogs, swimming dogs, recently vaccinated puppies, old dogs, dogs with an abundance of ear wax, and dogs with allergies, thyroid imbalances, or immune system disorders. In other words, ear infections are among the most common recurring canine problems.
In conventional veterinary medicine, a dog ear infection can often be treated with oral antibiotics, topical drugs, or even surgery. The problem is that none of these treatments is a cure. Ear infections come back when the dog eats another “wrong” food, goes for another swim, experiences another buildup of excess wax, or in some other way triggers a reoccurrence.
Holistic veterinarian Stacey Hershman, of Nyack, New York, took an interest in dog ear infections when she became a veterinary technician in her teens. “This is a subject that isn’t covered much in vet school,” she says. “I learned about treating ear infections from the veterinarians I worked with over the years. Because they all had different techniques, I saw dozens of different treatments, and I kept track of what worked and what didn’t.”
Over the years, Dr. Hershman developed a program for keeping ears healthy and treating any problems that do arise, without the steroids and antibiotics usually dispensed by conventional practitioners. In addition, when she treats a dog with infected ears, she usually gives a homeopathic remedy to stimulate the dog’s immune system and help it fight the infection’s underlying cause.
“Ear infections are a symptom of a larger problem,” she says. “You don’t want to just treat the ear and ignore the rest of the body. You want to treat the whole patient.”
Dr. Hershman believes that many dog ear infections, especially in puppies, stem from immune system imbalances caused by vaccinosis, a reaction to vaccines. “The ill effects of vaccines,” she says, “can cause mucoid discharge in puppies. For example, it’s not uncommon for puppies to have a discharge from the eyes or to develop conjunctivitis after a distemper vaccine.”
Once a dog develops an ear infection, conventional treatment can make the problem worse. “Dogs are routinely given cocktail drugs, which are combinations of antibiotics, antifungal drugs, cortisone, or other ingredients,” she explains.
“After a while, you’ll go through 10 tubes, and your dog will develop a resistance. Then you’ll have to go to more powerful drugs to treat the recurring infection. In conventional veterinary medicine, chronic ear infections are considered normal. Dog owners are told they’re a fact of life, they’re never cured, they just keep coming back, and the best you can do is ‘manage’ them. My goal is to cure, not to manage.”
Dr. Hershman’s treatment for infected ears is not a cure by itself, but it’s a remedy that isn’t harmful, and it gives you an important kick-start in treating ears holistically. “That’s the approach that leads to a cure,” she says.
Note: If your dog develops an ear infection for the first time, or if his condition seems especially severe or painful, take him to see your holistic veterinarian, to rule out a tumor, polyp, or something else that requires veterinary attention.
Maintenance Ear Cleaning
Dr. Hershman’s healthy ears program starts with maintenance cleaning with ordinary cotton balls and cotton swabs. “This makes a lot of people nervous,” she says, “but the canine ear canal isn’t straight like the canal in our ears. Assuming you’re reasonably gentle, you can’t puncture the ear drum or do any structural damage.”
Moisten the ear with green tea brewed as for drinking and cooled to room temperature, or use an acidic ear cleanser that does not contain alcohol. Dr. Hershman likes green tea for its mildness and its acidifying, antibacterial properties, but she also recommends peach-scented DermaPet MalAcetic Otic Ear Cleanser or Halo Natural Herbal Ear Wash.
“Don’t pour the cleanser into the dog’s ear,” she warns, “or it will just wash debris down and sit on the ear drum, irritating it.” Instead, she says, lift the dog’s ear flap while holding a moistened cotton ball between your thumb and index finger. Push the cotton down the opening behind the tragus (the horizontal ridge you see when you lift the ear flap) and scoop upward. Use a few dry cotton balls to clean out normal waxy buildup.
Next, push a Q-tip into the vertical ear canal until it stops, then scoop upward while rubbing it against the walls of the vertical canal. Repeat several times, rubbing on different sides of the vertical canal. Depending on how much debris is present in each ear, you can moisten one or several cotton balls and use two or more Q-tips.
“You don’t want to push so hard that you cause pain,” she says, “but for maintenance cleaning using gentle pressure, it’s impossible to harm the eardrum. I refer to the external ear canal as an L-shaped tunnel, and I tell owners to think of the vertical canal as a cone of cartilage. People are always amazed at how deep the dog’s ear canal can go. I often have them hold the end of the Q-tip while I demonstrate cleaning so they feel confident about doing it correctly without hurting their dogs.”
If excessive discharge requires the use of five or more Q-tips, or if the discharge is thick, black, or malodorous, Dr. Hershman recommends an ear flush.
