Pica in dogs is when your canine eats dumb stuff that isn’t food. Credit: Paul Miskiw / Eye Em | Getty Images
Pica in dogs is when your dog eats abnormal things, as in stuff that isn’t food. Pica is a compulsive behavior in people, and it may be in dogs, too, but science hasn’t proven that. For true pica, your dog must eat the item, not just chew it (poop eating is a separate issue).
Pica is not something you can ignore. Dogs who eat dumb stuff often end up at the veterinarian’s office for emergency surgery due to blockages. Don’t overreact if your dog picks up something, however. Yelling or chasing your dog causes many dogs to do a quick swallow to ensure you can’t get their treasure.
Causes of Pica in Dogs
According to a 2019 study in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, pica is one of the most often reported behavioral issues in dogs. Not surprisingly, this study found the behavior was more likely in younger dogs. What was interesting is that it was found to be more likely in neutered dogs. The study involved 2,000 cases based on an online survey.
Veterinarians at the University of California at Davis cite nutritional deficiencies and anxiety problems are the most likely causes.
Cornell University’s world-renowned behavior expert Katherine Houpt, VMD, said in her column in Cornell DogWatch that pica is becoming related to the dog not feeling well: “Recently, the evidence is beginning to accumulate that the animals who do this have a gastrointestinal problem, especially an upper gastro-intestinal problem.”
A veterinary examination with any necessary testing may be in order.
Treatments for Pica
To truly treat something, you need to know its cause, but without a proven cause, veterinarians must guess. A thorough understanding of what you’re seeing in your dog’s pica may help. Some studies indicate dogs who eat dirt and rocks might respond to a vitamin/mineral supplement.
Dr. Houpt says trying food-dispensing toys may distract the dog and satisfy any food-seeking desires. She also recommended considering a high-fiber diet, such as any weight-loss foods.
For dogs battling anxiety issues, there are prescription medications your veterinarian can recommend that may help with pica.
Training for Pica Control
Given that boredom and anxiety are high on the pica causes list, make sure your dog is engaged, enriched, and as stress-free as possible. Lots of exercise is important.
Try to limit and control your dog’s access to the object of his desire, which admittedly can be difficult with something as ubiquitous as rocks. You can:
Use a basket muzzle. This can be a lifesaver, once your dog is properly and happily conditioned to it.
Teach your dog a solid “leave it.” With “leave it,” your dog should be rewarded in some way for ignoring the item of desire. If he seeks out a rock on a walk, you can notice he’s looking at it, tell him to leave it, and then reward him.
“Trade” is a cue you can teach that is especially useful for when your dog beats you to the prize. It’s important that you have a trade item of equali or higher value than what your dog has.
Finally, if your dog shows any signs of a blockage—vomiting, diarrhea, pain, not eating, no poop, weakness—contact your veterinarian immediately.
Pica in Puppies
Pica in puppies can be different from pica in adult dogs. Puppies explore the world by putting things in their mouths, which includes rocks, socks, and literally anything they can fit in their mouths. Most puppies outgrow pica and “puppy proofing” your house and yard can help avoid it until they do.
Fluoxetine is a medication prescribed by many veterinarians for dog aggression. Credit: Tatyana | Getty Images.
Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that is FDA-approved for treating separation anxiety in dogs. It is also sometimes prescribed for aggressive dogs, general anxiety, and compulsive disorders in dogs.
Fluoxetine is commonly known under its brand names Reconcile (chewable veterinary tablet), Prozac, and Sarafem.
Medication for Aggressive Dogs
If you’re looking for medication for an aggressive dog, fluoxetine is a strong choice. Be advised, however, that aggression in dogs is extremely difficult to treat successfully, even with the help of medication and compliance with a professionally guided behavior-modification program from a fear-free trainer.
Aggression in dogs as a behavior issue always carries a guarded prognosis. Even with improvement, these dogs can still be dangerous and should always be carefully managed with the safety of both humans and other dogs in mind.
Fluoxetine for Dogs Dosage
The FDA-approved fluoxetine dosage for dogs is 1 to 2 mg/kg by mouth once a day. With safe rounding, this translates to 5 to 10 mg for a 10-lb. dog, 20 to 40 mg for a 50-lb. dog, and 40 to 80 mg for a 90-lb. dog. Your veterinarian usually will start low, even as low as 0.5 mg/kg once a day, for the first couple of weeks to minimize side effects and allow your dog to acclimate to the medication. The dose is ramped up from there, as needed.
Fluoxetine for Dogs Side Effects
Reported fluoxetine side effects in dogs include:
Lethargy
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Lack of appetite
Observed possible side effects include:
Seizures (cause and effect is not proven)
Unusual aggressive behavior
Restlessness
Shaking
Panting
Confusion
Vocalizing
Drooling
If your dog exhibits any of these side effects, contact your veterinarian. Sometimes starting with a lower dose resolves the issue, with subsequent higher dosages better tolerated. Fluoxetine can be given with or without food, so if your dog vomits or stops eating after trying it one way, you may be advised to try it the other way. See also “Anti-Anxiety Medications for Dogs.”
Darwin’s Ark is a nonprofit scientific research project that offers mixed-breed dog breed identification tests.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a story that had been widely shared on social media about mixed breed dog DNA tests. The story had been generated by a Canadian news organization, which had conducted an investigation into the tests, by submitting DNA from three dogs and one human to four companies offering these tests. The results were widely reported as being crazily false – and the results from two of the vendors were bananas, but there were actually pretty good results from the two leading vendors of these tests (Wisdom Panel and Embark), with the latter’s results being, as far as I was concerned, spot-on!
Neither the Canadian news station nor I mentioned the only nonprofit purveyor of mixed-breed DNA tests. Today I’m trying to correct that, as well as promote their services for entirely selfish reasons.
Darwin’s Ark is a nonprofit scientific research project that offers mixed-breed dog breed identification tests – but, more seriously, the project is using dog DNA in order to find answers to common health and behavioral issues in dogs, with implications for human health and medicine. It’s the brainchild of geneticist Elinor K. Karlsson, a professor of Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, and the Director of Vertebrate Genomics at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. Karlsson’s current projects include the Zoonomia Project, an international effort led by the Vertebrate Genomics group at the Broad Institute to compare hundreds of different mammalian genomes and identify critically important segments of DNA. She is also studying recent human evolution to find the genetic variation that makes some people resistant to ancient infectious diseases, like cholera.
