Unlike conventional drug therapies and surgical interventions, effective herb use does not focus on suppression or removal of disease symptoms. Instead, the herbalist begins his work from a more holistic perspective, one that starts with identification and correction of underlying issues and external influences that cause or contribute to illness.
To clarify this, let’s look at urinary stones and the methods by which they are treated.
It is well known that many types of stones result from systemic imbalances between urine pH levels and excess minerals in the urinary tract. There are various types of stones; some occur in an acid pH environment while others occur in an alkaline pH environment. Virtually all cases of stones are strongly influenced by diet and the body’s inability to effectively eliminate waste.
Aside from surgery, conventional approaches include reduction of calcium, protein, or other elements from the diet that are thought to contribute to the stones. However, from a holistic perspective, this approach leaves a very important question unanswered: Why is the body unable to properly utilize food and eliminate waste?
From a holistic standpoint, it just doesn’t make sense to reduce calcium, protein, and other nutrients that are important to canine health – to do so may predispose the dog to malnutrition. Therefore, the holistic caregiver’s first course of action is not to cut out important nutrients from the dog’s diet, but to improve the quality and digestibility of the food the dog eats. Why? Because stones do not represent the totality of the problem; they only represent a symptom of an imbalance that stems from poor food metabolism.
So instead of focusing on the stones themselves, the holistic caregiver begins a regimen of higher quality meat, highly digestible calcium, and digestive enzymes and probiotic supplements (bifidus, acidophilus, etc.) that will help improve digestion and elimination.
Once nutritional measures are put into play, herbs can be useful at assisting the body in its efforts to expel the stones and reestablish healthy balances. For example, dandelion and yucca root may be used to aid the body in absorption of nutrients and the elimination of excess waste. Marshmallow root (Althea officinalis), a mucilage-rich herb that helps lubricate and protect mucous membranes in the urinary tract, may help ease the passage of crystals and small stones. Couchgrass (Elytrigia repens), cornsilk (Zea mays), and other types of astringent herbs might be added to the regimen to reduce inflammation and open up urinary passages. Echinacea might also be useful toward stimulating the immune system and helping to knock down bacterial infection.
However, it is very important to know that before any of these herbs can be used at an optimum level of efficacy, diet must be improved. This applies to the use of herbs against any type of imbalance, which leads us to the number one golden rule of effective herb use…
THE 5 RULES OF USING HERBAL REMEDIES ON DOGS
1. A good diet always comes first.
Your dog’s body requires good, fully digestible, nutritionally complete food in order to function as Nature designed it. When used at their greatest potential, herbs are used to call upon healing energies and resources that are already in place – meaning that if a dog is on a diet of bargain basement Brand X kibble, the herbs you feed have few tools to work from.
Simply put, herbs work in concert with the quality of food that goes into it. They cannot replace a good diet, nor can they supplement a poor one. Without quality nutrition, herbs are holistically useless in therapeutic applications; don’t waste your time and money on them if you pay $10 for a 40-pound bag of dog food.
2. Herbs generally do not serve well as direct replacements for conventional drugs.
Although herbs can sometimes be used as alternatives to conventional drugs, it is important to remember that their greatest potential rests within the holistic context by which they are applied. When herbs are used from the same allopathic perspective as one would use a drug, their greatest healing gifts are not employed.
For example, licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra, an herb I touted as a potential alternative to anti-inflammatory drugs in the December 2002 issue of WDJ) can sometimes be used as a somewhat weak replacement for corticosteroid drugs. However, using licorice in this capacity without first considering the actual causes of a dog’s ailments is really no different from using an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug.
If you wish to use herbs effectively, start with diet, not by focusing on suppression of symptoms.
3. More of an herbal medicine is not necessarily better.
Although herbs tend to be more forgiving than most drugs in terms of safety and potential side effects, this does not mean they can be used without care and common sense. Some herbs are very powerful medicines, and if misused can lead to serious health problems.
Read books, talk to experts, go to seminars and classes to learn about herbs. Find out where your comfort boundaries exist with their use before you use them. If you have any doubts about which herb to use, how much, and how long, consult a holistic veterinarian that is familiar with the use of herbs in your type of dog.
4. Until you are familiar with herbs and how to properly select, prepare, combine, and portion them for use in your companion, it is best to use reputable herbal products that are formulated specifically for dogs.
By doing this you not only will save time and money, but also will draw from years of experience and expertise. There are dozens of quality herb products in the marketplace that have been formulated by people who are experts in the use of herbs for animals. These products are not only formulated for optimum efficacy, but are fine-tuned to the nuances of the canine body. Use them.
5. If you wish to pursue an alternative solution for a serious health problem, don’t waste time trying to figure out a self-administered solution. Consult a holistic veterinarian immediately.
Many of the letters and calls I get are from pet owners who are either frustrated with conventional medicine or who think they cannot access or afford the advice of a holistic veterinarian. My advice to all of you is this: If you truly love your dogs as I do, and if you recognize the precious gifts of happiness and healing they bring to you everyday, you owe it to them to provide the food and holistic care they need.
On the surface, the expense of a holistic veterinarian and a natural diet may seem unreasonable. But really, providing your companion with quality nutrition and holistic care is not as expensive as you think – especially when you learn that much of what your dog needs may already be in your refrigerator and spice cabinet.
Hundreds of holistic veterinarians are in practice throughout North America and can be accessed through the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, which maintains a state-by-state database of all of its members. Many of these very special vets can help you get started on a path to canine wellness on the telephone, and when you factor in the money you will save by reducing veterinary costs, you will soon realize the value of health maintenance versus disease intervention.
Just remember: It all starts with how willing you are to look at the bigger picture of your dog’s health.
HERBAL REMEDIES FOR DOGS: OVERVIEW
1. Banish the concept of herbs as alternatives to drugs that simply suppress symptoms.
2. Before you feed herbs to your dog, improve his diet! Herbs can’t be effective if the dog is malnourished.
3. Enlist the help of a holistic veterinarian who has experience with herbs, or an herbalist who will work with your veterinarian.
Greg Tilford is a well-known veterinary herbalist, lecturer, and author. He serves as a consultant and formulator to hundreds of holistic veterinarians throughout the world, and is CEO of Animal’s Apawthecary, a company that develops herbal products specifically for use in animals. He is author of four books on herbs, including All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets (Bowtie, 1999), which he co-authored with his wife, Mary.
A client called me recently, seeking my advice. She is moving across the country, and wanted my recommendation on which airline to use to fly her Lab mix.
“I can’t give you one,” I told her. “I simply would not ship a dog by air, so I haven’t made any effort to keep track of which one might be safest.”
She wasn’t happy with my response. “But I have no choice,” she said, “I have to ship him.”
I told her that for me, flying a dog cargo was not a viable option, and that if I were in her position I would simply, somehow, find another way. I’m sure she was nettled by what she thought was my inappropriately stubborn refusal to give her the information she wanted.
The fact is, the information is almost impossible to come by. Unbelievably, neither the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) nor the airline industry keeps records of the number or percentage of animals that are lost, injured, or killed during air cargo transport. Any figures that do get reported are regarded as suspect by one or another player in the industry.
For example, the American Humane Association estimates that of the approximately two million animals who travel by air each year, some 5,000 are lost, injured, or killed. The Air Transport Association contests that number, but can’t deny that animals are sometimes harmed during transport. Because there is currently no disclosure of such incidents required by law, however, no one knows the true number.
We pet owners tend to hear about only the sensational cases that make it into the newspapers, such as the five German Shepherds, trained for law enforcement work, who died traveling on a Delta Airlines flight from Georgia to Ohio in May 2002, or the cat who disappeared somewhere between Canada and San Francisco while being shipped on an Air Canada flight in August 2002 (the cat’s heavily damaged carrier arrived, however).
We don’t hear about the less dramatic (but hardly less damaging) cases. Our dogs can’t tell us about their exposure to the elements – excessively hot or freezing cold temperatures they may experience in the cargo hold and on the tarmac. We don’t hear about pet carriers falling off luggage conveyor belts or being tossed around by careless or hurried baggage handlers. Nor do we hear about animal carriers that, just like other luggage, get loaded on the wrong flight and end up far from their intended destinations, with no one available to comfort or allow the distressed animals to relieve their full bladders or bowels. And when a puppy is shipped to us from a distant breeder, we never know for sure if his fearful personality is genetic, or stems primarily from the trauma of travel, especially if he was shipped during one of the several “fear periods” that can occur during the first year of a puppy’s life.
The airline industry doesn’t help its public image when it resists legislation and regulations intended to improve animal safety during air travel. New rules, ordered by Congress and proposed by the FAA, are supposed to go into effect by the end of this year, but are being met with vociferous objection from at least Delta, Northwest Airlines, and the Air Transport Association. The rules would, among other things, require closer observation of animals in flight and reporting of information regarding any incidents where animals are hurt, lost, or killed, so that consumers (ostensibly) would be able to choose an airline with the best safety record. (For more about this legislation, see sidebar below.)
First things to know
Personally, even if I had reliable information about the airline’s safety record, I doubt I would risk flying my dogs – unless I can fly them in the cabin with me, as I did with my Pomeranian last September, to attend the Association of Pet Dog Trainers’ annual conference in Portland, Oregon. As I learned, there is a lot that a person should know before she carries a dog onto an airplane, too! Even though I anticipated many of Dusty’s training issues that the experience would test, and had spent a significant amount of time getting him used to staying in his new airline-approved, soft-sided carrying case, there were many other aspects of our journey that were, at least, an inconvenience and could have been a major problem for Dusty and me. The first thing I learned is that the airlines charge a fee – usually about $75, each way – for each carry-on pet. This, despite the fact that they will not be handling the dog’s carrier at all! (Imagine if you had to pay $75 for any other carry-on luggage!)
I also found out that all of the airlines have a limit on how many animals a single person can carry (usually, only one pet per person) and a limit on how many animals can be on each flight. Most airlines will accept no more than two or three pets on any given flight. If you are headed toward a large dog-related event, then, you need to make your dog’s reservations very early to ensure his place under your seat.
Next, I learned that I would need a certificate from a veterinarian, advising the airline that my dog was healthy and completely vaccinated. The airline I used required this certificate to be issued no more than 10 days before my trip. Because I was going to be away for a week and the 10-day rule applied to the trip home as well, I made the health exam appointment with my veterinarian for the day before I left home. Otherwise, I would have needed to find a veterinarian in Portland to examine Dusty and issue another certificate for the trip home. Most veterinarians charge between $25 and $50 for the health exam, and an extra $10 to $25 for the certificate.
Also, those dog owners who use a reduced vaccination protocol should discuss the vaccination-reporting portion of the health certificate with their holistic veterinarian long before they plan to bring their dog on a plane. The certificate is a legal document that requires the veterinarian to swear (with his or her medical license at stake) that the dog is fully and currently vaccinated. As we’ve discussed in numerous articles, many holistic veterinarians suggest a reduced vaccination schedule for most dogs, using vaccine antibody titer tests to confirm that the dogs possess adequate antibody levels to convey protection from disease (see “Take the Titer Test,” WDJ December 2002, and “Current Thoughts on Shots,” August and September 1999).
And, of course, vaccinating the dog right before a potentially stressful trip is ill-advised.
First things to practice
Weeks (if not months) before you head to the airport with your carry-on dog, you need to invest in an appropriate airline-approved carrier (we have a strong recommendation for one; see the sidebar below). Then, you need to spend lots of time having your dog practice getting in and out of it, and spending significant amounts of time in it. This is to ensure that she will be physically and emotionally comfortable in the carrier for extended periods of time.
Introduce your dog to the carrier slowly; don’t ever force him in and zip it up quickly, which would be enough to convince many dogs to dread the carrier forevermore. Leave the carrier open, with a few treats sprinkled inside it, in your living room for a day or two so he can approach and smell it all on his own. Then, while you are reading or watching television one evening, toss treats onto the floor near the carrier, and then inside it, so your dog has to enter it, at least partway, to get the treat.
You can speed this process along by using a reward marker (such as the Click! of a clicker or the word “Yes!”) every time your dog goes even a little way into the carrier, followed by a yummy treat. Reward him for going farther and farther inside, and for increasingly long visits to the carrier before you close him in – and make those first “captures” very brief.
When your dog is comfortable staying in the closed carrier for a minute or so, give him a Kong toy stuffed with delicious treats; you can freeze the food-filled Kong to make it last even longer.
