Many dogs have lots of energy – perhaps more than their owners wished for – and express this with exuberance. But very few dogs are genuinely hyperactive. Make sure your dog gets enough exercise, physical and mental, and give her frequent opportunities to practice self-control exercises. Photo by Andrew Badger / EyeEm, Getty Images
I can empathize with canine caretakers who live with high-energy dogs, whether puppies, adolescents, or adults (yes, they come in all ages). Last week, a client brought me Abby, her 14-week-old Belgian Shepherd with concerns about high-energy behavior and mouthing. The only time Abby settled during the entire session was for about five minutes when she was chewing on a cow ear. Had it not been for my assistant who kept her busy with toys, this adorable but energetic canine child would have been launching herself at me and spearing me with her needle-sharp baby teeth for two hours.
High-Energy, Hyper, or ADHD?
High energy dog antics are often mistaken for symptoms of canine hyperactivity/ADHD. While this pathological condition does exist, it’s rare, and isn’t the same as high-energy. Hyperactivity, or “hyperkinesis,” can be defined as “displaying frenetic activity, abnormally short attention spans, and high impulsiveness.” If you think your dog really has canine ADHD, seek the assistance of a veterinary behaviorist to determine appropriate diagnosis, treatment and medication. (For a more in-depth article about this, see “Hyper Hounds: Think Your Dog Has ADHD?” in the October 2003 issue.)
Dealing With High-Energy Dogs
I know our very active baby Belgian didn’t have ADHD because she could stay focused and engaged for a reasonable time, and demonstrated an appropriate degree of impulse control for a high-energy puppy. At the end of our session, I suggested the following:
Canine playmates. Find well-matched playmates (puppies or adults) to defray some of Abby’s energy and teach her social skills (including appropriate use of her mouth.)
Good manners training. Continue a program of training basic good manners with a qualified force-free trainer.
Mouthing/nipping management. Teaching your dog to go to and relax on her mat is helpful. (See “Mat Training Tips,” January 2020, to learn how.) Remote-controlled treat-dispensing tools such as the PupPod (see “Gear of the Year,” January 2023) and/or a Pet Tutor (see “Gear of the Year,” January 2016) can be used to easily move her away from you when she’s being mouthy. You can also teach her the “Walk Away” exercise to move her away from other people. (See “How to Teach Your Dog to Just Walk Away,” September 2018.)
Increase exercise. Being careful not to overdo impact on puppy joints, increase your dog’s aerobic exercise – running in the back yard, chasing toys, playing tug, etc. – to include several 20- to 30-minute sessions of active exercise per day. (See “Ways to Calm Down Your High-Energy Dog,” September 2017.
Teach your dog to do scent work. Using their noses (and brains) is excellent for a dog’s mental and physical enrichment. (See “How to Teach Your Dog to Play Nose Games,” September 2019.)
Play cognition games with your dog. Cognition games – such as object, shape, or color discrimination – are also terrific for mental and physical enrichment that will help focus and tire your dog. (See “Are Canines Cognitive,” October 2017.)
Practice impulse control. Behaviors that strengthen a dog’s ability to control her own behavior, such as Wait, Leave It, and Go to Your Mat, are invaluable. (See “Control Yourself! Dog Impulse Control Training,” November 2021.)
Use management tools such as an exercise pen or crate. Don’t be afraid to use a crate or exercise pen as an option to manage your dog’s behavior so you can give yourself a break from having to constantly monitor her energy and activity. Help her be comfortable with this arrangement by giving her a long-lasting chew object or frozen, food-filled toy to enjoy. (See “Creative Confinement: Dog Crate Alternatives,” March 2022.)
You Can Do It!
The level of energy a dog like Abby has can be daunting, but don’t give up! Find activities that your dog loves, give her plenty of appropriate enrichment outlets for her mental and physical energy, help her learn how to control her behavior, and the two of you can have a long and active life together.