Karlsson has a special interest in diseases shared between humans and dogs. She leads the citizen science-driven Darwin’s Dogs project, which invites dog owners to participate directly in research exploring the genetic basis of dog behavior, as well as diseases such as OCD and cancer.
There’s a very good article about Karlsson’s work here, written by sometime WDJ contributor Jessica Hekman, DVM, who studies the genomics of dog behavior at the University of Illinois, Urbana, and who is a post-doctoral associate who works on the Darwin’s Dogs project.
Darwin’s Ark is collecting DNA samples from as many dogs as they can get their hands on, and the DNA will be available for use by all the Darwin’s Ark researchers in any of the fascinating and meaningful studies they are conducting. One focuses on working dogs: assistance dogs, military dogs, SAR dogs, bomb detection dogs and more. The Darwin’s Ark website describes, “Our goal is to find genetic markers for the behavioral traits that make successful military and working dogs. By using new genetic technology, and working closely with dog breeders and trainers, we want to be able to select the right dog for the right job.”
They also have a cancer study in progress. “By studying cancer in dogs, we’re working to help both people and dogs survive cancer. Dogs get many different types of cancer, and many of these cancers look and behave like human cancers. Canine cancers are also treated with many of the same drugs and other treatments that humans receive. Additionally, some cancers that are very rare in people are more common and easier to study in dogs. Together, we’ll be learning more about why dogs get cancer and the best ways to help them. We plan to study risk factors passed down from parents to puppies, test methods to detect cancer in a blood sample, and compare exposures to potential cancer risk factors in each dog’s home and surrounding areas.”
All canine DNA submitted to Darwin’s Ark – including that submitted in search of identifying the breeds in a mixed-breed dog – will go into a pool of data that can be accessed by the scientists working with Darwin’s Ark, for strictly noncommercial purposes. Darwin’s Ark makes a big point that this is all open science: “We are a non-profit that subscribes to the open science model. This means we do not own and will never sell your pet’s data. You contribute to an open source database and we share all the new discoveries we find freely with you and researchers around the world. Together we can advance health care for pets and their humans.”
You can participate in Darwin’s Ark’s research by submitting your dog’s DNA to Darwin’s Ark for free; they just ask you to answer a number of surveys about your dog’s health and behavior. Once you’re answered 10 surveys, Darwin’s Ark will ship a DNA collection kit to you for free. Once returned, they sequence the DNA from the saliva and send you genetic and ancestry information about your pet – but the timetable for receiving these results for free depends entirely on the funding Darwin’s Ark receives as a result of its constant grant-writing. If you submit information about your dog and return the DNA collection kit that you requested for free, it may take years for you to receive any answers.
However, Darwin’s Ark now offers a paid service that will return the results of a mixed-breed identification test to you on a more prompt schedule. Yippee! For $149, Darwin’s Ark will send you a DNA collection kit that you return in a postage-paid envelope – and you’ll receive the results faster. . . but since this is not a commercial enterprise, the timetable of your results will depend on the number of paid samples they receive. Darwin’s Ark doesn’t run DNA tests on individual dogs, but will run the tests any time they have a batch of 20 paid-for DNA samples.
We’re finally at that place of self-interest that I mentioned earlier.
As I mentioned in the previous blog post about mixed-breed dog identification tests, I had DNA for my dogs Woody and Otto analyzed by both Embark and Wisdom Panel, and have shared the very similar results. I also sent DNA from my youngest dog, Boone, to Wisdom Panel. A few weeks ago, I submitted Boone’s DNA to Embark and to the paid service offered by Darwin’s Ark. I’ll share the results of those tests when I receive them, but as I learned when I checked with Darwin’s Ark, to see when I might expect results from them, their results will arrive promptly after they have received a total of 20 paid tests and run them as a batch.
If you’re interested in getting a mixed-breed dog identification test done on your dog – especially if you’re interested in science and would love to contribute to open-source science involving dogs and being conducted by scientists all over the world – consider getting a paid DNA test from Darwin’s Ark! You can read more about how to order the tests and what Darwin’s Ark is doing with its data here. And when Darwin’s Ark sends me results on Boone’s DNA, I’ll share that with you – and would be happy to also share any results you receive from your dogs that you send us. It would be fun!
Darwin’s Ark explains the difference between the methodology of how its tests are run versus the how the commercial labs get their results; it sounds like Darwin’s results will be much more complete than those offered by Embark and Wisdom Panel. According to the Darwin’s Ark website, “We generate about 9,000,000 markers for each dog for our research. Our breed ancestry panel currently uses 688,060 of those markers. We are limited in the number of markers we can use for breed ancestry, because the algorithm we use requires that every dog in our breed panel have the same number of markers.”
For comparison, this information is from the Embark website: “Embark is the only canine genetics company that uses a research-grade genotyping technology. The Embark dog DNA test is based on the Illumina CanineHD microarray, which has long been the leading research platform for dog genetics. Our dog DNA test analyzes 230,000 genetic markers. That’s more than twice as much genetic data as the competition.”
I am eager to learn more and compare the results for my dog from Wisdom Panel, Embark, and now Darwin’s Ark. Are you, too?
Does your dog drive you nuts every fall when the time changes for daylight saving? Start a couple of weeks in advance of the time change to prepare him for the shift. Photo by Jaromir Chalabala/EyeEm, Getty Images
If you live in a country that observes daylight saving time, you’re likely familiar with the intense stares of hungry dogs, certain they’re starving, and willing you, with every ounce of their being, to feed them, stat!
As you prepare to “fall back” this season, the following tips can help smooth the transition for your animal friends:
Don’t be so predictable. We humans often love routines, but it’s the predictability of our daily routines that leads our dogs to expect meals as a specific time. Rather than establish the pattern of feeding your dog at 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., whenever possible, establish a window of time within which your dogs will be fed, and randomize exact feeling times within that window. With this method, your dog learns to trust that meals consistently happen, but he’s less likely to become insistent as the clock approaches a specific time.
Prepare for the time change. If changing your scheduled from a set feeding time to a meal window doesn’t work for your household, start preparing your dog for the time change a month or so in advance. Feed your dog 10 minutes later than usual for one week, then 20 minutes later than usual, then 30 minutes later, and so on, until the time changes and, suddenly, the one-hour time difference doesn’t feel like that big of a deal.