Monitor your dog closely while he’s in the carrier so you can let him out before he starts whining or exhibiting any anxiety about being closed in. If you free him immediately after any sort of outburst, you may set yourself up for further displays of whining, barking, or scratching to get out.
When he’s comfortable spending significant periods in the carrier, practice carrying him in it. Even a brief practice session may influence your selection of other carry-on items; even little dogs get heavy!
Cabin fever
I felt well-prepared but nervous before my first flight with a dog. Dusty, in all his fluffy 8 pounds and 13 years, had never been on a plane. We had driven to the APDT conference in upstate New York the year before and earned two of the three Rally legs we needed to get his title. I really wanted us to get that last Rally leg while Dusty was still capable of doing it. Besides, I had enjoyed having dogs with me at the conference the previous year and was really looking forward to his company.
Two days before we were scheduled to leave, just to be sure, I decided to call the airline to check on Dusty’s reservations, which I had made weeks before. To my dismay, the airline reservations person told me they had no record of the reservations! Fortunately, there was still an opening on my flight, but it confirmed my opinion that “you can’t be too prepared.”
The morning of our departure finally arrived. I carefully packed Dusty’s health certificate, treats, and water for the trip, as well as a stuffed Kong with extra stuffing materials in case he decided to switch into “demand barker” mode. I loaded my luggage into the car, then Dusty’s carrier, and finally, Dusty. He would be in that carrier for several hours – I didn’t want to shut him in until the last possible moment.
I parked in long-term parking at the Chattanooga airport; fortunately, the airport in our town is small enough that even long-term parking is just a brief walk from the ticket counter. I checked one suitcase through, and then we were on our way, Dusty prancing happily by my side through the airport.
At the security check, Dusty had to go into his carrier. The security officer reminded me several times that “the dog” could not come out of his carrier past this point, until we reached our destination. Dusty’s ears flattened a little at my cue to “go to bed,” but he hopped in for a treat, and I zipped him up, leaving the nylon cover rolled up on one side so he could see out. Taking a deep breath, I hoisted his bag over my left shoulder, picked up my purse with my left hand, grabbed my laptop case with my right, and headed for the gate.
Dusty wasn’t very happy and I didn’t blame him. Although I had acclimated him to the carrier, I had neglected to practice carrying it with him inside. I wasn’t very happy either; I had not realized how heavy the darn thing was once it was packed with one small dog and his various accessories. The carrier bounced and shifted as I walked, and I could feel my little friend trembling in the carrier at the same time I felt the crate strap biting into my shoulder. Other travelers, not aware of my precious cargo, came precariously close to bumping into him, which stressed us both even more.
Since I had allowed myself lots of extra time, I was able to experiment with my bags until I found a more comfortable way to carry everything. Let this be a warning: Try out all equipment in full dress rehearsal prior to actually using it.
We made it onto the plane without any new stress, and his carrier fit (just barely!) snugly under the seat in front of me. I had carefully measured it ahead of time to be sure it met the airline size limit of 17 inches long, 16 inches wide, and 10.5 inches high.
Dusty rested quietly without a peep throughout the first leg of the trip. None of the engine noises or plane vibrations seemed to bother him a bit. Seems there are some advantages to being almost totally deaf!
When flying with a carry-on dog, it is best to get a direct flight if at all possible. Of course, one of the disadvantages of a small friendly airport like Chattanooga is that you can’t get most places from here. We changed planes in Cincinnati, and had a long hike from one gate to the other. My shoulder became more and more sore.
The remainder of the trip was quiet. As soon as we exited the Portland airport I rescued Dusty from his crate and he gratefully lifted his leg for several minutes on a bush.
Not over until it’s over
The conference was enjoyable for both of us. Dusty loved sitting on my lap through workshops, and enjoyed treats and pets from other conference-goers who had left their canine companions at home and needed a “dog-fix.” He even enjoyed his first-ever professional dog massage! Halfway through the conference his shoulder popped out of place and he was walking on three legs. His chances for earning that last Rally leg were fading, until a five-minute massage miraculously fixed the problem.
When the week was over, Dusty had indeed won his Rally title, as well as an award at one of the three trials for Highest Scoring Dog Adopted From a Shelter, and High Scoring Senior Dog. He was retiring from the Rally ring with honors, and I was looking forward to getting us both back home.
Seasoned travelers now, we had far fewer anxieties about the trip. We made it home almost hitch-free.
Knowing that Dusty would travel well, I packed only the bare necessities in his travel carrier, which lightened the load on my shoulder. I had perfected my technique for holding the carrier, which also reduced the wear and tear on both of us. The Portland to Cincinnati jaunt was trouble-free, and with one leg of the journey left to go, I confidently climbed onto the small plane that would bring us home, walked to my seat and set the carrier down to slide it into its space.
Uh-oh. It didn’t fit. I pushed on it, flattening it as much as I could without infringing on Dusty’s space. It wouldn’t go, and stuck out about six inches. The flight attendant came by doing her last minute check.
“It has to go all the way under the seat,” she said.
“It won’t fit,” said I.
“We have a closet up front I can put it in,” she said.
“Not unless I can fit in the closet with him,” I answered, calmly but firmly.
“Then he’ll have to go in cargo,” she said.
“Not unless I go in cargo with him,” I answered, calmly but firmly.
“I’ll have to go get someone else,” she said, looking distinctly worried.
She brought back a male flight attendant, who went through the same litany of options for where Dusty’s carrier could go if it couldn’t fit under the seat. I gave him the same calm, firm answers. I finally reached down and managed to smoosh the carrier under the seat another two inches so it was sticking out only four inches, and he agreed that Dusty could stay there. Good thing, because I wasn’t looking forward to spending the flight in the cargo hold or in a closet!
I have to admit, while it was nice having Dusty with me at the conference, I would think long and hard before flying again with him or another small dog. It was stressful on both of us – especially when I thought I might have to change planes to prevent the airline from whisking Dusty into the cargo hold because the carrier wouldn’t fit under my seat.
People who travel more frequently than I may be more relaxed about the entire ordeal. But that doesn’t mean they can be any less vigilant about protecting their dogs from unexpected developments en route.
Pat Miller, WDJ?s Training Editor, is also a freelance author and Certified Pet Dog Trainer in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She is the president of the Board of Directors of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and published her first book, The Power of Positive Dog Training, in 2002.
The premise seems simple – if your dog has liver problems, feed him liver. What if it’s a kidney, thyroid, or adrenal problem? Then feed kidney, thyroid, or adrenal tissue. This is, in its simplest form, glandular or organ therapy.
The process has become much more refined over the years. Now your dog can experience the benefits of glandular therapy even when you can’t find the raw glands or other organs to feed him. Now, glandulars (the common term for products containing animal cells even if they aren’t from glands) are available in tablet, capsule, and liquid form, depending on the manufacturer.
The use of tissue from one species to help rebuild damaged tissue in another species dates back thousands of years. The papyrus of Eber, the oldest known medical document from about 1600 BC, describes the injection into humans of preparations made from animal glands. In the Middle Ages, the physician Paraclesus wrote and practiced the maxim “heart heals the heart, lung heals lung, spleen heals spleen; like cures like.”
While these crude forms of glandular or cell therapy were used for hundreds if not thousands of years, the techniques weren’t significantly refined until the 19th and 20th centuries.
Hormonal influence
There are a number of theories about exactly how glandulars work. The earliest medical hypothesis was that the glandular preparations supplied the hormones that the patient’s damaged glands failed to produce themselves. This led to the isolation of those hormones and the manufacture of their synthetic equivalents, and was how the drugs hydrocortisone and prednisone were ultimately discovered.
Researchers found they could maintain the lives of adrenalectomized cats by giving the cats adrenal extracts. (In fact, the Pottenger cat study, which most raw feeders are familiar with, was originally designed to help Pottenger regulate the potency of an adrenal extract he was manufacturing. The nutrition study evolved out of his observations of the adrenalectomized research cats.)
After discovering that the extracts could keep the cats alive, the key hormone cortisol was isolated. From this discovery, scientists developed synthetic hydrocortisone and prednisone to mimic the activity of naturally occurring cortisol. However, patients who receive these very narrow-focus drugs (which lack all the other potential activity of the glandular tissue) often experience harmful long- and short-term side effects. Incorporating the whole tissue, or extracts of tissue, must therefore have additional value.
It turns out that Paraclesus’ thinking was right on target. It turns out that cells are attracted to and nourish “like” cells – even if they are from a different species. By tracing stained or radioactive cells, research has shown repeatedly that the injected cells accumulate in the like tissue of the recipient.
For example, one study conducted in 1979 by T. Starzyl, showed that when animals with chemically damaged thyroids were given thyroid cells, there was a marked regeneration of the damaged thyroids.
In 1931, Paul Niehans the modern discoverer of cell therapy (injection of tissue into a patient rather than oral ingestion) came upon the treatment quite by mistake. A colleague of his had accidentally removed the parathyroid glands from his patient. Dr. Niehans was called upon to transplant bovine parathyroid glands into the woman. Because the woman was convulsing so violently and concerned that she wouldn’t survive the transplant surgery, he quickly sliced up the glands into minute pieces and injected her with them. The woman not only recovered, but lived another 30 years.
“Tissue decoys”
Another interesting benefit of glandulars is their use as an apparent tissue decoy. In 1947, Royal Lee (founder of Standard Process, a well-respected supplement manufacturer) and William Hanson published a book, Protomorphology, Study of Cell Autoregulation, in which they presented their theory that when taken orally, protomorphogens (PMG) – portions of cellular chromosomes – speed the elimination of tissue antibodies. This concept is now referred to as oral tolerization and is being researched extensively in the treatment of the human autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, uveitis, and multiple sclerosis.
“When the body is attacking itself and you give a PMG decoy, the body will attack [the decoy] rather than the organ,” explains Arthur Young, DVM, CHO, a holistic veterinarian based in Stuart, Florida. By stopping the autoimmune attack on the body’s own organs, you give those tissues a chance to recover.
This is what contemporary researchers are finding with their experiments using glandulars to combat autoimmune diseases. In the research on MS, when bovine myelin is administered orally, the autoimmune process against the body?s myelin basic protein is suppressed.
Nutritional value, too
In addition, glandular supplements provide a wide variety of nutrients and enzymes. These amino acids, peptides, enzymes, and lipids may directly help with the functioning of the glands and organs. Besides that, they’re good nutrition.
“Glandulars are one of the primary modalities I work with,” says Gerald Buchoff, BVScAH, owner of Holistic Housecalls for Pets and vice president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. “I find most pets have imbalances and I have three things I use to rebalance in my bag of tricks: chiropractic, acupuncture, and nutrition. Glandulars are a key part of nutrition.”
When to use glandulars
Many holistic vets use glandular supplements in combination with other modalities, such as homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine (including Chinese herbs and acupuncture), flower essences, and chiropractic. Dr. Young feels that rather than competing with the energy medicine of homeopathy, glandulars work synergistically with the modality. He says, “Glandulars support the organ systems involved while homeopathy helps the body to heal itself.”
For instance, with a dog exhibiting signs of hypothyroidism, Dr. Young will use a product such as Standard Process’ “Thytrophin PMG®” to support the thyroid gland and act as a decoy to possible autoimmune activity that could be damaging the gland. Because thytrophin has been processed to remove the hormone thyroxine, it doesn’t impact the complex and sensitive pituitary-thyroid feedback system. In contrast, the medication Soloxine replaces endogenous thyroxine, thereby suppressing the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones itself.
In combination with the glandular supplementation, Dr. Young completes a thorough homeopathic workup and prescribes the appropriate homeopathic remedy. The remedy is chosen to help balance the body so that it can heal itself. Dr. Young has found that using this combination of glandulars and homeopathy benefits a wide variety of health issues, including inflammatory bowel disease, skin problems, liver disease, fertility issues, and even cancer.
In Dr. Buchoff’s experience, diseases of the kidney and liver respond the best to glandular therapy. Contrary to Dr. Young’s experience, Dr. Buchoff has found that dogs with hypothyroidism can benefit from glandulars, but usually need to continue taking conventional medications as well. “Hypothyroidism is frustrating that way,” he adds.
Spay incontinence is one of the common problems that Ihor Basko, DVM, of Kapaa, Hawaii, treats with glandulars. He’s seeing the problem more frequently as animals, particularly shelter animals, are spayed at younger and younger ages. He has had the most success with “Resources Incontinence Formula” made by Genesis Ltd. This product’s ingredients include bovine ovary and herbs such as licorice and wild yam, which contain phytoestrogens. In his opinion, this supplement is very effective and safer than the estrogen (usually DES) or PPA (phenylproanolamine) commonly used in conventional veterinary practices.