Buster is a 3-year-old dog who lives in Oroville, California. He started vomiting one day recently at his doggie daycare, and was taken to his vet the next day. The veterinarian felt a mass in his intestines, and, having seen one other case of pythiosis dog before, biopsied the mass. The sample came back as loaded with Pythium insidiosum. Photo courtesy Megan Rawie.
Pythiosis is a rare but deadly disease in dogs, humans, horses, and other mammals. In dogs, it is characterized by either non-healing sores on the skin, or the rapid growth of lesions in the stomach and intestine – masses that quickly obstruct the digestive tract.
This illness was originally described by British veterinarians studying horses with skin lesions in India in 1884. It is endemic to tropical and subtropical regions of the world, including Thailand, India, Brazil, and the U.S. states that border the Gulf of Mexico. However, in the past 20 years, it has increased its range into atypical areas, including northern California and Wisconsin. Pythiosis case reports have increased in the past decade.
Cause of pythiosis
Pythiosis is caused by the oomycete Pythium insidiosum. Oomycetes (pronounced oh-uh-MY-seats) are organisms that act and look like a fungus but are more closely related to algae. They are often referred to as “water molds.” P. insidiosum needs water to complete its life cycle. It is typically found in stagnant water, such as that found in ponds, swamps, and bayous, but can also be found in moist soil. P. insidiosum is attracted to grasses and other aquatic vegetation, human and horse hair, and the skin of mammals.
Finding this organism in ponds, swamps, and bayous makes sense when we think about the typical tropical and subtropical geographic distribution of pythiosis. It is not entirely understood why we are now diagnosing pythiosis in animals living in arid or colder regions of the country and that have no travel history outside of their home area. There is some speculation that there may be a connection between agricultural irrigation practices in these regions and exposure to P. insidiosum. Some experts speculate that global warming is helping to expand its range.
Any breed of dog may develop pythiosis. Most dogs that develop pythiosis are young (less than 3 years old) and tend to be hunting or sporting breed dogs that spend time in water or marshy areas. A higher prevalence of the disease among German Shepherds has been documented in the U.S. It is not known why German Shepherds are overrepresented.
According to pythiosis.com, a website dedicated to informing dog owners about this disease, most dogs are naturally resistant to P. insidiosum. “Dogs who become infected with the pathogen are unable to fight the disease due to a weakened immune system. This may be due to genetic factors or injuries which allow the pathogen access.”
Symptoms of pythiosis in dogs
There are two forms of pythiosis that are known to develop in dogs: the cutaneous form and the gastrointestinal form. Dogs can contract the cutaneous form when a wound on their skin becomes exposed to the oomycete. Oomycetes cannot invade intact skin. The gastrointestinal form is contracted when dogs swallow water or eat aquatic vegetation contaminated with oomycetes.
In the cutaneous form of the disease, a dog will have a non-healing wound that does not respond to antibiotics. The wound will often grow in size and may develop ulcers that drain pus. Initially, it can look similar to an acral lick granuloma, but tissue death (necrosis) follows, with the affected skin turning black.
Until recently, Buster has enjoyed flawless good health and energy. Adopted as a 10-week old puppy from a local shelter, he has been a joy to his owners, amusing them endlessly with his playful antics. Seemingly overnight, he is now fighting for his life. He is currently scheduled for surgery to remove the masses in his intestines and being treated with powerful antifungal drugs. Photo courtesy Megan Rawie.
In the gastrointestinal form of pythiosis, a dog may exhibit vomiting or diarrhea early in the disease process. Vomiting may occur if the stomach or small intestine are affected. Diarrhea may occur if the colon is affected. The diarrhea may progress to watery and bloody stool. A dog’s appetite will decrease or he may stop eating entirely as the disease progresses. Affected dogs will lose weight.Pythiosis of the gastrointestinal tract may cause abnormal thickening of the esophagus, stomach, and small or large intestine. Masses may develop at these sites, which may be felt by your veterinarian on abdominal palpation.The infection may spread to adjacent abdominal organs (pancreas, gallbladder, liver, or uterus).