Occupy your dog’s mind. Help your dog take his mind off the delayed meal by going on a light walk or doing some training in the hour between when his body tells him it’s mealtime and when the clock supports his request. Make sure your dog’s breathing has fully returned to normal before feeding to help prevent gastric dilatation and volvulus, also known as “bloat,” which is thought to be caused, in part, by gulping air during meals.
With a little preplanning, you and your dog can both enjoy a smoother transition away from daylight saving time and into standard time. Another tip: When the time change finds you out walking well after the sun has set, help keep yourself and your dog safe with high visibility gear.
An interdigital cyst (more accurately called a furuncle) is caused by infected hair follicle. There are numerous reasons that a hair follicle may become infected, including anything as random as an embedded grass awn, to being overweight or having certain types of leg conformation. Photo by Jennifer Bailey, DVM.
Does your dog have a tender, raised, round, red nodule between his toes that’s obviously causing him pain? This cyst on your dog’s paw is most likely what’s commonly called an interdigital cyst.
“Interdigital cyst” is a misnomer; cysts are thin-walled sac that contains fluid. The painful lumps found between a dog’s toes are more accurately called a furuncle – also known as a boil – and is caused by an infected hair follicle. Your veterinarian may refer to this condition as interdigital furunculosis.
A hair follicle is a shaft or opening in the skin through which a hair grows. An interdigital cyst develops when a hair follicle becomes infected. These cysts most often develop on the top side of the webbing between the toes but can also appear on the underside of the webbing between the paw pads.
Causes of interdigital cysts
The most common cause of an interdigital cyst is trauma from the very hair that sits inside the follicle. Some breeds of dogs, including the Chinese Shar Pei, Labrador Retriever, and English Bulldog, have short, stiff hairs on the webbing between their toes. Taking an awkward step can drive one of these bristly hairs backwards into the hair follicle. This is called an ingrown hair.
This may seem odd, but hair is very irritating to the deeper layers of skin. The primary component of hair is keratin. When keratin enters the skin around the hair follicle, it causes an inflammatory reaction. The skin around the follicle becomes swollen and closes off part of the follicle. Bacteria inside the follicle become trapped and grow, causing an infected follicle and the formation of an interdigital cyst.
A misstep is not the only cause of traumatic ingrown hairs. Dogs who have varus (where the forelimb is rotated so that the elbow juts outward) or valgus (where the front paws are turned outward from the wrist of their forelimbs) – either due to their breed or an angular limb deformity – are more likely to develop interdigital cysts. Dogs who have varus or valgus are more likely to bear weight on the webbing between their toes rather than just the paw pads. This increases the likelihood of driving hairs back into the hair follicle, resulting in an interdigital cyst.
Dogs who are overweight are more likely to bear weight on the webbing between their toes when walking or running. So are dogs whose gait has been altered by osteoarthritis.
Interdigital cysts can also be caused by stepping on a thorn or a burr. Grass awns and foxtails can enter the webbing between a dog’s toes and cause an interdigital cyst.
Any condition that causes your dog to excessively lick his paws can also lead to the formation of interdigital cysts. This includes demodicosis, atopic dermatitis, and bacterial and fungal infections. See the “Seriously Itchy Paws” for more information about what may be causing your dog’s paws itch.
Interdigital cysts typically require nothing more than a physical examination to diagnose and treat. But if your dog has more than one cyst, has recurring cysts, or cysts do not respond to conventional treatment, then your veterinarian may order diagnostics to determine the underlying problem. These diagnostics may include a biopsy of one or more cysts, a skin scrape cytology to look for Demodex mites, or a bacteria culture and sensitivity to determine the correct antibiotic.
Treatment for interdigital cysts
Single cysts may be treated with a topical antibiotic. Your veterinarian may prescribe a medicated cleanser, such as one containing chlorhexidine, to clean the cyst and the skin around it. Your dog may need to wear an Elizabethan collar (the cone of shame!) to prevent him from licking the cyst as it heals. An analgesic should be prescribed to reduce your dog’s pain and discomfort. Having multiple cysts or a single cyst that does not respond to topical treatment may require an oral antibiotic.
Photobiomodulation (also known as PBM or laser therapy) and fluorescence biomodulation (FBM) are therapies that may be used in addition to topical or oral antibiotics to treat interdigital cysts. Both therapies use specific wavelengths of light to reduce pain and inflammation and stimulate healing. PBM is available at many general practices whereas FBM may only be available at specialty hospitals or veterinary universities.
Dogs who do not respond to medical management may require surgical removal of their interdigital cysts. Removing a cyst with traditional surgical techniques requires removing the skin around the cyst and may alter the conformation of a dog’s paw. Alternatively, interdigital cysts can be vaporized with a carbon dioxide laser (CO2 laser). This allows for removal of only the affected tissue and has a better outcome but may require multiple treatments to fully resolve the issue.
Prevention of interdigital cysts
There are a number of strategies you can implement to minimize the risk of your dog developing interdigital cysts. If your dog is overweight, talk to your veterinarian about the most effecive way to manage a weight loss program for your dog. Avoid walking through areas that contain thorns, prickers, grass awns, and foxtails. If your dog excessively licks his paws, make an appointment with his veterinarian to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment.
Keep your dog’s paws clean and dry; excess moisture can lead to bacterial and fungal skin infections. Your veterinarian may prescribe a medicated wipe that can be used daily. Inspect your dog’s paws regularly for any redness or small bumps so that issues can be addressed early before they become big, painful problems.
When is a seizure not a seizure?
My dog, Prince, and I had just finished our morning walk when I noticed he was favoring his front right paw. He had not shown any lameness on our walk, but now, all of a sudden, he was gingerly walking on his paw and licking a spot between his toes.
Examination of his paw revealed a red, swollen lump between his digits. Over the next few days, the lump got bigger and started leaking a clear yellow fluid. My own dog had an interdigital cyst! I started Prince on a course of antibiotics and several days of an analgesic. The lump began to shrink and resolve, and about a week later, the lump between his toes had completely disappeared and Prince was back to his normal self. Your dog can also recover with appropriate treatment prescribed by your veterinarian.