Dr. Basko has found that glandular supplements are also effective for treating geriatric dogs experiencing cognitive disorders, and he far prefers this approach to the conventional pharmaceutical drugs used for cognitive disorders in aged dogs. He recommends adrenal glandulars in particular for these dogs, finding that they can give older animals a boost.
In addition to addressing specific issues such as liver, kidney, or thyroid disease, Dr. Buchoff recommends using supplements with glandulars as a preventive to keep the endocrine system balanced. He recommends that all of his patients receive the gender-specific version of the Standard Process product, Symplex® (Standard Process makes a male and female version). This product is a combination of bovine ovary or orchic, adrenal, pituitary, and thyroid PMG extracts. He also recommends Catalyn® to patients not on a raw diet.
Other suggestions
Your veterinarian should conduct blood tests to establish pretreatment values for hormone levels and other indicators, reminds Dr. Basko. Be sure to follow up with additional testing to confirm whether or not the therapy helps. If you don’t notice results initially, the dose may need to be increased. Not enough has been done to determine optimal doses of these supplements, he adds.
Despite a possible need for more research on dosing for animals, glandular therapy is quite safe. “There are no contraindications, glandulars aren’t drugs or toxins, but naturally occurring nutrients,” explains Dr. Young. Do be sure to use fresh products from quality suppliers. And don’t over-supplement with glandulars; more isn’t always better.
Hydrotherapy and aquatic exercise are the hottest new tools in canine physical rehabilitation. And that’s not just a jump in a lake. Today’s cutting-edge therapists work with veterinarians’ referrals and use sophisticated underwater treadmills and other specialized equipment to provide rehabilitation for a variety of medical conditions. And they are frequently able to achieve better results in less time than through the recovery regimens prescribed by more conventional veterinary practitioners.
We reported on the rising use of heated therapy pools for rehabilitation in the October 2000 issue of WDJ, and described how therapists partially support and guide canine clients through a series of gentle exercises in the warm, muscle-relaxing water. The latest therapy tool also uses a warm pool, but adds an underwater treadmill. The therapist can effectively reduce the amount of body weight the dog must carry as he walks on the treadmill simply by increasing the depth of the water. As the dog progresses, the water height can be reduced to create more load on his limbs.
For example, in an underwater treadmill apparatus with the water level at shoulder height, the dog’s rear paws support less than a third of his weight, compared to the usual two-thirds on land. As he gains strength, he’ll work in a shallower pool, against a current, or with the treadmill tilted at varying degrees of incline.
Everyone’s happy
One such leading-edge therapy center is SOL Companion, in Oakland, California. Sabina, a four-year-old Rottweiler, is one of the center’s clients. At a recent rehabilitation session she limped across the floor of one of the treatment rooms, declining to put weight on one of her hind legs.
“We think it’s something neurological,” commented Nina Patterson, the physical therapist working with Sabina. Whereas in most cases it’s difficult to rehabilitate a gimpy leg when your patient can’t or won’t use the limb, this is a case where the underwater treadmill excels.
Veterinary technician Amy Mayfield led Sabina into a large box enclosed with thick, clear plastic. A standard-looking treadmill sat on the bottom. Sabina stood on the treadmill, her weight on three paws, eyeing the liver treats that Mayfield held at the ready. Mayfield reached for the controls, and slowly, heated water began to seep into the treadmill chamber. Sabina waited patiently. When the water reached about chest height, the water flow ceased, and the treadmill began to move slowly.
Sabina moved along with it, her injured paw touching down tentatively at first, then more confidently as she strode along. When she exited the unit after a 15-minute session, her limp had diminished noticeably.
Sabina’s story helps explain why enthusiasm is growing about the underwater treadmill, which was first used on canines about four years ago. Julie Stuart, MS, PT, at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, says her dream setup for rehab includes an underwater treadmill.
“It’s great for orthopedic dogs, dogs with arthritis or with hip dysplasia,” she says. “In water, they can exercise pain-free because it takes away the weight bearing. The buoyancy makes them bear less weight on their joints, yet it’s resistive.”
That combination of buoyancy and resistance makes using the underwater treadmill attractive in therapeutic work. John Sherman, DVM, an affiliate of North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine in private practice, has used a unit for nearly two years.
“It’s a powerful tool,” he says. “Let’s say a dog weighs 100 pounds on land. You could have him walk in water so he’d weigh only 40. You can get dogs with an injury or surgical repair walking and returning to function quicker.”
The water in these high-tech tools is heated for comfort – the temperature in the unit Sabina used is kept between 86 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit – and treated with a chemical such as chlorine or bromine to reduce bacteria levels.
Technicians can adjust the intensity of exercise by adjusting the treadmill’s speed and angle or by introducing a slow-flowing current for the dog to swim against. They harness dogs for safety and closely monitor them throughout the session. The pool has full filtration and the motor is safely enclosed away from water.
In addition to altering the weight he bears, the variable water level also changes the percentage of weight he carries on his front and rear limbs. When a dog walks on land, his forelegs bear 64 percent of his weight and his rear legs, 36 percent, says Patterson, the physical therapist at SOL Companion. In water at hip level, those percentages change dramatically.
“In the water, the rear legs almost float and bear only 28 percent of the dog’s weight, while the forelegs now take up 72 percent of the load,” Patterson explains.
Says Donna Chisholm, PT, who also works at SOL Companion, “You get all the benefits of buoyancy along with a reduction of compression forces. Using the underwater treadmill addresses all areas: balance, stability, conditioning, strength.”
Deep issues
If so many canine rehabilitation specialists are gung-ho about the units, why aren’t they everywhere? According to Allan Dahl, director of aquatic therapy for the manufacturer Ferno, only 53 of the company’s K9 Underwater Treadmill Systems have been sold since production began four years ago.
One factor may be price. Ferno’s underwater treadmills range from $14,500 to $50,000. At Tufts, Stuart cited cost as the reason she chose to purchase a swim spa/pool instead.
Dahl believes the bigger issue is simply the fact that canine rehabilitation itself is relatively new. Only an estimated 30 to 40 facilities in North America are devoted specifically to dogs. “Rehab is becoming an important tool in veterinary medicine,” he says. “But getting the vets to accept that therapy is important is taking some time.”
Dr. Sherman agrees. Rehabilitation is a very new science for his profession, he says. When he graduated from veterinary school in 1993, students learned to perform a surgery and then crate the dog for six weeks, with time outside only for elimination. The dog would then walk on leash for another six weeks.
“That was it,” he says. “That was rehab. Or you swam them, but really, swimming for a hind-limb injury is just not that effective a therapy.”
That mindset began to give way when human physical therapy became popular. Some veterinarians and physical therapists began considering translating human therapeutic modalities to the canine world. One was Laurie McCauley, DVM, an Illinois veterinarian in private practice. Four years ago she approached Ferno, which at the time was making underwater treadmills for human and equine use.
“They thought I was crazy, but they worked with me,” she says. “It’s such great exercise, safe for a 90-year-old lady with a hip replacement. So I thought it would be great for arthritic dogs.”
Dr. McCauley gave Dahl a wish list. In return, Ferno developed its first canine underwater treadmill, a unit that attached to her existing pool and used a Jet-Ski lift to vary the water height. Today, Dr. McCauley has two underwater treadmills at her TOPS Veterinary Rehabilitation center in Grays Lake, Illinois, and said about a dozen dogs a day benefit from them.
“I’ve had dogs with neurological injury that have used their legs a full two weeks in the water before they used them on land,” says Dr. McCauley. “A lot of the arthritic dogs do great with it. Their owners tell me they go home and are running up and down stairs, doing things they haven’t done for six months.”
Echoing Dr. McCauley’s enthusiasm is David Levine, a certified orthopedic physical therapist and adjunct associate professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Levine is also an orthopedic certified specialist (OCS) and certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Levine was an early adopter of the underwater treadmill and worked with Ferno to design and modify the first units.
“I think early on, especially early post-operatively, it’s a really wonderful rehab tool to get (a dog) to start using a limb a lot easier than we normally could have outside, with just walking,” he says. “It’s enhanced our ability to rehabilitate post-op dogs more quickly and to a higher level.”
Of course, the people operating the treadmills need to be knowledgeable about their work. “The underwater treadmill, like anything, is just a tool to be used,” says Dr. Sherman. “If you just put a dog in there and expect him to get better, you can get into trouble. You have to give every patient a full physical exam, see where he is in the healing process and monitor his progress. In the wrong hands, if you just turned it on and didn’t know what you were doing, that would be a problem.”
Part of the plan
Every therapist we spoke with stressed that the underwater treadmill should be used as part of an overall treatment plan rather than its sole focus. For example, a typical surgical rehabilitation schedule at SOL Companion would begin one to two weeks post-operatively and include passive range-of-motion exercises to be performed by the owner three times a day, daily walking from 5 to 10 minutes at a time, and crating to limit movement. A month to six weeks later, the dog would begin two to three sessions a week at the clinic, where he’d undergo hands-on tissue work, hydrotherapy, and movement therapy, while continuing at-home work with the owner.
These rehabilitation centers are also a perfect location for complementary practitioners to offer adjunct services. At SOL Companion, a client can receive acupuncture from veterinarian and certified veterinary acupuncturist Kirsten Williams, or massage and myofascial release work from credentialed therapists. Patterson explains that using several therapeutic techniques usually results in a better outcome than using just one.
“We use a variety of soft-tissue techniques, which include myofascial release and active release technique, to free up any adhesions or tightness that may have occurred, either from the injury or from being immobilized,” she explains. “We may also do some joint mobilization and acupuncture; the latter is good for pain management and mobility. That’s all just to regain normal movement and normal joint movement.”
Those best qualified to work with dogs on the underwater treadmill include physical therapists who have expanded their practices to include dogs, and veterinarians or veterinary technicians who have formal training in animal rehabilitation.
Currently, there’s no such title as an “animal physical therapist,” although some specialized training programs exist. The term “physical therapist” (PT) is reserved for professionals who work with humans (see sidebar below).
While some dogs respond very well, hydrotherapy shouldn’t be viewed as the magic bullet, Patterson warns. As evidence, her center has only one underwater treadmill but is chock-full of other therapeutic equipment, including balance boards, oversized exercise balls, and even a mini-trampoline.
Still, the underwater treadmill work is a promising therapy that could become a new standard of care. And while results so far are strictly anecdotal – no rigorous studies of outcomes have been done – word of mouth has been encouraging. Dr. Sherman believes the treadmills will be available in every major metropolitan area someday. “This is an up-and-coming veterinary specialty,” he says.
C.C. Holland is a freelance writer from Oakland, CA, who enjoys applying what she learns about canine health and behavior to her own mixed-breed dog, Lucky. This is her first article for WDJ.
Catherine took a sweeping, cloverleaf turn onto the interstate, and quickly became thankful that she had thought to bring a travel-crate for Hugo, her new nine-week-old Saint Bernard puppy. She was taking Hugo home for the first time, and Hugo’s tummy was not up to the ride – up came his little breakfast. Puppies commonly suffer from motion sickness, but older dogs can have their moments, too.
Those of us who have had the experience of a carsick dog might select a number of other words for the condition, but in Traditional Chinese Medicine regurgitation is considered “rebellious stomach chi.” Stomach chi is the life-force energy that supports the stomach’s ability to function properly. Stomach chi is supposed to flow downward, not upward. If the chi goes in the wrong direction, it is being “rebellious” and that’s not fun for dog or driver.
There are specific acupressure points that you can use before taking your dog in the car to help avoid having your dog experience rebellious stomach chi. By applying pressure to these particular points, you are effectively helping your dog balance the flow of energy throughout his body so that his stomach chi will flow in its natural direction – down.
Acupressure has been used for thousands of years for physical and emotional problems in both animals and humans. These simple techniques can resolve injuries more quickly; support the body before, during, and after surgeries; reduce swelling; minimize pain; help with calming; and improve immune system conditions.
Acupressure is always available and perfectly safe, so you can perform a treatment whenever you suspect that travels with your dog might be a bit bumpy, taxing his stomach chi. Give it a try. This will make for happier trips for both you and your best friend.