Diagnosis
There are two tests that your veterinarian may order if she suspects pythiosis. The first is a blood test called a Pythium insidiosum ELISA test. This tests for antibodies in your dog’s blood, indicating exposure to the P. insidiosum organism.
The second test is histopathology of a biopsy sample obtained from one or more lesions. For the cutaneous form, biopsy samples are taken from one or more skin lesions. For the gastrointestinal form, an abdominal exploratory surgery is performed and biopsy samples are taken from any abdominal masses or thickened areas of the gastrointestinal tract. The biopsy samples must be stained with a special stain called GMS so that the P. insidiosum organism can be seen under a microscope.
Treatment for pythiosis in dogs
Treatment involves a wide surgical excision of the affected area. If the skin lesion is on a limb or the tail, the limb or tail may need to be amputated. For the gastrointestinal form, affected sections of the small or large intestine would need to be resected.
After surgery, dogs with either form are then treated with antifungal medications for two to four months after surgical removal of the lesions. In many cases, the lesions are so large and extensive that surgical excision is not possible.
In these cases, dogs are treated with a lengthy course of antifungal medications. Combination therapy with itraconazole and terbinafine with or without amphotericin B are often used. Because P. insidiosum is not a fungus (but looks and acts like one), antifungal therapy alone is successful in treating only about 20% of dogs with pythiosis.
A case report published in 2019 described the successful treatment of three dogs with pythiosis of the colon using a combination of itraconazole, terbinafine, and prednisone. All three dogs had complete resolution of their clinical signs, regression of their colonic masses, and achieved negative titers for P. insidiosum.
Another case report published in 2011 described the successful treatment of one dog with pythiosis of the stomach and small intestine using a combination of itraconazole, terbinafine, and mefenoxam.
Mefenoxam is an agricultural fungicide. It is used to control oomycetes that are pathogenic to agricultural crops, grasses, and ornamental plants. The Environmental Protection Agency had to complete safety studies of mefenoxam on mammals as part of the approval process for this fungicide. This is what gave the authors of this report the idea to try mefenoxam.
A case report published in 2020 also examined the treatment protocol of itraconazole, terbinafine, and mefenoxam. Five dogs with gastrointestinal pythiosis and one dog with cutaneous pythiosis were treated with this protocol. This report found that use of mefenoxam may improve outcomes for dogs with gastrointestinal pythiosis.
The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is recruiting dogs diagnosed with pythiosis for two pilot studies examining different treatments. People interested in these studies can read more about them and fill out the study interest forms at https://research.vetmed.ufl.edu/clinical-trials/contact-us/.
Currently, the most successful treatment for pythiosis in dogs is an immunotherapy option. Pythium insidiosum antigen (PIA) is a therapeutic vaccine that elicits a change in how a dog’s immune system responds to P. insidiosum in the body. Because this is a therapeutic vaccine, it does not prevent infection with P. insidiosum. PIA is most effective when given early in the course of the disease. It has been shown to be effective in 55% of dogs treated. This treatment is available from Pan American Veterinary Laboratories (PAVLAB); call (512) 964-3927 or see pavlab.com/pavlab/pythiosis-insidiosum/ for more information.
Prognosis
The prognosis for dogs with pythiosis, especially advanced cases, is not good. One study of 10 cases reported a post-diagnosis median survival time of 26 days, and the condition was fatal in all 10 dogs.
However, new treatments on the horizon may change the outlook for dogs with this disease. Prompt recognition of symptoms leading to an early diagnosis – before a case becomes chronic – is the key to successful treatment. Because this disease is rare but spreading into new areas, not all veterinarians will recognize it. If your dog shows signs of pythiosis (a non-healing sore, or sudden weight loss and persistent vomiting or diarrhea), raise the possibility with your veterinarian.