If the words you use to describe your dog or your training methods align with your philosophy of creating a kind and nurturing relationship with your dog based on mutual trust and respect, you’re likely to behave accordingly. Think carefully about the words you and/or your instructor use and discard those that prompt you to send the wrong message to your dog! Photo by LWA, Getty Images
I’ve been training dogs professionally for 27 years, but I don’t use “commands” for this purpose, I use “cues.” What difference does choosing respectful dog training language make? A lot!
The definition of command is “an authoritative order.” Even when we use gentle training methods, if we think “commands,” our brains connect to the authoritative definition and we are likely speak in a louder, harsher (commanding!) tone of voice. In contrast, a cue is an invitation to perform a behavior for which your dog can be reinforced with a treat, play, praise, or the opportunity to perform a behavior the dog enjoys. We are far more likely to speak softly and gently when we use “cues.”
Words to avoid when referring to dogs and in dog training
“Command” is just one of many words that we force-free trainers avoid. Here are others that interfere with the message of kindness and mutual respect we want to send to our dogs:
“It.” This word is used to refer to non-living objects. Dogs (and other animals) are living, thinking, feeling beings. Use he, she, him, and her rather than “it” when referring to a dog. When you acknowledge the sentience of non-human animals, you’re likely to treat them better.
“Breaking.” Breaking evokes force, and we’re not “breaking” anything, we’re “training” – so we usehousetraining (not housebreaking) and say we are training desirable behaviors (not breaking bad habits).
“Obedience.” We want a partnership with our dogs – a happy willingness to offer behaviors we ask for, not their submission to our authority. That’s why we offer good manners training or family dog training rather than “obedience classes.”
“Make.” We don’t “make” our dogs do things. “Make” suggests force and coercion. Instead, we ask our dogs for certain behaviors, invite them, help them, and encourage them.
“Bad.” Dogs aren’t bad and they don’t do bad things – though occasionally they may do something inappropriate. When we think of them as bad, we give ourselves tacit permission to punish them. But when we frame their behavior as “inappropriate,” we’re more likely to think in terms of management and teaching appropriate behaviors rather than punishment.
More pejoratives. I cringe when someone refers to a dog as stupid, stubborn, disobedient, or any other negative adjectives, placing the blame for any unwanted behavior directly on the dog’s shoulders. When a dog doesn’t do what you ask, it’s because she can’t for some reason: she doesn’t understand, she’s too stressed, was distracted, didn’t hear you, is in pain or otherwise physically unable, you haven’t made the consequence of the behavior reinforcing enough, or you haven’t generalized it well (you haven’t trained her!). Figure out why she can’t do it and then help her succeed.
Using respectful dog training language with your dog.
Think carefully about the words you and/or your instructor use to discuss training and your dog. Philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel Dennett suggests that language lays down the tracks upon which thoughts can travel. Your words connect to your thoughts and influence your behavior. If your words align with your philosophy of creating a kind and nurturing relationship with your dog based on mutual trust and respect, you’re likely to behave accordingly – and you and your dog will be well on your way to achieving that pinnacle.
Mary Cope, PhD, earned her Doctorate in Animal Nutrition from the University of Georgia in 2021 and has her Professional Animal Scientist (PAS) certification with a specialization in companion animals.
Every month, writing something for this space is the last thing I do before I send the final pages to print. This month, as I scanned the proofs one last time, I felt especially proud of what WDJ has to offer.
Our contributors are not just writers who accept random assignments, research the topic, and then summarize what they learned. Instead, they are true experts who are experienced with, knowledgeable, and passionate about dogs and dog care. Our training and behavior writers are long-time dog trainers, and our health articles are written by veterinarians, groomers, and holistic healthcare providers. Represented in these pages is a wealth of knowledge about dogs, acquired through some of the best universities in the country and decades of experience raising, training, rescuing, fostering, and working and competing with dogs.
I’m particularly excited to welcome a new contributor to WDJ: Dr. Mary Cope, a newly minted PhD (Animal Nutrition, University of Georgia), who currently works as a companion animal nutritionist with a pet food consulting company. In addition to her doctorate, Cope has a Professional Animal Scientist (PAS) certification with a specialization in companion animals. She’s also an experienced dog owner, who competes with her rescue dog and Smooth Collie in AKC agility, Fast CAT, and herding events. I’ve been corresponding with Dr. Cope about canine nutrition for some time, while eagerly waiting for her to put the final polish on obtaining these impressive credentials so she’d have time to write some nutrition-related articles for us. She sent a few contributions to me recently – the first of which (“Diets for Small Dogs”) appears this month – and all I can say is, “Thank dog you’re here!” Her work is informative and concise, and I look forward to bringing her deep knowledge of canine nutrition to our readers.
One advantage of having such well-qualified writers is that, when I (or someone I know) has a unique problem with a dog – whether it’s health-related or behavior-based – the odds are good that at least one of our contributors has experienced the same thing, is familiar with the remedy for the problem, and willing to write up a report about it. Or, if they don’t have direct experience, they know who to reach out to for the latest research, treatment, or behavior-modification protocol. And then you (and I) get to benefit from their experience and expertise. I appreciate them so much!
Unless you are present and paying close attention to your dog, you may not even notice him having a focal seizure. Possible symptoms include staring into space and not responding to external stimuli (such as you calling his name or talking to him). Photo by sanjagrujic, Getty Images
Watching your dog have a seizure can be a frightening experience. Time stands still in that moment and you feel helpless – but there is something you can do. Seizures in dogs can have many different causes or triggers, so having your dog evaluated by his veterinarian can help find the problem and thus, appropriate treatments available for this condition. Even “idiopathic” seizures – ones whose cause can’t be determined – can be treated.
What is a seizure?
A seizure is a period of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. This activity between brain cells can cause loss of consciousness, paddling of the limbs, and involuntary urination and defecation.
If the abnormal electrical activity is limited to only one small part of the brain, signs of a “focal seizure” may be observed; these include staring off into space and not responding to external stimuli, an involuntary jaw movement that looks like a dog is chewing gum, and/or tremors.
Seizures can last a few seconds up to several minutes or more. Any seizure lasting more than five minutes requires immediate veterinary intervention to stop the seizure.
What causes seizures in dogs?
Causes of seizures in dogs can be broadly classified into two categories: intracranial (problem inside the brain) and extracranial (problem outside the brain). The list of extracranial causes is much longer and more extensive than the list of intracranial causes.