Dr. Hershman realized that when an ear is not inflamed and not painful but full of debris or tarry exudates from a yeast or bacterial infection, flushing the ear makes sense. “If you don’t flush it out but keep applying medication on top of the debris,” she says, “you’re never going to cure the problem. But I also learned that flushing the ear is an art. You can’t simply fill the ear with otic solution and expect it to flow out by itself, taking all the debris with it. Because the dog’s ear canal forms a right angle, you just can’t get the liquid out unless you suction it gently with a bulb syringe or some kind of tube with a syringe attached.”
Flushing the ears, says Dr. Hershman, is one of the most important techniques you can learn for keeping your dog’s ears healthy. “They don’t teach this in veterinary school,” she says. “It’s something people learn by experience.”
When should the ears not be flushed? “If they’re painful, ulcerated, or bleeding,” she says, “or if there’s slimy, slippery pus in the ear or a glutenous, yeasty, golden yellow discharge. In any of these cases, flushing is not recommended. But if the ears are not inflamed and are simply waxy or filled with tarry exudates, flushing works well.”
The procedure begins with a mild, natural, unscented liquid soap from the health food store. Place a few drops of full-strength soap in the ear, then thoroughly massage the base of the ear. The soap is a surfactant, and it breaks up debris that’s stuck to the sides of the ear canal. From a bowl of water that’s slightly warmer than body temperature, fill a rubber bulb syringe or ear syringe, the kind sold in pharmacies for use with children or adults. Place the point of the syringe deep down in the soap-treated ear, then slowly squeeze the syringe so it releases a gentle stream of water.
“By the first or second application,” says Dr. Hershman, “you should see all kinds of debris flowing out. It’s like a waterfall. At the end of each application, hold the syringe in place so it sucks remaining water and debris up out of the ear canal. Then empty the syringe before filling it again.”
For seriously debris-filled ears, Dr. Hershman repeats the procedure three or four times, then she lets the dog shake his head before drying the ear with cotton balls and Q-tips. “I look for blood or debris,” she says, “and I check inside with the otoscope. If there’s still a lot of debris, I put more soap in, do a more vigorous massage, and flush it a few more times.
“An ear flush can be traumatic if the ear is inflamed,” she warns, “and occasionally there will be an ulcer or sore that you don’t know is there and it will bleed. That’s why you have to be careful about how you do this. You have to be vigorous but not aggressive. You don’t want to make the ear more inflamed, painful, or damaged than it was to begin with.”
After flushing the ear, Dr. Hershman applies calendula gel, a homeopathic remedy. “I put a large dab in each ear and ask the owner to do that once or twice a day for the next three days. The gel is water-soluble and very soothing. Calendula helps relieve itching and it stimulates the growth of new cells, so it speeds tissue repair.”
If the discharge in the dog’s ear is yeasty or obviously infected, Dr. Hershman skips the ear flush, instead using the following treatment.
Treating Dog Ear Infections
Careful treatment is required for infected ears and ears that are full of debris that resists even an ear flush. But what approach works best?
When Dr. Hershman began her veterinary practice, she met many dogs who wouldn’t let anyone touch their ears. “I knew that nothing I’d learned in vet school was going to help them,” she says, “so I thought back to all the treatments I’d seen over the years. The one that seemed most effective was a combination of boric acid and a thick, old-fashioned ointment that looks like pink toothpaste. I couldn’t remember its name, but I never forgot how it smelled – really peculiar, like burnt embers.”
The ointment was Pellitol, and as soon as she tracked it down, Dr. Hershman developed her own protocol for using it in combination with boric acid. Through groomers she had learned the importance of ear powders. “Like those powders,” she says, “boric acid dries and acidifies the ear. Yeast and bacteria are opportunistic organisms that die in a dry, acidic environment. They thrive where it’s moist, dark, and alkaline.”
Experimenting first with her own dogs and dogs at the animal shelter where she volunteered, she placed two or three pinches of boric acid powder in each infected ear unless it was ulcerated, bleeding, or painful. “Being acidic,” she explains, “boric acid might irritate open wounds. In that case, I would use the Pellitol alone. Otherwise, a pinch or two of boric acid is an effective preliminary treatment.”
Boric acid is toxic; note warnings on the label. It should not be inhaled, swallowed, or placed in the eye. Shielding the face is important and usually requires a helper, someone who can hold the dog’s head steady while protecting the eyes, nose, and mouth.
“I put the boric acid in and use my finger to work it deep into the ear canal,” she says. “If the dog has a very narrow ear canal, I gently work it down with a Q-tip.”
