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Injured Dog Paw Pads and Wounds

By
Kate Basedow, LVT
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0
Male veterinarian wrapping a small dogs paw with gauze
Not all injured dog pads need veterinary treatment. Minor raw pads and paw wounds can be treated at home. Credit: FatCamera | Getty Images

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The pads on the bottom of your dog’s paws are thick and strong, but they can be injured. The first signs are usually limping and/or licking at a foot. Three common ways dogs injure their pads are:

  • Lacerations
  • Sores
  • Wearing off the thick outer protective layer

Lacerations are when your dog’s pad is cut, such as by broken glass or sharp rocks. If the cut goes all the way through the tough pad and into the softer tissue beneath, it will be painful and likely bleed.

Sores can be caused by minor abrasions, a fungal or bacterial infection, or allergies. Often the first sign is your dog licking at the paw. If an infection is present, there may be an odor or drainage.

Wearing away the pad layer is when your dog “runs off” a pad. This is painful, and your dog may not want to let you touch the paw.

Raw Paw Pads

Prolonged running on a hard surface can separate the pad from the foot. Sometimes the dog’s paw pads are ripped off, leaving just raw tissue beneath, and other times they will only be partially torn with a flap.

Your dog’s paw pad will regrow, but this takes time. Most of these injuries can be managed at home, but if your dog has a deep cut in the pad that is bleeding, she should be seen by a veterinarian. The wound may need to be flushed, and she may need antibiotics to prevent infection. A study of military and pet dogs with paw lacerations found that short-term complications were found in 27% of the dogs.

If the wound isn’t severe, pull out your first-aid pack and begin treatment:

Clean the Wound

Gently flush the wound with water or an antiseptic, such as chlorhexidine. Gently remove debris, such as rocks, dirt, or glass. Don’t force out anything lodged deep into the foot.

Control Bleeding

Apply pressure with a clean towel to stop bleeding. Use an ice pack to encourage blood-vessel constriction. Deep wounds and punctures can bleed heavily. Uncontrolled bleeding is a veterinary emergency.

Protect the Wound

Many pad injuries benefit from a bandage and/or booties as protection while they heal. A bootie, like the Ruffwear Grip Tex or Canada Pooches Hot Pavement Boots, can help keep the paw protected and clean. (Whole Dog Journal rated both summer and winter boot choices.)

You can use a disposable paw bandage, like the PawFlex MediMitt, or make your own using a nonstick gauze or a Telfa pad secured with paper tape or Vetrap. (Don’t make the bandage too tight, which can restrict circulation! You should be able to slide two fingers under the bandage. If the bandage slips, wrap more tape around the top of the bandage.)

If your dog has burned off a small section of her paw pad, a liquid bandage like Nutri-Vet Liquid Bandage Spray can offer a layer of protection. Apply this with care, though, as it can sting.

Keep the wound and bandage dry to prevent infection. Most paw bandages need to be changed daily. If you’re using a commercial boot, clean and dry it before reapplying.

Allow It to Heal

An injured dog needs rest. Only walk the dog on leash, and limit running and jumping inside as well. Prevent chewing at the bandage, which may require the use of an Elizabethan collar).

Be patient while your dog heals. Even once the pad has sealed over, it can take months for the keratin (outer) layer to return to its normal strength. Use a bootie or other paw protection when going for long walks or running and call it a day if your dog appears sore. You can also apply our homemade salve (see sidebar) to help protect his pads from environmental hazards.

Soothing Dog Paw-Butter

By C.J. Puotinen

Dog-paw butter protects feet in hot and cold weather, soothes cracked or sore paw pads, and blocks winter salt burn. It can also be applied to cracked noses. Save some for yourself and your friends as this is an effective lip balm and a great moisturizing salve for cuticles, hands, and feet.

In a wide-mouth pint-sized glass canning jar combine:

Ingredients:

  • 1⁄3 cup olive, sunflower, sweet almond, or jojoba oil
  • 1⁄3 cup coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons shea butter or mango butter
  • 2 tablespoons beeswax (chopped or beads)

Instructions:

Place the jar in a saucepan containing a cup of water to create a double boiler. Over low heat, gently stir the ingredients with a wooden chopstick until they are fully combined.

Optional: add the contents of a vitamin E oil capsule

Optional: add 10 drops tea tree, lavender, chamomile, or other essential oil

Leave a metal spoon in the freezer while you make the salve. To test its consistency, dip the frozen spoon into the melted blend and apply to your hand. If it’s too stiff, add a little oil; if it’s too liquid, add more beeswax. When it’s just right, pour it into small jars or tins and apply to your dog’s paw pads as needed. (Click here for recipes for homemade shampoo and a rinse.)