Intracranial Causes of Seizures
Intracranial causes of seizures can be thought of as structural problems of the brain. This means that the brain is temporarily or permanently altered in some way. Causes can include.
Infection of the brain or meninges (linings around the brain). This includes canine distemper virus, rabies, the fungus Cryptococcus, and the protozoal parasites Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii. Canine distemper tends to affect young puppies but can also affect adult dogs who have not been vaccinated for this virus. The other organisms can affect dogs and puppies of any age.
Congenital abnormalities such as hydrocephalus. This abnormality is something that a dog is born with, so seizures in these cases typically start in young puppies.
Brain tumors, either a single tumor that originates in the brain or multiple tumors that have spread from another location in the body. Brain tumors can be seen at any age but are more likely to be seen in older dogs.
Recent head trauma, such as a skull fracture or concussion.
Degeneration of brain cells caused by exposure to a neurotoxin, such as lead, mercury, toxins produced by blue-green algae, and many others.
Extracranial Causes of Seizures
The brain is a very sensitive organ that requires a tightly controlled environment. When there is a problem in the body that alters the brain’s environment, the otherwise normal brain becomes reactive to the change. This reaction often manifests as a seizure. Causes include:
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This is one of the first things your veterinarian will check for if your dog is actively having a seizure. There are many causes of hypoglycemia, including liver disease, pancreatic tumors, insulin overdose in diabetic dogs, and ingestion of a product containing xylitol. It can also be seen in young puppies that are not eating well, particularly small and toy breed puppies.
Hyperkalemia (high potassium). The most common causes of hyperkalemia in dogs are kidney failure, stones in the urinary system that obstruct a dog’s ability to urinate, and hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease).
Hypocalcemia (low calcium). This can be seen in kidney failure, eclampsia in female dogs that are nursing puppies, and dogs with pancreatitis.
Hypoxemia (low oxygen concentration in blood). This can be caused by any condition that impairs a dog’s ability to breathe or to circulate blood effectively, such as pneumonia or a heart condition.
Liver shunt (also known as a portosystemic shunt). A liver shunt is an abnormal blood vessel that allows blood returning from the gastrointestinal system to bypass the liver. Since the liver is responsible for metabolizing proteins that are absorbed by the small intestine, this means that some of these proteins are able to reach the brain before they are processed. Most shunts are congenital, but liver failure can cause the formation of shunts.
A high body temperature can be caused by infection, heat stroke, and prolonged seizure activity. Experiencing a seizure that lasts longer than five minutes can increase body temperature and cause more seizures, regardless of the original cause for the seizure activity.
Seizures with an extracranial cause typically resolve once the underlying problem is found and treated.
Idiopathic epilepsy
Idiopathic epilepsy affects young dogs between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. The cause of idiopathic epilepsy is unknown. It is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that other causes of seizures must be ruled out before making this diagnosis.
Any breed of dog can be affected by idiopathic epilepsy. However, it is diagnosed more often in Collies, Bassett Hounds, Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, and Golden Retrievers.
Identifying the cause
If your dog is experiencing seizures, have your dog assessed by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Your veterinarian will want complete bloodwork, a urinalysis, and x-rays of the chest and abdomen. She may also want to check your dog’s blood pressure and order additional tests based on what she finds on the initial diagnostics. Your dog may be referred to a veterinary neurologist for an MRI of his brain if an extracranial cause of his seizures can not be found.
There are many causes of seizures in dogs. But seizures can be effectively managed or resolved in most cases when the underlying cause is properly diagnosed.
When is a seizure not a seizure?
Seizures can range widely in severity, from brief periods of tremors to complete loss of consciousness and paddling of the limbs. But there are two other conditions that can look like seizure activity but are not seizures. These conditions are syncope and vestibular events. Here’s how to tell the difference:
Seizures may be preceded by a pre-ictal phase, also known as an aura. Dogs experiencing an aura may be whiny and restless and may either hide or be clingy. After the seizure has occurred, dogs will experience a post-ictal phase. During this phase, dogs may be confused or disoriented and they may either be restless or extremely sleepy.
Syncope is a brief fainting spell. Dogs that experience an episode of syncope will fall to one side and lose consciousness for a few seconds. There is no warning that syncope is about to take place. Once a dog regains consciousness, they stand up and act like nothing happened to them.
A vestibular event is characterized by a sudden loss of balance, uncoordinated gait, head tilt, and abnormal jerking movement of the eyes. This abnormal eye movement is called nystagmus. Like syncope, there is no warning that a vestibular event is about to take place. Depending on the underlying cause, recovery from a vestibular event can take days to weeks.
If you are not sure what type of event your dog is experiencing, take a video of your dog while the event is occurring, and share the video with your veterinarian as soon as you are able.
Applying heat to an arthritic dog’s joints can be as simple as warming a moist towel in the microwave and wrapping him in it or letting him lay on it. Human heating pads can be set too high if you aren’t careful. If it feels hot to you, it’s too hot for your dog. Credit: nicpo | Getty Images
Can heat therapy give your dog arthritis pain relief? Yes. A specialized dog heating pad for arthritis can bring some benefits, and it may feel good for your dog on a cold day too.
For long-standing chronic pain, heat can provide both relief and healing to your arthritic dog. And heat doesn’t just feel good to your dog’s aching joints, it also increases blood flow. Muscle spasms often respond to warmth and stiff joints loosen up. Applying heat to your dog can help your dog get the most out of rehab or stretching warmup routines.
Veterinary physiotherapy and rehabilitation expert Dr. Marianne Dorn, of England, says heat therapy enhances local tissue oxygenation and metabolism, reduces muscle spasm, and increases connective tissue extensibility and the pain threshold (Companion Animal Vol 20, No 11).
Acute Injury? Chill
For an acute injury, cold therapy is usually best to reduce inflammation. For example, if your senior Labrador aggravates an old stifle injury consider cold compresses for the first 24 hours. Cold therapy is also the best option for up to 72 hours post-surgery.
Cautions With a Dog Heating Pad for Arthritis
Be careful when applying heat or having your dog stay on a heating pad. You can inadvertently overheat the area and cause further trauma. Heating pads made specifically for pets have heat settings favorable to a dog’s needs. A human heating pad can be set too high, and overdoing the heat is especially a concern with an older dog, injured dog, or a very young pup.