Next, she attaches the Pellitol applicator to the tube and squeezes the pasty ointment into the ear canal, applying enough pressure as she withdraws the tube to completely fill the canal. “I massage the ear,” she says, “especially around the base, then leave it undisturbed for an entire week. I learned this by trial and error. The Pellitol dries up within a day or two, but if you leave it undisturbed for an entire week, it removes whatever exudates are in the ear, whether they’re sticky, tarry, yeasty, or slimy pus. It just attaches to whatever’s there, dries it up, and everything falls out together.”
Pellitol ointment contains zinc oxide, calamine, bismuth subgalante, bismuth subnitrate, resorcinol, echinacea fluid extract, and juniper tar. “Zinc oxide,” says Dr. Hershman, “is a drying agent; calamine helps with itching and inflammation; bismuth is soothing and has antibacterial properties; resorcinol is used to treat dermatitis and other skin conditions; echinacea is antiviral and antibacterial; and juniper tar, like all tree resins, fights infection and makes the ointment very sticky. Once applied, it stays in place until it dries and flakes off, taking the ear’s debris with it.”
After a week, the ear should be much improved. “That’s when I use cotton balls or Q-tips to remove whatever’s left,” says Dr. Hershman. “I love this treatment because it works well, it doesn’t traumatize the ear, and it doesn’t antidote homeopathy.”
If Pellitol has an adverse side effect, it’s the product’s stickiness. “I tell people to protect their furniture for a day or two,” says Hershman. “The ointment will stick to anything it touches, and when you fill the ear, it can stick to the outside of the ear or the dog’s face. That excess will dry and fall off. You can remove it with vegetable oil, but leave the inside of the ear flap alone.”
Sometimes a second treatment is needed, and sometimes Dr. Hershman flushes the ear to complete the therapy.
While dog owners can successfully treat many ear problems with the foregoing program by themselves, don’t hesitate to bring your dog to your holistic veterinarian if he exhibits severe pain or discomfort, or if the ear problems recur. There may be an underlying issue that your holistic veterinarian can identify and treat.
Also, there have been cases in which the alternatives described here don’t work. If this happens, conventional treatment might be needed to defeat the bacteria infecting the dog’s ear. Dr. Hershman’s cleaning and flushing program can be used afterward for preventive maintenance.
A NOTE ON PELLITOL: Since this article was originally published, Pellitol stopped being manufactured under that name. The same product is still sold, but have your veterinarian contact your pharmacy to make sure you are getting the right product.
Ear Mites
Not every ear infection is an infection; sometimes it’s an infestation. Ear mites are tiny parasites that suck blood and fill the ear with waste matter that looks like black coffee grounds. The problem is most common in dogs from pet shops, puppy mills, shelters, or breeders with unclean environments.
Ear mites are species-specific, meaning that feline ear mites prefer cats’ ears and canine ear mites prefer dogs’ ears. Their bites ulcerate the ear canal, often leading to secondary infections.
How can you tell if your dog has ear mites? The definitive test is by microscopic examination, but Dr. Hershman describes two simple home tests. “Smear some ear debris on a white paper towel and wet it with hydrogen peroxide,” she says. “If it creates a brownish red stain when you smear it, you’re looking at digested blood from mites. In addition, most animals with ear mites have a positive ‘thump test.’ They vigorously thump a hind leg when you clean their ears because of intense itching.”
Ear mites are usually treated with pesticides, but there’s a safer, easier way. Simply put a few drops of mineral oil in each ear once or twice a week for a month.
Mineral oil has a terrible reputation in holistic health circles because it’s a petrochemical that blocks pores and interferes with the skin’s ability to breathe. But when it comes to fighting ear mites, these characteristics are a virtue. Mineral oil smothers and starves ear mites. Reapplying the oil twice per week prevents the growth of new generations.
Note: Herbal ear oils containing olive oil or other vegetable oils can be less effective in the treatment of ear mites, either because they contain nutrients that feed the tiny parasites or because they are not heavy enough to smother them.
For best results, use an eyedropper to apply mineral oil to the inside of the ear. Then use a cotton ball saturated with mineral oil to wipe inside the ear flap. Massage the entire ear to be sure the mineral oil is well distributed. Before each subsequent application, remove debris from the ear with cotton balls and Q-tips.
If mites have caused a secondary infection, follow the mineral oil treatment with Pellitol ointment and leave it undisturbed for several days.