Long-Term Sheltering in No-Kill Shelters

By
Nancy Kerns
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33
Who goes looking for an aggressive, unfriendly dog to adopt? Few people want to take home a project on purpose. Photo by Anita Kot, Getty Images
Who goes looking for an aggressive, unfriendly dog to adopt? Few people want to purposely take home a project – which leads to this sort of long-term confinement. Photo by Anita Kot, Getty Images

When you have a career that involves dogs, everyone you know sends you memes and articles about dogs. Unfortunately, those little gems, meant to amuse or enlighten me, often aggravate me instead.

Take, for example, this article from People Magazine: a profile of a dog who has been waiting for almost six years to be adopted from a rescue facility. You see, the rescue is a no-kill shelter, and the dog has some behavioral issues that are described as “severe.” An employee of the rescue is quoted as saying, “I think that the ideal adopter would be an adult-only home with definitely some dog experience. She (the dog) wouldn’t do well with dogs, cats, or kids in the home because of her touch sensitivity. And she can resource guard as well.”

I think the intended effect of this article was supposed to elicit sympathy for and interest in the dog, but it made me see red. Personally, I can’t understand how it makes sense to spend years trying to find a home for a dog who doesn’t want to be touched and can’t live with other dogs, cats, or kids.

Most of us want dogs for some positive trait: an ability to be a great companion, to give and receive affection, to go with us when we explore or exercise, and/or to participate in the sports or hobbies that we enjoy. Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts to buy or adopt a dog with the traits we want, we end up with a dog who needs a lot of help in order to resemble the dog we had in mind . . . and I’m obviously aware that many problematic behaviors can be improved if not eliminated through caring training, management, and (sometimes) medication. But who actually goes looking for a dog who can’t be around anyone else or go anywhere safely? Very few people want a project – a dog who is going to require very careful handling and management in order to keep from biting them or someone in their home.

And while the concept of a no-kill shelter sounds like a good thing, the reality is, this often means a life sentence in prison for dogs like the one in the People article.

I have always struggled with the concept of spending a ton of money, space, and time on unfriendly, unsocial dogs when there are so many friendly, social dogs looking for homes. But maybe I’m just crabby. What do you think? Who can convince me that housing unadoptable dogs for life is a worthwhile endeavor?

Why Does My Dog Constantly Lick Stuff?

By
Dr. Debra M. Eldredge, DVM
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1
Loving chihuahua dogs
Dogs lick other dogs and people as a form of submission or affection and to gather information about the world around them. A dog who obsessively licks his own body, however, may be telling you he is dealing with pain. Credit: Lay-lin Joe | Getty Images

Why does my dog excessively lick everything, including the floor and the air? How can I stop this excessive licking? It’s constant.

The answer depends upon why your dog may be licking, which means you need to pay attention to when he licks, where he licks, and how he reacts. If the licking is not truly obsessive, it might just be his way of exploring the world, and that’s OK.

Licking Due to Pain

If it’s truly constant licking, the dog is probably dealing with pain or an injury. Painful areas that get licked tend to be joints, which means hips, stifles, and carpus (wrist). A trip to the veterinarian is wise to determine if there’s an injury, arthritis, or other cause and what the best treatment may be.

If he is licking his feet or groin or nails, your veterinarian will check for possible yeast infections. And, if his licking is more like chewing, then parasites such as fleas are most likely the cause.

No matter how you turn this, the dog is licking because he doesn’t feel well, and the way to stop it is proper veterinary treatment.

While we associate licking haircoats with cats, some dogs, especially those with short, tight coats, lick as part of their self-grooming habits, relieving uncomfortable mats or spots. If this is constant, an appointment with a dog groomer may be in order.

Licking Other Dogs

Dogs will often lick other dogs, especially ears, which may indicate an infection that needs treatment in the dog being licked.

Puppies and young dogs will often lick the mouths of other dogs. There are two strong possibilities for this:

  1. In the wild, this would stimulate the adult to regurgitate food for the puppies.
  2. Licking other dogs can also be a submissive behavior or be an expression of anxiety.

Licking, including licking you, also may be a sign of affection.

Licking and Scent

Since dogs rely heavily on their sense of smell to learn about the world around them, licking seemingly weird things makes sense. Licking moves scent molecules into the body. The vomeronasal organ, which handles the dog’s sense of smell, is located on the hard palate (roof of the mouth), so licking brings that scent right to the perfect spot.

A dog licking the floor is most likely picking up faint odors of food, cells from where a person or another animal has walked, and any number of fascinating smells that have drifted onto your floor or carpet.

Search-and-rescue dogs as well as tracking dogs will often mouth or lick the “scent object” provided to them as they start work. These dogs also often sniff or lick the air to detect subtle odors. You have probably noticed your dog “air sniffing.” For a working dog, that could lead them to a lost child, for your pet, however, he’s probably heading for the neighbor’s cookout and a free hot dog.