Always check your dog frequently to assess the dog’s comfort. It’s often best to have a layer like a towel between your dog and the heating pad. Generally, 30 minutes is the maximum time to apply heat to your dog, although he could benefit in from 10 minutes or so.
Warm Moist Towels
An inexpensive heating “pad” can be made at home by putting a damp towel in the microwave. Remember, when you take it out, if it is hot to your touch, it will be too hot for your dog. The warm, moist towel can be applied directly to a stiff joint. The same is true for corn or rice bags—don’t let the dog eat them!—or a hot water bottle. Warm therapy is excellent for your dog’s arthritis pain, but the key is warm, not hot.
If your dog is fearful and prone to biting strangers, or has any trait that might make him considered unadoptable in a shelter, your have a greater-than-average responsibility to make arrangements for his care in case of your death – even more so if your health is not good or you are in your senior years. Photo by Dahl, Per, Getty Images
I was volunteering at my local animal shelter one day when the loudspeaker in the kennel area blared, “Kennel attendant for a dog adoption tour, please.” I went to the lobby and was introduced to a couple who, I’m guessing, were in their mid- to late 70s. I was told that they were there to meet a couple of the younger German Shepherd Dogs we had on the adoption row.
My expression probably froze for a moment, but then I put a smile on. “We have a bunch of German Shepherds and GSD-mixes right now,” I told them. “But every single one of them is a big, untrained adolescent! Are you sure you want to deal with such a big, bouncy dog?” I said it with as light a tone as I could muster, but I was concerned. These people did not look particularly strong or agile.
The husband barely acknowledged me, but the wife smiled and said, “Oh yes. We’ve had nothing but German Shepherds our whole lives. We love the breed, and want to help one who needs a home.”
I showed them the various candidates in the adoption kennels, and then a shelter employee took over, taking various dogs to meet them in the big runs outside. I left soon after, so I don’t know which – if any – of the big, strong dogs we had available for adoption they took home. But I’ve thought about the encounter many times over the past few years. It struck me as very unwise, and not particularly self-aware, that the couple would be seeking the same sort of dog they had owned throughout their younger years. I’m super experienced with stressed, large, untrained dogs who haven’t gotten out of their tiny kennels for a week, and, at 20 years younger than the couple, even I get knocked around a fair amount by those dogs in the first sessions we spend together. Even on the occasions when I’ve taken a big rowdy adolescent dog home to foster, it can take weeks or even months to teach them to control their exuberant bodies in the face of exciting stimuli.
When I admitted, a year ago, that one of the reasons I was hesitating over the decision of whether to adopt my youngest dog, Boone, when he was an adorable but thick-legged, big-pawed foster puppy of completely unknown parentage, this encounter with the senior couple was on my mind. I’ll be 60 years old this year – and, with luck, will be 75 or so when the puppy is a senior dog. I had to think about it long and hard: Did I really want to age into my retirement years with another dog who might mature into 70 or more pounds? (Of course, I did adopt that adorable puppy – and, fortunately, it looks like he will top out at about 50 pounds. I can still lift 50 pounds fairly easily, so if he’s ever sick or needs to be lifted in and out of the car, after ACL surgery, say, I can do that!)
Managing the physical size and exercise needs of a big dog is not the only potential challenge for older people adopting a dog. It’s tough to think about, but it’s a reality that people in their senior years are more prone to illnesses or injuries that render them unable to care for their dogs than younger adopters. If you inquire at your local shelter, I will bet folding money that they can point out several dogs who are there solely because their owners passed away without making arrangements for someone else to take the dogs in. In my opinion, it’s irresponsible and selfish to adopt dogs without having a backup plan – and perhaps even money set aside – for our dogs in case of our deaths.
The worst-case scenarios involve dogs whose owners died without making “in case of my death” arrangements for them, and who are completely unprepared for life in any other home. At the shelter, I’ve cared for several dogs who had never been off their property or been touched by humans other than their original (now deceased) owners. The shock and grief experienced by these dogs is awful to witness – and made worse by the fact that, in their shocked and shut-down state, it’s difficult to find someone who will give them another chance at a happy life and adopt them.
Don’t get me wrong: I can’t imagine living without a dog, ever. And I am not saying that we shouldn’t have dogs in our senior years, or even our very last days. I’m just saying that we owe the dogs we take responsibility for the same care and consideration that an owner of any age should have for their dogs. We need to have a solid plan in place for who will take them in the event of our deaths – and perhaps even a backup plan in case the first plan falls through. And we need to be able to fully care for, exercise, and train them, so that, if we are suddenly called away from this earth, our beloved dogs are healthy, socialized to others, and well behaved, so they will be welcome and cherished, not unhappy burdens, to their new owners.
The decision to get another dog is all too often an impulsive one. It’s wise to take time to con-sider how the addition of another dog to the family will affect the entire household, and its budget. Photo by davit85, Getty Images.
Currently tempted by a photo of an irresistibly cute face in an “adoptable dogs” post online? There are several factors that play into the correct answer for the question of, “Should I get another dog?” Here are the boxes to check if you’re thinking of adding another) dog to yours:
Current Dogs: Is your present canine family peaceful? Do they all get along well, and would they welcome another dog into the group? If the answers are yes, check this box.
Human Family Members: Will all the human members of your family welcome another dog? If yes, check!
Time: Adding another dog means finding time for individual attention and training for yet one more canine. If your family members are willing to do this, check!
Space: Is there room for another crate in the bedroom? Another dog bed in the living room? Another food bowl in the kitchen? Another dog in the car? If yes, check!
Finances: Estimates on the annual cost of caring for a dog average somewhere between $1500 and $10,000. Do you have room in your budget for another dog? If yes, check!
Laws: Many communities have laws regulating the maximum number of dogs allowed at a residence. If adopting another dog means you’re still within the legal limit, check!
If you’ve checked all the boxes above, then the answer for you just might be “one more than we have now.” But beware! Some people discover after they get another dog that the right answer to “how many is too many?” was “one more than we have now.” Make sure you’re ready for the added group dynamics, and commitments of time and money – and adopt carefully! See “Selecting Your Next Dog or Puppy.”