Veterinary Help for Chronic Ear Problems
If you are unsure of your ability to clean or treat your dog’s ears, you can ask your holistic veterinarian to help you; with a little practice, you should be able to prevent ear problems and help your dog maintain a clean, dry, healthy ear on your own.
“These are simple, old-fashioned remedies,” says Dr. Hershman. “There is nothing high-tech about them. But after 30 years of treating ear infections, I’m convinced more than ever that they are the best way to treat canine ear infections.”
CJ Puotinen is the author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care and Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats, both of which are available from DogWise. She has also authored several books about human health including Natural Relief from Aches and Pains.
Without a doubt, the most common question I am asked is “What kind of food should I feed my dog?”
Unfortunately, the answer is not simple. I try to teach dog owners to recognize the hallmarks of good quality foods, buy a bunch of them to try, identify a few that really suit their dogs, and then to rotate between three or four of the best. I suggest that they give their dogs one food for 2-4 months, and then switch to another food, and then another. Ideally, the foods are made by a few different manufacturers, and contain completely different protein sources, too.
Variability in Our Dogs’ Diets
All “complete and balanced” pet foods, even the ones made of the best ingredients, contain a premixed vitamin/mineral supplement. This is intended to ensure that the finished products contain a minimum amount of the nutrients deemed vital for canine health. This is needed because many of the nutrients present in the food ingredients are destroyed in the manufacturing process, and because it’s difficult (if not impossible) to find food sources of some nutrients, especially the trace minerals.
Despite the inclusion of the vitamin/mineral premixes, however, laboratory analysis of the finished pet food may reveal a wide range of levels for all the nutrients contained in the finished products. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) provides guidelines for minimum levels for most nutrients, and maximum levels (for a few others). Within this basic framework, however, manufacturers have a lot of room to formulate their products to different levels, based on their own research, experience, and philosophies.
In fact, an interested dog owner can find quite a bit of variability in the nutrient levels in different pet foods – that is, if the maker will disclose this sort of minutiae. (The ones that won’t disclose the amount of any given nutrient in their formula aren’t worth dealing with, in my opinion.)
For example, the AAFCO nutrient profiles call for a minimum of 50 IU of vitamin E per kg of food, and a maximum of 1,000 IU/kg (based on dry matter, which excludes the moisture in the food from the calculations). Nature’s Variety reports that its “Prairie Brand Chicken and Rice Medley” contains 116 IU of vitamin E per kg of food (on a dry matter basis); Natura Pet Products reports that its “Innova” dry dog food contains 271 IU/kg of vitamin E.
Dogs Are What They Eat, Too
The point is, many of us have been conditioned to feed our dogs the same food, day in and day out. We are warned by food manufacturers and veterinarians alike that it is pointless and even possibly dangerous somehow to change a dog’s food. But a dog who eats the same diet every day can eventually become the living embodiment of the nutritional levels ever-present in his diet. To prevent nutrient toxicity, deficiency, or imbalance, the simple solution is to feed a variety of high-quality foods.
This just makes sense. If a company’s products are high in one nutrient, conceivably, after years of daily consumption of that food alone, a dog could develop problems associated with excessive levels of that nutrient. Years and years of feeding a food that is formulated to offer just slightly more than the minimum of another nutrient may result in a dog with a deficiency of that nutrient. Imbalances of nutrients that are best fed in certain proportions to each other (such as the Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids) can also become entrenched in a dog’s body after years and years.
Smart Dog Food Switching
There are other reasons to change a dog’s food every few months or so. Switching from one source of protein to another occasionally can help prevent the development of food allergies or intolerances. It can also help prevent a dog from developing a stubborn preference for just one kind of food, which can be highly inconvenient.
When switching foods, spend a few days replacing the old food with the new in gradually larger proportions. This gives the dog’s digestive bacteria time to adjust to their new job, and should eliminate the gas or diarrhea that can sometimes accompany a sudden diet change.
Other than when you are switching from one food to another, it’s not a good idea to feed different foods at the same time. Your dog might enjoy a mix of half this and half that, but if he suddenly exhibits a digestive problem, it will be harder to track down the offending ingredients.
On a final note: Don’t hesitate to discontinue feeding any food your dog has a bad reaction to. No matter how much you trust its manufacturer, any product can suffer a dangerous manufacturing defect that could put your dog’s life at risk.
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I have never owned a dog with separation anxiety, thank goodness. The condition is hard on the dog who suffers from the condition and hard on the dog’s caretakers, too, including owners, vets, groomers, pet sitters, and dog walkers. Care must be taken to prevent triggering the dog’s panic at being left alone—in severe cases, even just long enough for the person caring for the dog to use the restroom!