How to Stop Licking

Stopping excessive body licking can be difficult, but it needs to be done. Dogs who have licked enough can cause a nasty wound, called a lick granuloma, that may require antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, a physical barrier such as an Elizabethan collar, anti-anxiety medications, or even surgery in drastic cases.

Let Your Dog Be a Dog

Allow your dog to naturally lick to smell things, learn about the world around him, and simply enjoy the varied scents in the world. That type of lick-associated exploration shouldn’t be obsessive enough to bother you, but if it is, then the help of a certified fear-free trainer or veterinary behaviorist may help you rule out some type of anxiety causing the dog to obsessively lick.

Common Service Dog Tasks

By
John Strassburger
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0
Guide dog leads a blind person through the train compartment
A service dog is one that is trained to do specific tasks for a person with a disability, such as a seeing-eye dog for a person who is blind. Credit: Fotograffix | Getty Images

While service dogs are loved as much as pets, these canines are not pets. They are working animals trained to do a job, and that training is specialized. The dogs are trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.

Common Service Dog Tasks

Service dogs fall into three categories, depending on their size, temperament, and training:

  • Psychiatric service dogs
  • Post-traumatic stress (PTSD) service dogs
  • Mobility service dogs

The tasks within each category vary but are specific to the job the dog is trained to do.

Owning a service dog can greatly improve the lives of people with disabilities, according to research.

Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks

Psychiatric service dogs “help their owners cope with stressful situations, survive crises and panic attacks, and also become a physical mainstay if a person is dizzy or faint,” according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. These are not “emotional support dogs.”

Psychiatric Service Dogs are used as a connection to reality for people who suffer from paranoia, schizophrenia, or hallucinations. And their companionship can also be used as a therapy for antisocial or bipolar behavior.

PTSD Dog Tasks

PTSD dogs undergo specific training to recognize the symptoms of this condition, such as nightmares or seizures.

They’re trained in:

  • Deep pressure therapy (DPT), which means lying on his owner to hold him down during a nightmare or flashback
  • Interruption therapy, which means interfering with a potentially harmful behavior by licking or nuzzling or waking up their owner during a nightmare
  • Movement tasks, which means circling their handler to prevent that person from moving into a dangerous situation or to control a dangerous situation
  • Guide tasks, which means guiding their handler to a specific location or around objects
  • Call tasks, which means pressing a specific button on a phone to call a person or 911 in an emergency.

Research shows these dogs do improve the lives of people battling PTSD.

Mobility Service Dogs

Mobility service dogs are trained to guide a blind or deaf person, pull a wheelchair using a special harness, or help a person move in a variety of other ways.

Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs can help a person deal with a variety of other mental or physical challenges, but they are not considered a service dog because they do not perform an specific tasks for the person.

Certified Service Dogs

All government offices, businesses, and non-profit organizations must allow certified service dogs in public places, according to federal law. Hospitals are not required to allow – but may allow – service dogs to enter, except for operating rooms or burn units, where sterilized conditions are imperative.

Dogs whose only purpose is to provide comfort or emotional support are not service dogs, according to the ADA, because “providing emotional support or comfort is not a task related to a person’s disability.” But these dogs may fit under a wider definition of service dogs under the Fair Housing Act or Air Carrier Access Act.

The ADA requires service dogs “to be under control of the handler” at all times, so he “must be harnessed, leashed or tethered, unless the individuals’ disability prevents using these devices because they prevent the safe and effective performance of his tasks.” If that’s the case, he must be under control via voice or signals.

Many dogs are specifically raised to be service dogs, if you are looking for a dog. Do your research if you need one of these dogs and work with a professional trainer or organization for help training the dog. Be aware there are scams out there, which can only lead to heartache or worse.

Are All Service Dogs Certified?

Many people with disabilities think their dog can be a service dog just because they say it is. But that’s not correct.

A true service dog has had special training either by the handler or a professional trainer to provide his handler with a specific type of assistance, such as post-traumatic stress syndrome care or pulling a wheelchair. And the dog has been certified to do so by being registered under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Registration isn’t mandatory, but it can be helpful if you’re questioned about what your dog is trained to do for you.

Many dogs can be trained to provide other types of aid and not be certified. But they may not be allowed to enter certain public and non-public areas without certification or live in non-pet housing, often depending on local laws.

The U.S. Department of Justice has administered the Americans with Disabilities Act since it was enacted in 2011. It offers a registration program and identification. (IIt offers online registration and an ID card for $49 and just registration for $29).

Service dogs usually wear a harness or vest identifying them as such, but that is not necessarily enough to allow the dog access to all areas, and it is not required.