Does your reactive dog have trouble getting along with other dogs? It is possible, through behavioral training, to change how your dog feels about others. Photo by Elena Popova, Getty Images
Reactive dogs are dogs that become overly aroused by common daily stimuli. Reactivity is often confused with aggression. In the dog world, the word “socialization” is usually meant to describe the process of preparing a young puppy to be comfortable in the wider world – and feeling relaxed around other dogs. But what if your dog is already an adult, and is displaying big feelings about fellow canines, barking and lunging at them? Is it possible to socialize an adult dog who is reactive to other dogs?
Technically, we can’t “socialize” an older dog – that ship sailed before he lost his baby teeth! – but we can help him feel more relaxed around his fellow canines. It can take a lot longer at this age, though, and it requires a solid plan.
Please note that this can be a nuanced, time-consuming effort. It would be a wise investment to enlist the help of a great force-free local trainer for an initial consult and for key moments along the progression.
First Goal: Keep Dog Under Threshold
The first phase of this canine makeover involves arranging your dog’s environment so that there will be no canine exposures that make him feel the need to (over)react.
It doesn’t really matter whether your dog is reactive because of over-excitement, frustration, or fear – we are going to prevent him from getting close enough to other dogs to react to them. This is what we call keeping your dog “under threshold,” and it is critical to the success of this project.
Why is it important to keep your dog “under threshold”? Every time your dog barks and lunges at a dog, he’s practicing behavior that we’re trying to extinguish. The more your dog practices a reactive response, the more deeply that neural pathway (dog sees other dog, dog barks and lunges) becomes worn into his brain; it becomes the most-traveled path through the woods. We need to change that. We need that undesired pathway to become overgrown, while we create a nice new calm alternative path.
If your regular walk is filled with other folks walking their dogs, and your dog “goes crazy” almost every time he sees or passes those other dogs, he’s practicing the behavior (and feeling the feelings) that we want to eliminate. If you want to eliminate your dog’s over-reaction to other dogs, you can’t keep gritting your teeth and putting up with the embarrassing reactivity. Those “practice sessions” of unwanted behaviors must stop!
To create that much-needed, calm new pathway in your dog’s brain, we want to set things up so that your dog only experiences other dogs at a distance where he can remain under threshold. When he’s calm, he’s able to learn from you. Here’s what you can do to get the distance from other dogs that your dog needs:
Change the timing of your walks. Shift your walks to when few dogs are out. (There’s a reason Annie Phenix’s classic book on dog reactivity is called The Midnight Dog Walkers.)
Change the location of your walks. If your neighborhood is dog-filled, drive to a park.
Keep to wide open spaces. If your park has a narrow path where you might be forced into passing another dog at close range, don’t take that path.
Be vigilant. Be constantly aware of your surroundings. Keep an eye for other dogs out on walks and be ready to cross the street, change direction, walk up a driveway, use bushes or cars to create a visual barrier between your dog and any other dogs.
Don’t go anywhere that you might encounter off-leash dogs. Sometimes the search for wide open spaces can mean you’re risking encounters with the dreaded off-lead dogs who have no recall. Those dogs – no matter how “friendly” – destroy this training, because the main thing we’re trying to establish is that leash walks are predictably non-interactive. Do everything you can to avoid that situation.
When people become aware that their dog does not appear to be friendly to other dogs, some decide they need to “socialize” their dog immediately and head to the local dog park. Ack! That scenario is the exact opposite of what the dog needs. At the dog park, you have no control over other dogs, so you can’t give your dog the distance and predictability that would build your dog’s confidence and guarantee his safety. Don’t take a reactive dog to dog parks!
Another common mistake folks make is to punish their dog when he barks or lunges at passing canines. That yelling and yanking is wholly ineffective; those owners are only making their dog’s reactivity worse. The dog already had too-big-to-manage feelings at the sight of another dog – and after that punishment, the presence of a strange dog now means their trusted person becomes scary. That’s a recipe for more reactivity, not less. Don’t punish or admonish.
A third common mistake is to bring your own stress from past incidents to all future dog situations. If the moment you see another dog approach, your heartbeat increases, you swear under your breath, and you tighten up your leash, it will strongly influence your dog about how she should feel about other dogs. Try to relax and breathe!
Help Your Dog Form Better Associations
Now you’re ready to start building new “It’s cool, no biggie” feelings about the sight of another canine. Take your treat pouch (always!) and head to a place where you’ll see a handful of dogs at a distance you can control. A big park is a good bet. Remember that your dog needs to stay under threshold (no barking or lunging) the entire time, so err on the side of too much distance!
The goal is to teach your dog that the presence of another dog signals a predictable and positive experience: food, from you. Keep one eye on the environment and the other on your dog. When another dog (the “trigger dog”) comes into view, you produce a delicious morsel and calmly say something like, “Oh, hey, I see a dog. See the dog?”
At first, your dog may be too focused on the other dog to turn to you for a treat – although a higher-value treat may do the trick – so go ahead and put that morsel right in front of his nose. As long as the trigger dog stays in sight, keep up the calm-but-cheery patter (“Yup, that’s a dog alright!”) and the treat delivery. When the trigger dog is no longer visible, stop the flow of food.
At one time, trainers sought to keep a reactive dog from looking at other dogs; we’re not doing that. Neither are we insisting that the dog take a good long look at other dogs. We’re simply noticing together that, yep, that’s a dog over there, and nothing more intense will happen with that dog. The dog learns to take a look and then turn back to you, because noticing another dog reliably predicts that you will serve him some yummy food.
This predictability is important. Dogs, like humans, feel more comfortable when they know what’s next. Anxiety (or over-arousal) about what they may be called upon to do (like greet another dog up close) can be at the root of reactivity. That’s why it’s incredibly effective when we turn these experiences into a pattern the dog can count on: We see a dog, it’s no biggie, there’s food, and we all go on our way.
As you do this more and more, you should notice your dog becoming notably less aroused by the sight of these distant dogs. Ideally, your dog will be less likely to stare intently at other dogs, quicker to turn to you for the treat he knows is coming his way, and (after a quick glance at the other dog) more likely to keep his attention with you, because he’s learned that other dogs aren’t something he needs to pay much attention to. You are successfully creating that new neural pathway: See other dog, swivel to mom for chicken!