An Informative Website, Created by a Grieving Owner
Pythiosis.com is owned by Tammy Bell, whose 4-year-old Labrador, Rusti, died of pythiosis in 2006. Since then, Bell has maintained the site, to increase awareness of the illness and help people find the best diagnostics and treatments. On the home page, she writes:
“Unless your vet has personally experienced this disease, they will probably not recognize its symptoms and most do not know about the simple blood test to detect its antibodies or the immunotherapy treatment. Early intervention is critical with this infection. PAVLAB in Texas has the fastest and easiest blood test available for both Pythiosis and Langenidium, which is closely related. The PavLab immunotherapy treatment continues to be the least invasive and most effective treatment option. Contact them at 512-964-3927 for information.”
Your veterinarian always checks the color of your dog’s gums when she does an exam; their color is an important indicator of your dog’s health. Photo by Hybrid Images, Getty Images
Do you know what your dog’s gums look like? If not, check them now. Most healthy dogs have pink or salmon-colored gums, though some gums have dark or black patches. Be familiar with your dog’s “normal” gum color so you can recognize problems when they occur.
A simple way to test your dog’s gums is to briefly press one finger against the gums. The pressed area will look white for 1 to 2 seconds, then return to its normal color. Another test is to touch your dog’s gums to check their texture. Sticky, tacky gums can indicate dehydration or other problems.
If your dog seems out of sorts, lethargic, or weak, check his gums. Pale gums (pale pink to white) are a serious symptom that can be caused by:
Anemia (low red blood cell count due to injury, parasites, a clotting disorder, cancer, autoimmune disorders, or kidney disease)
Internal bleeding (traumatic injury or organ disease)
Shock (reaction to an accident or other physical trauma)
Bloat (distended abdomen leading to circulation problems)
Heavy metal toxicity (vomiting, lethargy, or reduced appetite)
Anemic dogs are often tired, weak, have trouble breathing, experience weight loss, and have a rapid heartbeat. Dogs with heart disease can be lethargic or coughing, and the abdomen can fill with fluid.
Shock, bloat, and trauma injuries are medical emergencies so if your veterinarian isn’t available, contact your nearest emergency clinic. Otherwise, call your veterinarian and describe when you noticed your dog’s pale gums, what they look and feel like, any changes in your dog’s appearance or behavior, and whether your dog has eaten anything potentially harmful, such as pennies.
This Jack Russell Terrier shows the classic button ear. Credit Anita Kot | Getty Images
Button-eared dogs are hunting or herding breeds whose ears help protect them while digging or running through brush. Button ears are straight at the base, semi-erect, and then fold over about halfway up to cover the sensitive parts of the ear. Think of a shirt with a button-down pocket. That’s where legend has it the name originated. The American Kennel Club defines a button ear as, “A small, neat ear with the flap folding forward, covering the opening of the ear.”
Dog breeds with button ears include the Airedale Terrier, the Jack Russell Terrier, the Smooth Fox Terrier, the Manchester Terrier, and the Australian Shepherd (who can also have rose ears).
These breeds needed protection to do their original jobs, which was either to hunt ground-dwelling rodents or to herd sheep. In either case, their sensitive hearing was an important sense to either find prey or find the sheep. A dog’s hearing is about four times more sensitive than ours, and they can hear things as much as four miles away.
This Greyhound has a rose ear, which is upright but falls toward the back. Credit Juergen Latzke/500 px | Getty Images
Don’t confuse button ears with rose ears, although both kinds of ears fold over. The AKC says a rose ear is “a small drop ear that folds over and back so as to reveal the burr (the inside of the ear).” A rose ear bends forward over the back edge, while the upper front edge curves over, backward, and out. As a result, a rose ear reveals the cartilage inside the ear. It does not protect the inner ear the way a button ear does. Breeds with a rose ear include the Greyhound, Boxer, and rough-coated Collie.
A dog who eats too fast is risking health issues. Avoid feeding two dogs close to one another, as one dog may bolt his own food so he can have a chance at the other dog’s dish. Feed multiple dogs away from one another, in separate rooms, or in their own crates, if they are well crate-trained. Credit: Rosmarie Wirz | Getty Images
Most dogs love food. Some dogs love their food so much that they eat it faster than we can blink—or so it seems! Dogs who eat too fast can become ill, especially if they also ingest a great deal of air and get a potentially fatal condition known as bloat. Anyone who has experienced this condition with their dog knows how important it is to get a dog to slow down eating.