How to Housetrain Your Adult Dog

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Beagle dog in fall park, peeing
: When you adopt an adult dog, you might not know whether they have ever been housetrained until you get them home. Start by training him as if he is a puppy with no knowledge of potty training at all: Take him outside more frequently than he has to go, reward him richly when he goes, and either supervise him closely or crate him indoors. Photo by Olaser, Getty Images

Housetraining your adult dog (also known as potty training) may be easier than you think – or not! It depends on why your dog is eliminating indoors. If she just never learned that she’s supposed to go to the bathroom outside, the fix for the house soiling could be pretty simple. If her indoor accidents are due to medical or behavioral problems, however, that’s a larger challenge.

Inexperienced with outdoor-only toileting

Your adult dog may have grown up outdoors, in a kennel, or in a home where no one paid attention to her bathroom habits (such as a hoarder’s home). If that’s the case, it may be just a matter of teaching her a new skill: “Hold it until you get outside.” The process to use here is the same as housetraining a puppy:

  • Take your dog out to her designated bathroom spot more often than she has to go
  • Reward her immediately every time she “goes” outside
  • Supervise her closely when she’s indoors, or contain her in a crate or small pen, so she doesn’t have any opportunity to make a mistake.

If she already has a history of indoor accidents it may take a little longer than you might think to get her to “reliably housetrained,” but you can do it!

Medical problems can hinder housetraining

Medical problems such as a urinary tract infection, spay incontinence, or gastrointestinal distress (and others) can make it physically impossible for your dog to “hold it.” It is critically important that your veterinarian gives your dog a clean bill of health – or diagnose and treat any disorders – if you want to be successful with your housetraining program.

Behavior challenges that complicate potty training

It’s important to consider stress and anxiety if you are struggling with stubborn housetraining challenges. Persistent indoor “marking” (urinating small amounts on objects or walls) is often a function of stress. While male dogs are more likely to persist in marking indoors, female dogs are also known to sometimes mark.

Generalized anxiety and stress can result in an inability to “hold it,” with resulting bathroom accidents, and can also cause gastrointestinal distress that results in very loose stools – which are also virtually impossible to “hold” for long periods of time. If your dog is stressed or anxious, consider a consultation with a qualified force-free behavior professional, with a likely recommendation that you talk to your veterinarian about anti-anxiety medications.

A good dog training professional can help you with your housetraining challenge, even if it’s not a medical or behavioral issue. Here is information on how to find a good dog trainer and/or behavior consultant who can help you teach your dog appropriate bathroom behaviors.

Tooth Extractions in Dogs

By
Dr. Debra M. Eldredge, DVM
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1
Tooth extraction in dogs is a complex procedure but often the best option for dealing with advanced dental disease.
This dog’s teeth show tartar buildup (yellow-brown staining) and the deterioration of the gums. Credit: Lenti Hill | Getty Images

Having a dog’s tooth extracted, or pulled, by your veterinarian is a routine procedure in many practices. Sometimes, a senior dog tooth that’s just sort of hanging can be wiggled loose and pulled out by the veterinarian, but that’s the rare case. Tooth extraction generally involves surgery and anesthesia.

Other than the incisors – the small teeth in front of the mouth – dog teeth have deep and/or multiple roots. That means complications are more likely if one of those teeth needs to be extracted. Sutures may be required to aid in gum healing. Antibiotics may be necessary to prevent infection. Your veterinarian may need to pack the hole left behind to stanch bleeding and prevent pain from air on nerve roots. Sadly, it is even possible that your dog may have injuries to the jaw itself secondary to the tooth removal procedure.

As unpleasant as all that may sound, dog owners often tell their veterinarians that their dogs appear to have more energy after dental procedures. This is most likely because the dogs were just dealing with and covering up a great deal of oral pain. Untreated dental disease can affect all your dog’s organs.

Complications from Tooth Extraction in Dogs

Symptoms of tooth extraction complications can include a hesitation to eat after the normal recovery time, oral pain, obvious gum damage, and/or nasal discharge from an oronasal fistula, which is an opening between the nasal and oral cavities.

Fractured root tips that get missed and left behind can contribute to a risk of infection, are often painful, and may lead to dehiscence (reopening) of the surgery site. Accidental fractures of jaw bones can be painful and cause your dog’s normal dental occlusion to be off.

Senior Dog Dental Extractions

Senior dogs are most likely to need dental extractions, and their recovery time involves getting back to normal after anesthesia as well as healing their extraction sites.

These dogs may need to eat room-temperature food slurries for a week or more. They also need careful pain management, keeping them comfortable while working around any chronic health problems the dogs may have.

Once healed, most senior dogs can go back to their normal diet, even eating kibble despite the removal of many teeth.