Acupressure Treatment for Nausea
We suggest you perform the following motion sickness/nausea treatment within an hour prior to getting into the car. Of course, this treatment can be used for other times when nausea or stomach upsets are causing your dog discomfort. An acupressure treatment is a comforting and healing experience for you and your animal. Start by finding a quiet, calm location, where your dog feels at ease. Breathe evenly and slowly while thinking about how you want your dog to feel. Once you have formulated your intention for the treatment, you are ready to begin.
Acupresure “Opening”
Gently place one hand on his shoulder; this hand serves as your “anchor” hand. Place the heel of your other hand at the top of his neck just to the side of his spine and stroke down his neck. Continue by smoothly stroking over his body down to his hindquarters, staying to the side his spine.
Continue to stroke down his leg following the bladder meridian (see diagram) to the outside digit. Do this same stroking with the heel of your hand three times on each side of your dog. The opening prepares your dog for intentional touch.
Point Work for Dogs’ Motion Sickness
For the point work phase of this treatment, follow the Motion Sickness/ Nausea Chart below. Start by resting one hand comfortably on your animal. Use your other hand to perform the actual point work. Hold a specific acupressure point for about 30 seconds up to one minute. Use one of the following point work techniques:
Direct Thumb Technique: Gently place the tip of your thumb directly on the acupressure point at a 90-degree angle adding a little pressure.
Two-Finger Technique: Put your middle finger on top of your index finger and then place your index finger at a 90-degree angle gently, but with intentional firmness, directly on the acupressure point.
Use whichever technique is most comfortable for you and your dog. The two-finger technique seems to be particularly good for smaller dogs and the thumb technique for larger dogs.
POINT
TRADITIONAL NAME
ACTION
Pe 6
Inner Gate
“Master point” for chest and cranial abdomen. Powerful anxiety reducer, balances the internal organs. Relieves nausea.
Ki 21
Hidden Gate
Relieves nausea and counterflow of chi. (Located a half-inch from the dog’s midline.)
Ki 27
Shu Mansion
Harmonizes the stomach and lowers rebellious chi. (Located between the sternum and the first rib.)
St 36
Leg 3 Miles
Harmonizes the stomach, supports the correct flow of chi, and calms the spirit.
Watch your dog’s reaction to the point work. Healthy energy releases include yawning, deep breathing, sighing, muscle twitches, and softening of the eyes. If your dog exhibits a pain reaction to a particular point, work the acupoint in front of the reactive point or behind it. Try that point again at a later session.
Acupressure “Closing”
To complete the acupressure session, repeat the stroking procedure described in the “Opening” phase of the treatment. With the heel of your hand, tracing the bladder meridian as shown above, stroke down your animal’s body, starting at the top of the neck, just off the midline.
Repeat the stroking three times on each side of his body just the way you did in the Opening. This procedure reconnects the flow of energy and establishes the new cellular memory.
OVERVIEW
1. An hour prior to getting in your car with your dog, find a quiet, calm place and perform the acupressure treatment described here.
2. Try to keep your car trips short the first few times you try the acupressure.
3. If your dog begins looking uncomfortable on the road, find a place to pull over and rest for a while. Use the acupressure techniques for a few minutes before continuing.
Nancy Zidonis and Amy Snow are the authors of, The Well-Connected Dog: A Guide to Canine Acupressure. They own Tallgrass Publishers, which offers meridian charts for dogs and other companion animals. They also provide training courses worldwide.
One thing struck me this year when I went to the biggest annual dog show in these parts: the Golden Gate Kennel Club All Breed Dog Show: These dog people are so friendly!
I attended the show to take pictures, mostly, and to educate myself about some of the less-common breeds. I mostly learned how much I don’t know. My husband (who is not a dog person but who came along to keep me company) kept saying, “What’s that dog?” And I’d turn around and look and have to say, “Gosh, I don’t know!” He asked, “Why does that Dalmatian have brown spots?” I had to reply, “Um, let me go ask that lady.” I’m sure he came away thinking I’m a fraud.
Back to my real point: the friendly, helpful dog people. I could not get over how uniformly welcoming and informative the exhibitors were, both “backstage” where the dogs were benched and even right outside the show rings. My last dog show experience, at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York’s Madison Square Garden, was not nearly so positive. That show was crowded and hot, and the dogs and people were so cranky. At the Golden Gate show, exhibitors offered to take their dogs out of their crates for photos, they posed their dogs, they offered treats… It made me proud to be a “dog person.” My kudos to all attendees.
Dry dog foods corrections: Every year, my number one goal for the February issue is to correctly report the phone numbers for all the dog food companies in the “Top Dry Dog Foods” article. I’m sorry to report that I’m not perfect yet.
The phone number I reported for Royal Canin, maker of “Natural Blend Holistic Dog Food” was wrong. The correct number for callers in the U.S. is (800) 592-6687. In Canada, call (800) 527-2673.
I did correctly report the number for Artemis Pet Food, maker of “Artemis Natural 6 Mix,” but the phone has not been in order. At press time, Artemis promised it would be working soon. If it’s not, you can call (818) 402-9496; that’s not a toll-free call, however.
PHD Pet Products, maker of one on our longtime favorite dry foods, has a new phone number: (800) 743-1502.
Stand by for the next issue, which will contain responses we’ve had from dog food makers concerning our January article about dog food manufacturing plants (“Made in a Secret Location”), as well as reader responses to our latest e-collar article (“Simply Shocking,” February).
Finally, thanks for all your kind notes regarding my recent loss. My job and my personal life seem to cross over quite a bit, and I really appreciate your support.
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Please bear with me for a moment while I brag on Dubhy, our two-year-old Scottish Terrier. From the time we found him as a stray puppy at age six months, we have trained him using methods and management tools consistent with my positive training philosophies. He is the first of our canine family members to be trained completely with modern, non-coercive methods.
Last weekend, we put up a brand-new set of agility equipment in our backyard. As my husband was tightening the last bolt, I dashed into the house to get Dubhy, who has never seen an agility course. To my delight – but not surprise – he happily and willingly traversed even the most daunting of the obstacles on the first go-round. Well, the closed tunnel gave him pause for a moment. When he couldn’t see his way through the collapsed chute, he jumped on top of the barrel instead, and perched there happily, sending me a cheerful “Is this what you wanted?” query from his sparkling eyes. When I invited him off the barrel and opened the chute to show him the way through, that obstacle, too, was quickly conquered.
I’ve had other dogs who were just as smart as Dubhy, but until the feisty Scottie came along, I had not yet owned a dog that I trained completely without compulsion: No “ear pinches,” yanks on the collar, knees in the chest, stepped-on toes, or any other physical “corrections” whatsoever. And, oh! What a difference it can make.
Don’t get me wrong; I have not used coercive training techniques for more than 12 years. I was totally and completely converted to “positive-only” training techniques following a moral, professional crisis with another one of my dogs a dozen years ago. Since then, I’ve used only “dog-friendly” training methods with thousands of dogs and seen ample proof that these effective methods encourage and foster a strong, trusting bond between dogs and their owners.
However, until Dubhy, I had never so clearly seen the difference between a “crossover” dog – one who was initially trained with force-based methods and then switched to positive-only training – and a dog who had never experienced scary, hurtful, or force-based training. They are, as the saying goes, completely different animals.
Crossover consequences
Take, for example, Josie, the canine love of my life. The Terrier mix was a joyful and willing worker, and we accomplished a lot together, including titles in competitive obedience and Rally. Josie was also my first “crossover” dog; until she was three years old, I had trained her with conventional force-based methods. Josie prompted my conversion one day when she hid under the deck and unhappily refused to come out when she saw me getting out a set of retrieving dumbbells in preparation for a training session. (I had been working to teach her to retrieve using a conventional coercive training method, the ear-pinch.)
After this incident, I took a two-year time-out from training to learn about modern, positive methods that are grounded in the science of behavior and learning. Only then did I begin training Josie again. This time, I used only dog-friendly training methods, and she responded beautifully. Our accomplishments continued apace.
But throughout the rest of her life, Josie’s response to new training situations or requests was very different from Dubhy’s eager and creative volunteerism. The best way I can describe this is that when faced with something new, she waited to be shown what to do – as do many crossover dogs. My guess is that her fear or anxiety about doing the wrong thing was stronger than any impulse she might have had to try to guess what I wanted – even though, for the last 12 years of her life, she was never punished for doing the wrong thing.
In other words, faced with a unique training request, crossover dogs like Josie tend to do nothing, or offer a safe behavior that they already know.
Why positive methods work
In contrast, Dubhy and other dogs who were encouraged since infancy to “offer” novel behaviors in response to new training requests, joyfully go to work trying to solve the puzzle. The modern methods of training teach, foster, and capitalize on this initiative; the dog’s volunteerism is what makes it works so well.
In positive training, the goal is to help the dog do the right thing and then reward him for it, rather than punishing him for doing the wrong thing. If he makes a mistake, the behavior is ignored, or excused with an “Oops, try again!” to encourage the dog to do something else. Using “Oops!” as a “no-reward marker” teaches the dog that the behavior he just offered didn’t earn a reward, but another one will. So he tries again, and learns to keep trying until he gets it right, without fear of punishment.
In early training, he only needs to get it a “little bit right” to earn a Click! and reward; the goal is always to help the dog succeed, to keep him confident and willing to play the training game. In the beginning, for example, the dog is rewarded for walking in the general area of “heel” position, in order to learn to walk politely on his leash. If competition heeling is desired, this can be “shaped” later for more precision by clicking closer and closer approximations to “perfect” heel position. He learns where he needs to be to make good stuff happen through repetition or rewards, and volunteers to be there because he likes good stuff.
In contrast, force-based training teaches the dog to heel by administering a sharp jerk (pop) on the leash any time the dog steps out of heel position. He learns where he needs to be in order to avoid bad stuff through repetition of punishment, and stays in heel position because he doesn’t want to get hurt.
Both methods can teach dogs to be well-behaved. The force-trained dog learns to watch and read people, in large part in order to avoid the negative consequences that occur when he makes a mistake. The praise and rewards that sometimes follow a correction are rarely enough to overcome the learned caution of trying some new behavior that might be punished. The positive dog also learns to watch and read the humans around him, so that he can take advantage of opportunities to offer good behaviors that are likely to result in good stuff. He has no fear of offering behaviors, because he has no anticipation of a painful consequence.
Obedient but inhibited
Despite 12 years of positive training and relationship-building, I know that Josie would not have addressed the agility course with the aplomb that Dubhy demonstrated. She surely would not have hopped on top of a slippery barrel to see if that might be an alternative rewardable behavior. This is due at least in part, I believe, to their different personalities. Dubhy is sturdy and stalwart, and possesses the typical terrier “no-fear” attitude. Josie was soft, sensitive, and cautious.
I am also sure that Josie’s lack of confidence about trying new things was equally due to her early training experiences, when she learned that unasked-for behaviors often got punished, and that the safest course of action was to wait to be told or shown what to do.
Dubhy, on the other hand, has consistently been encouraged and rewarded for offering behaviors. Give him a new object, and he immediately sets to work trying to figure out what he is supposed to do with it. Give him a whole agility course, and he immediately tries to figure out what he is supposed to do with each of the various pieces of equipment.
Crossover history
Of course, I’m not the only one who has witnessed the vast differences between crossover dogs and those started from scratch with positive training.
The phrase “crossover dog” was actually coined in the 1990s as a result of the large influx of trainers who found themselves switching over from old-fashioned methods to more positive training. In her landmark book, Don’t Shoot the Dog, former marine mammal trainer Karen Pryor introduced the dog-training world to the exquisite method of positive training known as clicker training. As dog trainers learned about the effectiveness of the techniques, many of them, too, “crossed over” to positive training methods. As Pryor has said, “In the early 90s, I could count the number of clicker trainers on one hand. Now there are thousands of us!”
Crossing with your dog
As trainers cross over – professional and average dog owners alike – they encounter the challenge of teaching their crossover dogs a whole new approach to training. The phenomenon that I observed with Josie – her reluctance to freely offer new behaviors – is often discussed among professional positive trainers. We asked several well-known trainers to share their thoughts on the challenges of working with crossover dogs – and humans. Here’s what they said.
DEBORAH A. JONES, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology,
Kent State University, Ohio
Deb Jones is a college professor, author, producer of the excellent Click and Go video series, and a positive dog trainer. Her first performance dog was an adult rescue Labrador Retriever. Katie came to Dr. Jones with the pejorative label of “stubborn.” Fortunately for the dog, Jones understood that Katie had simply learned to tune out and withstand unpleasant training techniques by shutting down and doing nothing.