Some dogs eat at such a fast pace that their bodies can’t keep up—the food never even gets to the point of being digested. The result is the regurgitation of food, which occurs when the food that is swallowed comes right back out the mouth due to backward contraction of the muscles of the esophagus. The food never even made it to the stomach. In these cases, the recommendation is to slow down the dog’s ingestion of food.
For those who just want to get a dog or puppy to eat slower, there are several good techniques you can try:
Feed smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. The food can be metered out by an owner or a timed automatic food dispenser
Slow feeding bowls are designed with upward protrusions in the bottom of the dish to prevent a dog from scooping up large mouthfuls of food all at once. These special dishes only allow a smaller amount of kibble to be picked up at a time. A similar technique to slow eating can be to separate the kibble in a larger dish like a cafeteria tray or place the food in the openings in a muffin pan. You can add water to the kibble so it floats or place clean, large—too large to swallow or even put in his mouth—objects in the food dish, like tennis balls or rocks, that he has to work around to get his food.
There are many food-dispensing toys on the market, and most can be used with the kibble you’d normally feed in a meal. The added benefit of these devices is that they will burn through some energy at the same time. Some food dispensing toys can accommodate kibble, wet food, or both. Keep them clean, of course.
If your dog eats canned food, consider a lick mat. These are silicone mats with a raised pattern of nubs or ridges. The moist food can be smeared into the nooks and crannies of the mat, and your dog will have to lick the food out, instead of gulping mouthfuls at a time.
A wet-food-laden food-dispensing toy or lick mat can be frozen to prolong meal time even further.
If you’ve tried these techniques, and your dog is still bringing food up (regurgitation or vomiting), consult with your dog’s veterinarian to rule out a more serious issue.
What looks bucolic to us humans may appear threatening to our pups. To create confident adult dogs, it’s critical to integrate them into our world carefully and positively when they are pups. Photo by SolStock | Getty Images
Socializing your puppy the right way takes thoughtful effort, but it just might be the most important thing you’ll ever do for your dog.
The first four months of a puppy’s life hold particular potential to affect his confidence as an adult. A robust body of research has shown that puppies are deeply, quickly, and often permanently impacted by what they experience during what’s now called the “sensitive period,” from about 3 to 14 weeks of age. Pups who have a range of positive experiences with humans and our world in that key time frame are much less likely to become skittish or fearful adult dogs.
Sounds like a great opportunity, right? Except it also sounds like a lot of pressure on owners. That ticking clock (only 14 weeks!) can push people into going overboard – which has the tragic effect of accomplishing the exact opposite of the goal. Why? Because that sensitive period works both ways.
Let’s say two owners want to be sure their puppy turns out to be great with kids, and they know these early weeks are key. One takes their pup on a well-intentioned trip to the soccer game sidelines, where he is swarmed by squealing kids, all reaching for him at once. The other arranges a supervised visit from the three nicest neighbor children, who sit on the floor dangling fun toys and hoping the pup will choose their lap.
Those experiences might not look different to an inexperienced owner – but read on to see why, later in life, the soccer-game puppy may need to be crated whenever kids are present, and the neighbor-kids puppy may waggily insist on being included in every birthday party. The devil is in the details.
To get socialization right, owners have to walk a tightrope. They need to gently expose the puppy to all sorts of new sights, sounds, smells, people, places, and surfaces – all without letting the puppy feel scared. (A momentary startle is fine, but we want to see a quick bounce-back.) It takes a little education and planning to make the most of this short phase, but the payoff is huge.
Earn Your Puppy’s Trust
The first step is to build trust. Studies show that the youngest puppies can happily handle new things as long as the mama dog is right there. Take away the mom, though, and suddenly that loud noise feels scary. Once you bring a puppy home, you have the chance to become the security blanket that helps your puppy bravely explore the world.