Although people cast doubt on its effectiveness, if you routinely brush your dog’s teeth with a pet enzymatic tooth paste, you can lower the risk of dental disease.

Heat Stroke in Dogs

By
Dr. Jennifer Bailey, DVM
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Cute pug dog suffering from heat stroke near bowl of water on floor at home
Bracycephalic (flat-faced) dogs such as Pugs, Boston Terriers, and French Bulldogs, are more prone to heat stroke than other breeds, as they are less able to cool themselves via panting due to their stenotic nares (small and pinched openings to their airway), elongated soft palate (which protrudes into the airway and interferes with air movement), and narrow tracheas. These dogs will overheat sooner, in lower temperatures, than other dogs. Photo by Liudmila Chernetska, Getty Images.

Most of us have heard a horrendous story about a dog suffering from heat stroke. Heat stroke can affect any dog in a situation that is too hot. These situations include sitting inside a non-air conditioned vehicle, laying outside in the sunshine on a hot summer day, or going for a walk or run when it is too hot and humid outdoors. Here are some common sense steps to avoid heat stroke in dogs, and how to treat acute heat stroke in a dog.

Signs of heat stroke in dogs

  • Excessive panting. Dogs regulate their body temperature by panting, so it is normal for a dog to pant when he is warm. A dog who pants while hanging his head low, excessively drooling, walking slowly, and using his abdominal muscles to breathe is excessively panting.
  • Red, blue, purple, or gray gums. Dogs experiencing heat stroke will initially have bright red gums. But as heat stroke progresses and the dog goes into shock, their gums will turn blue, purple, or gray.
  • Lethargy, disorientation, and uncoordinated walking. A dog exhibiting these symptoms may be experiencing the advanced stages of heat stroke.
  • Collapse, vomiting, or seizures are the signs of end-stage heat stroke.

How to treat acute heat stroke

Quick intervention is the key to helping a dog that is experiencing heat stroke:

  • Use this infographic to remember what to look out for if your dog is having a heatstroke and how to treat it. © Natasha Medvetsky

    Move the dog to a shady location that is well-ventilated.

  • Pour cool water over the dog, making sure to avoid the face. Do not use cold water or ice water; this will cool a dog down too quickly and send him into shock.
  • Do not apply cool or wet towels to the dog. Towels trap heat against the dog’s body, worsening the heat stroke condition.
  • If available, place a fan near the dog so that air can move over his body. This will help the water on his body evaporate (which causes a reduction in the air temperature immediately next to the dog) and carry away excess heat.
  • If the dog is alert and not collapsed, seizing, or disoriented, you may offer small amounts of cool water to drink. Do not syringe water into a dog’s mouth; doing so may result in aspiration pneumonia.
  • Transport the dog to the nearest veterinary hospital. If the dog has collapsed, is vomiting, or is having seizures, do not delay in seeking veterinary attention.

Following these simple steps can help save the life of a dog experiencing heat stroke.

Why Does My Dog Lick His Paws Raw?

By
Dr. Debra M. Eldredge, DVM
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0
A cute English Springer Spaniel Dog, lying down in a field licking his paw surrounded by daisy flowers.
A dog who seems obsessed with licking his paws—even to the point of being red and raw—needs treatment. You can start with home remedies described in this article, but if they don’t work, you need veterinary intervention. Credit: Sandra Standbridge | Getty Images

Your dog is licking his paws red, obsessively licking. Possible reasons include everything from a yeast infection to anxiety. A dog licks to heal, whether the problem is injury, illness, or stress. Dogs who continually lick their paws often end up with reddish-brown staining. This occurs due to a component in saliva called porphyrin, which are iron-containing molecules (they cause tear stains, too).

Inspect the Area

With luck, especially if the licking behavior is new, the problem could be as simple as something stuck in the paw itself or the paw hair. It could also be an injury, such as he has worn off a paw pad running on a rough surface – even rough indoor/outdoor carpeting – or he may have a blister from walking on a hot surface.

Check carefully between the toes for injuries, plant material, and ticks. If you remove the offending debris or bug and treat the wound if needed, he may stop licking. Unfortunately, though, it is often more complicated.

Obsessive Licking

Dogs will obsessively lick their paws if they have a yeast infection. This can be related to atopy (allergies) or to yeast infections elsewhere on your dog’s body, like the ears and groin.

Yeast infections are common during hot, humid weather. For mild cases, you can treat with a home remedy. Soak the paw in Epsom salts and warm water for about five minutes, then rinse and dry the paw carefully. Once the paw is dry, sprinkle human foot powder in between the toes.