In Jones’ hands (and with clicker training), Katie’s whole attitude and demeanor changed; she competed happily and successfully in obedience, and became a fantastic therapy dog.
Jones agrees that the differences between crossover dogs and positive-trained dogs are easy to see. “Usually, crossover dogs have learned from their training that ‘when in doubt, it’s best to do nothing.’ If they have been punished for making mistakes in the past, they have learned the concept that trying new things gets them in trouble.
“Dogs who have been exposed only to positive methods, however, are willing and eager to try new things. They are active in the training process, rather than waiting for explicit instructions. They also tend to be creative, which is a great asset when trying to shape or capture new behaviors.”
Jones estimates that 95 percent of her human and canine clients are crossovers, and that people are eager to find ways to train that don’t involve force and compulsion. While Jones herself never used old-fashioned methods, she watches her human clients struggle with crossing over, in part because old habits are hard to break, but also because they had accepted the old myth that effective dog training requires the use of force, compulsion, and intimidation. “But as soon as they see that there is another way,” she says, “most are very willing to give it a try, and are happy with the results.”
JEAN DONALDSON
Founder/Instructor, The San Francisco
SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers
Jean Donaldson is the author of the highly regarded book, The Culture Clash, as well as Dogs Are From Neptune, and MINE!, A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs. She lectures extensively in the U.S., Canada, and abroad.
Donaldson agrees that crossover dogs are generally less willing to take risks, and suggests that they can even display “learned helplessness.” This is characterized by apathy, immobility, and nonresponse to stimuli in cases where the dog cannot avoid – or does not know how to avoid – the aversive (punishment) that is applied by the trainer. “So,” she says, “when the trainer crosses over, a training session has a great deal of baggage and it may take time for the dog to learn that aversives are no longer forthcoming.”
She sees fallout even in dogs trained with lots of luring and physical prompts (as opposed to free-shaping – waiting for the dog to perform a behavior and then click-rewarding it). Donaldson also suggests that these dogs may be less willing to offer behavior, as the lured and prompted dog has learned to wait for the trainer to show him what the answer is, rather than offering behaviors to figure it out himself.
Contemplating the crossover question, Donaldson muses, “Isn’t it hard to imagine how anyone in 2002 has not crossed over, given the track record of positive reinforcement training, and readily available information on it?”
LESLIE NELSON
Tails-U-Win! Canine Center,
Tolland, Connecticut
Leslie Nelson was one of the early icons in positive training, and continues to supervise more than 50 classes a week as director of her Tails-U-Win! training center. She feels that dogs adjust more easily to crossing over than many humans do, and recalls her own crossing-over struggle. “I can remember well, many years ago, when I made the decision to switch to all positive training,” she says. “In the beginning I had to work totally without a leash [in order to resist making leash corrections]. Old habits die hard.”
Nelson finds that most crossover dogs respond enthusiastically to positive training, although they can have some difficulty with pure clicker training and shaping, and may find the new approach stressful at first.
“They can be very reluctant to offer new behaviors for fear of being wrong,” says Nelson. “Fortunately,” she adds, “positive reinforcement training offers a variety of choices and can be adapted to meet the needs of each dog. Crossover dogs can be very successful when trained using a combination of luring (using a treat to get the dog to offer the behavior), targeting (teaching the dog to touch his nose to a designated target), and modeling (using gentle physical assistance to help the dog into the desired position).”
KAREN OVERALL, MA, VMD, Ph.D., ABS
Certified Animal Behaviorist,
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Dr. Overall is an internationally renowned researcher, author, speaker, and behaviorist whose best-selling textbook, Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals, is a bible for trainers who do behavior work.
True to her academic background, Overall was reluctant to speculate without solid research to back up her opinions. She offered that because dogs learn so well from context, they probably cope better with crossing over than most humans do.
According to Overall, dogs rely so much on nonverbal signaling (body language) and olfactory communication (sense of smell) that we can’t lie to them easily. Thus, when we humans truly commit to positive training, our whole nonviolent message is clearly communicated to our dogs.
Because, however, as Nelson says, “Old habits die hard,” we sometimes send mixed messages, when we inadvertently or deliberately revert to using punishment-based methods that worked for us before.
Overall suggests that dogs closer to the edge – more uncertain, anxious, roughly-handled dogs – will have more difficulty with crossing over. She says, “It likely all comes down to how well the dog can read the rules, and how damaged they are. The longer I go on, the more I am convinced that ‘normal’ is defined by how well you recover.”
Patience begets progress
The trainers we interviewed all seemed to agree (as do we) that punishment-based training causes damage (mental if not always physical) and that crossover dogs must recover from that damage as part of the crossing-over process. The degree of success in that recovery varies depending on a number of factors including the dog’s personality, the amount of damage done, and the skill and consistency the owner/trainer demonstrates in her commitment to and application of positive methods.
Dr. Jones offers some final words of wisdom for humans who embark on the crossover journey.
“Be patient,” she counsels. “Your dog has to unlearn old information before he can completely participate in your new way of training. Progress should occur on the dog’s timetable, not yours. Let him discover that trying new things is reinforced, not punished. Let go of the idea that you control the training process, and let your dog be an active participant.”
A year ago, my husband and I said heart -wrenching goodbyes to my first crossover dog, Josie, when she let us know that her 15-year-old body was too tired to carry on in this world. I am eternally grateful to her for showing me the way to be a more compassionate trainer and human. And I will always regret the three years of measured punishment I inflicted on her, using the methods I had been taught before I learned a better way. If I could change just one thing in my life, I would take back those three years of collar corrections, verbal aversives, and ear pinches that I imposed on my beloved dog, before she taught me a better way. I can see Josie in my mind’s eye even now, running the agility course in our backyard next to Dubhy, sharing his joy, confidence, and faith in a positive world.
In June 1999, Booker, our 10½- month-old Great Dane collapsed, again. Just four days previously, he was diagnosed with kidney disease. Hospitalization and fluids helped him immensely after that first collapse. He even had started eating again. What could be wrong now?
We took him back to the vet. This time, Booker was so weak he couldn’t get up from the waiting room floor. The vet examined him there, but had no immediate answers. He asked us to leave Booker overnight for more tests and IVs. Reluctantly, we did.
Later that day the vet called with good news and bad news. The good news was that in consultation with specialists, he identified the problem as Addison’s disease, an imminently treatable condition. And, the bad news? Addison’s disease is a chronic health problem that will require a lifetime of management, including expensive medication and regular blood tests.
Addison’s disease is the common name for hypoadrenocorticism, or adrenal insufficiency. The adrenal glands do not produce enough, if any, of a number of hormones, including aldosterone, which maintains sodium and potassium levels to regulate blood pressure (among other important functions), and cortisol, which helps the body metabolize glucose and deal effectively with physical and mental stresses of all kinds. It can occur with people as well as animals.
The two adrenal glands are located on top of each kidney, and are sometimes called the suprarenal glands. They are made up of two layers, the outer cortex and the inner medulla. The cortex secretes glucocorticoids, such as cortisol, and mineralocorticoids, such as aldosterone. The medulla area of the adrenal gland, part of the sympathetic nervous system, secretes epinephrine and is generally not affected by Addison’s.
There are three types of Addison’s disease: primary, secondary, and atypical. Primary and atypical Addison’s are usually the result of immune-mediated damage to the glands. Secondary hypoadrenocorticism is failure of the pituitary to stimulate the adrenals with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). It is most often a result of long-term corticosteroid therapy (i.e., prednisone), and also can be caused by tumors, trauma, or pituitary deformities.
Who gets Addison’s?
Research shows that some breeds are more likely to have Addison’s disease compared to other breeds. For instance, one study shows that West Highland White Terriers are six times and Great Danes seven times more likely to be affected by Addison’s compared to all other breeds.
Another study indicates that Standard Poodles are nearly nine times, Wheaton Terriers nearly seven times, and Portuguese Water Dogs over 46 times more likely to be affected than other breeds.
The same studies also determined that Dalmatians, Pit Bull Terriers, Golden Retrievers, and a handful of other breeds are less likely to develop Addison’s compared to all other breeds.
At the University of California, Davis, Professor Anita Oberbauer, Ph.D., is conducting research to determine if there is a genetic component to the disease, as indicated by the breed statistics. Information is being collected for Bearded Collies, Standard Poodles, Leonbergers, and Portuguese Water Dogs. According to Dr. Oberbauer, “The data we have for the Beardies suggest a polygenic mode of inheritance without a confirmed major gene present.” The data for the Standard Poodles also suggest a polygenic mode of inheritance but, “with a single locus/gene of large effect.” However, she qualifies that they aren’t aware of definitive breeding of affected Poodle to affected Poodle, as a result there are not yet any data to show that it is indeed a single gene.
Interestingly, some studies have found that 70 to 85 percent of dogs with Addison’s disease are female, and that the dogs affected are most often between four and seven years old. However, Addison’s disease should be suspected any time the classic symptoms are seen, regardless of the dog’s age or sex.
Symptoms
One of the difficulties of properly diagnosing Addison’s disease is the common waxing and waning of symptoms. Karen Ivin, DVM, says that she always considers testing for Addison’s disease with dogs who “have their ups and downs. When they aren’t quite right, but aren’t all the way sick either.”
Dr. Ivin has a small, housecall-oriented holistic practice in Gilbert, Arizona. Although Addison’s is often described as “rare,” she is treating several dogs with Addison’s disease, and has always had a couple among her clientele at any given time. She thinks that any vet who doesn’t have at least a couple of dogs with Addison’s in their practice just isn’t seeing it. According to the pharmaceutical company Novartis, “a typical practice with two veterinarians who each see 1,500 dogs per year should expect to diagnose one case of adrenal insufficiency each year on average.”
Symptoms can be subtle and often mimic those common to many other diseases. Typical symptoms include: depression or lethargy; anorexia; weight loss; vomiting; shaking or trembling; weakness; and diarrhea. Often the dog may experience episodes, such as vomiting or weakness, that resolve with fluids or perhaps even a dose of steroids. Unfortunately, the symptoms usually return.
This was our experience with Tyler, our second dog. We adopted Tyler, a Boxer, in June 2001, at eight months old. He was extremely thin and had regular bouts of diarrhea. After a stay with caregivers over Thanksgiving in 2001, he developed bloody diarrhea. Because of our experience with Booker we had Tyler tested for Addison’s disease. Good news, his results were negative. Three months later, though, after Tyler vomited four times in two days, we had him tested him again. This time, the results were positive for atypical Addison’s. Note that neither of our Addisonian dogs were female or between four and seven years old at the time of the onset of the disease!
Diagnosing Addison’s
Both dogs’ diagnoses of Addison’s disease were confirmed by the only definitive diagnostic tool, the ACTH response or stimulation test. In this test, blood is drawn to determine baseline cortisol levels. The animal is injected with ACTH. After approximately one hour, blood is drawn again to measure cortisol levels.
A dog with healthy, normal adrenal glands will have a baseline cortisol reading of between 1- 4 micrograms/deciliter. The cortisol level should be significantly higher, in the range of 6 – 20 micrograms/deciliter, post-stimulation. If resting cortisol is low and the dog has no or a low response to the stimulation, the diagnosis is Addison’s disease.
Certain values on blood test results also may indicate Addison’s as a possibility. This includes elevated potassium (hyperkalemia), low sodium (hyponatremia), low sodium to potassium ratio (Na/K), anemia, azotemia or uremia (high levels of nitrogen), eosinophilia (elevation in white blood cells called eosinophils), lymphocytosis (elevation in white blood cells called lymphocytes), elevated liver enzymes (ALT/AST), and urine specific gravity less than 1.030.
Conventional treatment
The conventional treatment for Addison’s, like hypothyroidism or diabetes, is to replace the missing hormones. With primary Addison’s disease, both mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids must be replaced. Atypical and secondary Addison’s require replacing only the glucocorticoid.
There are two medications available for the replacement of the mineralocorticoid, aldosterone, and both of these medications help the body keep sodium and potassium at normal levels. The first, fludrocortisone acetate (brand name Florinef™), is given orally on a daily basis. The other option is desoxycorticosterone pivilate or DOCP (Percorten-V™), an injectable medication that is usually given every 25 – 28 days.
Fludrocortisone acetate or Florinef is the mineralocorticoid of choice for people with Addison’s disease. Most people take one-half to two 0.1 mg tablets per day. However dogs don’t metabolize the medication as efficiently and must start with doses of 0.05 – 0.1 mg of fludrocortisone per ten pounds of body weight. Some dogs require higher doses to regulate their electrolyte levels.