Invest in Connection
The more connected you and your dog are, the easier it will be to help your dog through these experiences. It will speed your progress immensely if your dog already tunes in to you and looks to you for guidance. Any fun, positive reinforcement-based training will develop your dog’s connection with you. Practicing food-filled, easy lessons in your kitchen on things like “touch” and “spin” may seem unrelated to this become-calm-around-dogs effort, but will make a huge difference.
Slowly Close the Gap
You can stay right at this level if this is the extent of the improvement you need. But if your goal is to be able to easily pass strange dogs at close range, it’s time to experiment with slowly closing the distance.
Let’s say you discovered initially that, to stay under threshold, your dog needed to be 120 yards (a football field) from a Frisbee-chasing Border Collie, maybe 20 yards from a calm Labrador, and 15 feet from a napping old Beagle. Whatever those gaps are, start to slowly shrink them. Do some treat-filled training where your dog is under threshold. Can your dog happily do easy things like sit, touch, spin or whatever you work on at home? If yes, then move a little closer to the other dog. Watch your dog’s body language. Is he still under threshold? Do some more training. Take your time.
Come back the next day and the next. Is your dog easily focused on you, not needing to monitor the other dogs much? Great, move a little closer.
The easiest mistake to make here is to either get too impatient or too confident. That will cause you to move too quickly, get too close, and ruin the feeling of predictability for your dog. I know it’s boring! I know you don’t feel like you have time for this! But going slowly will pay off.
This process may take three sessions or three months. But a dog can go from a wildly barking/lunging dog to one who can walk down a city street calmly passing other leashed dogs. Can every dog do it? No – but every dog can make progress.
Walk With a Calm Dog You Know
In addition to being able to pass dogs in the street without incident, a great goal is to find a human-dog team that can become your very predictable walking partners. This can help your dog get to know a particular dog around whom he is 100% comfortable, and that, in turn, can help your dog feel a bit calmer around all dogs.
The ideal team is a human your own dog knows and likes, and a dog who is relaxed around other dogs. To complete the perfect fantasy, these folks live nearby so this can become an everyday pattern that will quickly build confidence.
The first time you try this, start by having the other human leave her dog for a moment (with someone else, or in the car) and come over to say hello to your dog. Use the Mr. Rogers Hack (see “How to Talk to Your Dog”), to let your dog know what to expect.
For example, you can use the word “friend” to indicate someone your dog has met before, and “Say hi!” to indicate that you’re going to greet someone. So in this instance, you could say, “Oh, hey, it’s our friend Linda. Say hi to our friend!” This gives your dog a heads up that this is different from your well-established no-interaction pattern when you pass strangers on a walk. He can trust that your “Hey, I see a dog! See the dog?” will still mean that you won’t be interacting with the strange dog, but “Say hi to our friend” will indicate some level of interaction with a person. Remember, your dog needs to know what to expect to feel calm and confident.
Start working in a place where you can observe other dogs and their people at a distance – far enough away that your dog doesn’t get visibly aroused or upset (stays “under threshold”). Now start changing the way your dog feels about other dogs by connecting the far-away sight of one with something wonderful: food. Photo by Kathy Callahan
Next, help the dogs see each other for the first time at a nice distance. Don’t blow the first moments by having dogs bounding out of the car before you have a chance to arrange the environment! Keep that distance – 100 feet or 10 feet, whatever your dog needs – and start walking in the same direction (not toward each other). Keep as far apart as you need to be for your dog to feel relaxed. Walking parallel (instead of with one in front) is best, because that way each dog can be subtly checking out the other dog and, ideally, becoming more comfortable as the walk goes on.
Do this right – building positive associations with the other dog by feeding treats, rewarding engagement with you to keep dogs from being fixated on each other, observing the dog’s body language as a guide so you can constantly adjust the distance between the dogs – and after 45 minutes you may have two very relaxed dogs trotting along on the same adventure.
Don’t Rush A Reactive Dog During Training
You might be tempted to let them sniff each other and even play, because you really, really want that! But – unless you have that great force-free trainer there to help you assess body language – stop yourself. Everybody tries to rush this, then a bad thing happens that may be hard to recover from.
Instead, quit while you’re ahead, and make a plan to meet again in the next few days. Do everything exactly the same way, and you’ll likely find you can move through the stages much faster. Then once you have this little walking friendship going with one dog, try starting it up with another team. You will likely find the process goes much more quickly.
Now your dog is beginning to build a history of acting calm and feeling safe in close proximity to other dogs. As long as you continue to protect and guide your dog’s dog-to-dog experiences, it will become easier and easier to keep your dog under threshold.
Can My Reactive Dog Go Play With Other Dogs Now?
I encourage you to be thrilled with that! Still looking for more? The holy grail of this journey is getting to the point that you can allow free interaction, up to and including the exuberant chasing, wrestling, mouthy nirvana that is canine play.
That’s absolutely worth working toward . . . but this is where I stop acting as your tour director. Why? Because if you have an unsocialized adult dog who has never had a chance to develop dog-to-dog communication skills, there is a risk in letting him loose with other dogs. He isn’t yet experienced in understanding and giving canine messages like “I love this!” or “I need a break.”
Does that mean you should give up? Absolutely not! While there are plenty of dogs who live wonderful lives without canine play, it sure is a nice part of life. Plus, maybe you want to be able to spend holidays with your brother’s family, which includes a playful Lab, or your neighbor is willing to pet-sit for you but she has a friendly dog.
This is when it’s critical to bring in a skilled trainer to direct the effort. An experienced professional will be able to create the right setup, find the right dog partners, read the complex and subtle canine body language, and intervene and/or redirect appropriately. After some of that help, you may find yourself happily watching your dog frolic with a friend for the first time.
I recently fostered a dog who first greeted me at the shelter that I sprung her from by jumping up on me. I spent the first two days with her almost exclusively working on preventing her from jumping. When I introduced her to a friend, my friend immediately held her arms out and greeted the dog’s enthusiastic jump up with a big hug, petting, and cooing
The more connected you and your dog are, the easier it will be to help your dog through these experiences. It will speed your progress immensely if your dog already tunes in to you and looks to you for guidance. Any fun, positive reinforcement-based training will develop your dog’s connection with you. Practicing food-filled, easy lessons in your kitchen on things like “touch” and “spin” may seem unrelated to this become-calm-around-dogs effort, but will make a huge difference.