Most foot powders are anti-fungal (so anti yeast), antibacterial, anti-itch, and taste bad. Treat two to three times a day faithfully for five to seven days. If the licking doesn’t end, it’s time to see your veterinarian (licking can be a sign of more serious problems, like gastrointestinal disease).

Allergy syndromes such as atopy may also cause paw licking. A full verteinary workup is usually required to get to the bottom of a dog’s allergies.

Signs of Anxiety

If your dog is licking his paws due to anxiety, the foot powder remedy may help to break the cycle, but you really need to treat the underlying anxiety. Most dogs will have other signs of anxiety besides licking or chewing on themselves. They may be destructive, vocalize excessively, or may retreat and hide.

Increasing your dog’s exercise, spending some more time playing and training, and calming treats may help with mild cases of anxiety. Ideally, you want to identify what is causing the anxiety (a new person, pet, location?) and try to eliminate or at least manage that. If not, talk with your primary care veterinarian who may suggest that you consult a veterinary behaviorist for behavior-modification protocols and anti-anxiety medications.

Ehrlichiosis in Dogs

By
Dr. Debra M. Eldredge, DVM
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Puppy dog in a forest
Ticks prefer moist shady areas with shorter foliage over sunny locations. They can’t jump, so they crawl to the tops of leaves and grasses, waiting for a victim to venture close so they can climb aboard. Credit: Nicolas Jooris-Ancion | Getty Images

While Lyme disease tends to be the headliner when it comes to tick-borne diseases in dogs, ehrlichiosis is equally serious and common. It is transmitted by the brown dog tick, as opposed to the black-legged deer tick that carries Lyme. Bacteria known as Ehrlichia canis is the pathogen transferred by the tick that causes ehrlichiosis.

Ehrlichiosis was first found on military dogs returning from Vietnam, but it is now endemic in the southeastern United States. That said, brown dog ticks are present throughout North America.

Prognosis is good when ehrlichiosis is diagnosed early, with an estimated 95% survival rate. Note: German Shepherd Dogs and Siberian Huskies seem to be especially susceptible to Ehrlichia canis and may develop more severe cases.

Symptoms of Ehrlichiosis in Dogs

When a dog is acutely ill with ehrlichiosis, the symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Bleeding problems (subcutaneous hematomas, spontaneous nosebleeds, or tiny hemorrhages in the groin area)

Chronic ehrlichiosis signs include:

  • Lameness
  • Neurologic problems
  • Vision changes
  • Swollen limbs
  • Weight loss
  • Lethargy

Since these symptoms fit a variety of illnesses, including other tick-borne diseases, your veterinarian will need to do some bloodwork to determine the exact cause. Fortunately, ehrlichiosis is one of the four diseases – Lyme, heartworm, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis – that can be caught by in-office rapid screening tests available at many vet clinics.

Treatment of Ehrlichiosis in Dogs

Because the disease is caused by bacteria, it is susceptible to antibiotics. Doxycycline is currently the antibiotic of choice, given for 30 days. Dogs with severe cases of anemia from this infection may need blood transfusions.

The best way to avoid ehrlichiosis is to use a tick preventive or repellant. If you live in an area with lots of tick activity, do a quick check of your dog daily to remove any ticks you find.

A Budding Crisis in Animal Shelters?

By
Nancy Kerns
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4
Shelters and rescues – and obviously, their canine wards – benefit from enriching activities and handling provided by volunteers. But some shelters are concerned about increasing their liability exposure from having volunteers in their facilities. Photo by Camille Tokerud, Getty Images
Shelters and rescues – and obviously, their canine wards – benefit from enriching activities and handling provided by volunteers. But some shelters are concerned about increasing their liability exposure from having volunteers in their facilities. Photo by Camille Tokerud, Getty Images

The potential for the loss of liability insurance is closing shelter doors to volunteers.

As many of you know from personal experience, volunteers in animal shelters play an enormously valuable role in helping reduce the dogs’ stress and increase their quality of life in innumerable small ways. The end goal is always to make the dogs feel any small amount better, in hopes of improving their chances of connecting with a human who will adopt them and get them out of the shelter! The most impactful thing these volunteers can do is to get dogs out of their small pens to exercise, de-stress, eliminate in a more comfortable setting, socialize with humans and sometimes other dogs, escape the loud noise in their kennels (if only for a few minutes), and perhaps receive some instruction on basic “good manners” behaviors.

Even volunteers who can’t physically handle strong, excited, and untrained dogs can assist other volunteers or staff when dogs are taken outside by providing some spot cleaning, freshening the dogs’ bedding, and preparing food-stuffed frozen toys (and washing the previous days’ toys) for the dogs to enjoy when they are returned to their kennels. They can also deliver treats to dogs from outside the dogs’ kennels, encouraging and reinforcing calm behaviors, or even just sit outside the kennels and read out loud.