Florinef purchased from conventional pharmacies ranges in price from about 50 cents per 0.1 mg tablet to close to a dollar per tablet. A 50-pound dog would require approximately five of the 0.1 mg tablets at a cost of $75 to $150 per month. However, there are lower-cost alternatives for fludrocortisone.
Pet Pharm, an Internet veterinary pharmacy based in Ontario, charges about $35 Canadian for 100 tablets of Florinef. At the recent exchange rate, the cost in US dollars is less than $23 per 100 tablets. At this price, medication for a 50-pound dog would cost about $35 per month. While this makes Florinef much more affordable, if you have a large dog, you still contend with dosing multiple small tablets daily. (For more information about reducing the price of long-term medications, see “The Price of Prescriptions,” WDJ September 2002.)
An alternative to purchasing the name brand tablets is to have the prescription customized into capsules, liquids, or flavored chews by a compounding pharmacist. Besides convenience, compounded medication can be significantly less expensive than its brand name equivalent. One compounding pharmacy, Tiffany Natural Pharmacy in Westfield, New Jersey, charges about $45 for 100 0.5 mg capsules. That equates to just $13.50 a month to treat a 50-pound dog with just one capsule per day.
There are fewer purchasing options for Percorten-V, the injectable medication used only for animals with Addison’s. Many guardians take their dog in for his or her monthly Percorten injection, allowing the vet to test the dog’s electrolytes if necessary, check for any weight changes, and monitor the dog’s overall health and demeanor.
After time, though, the guardian may want to give the injection at home. This not only might save some expense, but may also decrease stress. Novartis, the maker of Percorten, recommends intramuscular injections because that was the method used during the FDA approval process. However, a subsequent study published in the Journal of American Animal Hospital Association found that easier to give subcutaneous injections are just as effective.
Like Florinef, the dosage of Percorten is weight-dependent. The standard dose is 1 mg per pound of body weight. The medication comes in 4 ml bottles and there are 25 mg of the medication in each ml. Therefore, a 50-pound dog would require 50 mg or 2 ml of Percorten.
Percorten is available only from veterinarians and veterinary pharmacies. Prices vary widely, depending on the clinic or pharmacy markup. When Booker was originally diagnosed, we were charged $60 for the first ml and $40 for each ml thereafter. That would make the monthly injection for the 50-pound dog cost about $100. However, I soon learned that the price included a greater than 100 percent markup.
We negotiated the price with our vet by pointing out that a dog with Addison’s requires regular bloodwork and office visits in addition to the medication. (Dog owners may be unable to purchase Percorten from Internet pharmacies, even with their veterinarian’s prescription, as they can with many other long-term medications. See sidebar, lower left.)
Amy Rogers’ Rottweiler, Venus, was diagnosed with Addison’s recently. Initially, her vet started Venus on Percorten injections and didn’t even discuss the option of oral medication. However, Amy has recently switched Venus, under the watchful eye of her vet, from the injections to compounded fludrocortisone. This change will save Rogers about $80 per month.
In addition to replacing the mineralocorticoids, dogs with Addison’s disease need the glucocorticoid, cortisol, replaced as well. About 50 percent of dogs require daily glucocorticoid supplementation, while all dogs with Addison’s require glucocorticoid supplementation in times of stress.
Stress is individual. It can come in many forms – physical or emotional, good or bad. For instance, some dogs may require extra glucocorticoids for a visit to the vet, while other dogs may need them because of an extra long play session. While it is important to observe all dogs with Addison’s closely, knowing each individual dog’s stressors is crucial.
There are a number of glucocorticoids available to replace the cortisol that the adrenals are no longer producing. Most vets recommend using prednisone, while most people with Addison’s take hydrocortisone. The other glucocorticoids used include prednisolone, methylprednisolone, and dexamethasone. These all tend to be inexpensive medications.
You many recognize prednisone as the steroid frequently prescribed for allergic reactions, skin problems, or autoimmune conditions. However, its use with the Addisonian patient is at far smaller physiological doses, rather than the therapeutic doses often used for anti-inflammatory and other situations. The typical recommended dosage of prednisone is 0.1 – 0.2 mg per pound per day. That is 5 – 10 mg per day for a 50-pound dog.
However, many people find that on these doses their dog with Addison’s shows undesirable symptoms such as excessive drinking and urination, increased appetite, infections, even behavioral changes. Because these dogs will be on medications for the rest of their lives, it is important to fine-tune the dosages to maximize benefits, while minimizing unwanted side effects.
If a dog suffers from side effects of prednisone, it might be worth trying hydrocortisone instead. That’s what I found with Booker. He was on 15 mg of prednisone every other day. Yet he was unable to go more than four hours without urinating, was having recurring skin infections, and was balding on his face, chest, legs, and abdomen. After switching to hydrocortisone under the care of our vet, his dose was reduced significantly and these problems went away.
Of course, any of these medications require a prescription from your primary veterinarian. It is important, particularly with Addison’s disease, that your dog is monitored closely through observation and blood tests. Always work with your vet when exploring changes in medications.
Complementary therapies
According to most experts, there is no replacement for the conventional medications required to treat Addison’s disease. However many believe that the quality of life can be improved and medications even reduced by using various supplements, improving the dog’s diet, and incorporating complementary modalities such as acupuncture and TTouch.
Booker is a perfect example of how complementary therapies can enhance conventional treatment. Months after diagnosis, Booker was clinically stable with excellent blood test results, but he was still experiencing a number of problems, such as digestion issues, skin problems, and low energy levels.
After incorporating a variety of complementary therapies including Western and Chinese herbs, TTouch, acupuncture, supplements, and a raw, whole food diet, his digestion is greatly improved and his energy level is higher than as a puppy. In addition, his medications have been reduced significantly. At the time of switching him to hydrocortisone, he was taking 30 mg per day. He now takes 7.5 mg per day. He also was receiving 6.4 ml of Percorten-V every four weeks. This has been reduced over 65 percent to 3.2 ml every six weeks.
Many vets agree that diet is the key to a foundation of health for any dog. Before focusing his efforts on diet, Ian Billinghurst, BVSc, studied acupuncture and met with herbalists and homeopaths trying to determine what has the greatest impact on the health of our dogs. He learned that without a good diet, therapies such as acupuncture and homeopathy won’t work properly.
Gloria Dodd, DVM, agrees. She believes that diet accounts for 70 percent of the treatment for an ill dog and this is the first change she encourages clients to make. Both Billinghurst and Dodd are proponents of a raw, fresh, whole foods diet designed for carnivores.
While Dr. Ivin recognizes the importance of diet in the overall health and treatment of an animal, she doesn’t believe it has to be raw, or even home-cooked. However, the commercial food must be of top quality.
One of the most frequently recommended complementary treatments for Addison’s is also one of its original treatments: glandular supplementation. Before the discovery of cortisol, and later its synthetic analogs cortisone and prednisone, patients with Addison’s disease were given ground-up or extract of adrenal gland. Now the process has evolved and a number of companies, such as Standard Process and Nutriwest, manufacture glandular products in tablet or capsule form.
“The addition of glandulars may sometimes help reduce the medication levels of my patients,” says Dr. Ivin, “but they nearly always improve how the dog feels on a day-to-day basis.” She says they help reduce fluctuations in the disease process, help keep the dogs stable, and decrease deterioration as they age.
Various herbs may be beneficial, including nutritive herbs that supply vitamins and minerals necessary for adrenal functions, such as dried nettle, dandelion, parsley, and spirulina; those that support adrenal function, like licorice and borage; those that help the liver, like milk thistle; and those that reduce the impact of stress, such as astragulus and ginseng.
The herb licorice has been reported to have a positive effect with Addison’s disease. Research has shown that licorice helps prolong the activity of natural and synthetic corticosteroids like hydrocortisone, which may enhance the activity of medications or even allow dosage reductions.
Dr. Ivin uses Chinese herbal formulas with great success. Because, as with homeopathy, Chinese herbal remedies are prescribed on an individual basis, she may use a variety of formulas depending on the particular symptoms of her patient. Most of the formulas that she chooses contain the key ingredient, ginseng. Ginseng is an adaptogenic herb that helps the body adapt to environmental and emotional stressors and supports all the major systems of the body rather than having strong affinities for any one system or organ.
Since Addison’s disease inhibits the body’s ability to effectively deal with stress, reducing stress and keeping your dog’s life stable is important. “Maintaining a low-stress, stable environment for your dog helps limit the necessary changes in medication,” says Dr. Ivins. She has found that flower essences are helpful in reducing stress and limiting the need for extra glucocorticoids.
Acupuncture and chiropractic care may also be beneficial. Dr. Dodd believes strongly that in addition to medications, supplements, and diet, it is necessary to treat the imbalances in the acupuncture energy flow meridians of the endocrine glands, digestive organs, immune system, and kidneys.
Post diagnosis follow-up
Immediately after diagnosis, and whenever any changes are made to medications or supplements, it is important to perform blood tests to ensure the dog is stabilized. The electrolyte levels offer the most specific information, particularly about the efficacy of the mineralocorticoids. However, thorough blood work including a full chemistry panel, complete blood count, and thyroid panel are helpful in determining the overall health of an animal.
Thorough management of an Addison’s patient, and fine-tuning his medications and treatments to maximum effect can be difficult, especially with so many variables. Dr. Ivin encourages owners to work closely with their veterinarians to understand the disease as much as possible. “There is no such thing as a dumb question,” she says. Dr. Ivin also recommends keeping track of everything, including the dog’s activity level. Without a written record, it is difficult to know the impact of changes made in medications, supplements, diet, or other therapies.
While managing Addison’s disease can be daunting, it is not impossible. The greatest motive for working at it is the day-to-day health and longevity of your dog. Research shows that when properly stabilized, Addison’s disease does not seem to impact the longevity of a dog.
Dr. Ivin recently lost a canine patient with Addison’s this summer. The Australian Shepard was diagnosed at about eight years old and died at 16. Now that is worth working toward.
Shannon Wilkinson is a TTouch practitioner and freelance writer who lives with her husband and two Addisonian dogs in Portland, Oregon. This is her first article for WDJ.
Rufus is a typical adolescent Labrador Retriever: Large, full of energy, and eager to explore beyond the boundaries of his Richmond, Utah, yard when released from the confinement of his pen. The Ashbys, his owners, are a typical Lab family: Dad, mom, and several kids, all of whom possess an interest in being responsible pet owners.
As often happens, Rufus’ energy was a bit too much for the younger children. Despite several attempts to train him not to jump, he was still knocking the little Ashbys flat. And despite the family’s best efforts, Rufus kept escaping beyond the limits of his own unfenced yard.
Imagine the Ashbys’ delight when, shopping at a “big box” pet supply store, they came across a product that promised to solve both problems with the push of a button. The product combines an “electronic containment system” with an additional remote control unit for use with supervised training. In other words, a shock collar. The family bought the unit, took it home, and started training Rufus.
They used the product for a few days and were quite pleased. Rufus was quickly learning not to jump on the kids, and life was already becoming easier. The Ashbys made plans to lay the underground wire for the containment system over the upcoming weekend. Meanwhile, Rufus was confined to his pen, wearing his collar, while the family was gone all day.
One rainy day afternoon that week, upon arriving home, Darren Ashby, an electronic engineer, sent his oldest son out to the pen to take Rufus for a walk. The boy came back in and said Rufus wouldn’t let the boy get near him. Dad went out to help, and was horrified by what he found.
“What I saw made me sick,” says Ashby. “Rufus had this sickly green color around his neck, under the training collar. There was this nasty wet/burnt hair and flesh smell. Something was obviously wrong. I carefully removed the collar to find a huge gaping hole in Rufus’ neck, right under one of the training collar prongs.”
Dr. Susan Benson, of the Animal Medical Center in Preston, Idaho, treated Rufus’ injuries. “This was one of the worst electrical burns I have seen,” Dr. Benson reports, “other than dogs who have had contact with high power lines.”
Dr. Benson says the incident has made her much more wary of the fence systems. She feels the collars should never be left on dogs who are unsupervised – which, of course, defeats the purpose for most dog owners, who want to use the systems to give the dogs free access to their yards while the owners are away at work all day.
Why People Choose Shock Collars
There is no question that underground electronic containment systems are immensely popular. They are readily available in pet stores, online, and from most pet-supply catalogs. They have become as common as fleas, and no wonder – for as little as $125, the responsible pet owner can let Fido play on up to five acres, an area that would cost thousands of dollars to fence otherwise. For just another $100, an owner can purchase a system that promises to fence up to 25 acres; extension kits cost $50 per half-acre, for a total of $1,500 for the full 25-acre capacity. Other options include a solar-powered system, or a collar that also promises to shock the dog for barking while it keeps him in the invisibly fenced area.
In addition, the electronic containment systems can be used in communities that prohibit visible fences, a growing and unfortunate trend. They can be installed in terrain where a physical fence would be difficult or impossible to erect. From the average dog owner’s perspective, what’s not to like?
Unfortunately, from Fido’s point of view, plenty, including but not limited to the potential for electrical burns around the neck. And unfortunately for the Fidos of the world who are living with one of the electronic collars around their necks, none of the companies that produce the fences are very forthcoming about the negative aspects of electronic containment systems. And there are many.
As a professional trainer and behavior consultant, I have had ample opportunities to deal with the fallout from shock fences that have caused problems with clients’ dogs. I also regularly hear electronic fence horror stories from my peers within the professional dog training community. I am admittedly biased against using shock collars, so I undoubtedly seize upon every new report of an e-collar-related problem to support my position.
My philosophy of training is firmly grounded in gentle methods that encourage a relationship between dog and human based on mutual trust and respect. The idea of deliberately shocking a beloved family member around the neck (or anywhere else, for that matter) is so repugnant to me that I cannot conceive of a training situation in which I would be willing to use a shock collar for my dogs, or for anyone else’s. But malfunctioning units and emotional argument aside, there are many other reasons why I vehemently steer clients far away from non-visible fences.
Electric Fencing Leaves Your Dog Vulnerable
One of those reasons has been hanging around our house for three days now. A black Labrador with an e-collar on visits us from time to time – mute testimony to the fact that the collars don’t always work.
Shelter workers from around the country tell of the numbers of stray dogs who are brought in wearing them. When their owners retrieve them, some will nonchalantly admit that they neglected to replace the batteries. Others admit that their dogs will run through the fence to chase a squirrel, or to follow another dog, or to visit an alluring female in season.
When for the umpteenth time I return our visiting Lab to his home a half-mile away, the owner tells me that the fence is out (again!) because of a recent electrical storm. He asks me how he is supposed to keep his dog home in the meantime – as if there is no other rational alternative but to let him run loose. Bring him in the house, I answer, but I know my suggestion falls on deaf ears.
Electronic containment systems not only give dog owners a false sense of security about the reliability of the containment, but also fail to protect the dog from intruders. Marauding canines, dog thiefs, neighborhood bullies, angry service persons, rabid skunks or raccoons – all have easy access to a dog who lives inside a fenceless fence.
Electric Fences Stimulate Barrier Aggression
In addition to leaving the dog vulnerable to attacks, electronic containment systems fail to provide any physical barrier to protect unwary passers-by from the dog. The list of documented cases of electronic fence-related aggression grows longer by the day.
The stimulus of passing cars, kids on bikes, people walking their dogs, squirrels climbing in and around street trees, etc., tends to goad some dogs into a state of angry arousal. If the dog is aroused enough to test the limits of the fence, he gets shocked – which conditions him to associate the pain of the shock with whatever he was focused on when he got shocked.
Further, any unsuspecting visitor who crosses the invisible barrier into the dog’s reach can be the unwitting victim of the dog’s pent-up frustration. Worse, if the dog’s arousal reaches a high enough peak that he runs through the fence, the immediacy of that shock is likely to add to the intensity of the dog’s aggressive behavior in that attack.
I just got off the phone an hour ago with a family that is looking for a new home for their eight-year-old Schnauzer, Max, who has lived in his backyard within a nonvisible shock fence since he was a youngster. But about two years ago, he began displaying some disturbing aggressive behavior.
His owners believe that a serviceperson who was intolerant of dogs may have kicked Max, setting off an escalating spiral of aggression that just recently resulted in a Level 3 bite to the leg of a visiting child (see “Ian Dunbar’s Bite Level Classifications” below). Without a physical fence, they were neither able to protect Max from the serviceperson, nor, more recently, protect the child from Max.
Compounding the problem, their homeowner’s association has rules prohibiting physical fences, so, even recognizing the drawbacks, they continue to use the electronic fence to keep Max contained. In addition to the continued danger this presents both to the dog and to anyone who crosses the fence line, any additional shocks to Max’s neck – even the triggering of the warning tone – are likely to add to his level of stress, arousal, and aggression, increasing the risk of more bites.
The first critical step to modifying aggression requires eliminating the conditions that contribute to it; in this case, the totality of environmental circumstances created by the fence.
Max has always been a backyard dog and the parents are reluctant to try to bring him in the house. They realize that putting Max in a small, chain-link pen for the rest of his life is not a reasonable solution. The children are devastated at the thought of losing their canine pal, and I had to deliver the bad news that finding a lifelong loving home – or any good home – for an eight-year-old dog who bites is not a very realistic option. Their choices are to significantly alter Max’s (and their own) lifestyle to better protect him and manage his behavior, or euthanasia.
Three months ago, I did a private consultation with a woman whose Airedale had started running through the electronic fence and biting. When Andy was a pup, he was allowed to run loose in his laid-back mountain community just outside Chattanooga. As more families moved into the neighborhood, Andy’s wandering started to draw complaints, so his owner had an electronic fence installed. This particular system included training as part of the installation package, so a man came out to the house to teach Andy that if he ignored the tone that warned him he was approaching the fence boundary, he would get a shock. The system had appeared to work well for several years. But recently, for no reason that his owner could discern, Andy had started going through his fence.
The first incident involved a Golden Retriever passing by outside the fence on a leash. Andy rolled the dog, but no injuries resulted. The owner wrote the incident off as a one-time thing, and life went on as usual. A couple of months later, Andy ran through the fence again – this time, after a small dog. This time the canine victim suffered injuries serious enough to require veterinary attention, and Andy’s owner realized something needed to be done. She called the fence company, which sent someone out to “retrain” Andy to the fence.
The “trainer” put a shock collar around Andy’s neck and one around his groin. He led Andy to the fence and shocked him repeatedly. According to his owner, Andy screamed and bit at his flanks; the sight was so gruesome that his owner couldn’t watch – she went inside and the torture continued without her. When the trainer was done he came in and told her that Andy had bitten him in the leg – but there was no harm done – he announced somewhat proudly that he was protected by the leather chaps he had begun wearing because so many dogs tried to bite him during the training.
Two weeks later Andy charged through the fence again, knocked a young girl into a ditch and inflicted Level 4 bites. Andy was ultimately euthanized.
Other negative reactions, while not as extreme, give us clues to how very traumatic the shock collars can be. Some dogs refuse to go into their yards after being introduced to the system. Others must be loaded into the family car and driven across the fence line – even when not wearing the collar – just to be taken for a walk around the block.
You Are Responsible for the Risks
One of the leading electronic fence companies proudly states: “Our mission is to keep your pets safe. We believe in Safe Pets and Happy People.” You might think that companies whose ads emphasize the advantages of keeping your dog safely confined in your yard would be sure to provide consumer warnings about the potential hazards related to their use, and would bend over backward to make amends for any inadvertent malfunction of the product.
Not so, according to Darren Ashby, the owner of Rufus, the burned Labrador I mentioned at the beginning of this article. Ashby sent the company a letter of complaint – complete with graphic photographs of his dog’s wounds – and after a delay, got a response. The company offered to pay the vet bill, but only if Ashby signed a document stating that the company was not at fault. The letter stated that Ashby had two days to decide whether he would sign the statement.
When Ashby called the company to complain about this response, the contact person told him that the company’s lawyers said it was Ashby’s fault for leaving the collar on his dog in the rain. She told him his only alternative to signing the document was to sue. Ashby read the product manual from front to back, and is adamant that there were no warnings about using the collar in inclement weather. He is undecided about whether to pursue legal action against the company.
Rufus was lucky – he survived the trauma of his collar experience. Andy was not so lucky. The jury is still out on Max. There are countless other dogs out there struggling with the sometimes lethal uncertainties of the electronic shock collar fence. Some of those dogs will lose the struggle. Don’t even take the chance that your dog might be one of them.
AVOID NEEDING ELECTRIC CONTAINMENT: TIPS
1. Avoid the “necessity” to use an electronic containment system by checking homeowners’ association rules regarding fences before you buy a home.
2. If you have only a small yard and/or a sedentary life-style, don’t get a breed that requires lots of exercise to stay happy and well-adjusted.
Pat Miller, WDJ’s Training Editor, is also a freelance author and Certified Pet Dog Trainer in Fairplay, Maryland. She is the author of many books on positive training, including, The Power of Positive Dog Training.
by Gregory L. Tilford Wild dogs, researchers have observed, browse a broad variety of berries, grasses, flower blossoms, seeds, and even a few roots in their continuous search for food. Many of the plants they eat are quite tasty, even to us humans, while others are not palatable at all. In fact, some of the plants wild animals nibble upon may even be regarded by humans as potentially toxic. So why do they consume such plants? Because maybe they are not looking for food. Perhaps they are seeking medicine.