So, imagine my shock and frustration when my own local shelter recently stopped allowing volunteers to do any of these things. WHY?

Because the director learned that two other shelters in our part of the state recently were dropped by their insurance companies after dog-bite incidents. Both of these shelters had to scramble to find different coverage – and were able to do so only at a much greater cost than before. The capper? Both shelters were previously insured by a company that specializes in coverage for nonprofit animal shelters – and my local shelter is currently covered by the same company.

I’m in the process of trying to track down some statistics, to learn whether this is a substantiated trend or just the fever dream of perennially worried and beleaguered shelter directors, based on a few isolated cases.

I’m also trying to find out what shelters can do to reassure its insurance providers that they are taking every possible action to mitigate risk to its volunteers (and staff!). What are the sheltering industry’s “best practices” that can protect humans – and protect shelters from possible litigation in case of accidents?

The one thing I know for sure is that reducing the amount of time that dogs can spend outside of their small, loud, stressful kennels is sure to increase their potential for aggression, as well as their potential to inflict accidental and unintentional harm. The less dogs are handled in the shelter will also increase the time it will take to find someone to want to take them home!

Shelter volunteers and staff: What is done in your shelter to protect volunteers and the interests of the shelter – while simultaneously serving the wellbeing of the dogs? I will be sharing more information as I learn what can be done to achieve a win/win/win for shelter dogs, shelter operators, and their insurance providers.

 

How to Teach a Dog to Heel

By
Stephanie Colman
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Start by rewarding your dog for being next to you on a loose leash. Make the area that’s next to you a “zone of awesome,” where the treats and praise are free-flowing. Photo by Evgeniya Kurilova, Getty Images

Loose-leash walking, historically known as “heeling,” is one of the more challenging behaviors to master, since most walks happen away from home, where distractions abound.

Here are six keys to teaching your dog to heel:

Keep in mind that it’s harder for your dog than it looks

Without a leash, most dogs would be well ahead of their (slow!) human counterparts. They’re built to go faster – they have twice as many legs! Not to mention a nose that can smell parts per trillion. Asking a dog to walk on a loose leash is asking a dog to choose to walk slower than their natural pace while largely ignoring most of the amazing smells and other distractions they’d love to pull toward

Be willing to pay well

If we expect our dog to walk slower than his natural pace, paying less attention to the environment and more attention to us, we must make it worth his while. Dogs repeat behaviors that are reinforced. If pulling gets him closer to the smell he wants to sniff, pulling has been rewarded. When I’m teaching leash manners, I reward so quickly and frequently, the dog doesn’t have time to think about pulling – he’s too busy earning rewards by walking with me!

Create a zone of awesome

Polite leash walking is built one step at a time. Start by rewarding your dog for being next to you. Make the area that’s next to you a “zone of awesome,” where the treats and praise are free-flowing. Your dog needs to be able to stand next to you on a loose leash before he can walk next to you on a loose leash.

Start small and don’t be greedy

As your dog realizes how well it pays to stand next to you, begin adding movement – one step at a time. Reward your dog in your “zone of awesome” before he has a chance to surge ahead of you and self-reward with the fun of moving forward or reaching an enticing smell. Talk to your dog as you walk. You’re on the walk together – be a team! Polite leash walking should not look like a precise military heel. A great goal is to create a zone of awesome within the radius of your 6-foot leash.

The early days of teaching leash manners will likely look like one step > treat > one step > treat – over and over! As your dog settles into this pattern, add a second step before the treat. Sometimes surprise your dog with a treat after a single step. You might feel like a Pez dispenser but stick with it. Remember: Your dog will repeat behaviors that are reinforced. You won’t need this many treats forever, but you’ll need them for a while – likely much longer than you think. If you’re worried about using too many treats, use your dog’s kibble. In my puppy classes, I challenge my students to feed their dogs’ entire morning meal as rewards while on a morning walk.

To really stack the deck in your favor, take that morning walk in your own backyard or up and down your hallway to minimize distractions and make it easy for your dog to be successful. Help your dog get it right and work your way up from there.

You can call it whatever you want!

There’s nothing magical about the cue “heel.” As a verb, “heel” originated in the early 1800s to mean, “to follow or stop at a person’s heels,” usually on the left side. This is because most people are right-handed, and, in the case of military and hunting dogs, it keeps prevents the ejecting shells and cartridge casings from hitting the dog as they fall to the ground. If you’re a right-handed pet owner, it’s likely easier to have your dog on your left and keep your dominant hand free.