Unlike human herbalists, wild dogs do not need a stack of herb books and years of study to effectively utilize herbal medicines. Instead they rely on a much more time-honored system of herbal wisdom – one that is based from an intuitive sense of knowing what, when, and how much plant medicine is needed to fulfill a specific need or to correct an imbalance. However, domestic dogs have lost much of their intuitive abilities to seek and select the herbal medicines they need, and this problem is further exacerbated during winter months or in urban environments – where access to fresh, clean grass and other weedy medicine may be limited or out of their reach. Unlike his wild ancestors, the family dog relies on you – his caregiver – to provide him with the herbal diversity he needs. The need for nutritive herbs Although the canine appetite is generally focused on fresh meat and vegetables, dogs sometimes will have a craving for plants that are not part of their usual diet. From the perspective of a holistic veterinary herbalist, this urge comes from an instinctive drive to fulfill special requirements that cannot be addressed by diet alone. For example, in winter and early spring, dogs may be particularly attracted to sprigs of common quackgrass (Elytrigia repens), a persistent weed that has earned an alternate common name of “Dog Grass.” Why the craving for dog grass? Because in winter months, when wild greens are less abundant, dogs have an increased need for things that help support digestion, hair growth, and digestion. Each blade of dog grass contains silicon for strong joints and connective tissues, essential fatty acids for vibrant skin and coat, enzymes for good digestion, chlorophyll for antioxidant support, and soap-like saponin constituents that combine with stringy fibers to help cleanse the digestive tract and keep parasites in check. The roots of this persistent weed are medicinal too, with anti-inflammatory and tonic properties that help strengthen mucous membranes, maintain urine pH, and safely reduce inflammation in the urinary tract – a condition that is sometimes unseen but nevertheless present as a result of low-grade infection or poor waste elimination. Likewise, dogs will occasionally chew on berries, seeds, nuts, leaves, flowers, even tree and shrub bark, all of which may contain healing properties that their bodies need to stave off illness. The red or purple fruits of raspberry, rose bushes, and hawthorn (Crataegus oxycantha), for instance, all contain flavonoid constituents that are beneficial to the cardiovascular system. The oils contained in the raw seeds of flax, currants, wheat and other grains, pumpkins, and squashes may be relished on certain occasions, when extra measures of essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals are needed for hair growth health. Garlic bulbs, the green tops of onions, and all other edible members of the Allium family might also be the target of selective nibbling, as they possess antioxidant and immunostimulant activities that help boost the body’s resistance against bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection during periods of increased susceptibility or exposure. Even certain types of algae (the stuff we often refer to as “pond scum”) contains a cornucopia of nutrients and disease-fighting chemicals that wild dogs may seek in times of need. But how do we choose these things for the “mighty wolves” that live amongst us? When do they need these things, and in what amounts? Just add green foods Fortunately, these questions are easily answered. By providing a daily helping of nutritive herbs and “green foods” at mealtime, your dog will be provided with added measures of nutritional and systemic support that his body can freely access and utilize. Several high quality choices are available in the marketplace, and although their ingredients may vary, they all share a similar purpose – to fill in the edges of a balanced, natural diet. Products such as Ark Natural’s “Nu-Pet Granular Greens,” Animal Essentials’ “All-Organic Green Alternatives” (which I had a hand in formulating), and others will help bridge the gap between what your best friend receives from his diet and what his body needs from time to time for special systemic support. In other words, green food supplements put extra building blocks of health maintenance into place for your dog, in a way that replicates much of the botanical diversity that is used by dogs in the wild. Similarly, you can provide a green food supplement simply by providing your dog with a planter of fresh, live wheat or barley grass, a tablespoon or two of alfalfa sprouts, a sprinkling of spirulina, or a variety of dried herbs mixed with his food. However, before you “go for the green” on behalf of your companion, it is important to realize that green food supplements can only serve to round out a good diet; they cannot be expected to replace the nutritional elements that may be missing from poor quality food. Therefore, if you insist on feeding bargain basement kibble, don’t waste your money on a green food supplement. With that said, the following is a descriptive list of some safe and nutritious green foods that may serve as healthful additions to your dog’s diet. Many of them are used as ingredients in widely available, premium quality green food supplements. • Flaxseed contains Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs), which are very important in the development and maintenance of a healthy brain, liver, heart, and immune system. In fact, these acids are so important, an animal (or human, for that matter) cannot survive without them. Several studies have confirmed that Omega-3 fatty acids are essential factors in the brain development of young animals, and may even help protect the brain against certain types of neurotoxins. Numerous studies have also shown that daily supplementation with EFAs may dramatically improve the skin, coat, and nails in animals who receive them as a supplement to a good diet. Flaxseed also contains fiber and various other constituents that play important roles in maintaining a healthy digestive tract. • Spirulina is one of nature’s greatest super foods. This blue-green micro algae is a rich source of vitamins, including beta-carotene (vitamin A), niacin, biotin, pantothenic acid, choline, inositol, folic acid, vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, and a huge amount of vitamin B12. Just as impressive is spirulina’s array of minerals and trace minerals. Up to 15 percent of its chemical structure includes calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, iodine, zinc, titanium, copper, cobalt, and manganese, to name just a few! Spirulina is also a very rich source of chlorophyll, a substance that is believed to possess powerful antioxidant qualities. To top all of this off, spirulina contains up to 70 percent bioavailable protein. Perhaps the best feature of spirulina is the way it offers its nutrients in a concentrated yet fully bioavailable form. Have you ever wondered why your urine is dark-colored after taking a B-complex capsule? This is because the body (whether it is animal or human) can assimilate only a limited amount of the vitamins at one time. Whatever the body cannot use must be eliminated via the liver and urinary system. Unlike many nutritional supplements that contain unnatural megadoses of vitamins and minerals that cannot be fully absorbed by the body, spirulina offers its nutritional wealth to the body as a food that the body can use without added strain upon the liver and kidneys. In fact, instead of causing added strain to body systems, spirulina supports liver function by helping with the elimination of waste and protecting liver cells against damage from various toxins and pathogens. Spirulina also helps feed the intestinal flora, thus aiding in digestion and boosting the bioavailability of nutrients contained in an animal’s diet. People who feed spirulina to their pets typically report increased energy levels, healthier coat, stronger disease resistance, and even improved behavior. • Garlic is well known for its qualities as an immune-stimulant, antioxidant, antiparasitic, and blood tonic. Scientific studies have shown that various compounds in garlic stimulate immune functions in the bloodstream at levels of activity that are unparalleled by any other herb – yes, even echinacea! Perhaps the most intriguing of these actions is garlic’s effect on the body’s natural killer cells – those that seek out and destroy cancer cells and invading microbes. In a study conducted with human subjects who had AIDS, garlic was found to increase killer cell activity three-fold. Similar animal studies have been conducted with similar results. A 1988 study found that diallyl sulfide, a garlic constituent, prevented tumor formation in rats, and several other studies have shown that garlic inhibits various forms of cancer growth in the body. This may be attributable to the liver-strengthening actions of at least six garlic constituents. In this capacity, garlic gently enhances overall liver function, and triggers enzyme responses to help break down waste materials before they go into the bloodstream. In other words, garlic helps the liver cleanse the body, and thus helps prevent toxic accumulations that may lead to cancerous growths. • Dandelion root gently strengthens liver and gallbladder function, thus improving digestion and serving as a functional aid in the systemic elimination of toxins and waste products from the body. This in turn helps prevent chronic disorders such as arthritis, eczema, and psoriasis. The liver is the primary filtering organ of the body, responsible for removing toxins and excesses from the blood for elimination via the kidneys. The liver also plays critical roles in digestion through its production of bile, bilirubin, and various enzymes. If bile ducts in the liver or gall bladder become congested, blocked, or otherwise diseased to the point of dysfunction, the body will invariably suffer one or more toxicity related imbalances. Such imbalances may be characterized by symptoms such as jaundice, rheumatoid conditions, or chronic constipation. Dandelion root has a well-validated ability to stimulate bile production and circulation throughout the liver. In one study involving dogs, researchers observed a three to four times increase in bile production after administration of dandelion root. The gallbladder (which stores bile from the liver) is also stimulated, causing this small, hollow organ to contract and release bile into the digestive tract, thus aiding in digestion and acting as a gentle laxative to promote the elimination of solid waste. • Pumpkin seeds taste good and provide Omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E for healthy muscles, nervous system, and strong skin and coat. Fresh ground pumpkin seeds also contain cucurbitin, a compound that is believed to combat and prevent overpopulation of intestinal parasites, especially tapeworms. • Kelp is a great source of iron, iodine, zinc, boron, chromium, selenium, and several other trace minerals. It is especially rich with vitamin B12, and is often used by herbalists to help strengthen thyroid function in animals that suffer hypothyroidism but do not exhibit symptoms of thyroid tumor. • Nettle is a nutritive herb that lends mild astringent and antihistamine qualities to its long list of nutritional attributes. It is considered a tonic to the reproductive system, kidneys, and urinary tract. Nettle is a perfect example of a food-medicine. One hundred grams of dried, pre-flowering nettle plant contain up to 30.4g (30 percent by weight) of crude protein, 2,970 mg of calcium, 680 mg of phosphorus, 32.2 mg of iron, 650 mg of magnesium, 20.2 mg of beta-carotene, and 3,450 mg of potassium; along with vitamins A, C, D, and B-complex. All of this is contained in a highly palatable form that can be effectively assimilated into the body without adding excess stress upon the liver, kidneys, or digestive tract. This makes nettle an excellent food additive for animals who need extra trace minerals and vitamins in their diet, but not necessarily in huge, multi-vitamin doses. • Alfalfa contains a broad spectrum of nutrients, including considerable quantities of protein (up to 50 percent), trace minerals, dietary fiber, and vitamins A, B1, B12, C, D, E, and K. It is also very high in chlorophyll, which serves as an antioxidant. In addition to being highly nutritive, alfalfa is traditionally known as one of the best herbal treatments for arthritis, rheumatism, and gout. Clinical research of the aforementioned diseases have shown that at least 10 to 20 percent of human subjects will experience dramatic reduction of painful symptoms with the use of this herb. Traditional uses in animals have commonly led to similar results. This is likely attributable to alfalfa’s impressive chemical array of saponins, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, alpha-spinasterol, flavonoids, coumarin, alkaloids, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, octacosanol, and amino acids. For arthritis and other inflammatory diseases of the joints, alfalfa can bring long- term relief to dogs, cats, rodents, horses, and various other herbivores who receive it as a daily food supplement. In the urinary tract, alfalfa has an alkalizing effect, thus it may help to balance urine pH and prevent overly acidic urine. Alfalfa also possesses cancer preventative qualities. It is believed that alfalfa induces complex cellular activities, and its considerable vitamin K content has been shown to be beneficial in remedying bleeding disorders that may result from long-term antibiotic therapies, anticoagulants, aspirin, and anticonvulsant drugs. This nutritional plant also helps to stimulate appetite and is useful in helping an animal adjust to a new diet. • Yucca is known for its ability to stimulate appetite and increase absorption of vital nutrients in the small intestine. It has been shown to stimulate weight gain and increase metabolic efficiency in virtually every type of animal. Yucca contains saponin compounds known as sarsasapogenin and smilagenin. These phytosterol constituents are believed to be useful for relieving inflamed joints in animals with arthritis and other rheumatoid diseases. More importantly, these and other compounds are thought to aid in the assimilation of important minerals and vitamins by promoting increased passage of critical nutrients through the intestinal walls. This optimizes the nutritional value of the food to which it is added. It is important to note, however, that only a very small amount of the powdered root (perhaps a pinch or two) is needed to achieve the result of improved nutrient absorption. Too much of this herb, fed continuously, may actually have a reverse effect, causing nausea and irritation of mild intestinal mucosa, which in turn can actually block absorption of nutrients. With this in mind, I feel that it is not necessary – and may be counter-productive – to feed supplements that contain any more than 10 percent yucca root on a long-term basis, at least if your only goal is to provide nutritional support. How to feed green foods Regardless of whether you choose to provide your companion with dried herbs from the bulk bins at your local herb retailer or opt to buy a commercial formula like Granular Greens or Green Alternative, daily feeding is easy, economical, and safe. If you are the do-it-yourself type, nettle leaf, dandelion leaf, ground flaxseed, ground pumpkin seed, and spirulina all represent good, easy to find choices. In fact, all can be combined to make an excellent home-prepared formula that can be fed once per day at a rate of teaspoon per 20 pounds of your dog’s body weight. Simply mix the formula into wet food. Likewise, a tray of fresh green wheat grass or barley grass can be left by the water dish at all times for occasional nibbling. However, if you intend to leave live grass in the kitchen for your dog, expect that sometimes he may want to eat it ravenously – for the purpose of digestive cleansing and/or regurgitation (yes, that means vomiting and then eating it again). This is normal behavior that has been passed down through hundreds of canine generations, from the mighty wolf of the wild north, to the homes of modern urbania. Just beware – if the occasional nibble turns into full-fledged grazing, it’s time for a walk! Also With This ArticleClick here to view “Herbal Remedies For Common Canine Ailments” ———- Greg Tilford is a well-known veterinary herbalist, lecturer, and author. He serves as a consultant and formulator to hundreds of holistic veterinarians throughout the world, and is CEO of Animal’s Apawthecary, a company that develops herbal products specifically for use in animals. He is author of four books on herbs, including All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets (Bowtie, 1999), which he co-authored with his wife, Mary.
Rupert is away on special assignment this month, and I sure could use him. But hes needed elsewhere, and hes doing one of the things that he likes best: serving as therapy dog to someone he loves.
My mother passed away in December after a long illness. She was a very special person and is already terribly missed, but those of us who loved her are comforted by the fact that she was not in pain at the end, and that she passed away at home, where she wanted to be.
Were still worried about my father, however. He, too, wants to stay in the Northern California home where he and my mom retired a dozen years ago. But, gosh, that home is way out in the sticks, half an hour away from a rural small town and hours of driving from all of us.
My brother, two sisters, and I stayed at my parents house for several days after my mom passed. Storms raged outside, and the power shut off momentarily a few times, but it was cozy in the wood-heated home, and it felt good to be together, talk, laugh, and cry. We cooked, ate, cleaned house, and helped my dad remove from the house the many accoutrements of caring for a disabled person. Rupert gravely paced from one person to the next, nudging our hands and elbows with his nose, his tail waving slowly. Pet me, youll feel better, he seemed to say.
He also followed my dad outside to the wood pile several times a day. Rupert enjoys everything about going to get firewood with my dad, who cuts oaks and pines on his 13 acres, and neatly stacks each kind of wood separately. When Dad jokingly says hes going to the gym, he means hes going to either cut down a tree, split logs, stack firewood, or haul brush. Its been exercise and therapy for him during the last three hard years that hes been caring for my mom. And, of course, all of these activities are fun for Rupe, a lifelong chewer and fetcher of sticks. Hes stayed with my parents for extended vacations before, and he loves to gnaw thick branches while my dad works.
My siblings and I left in stages over a couple of days, all of us fretting over the idea of leaving my dad alone after 47 years of living with my mom. Despite my best efforts (and my older sisters stern warning not to), I broke down in tears as I hugged my dad good-bye. Im the youngest in the family the baby so I guess thats my role. I couldnt help it.
I miss Rupert, but I felt so much better driving down the hill on that muddy dirt road away from my parents house, seeing him in the rearview mirror, his tail waving gently as he stood close to my dad. And it comforts me to hear Dad use the word we in our telephone calls, as in, It stopped raining today, so we walked to the top of the hill . . .
Years ago, I had high hopes for participating in dock diving sport with my now-9-year-old dog, Woody. But it turned out that my high-jumping, strong-swimming dog absolutely hates getting water in his ears!