When training most new behaviors, it’s better to not name it in the beginning. Learning can be messy, and it will take your dog a while to figure things out. Naming a behavior too early carries the risk of your dog associating the cue with the messy version of the behavior. If you need to encourage your dog to start moving, pat your leg and say, “Let’s go” as you take your first step. As it becomes easier for your dog to stick with you, even around distractions, you can name the behavior. “Heel,” “Close,” “With me,” – use whatever cue works for you!

Other things to consider

A girl with a dog on a leash of the Jack Jack Russell Terrier walks along the alley in the park
When asking for your dog to resist walking at his own pace and sniffing or investigating things that are interesting to him, make sure that you are paying attention to him in return! Talk to your dog in a friendly, happy, interested tone – and reinforce often for his polite attention! Photo by Black Factory, Getty Images

Remember that polite leash walking is unnatural for dogs. As such, it’s important that we give them ample opportunities to experience the world in a more natural – to them – way. While I teach my dog to walk politely on a leash, I also offer plenty of opportunities for “sniffaries,” (a sniffing safari!) where he’s free to mostly disengage from me and sniff to his heart’s content. To avoid a tight leash during such walks, we purposefully use a long ling or walk off-leash in appropriate areas. Different types of adventure walks are important to your dog’s overall wellbeing.

There will also be plenty of times where you just need to get from Point A to Point B long before your dog has mastered his polite leash-walking skills. For those times when you need the focus to be on getting somewhere rather than training, consider using a well-fitting front-clip harness.

If you’re struggling to teach or maintain your dog’s polite leash-walking skills, you’re not alone. The world is a distracting place! It can be a difficult behavior to achieve and maintain. A skilled, positive-reinforcement trainer can offer tips and tricks to help heal your heeling and get you and four-legged friend on the path to mutually enjoyable walks and more.

What Are “Zoomies” and Why Do Dogs Exhibit This Behavior?

By
Stephanie Colman
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0
You can generally recognize the zoomies by the wild look in your dog’s eyes, as well as bursts of speed accentuated by butt-tucking turns. Photo by Robjem, Getty Images

Most dog owners call the behavior “the zoomies.” The scientific name for these often-entertaining random energy bursts is “frenetic random activity period,” or FRAP, and some people refer to the behavior as “frapping.” Whatever you call it, it’s a completely normal dog behavior and, under most circumstances, it’s nothing to worry about.

Why do dogs get the zoomies?

We don’t know specially why dogs get the zoomies, but based on when they tend to happen, experts believe zoomies are an attempt to quickly release pent-up energy. All breeds of dogs can experience zoomies. The behavior is more common in younger dogs, but you’ll often see it in older dogs, too. (My 11-year-old Golden still gets the zoomies sometimes.)

When are dogs most likely to get the zoomies?

The most common times you can expect to see your dog get the zoomies are:

  • During periods of high excitement – For example, when you get home from work and your dog is excited to see you.
  • During play – When the activity is especially stimulating, play can boil over into an innocent case of the zoomies.
  • Late in the evening – Some dogs are more prone to zoomies late at night. It’s as if they’re looking to burn some energy before an extended period of rest.
  • After a bath – Likely to release pent-up energy from tolerating the bath. It’s also possible they enjoy the feeling of a breeze on their wet coat, or even that they’re trying to dry off. Who doesn’t love a good air-dry cycle?

Zoomies can also be a stress response

It’s not uncommon to see a dog get the zoomies during a training session when a dog becomes over-stimulated or finds some aspect of the training to be stressful. Your dog isn’t being naughty – he’s letting you know he’s struggling with some aspect of the situation. You might be tempted to address the issue by drilling stays or recalls in a training setting, but if your dog is stressed by the environment (too many distractions) or the work you’re asking him to do (repeating an exercise he finds challenging), drilling obedience behaviors isn’t likely to help. You’ll want to take a few steps back to look for – and identify – the root cause of the behavior.

Alternatively, you might experience what feels like goofy, completely unfocused, class clown behavior, often accompanied with excessive jumping and mouthiness in social situations. This behavior is often misunderstood as excessiveness friendliness, when in actuality, the dog likely so over-stimulated, she has little mental or physical control of her actions. This “fooling around” behavior can be just as much of a stress response as the better known, “flight, fight, or freeze” behaviors, and it’s your dog’s way of asking for help.

Are zoomies safe for dogs?

In general, “fun zoomies” are totally fine – and even endearing! Be mindful of the environment to help prevent accidental injury from slipping on slick floors or crashing into things, and protect yourself and other humans in the area by staying out of the way of your dog when he’s wildly zooming. Obedience cues often go unheard during a case of the zoomies, so it’s best to let frenetic behavior burn itself out before expecting your dog to respond correctly to known cues.

If your dog frequently gets the zoomies around the house, it could be a sign that she would benefit from more physical or mental stimulation through additional exercise, training, enrichment puzzles or other types of brain games.

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