To do that, be a calm, consistent, gentle, positive presence at home. The puppy needs to learn to feel totally safe with you. (Try not to mess up and yell when you see a puddle on the floor!) The more a puppy trusts you, the more easily he’ll gain the confidence to explore new situations with you by his side.
Learn Body Language
Before you start introducing potentially startling Human World things to this toddler from Planet Dog, learn more about your puppy’s body language. Puppies can’t say the words “I’m scared,” but their bodies are constantly talking to those who will listen.
Most owners will pick up on when a pup is doing the equivalent of screaming: trembling, pulling away, hiding. But there are many more subtle ways that a dog can reveal discomfort, and they can be easily missed (see the sidebar below, “Stressed Puppy Body Language That’s Easy to Miss”).
While you’re still refining your observational skills, there’s an easy trick that lets you off the hook: Simply give the puppy space, and let him choose whether and at what pace to proceed.
Give Puppy a Choice
Learning the nuances of canine body language takes time, but you’ll get more clues about your puppy’s confidence if you give him a choice about each interaction. That means:
Let him walk. You’ll learn a lot about how a puppy’s feeling about something if he walks toward it or away from it. That’s why it’s better, if you can, to put pup on the ground in new situations.
Don’t pull the leash. Dragging him toward something new will not make him “get used to it” – and may make him scared of it (and you) forever.
Never trap the puppy. Feeling trapped – by a leash, by a hug, by a circling crowd, by a tiny hallway – makes any new experience scary. Always provide an easy escape.
If you give your pup agency in these ways throughout each new experience, you’ll increase the odds that it will imprint positively on him and make him a more confident adult.
Make Experiences Positive
The goal of socialization is to help your puppy form positive associations with all sorts of novel things. We could never introduce a pup to everything he’ll encounter later in life, so instead we aim to teach a pup to feel great about novelty itself. We want the adult dog to see something he hasn’t seen before and think, “Huh. I don’t know what that is, but there’s no reason to worry.” To accomplish that, exposure alone is not enough. Here’s how to stack the deck so that things feel more positive:
Keep your voice happy. First, remember to watch your own vibe. As your pup’s guide to Human World, you want to set the tone. Use a calm demeanor and a happy voice as you narrate what’s happening. “Hey! I see a bike! Do you see that bike? It’s okay, it’s just a bike.” (To learn more about how talking to your pup helps her learn, see “How to Talk to Your Dog,” WDJ July 2022.)
No forcing. Is pup hesitating? That’s okay. Be patient. Put more distance between your pup and whatever is scaring her; just cheerily move in a different direction. “Hey, that’s a truck! Let’s head over here so we can watch it from a distance.”
Use food. Delicious food is the easiest, most direct way to form a happy link between an experience and a pup. Your pup pulls back at a flag waving? “Oh, look, it’s a flag! Here’s some chicken!”
Don’t lure. Resist the temptation to lure. You don’t want to poison the power of food by linking it with a feeling of being scared, so don’t use food to encourage pup toward a thing he wants to stay far away from. Instead, as he makes his own choice to look at or move toward the New Thing, pair that with a bite of cheese.
Know when to quit. Finally, know when to bail. If you had a plan to have the puppy meet the plumber who’s working downstairs and you’ve walked into the room with a happy vibe, sat with pup at a distance, giving a salmon treat every time he looks at the guy, and then pup wants to head for the hills … Call it quits for today! Go play with a squeaky toy upstairs.
Start at Home
Now that you understand the key principles, it’s time to get started. Great socialization begins at home, where the puppy is most confident.
Since the goal is “novelty,” there is no generic must-do list, but we’ll offer a sample list for inspiration. Any home – even the tiniest of apartments – can be an adventureland for a little puppy if you just put on your thinking cap. Write down one new thing you do each day and use the tips in the three sections above to guide every new experience.
It’s easy to set up novel experiences for your pup at home, just use your imagination – or your child’s! Photo by Jessie Casson | Getty Images
Here’s how you’d go about introducing the first suggestion on our list (wearing different hats):
While the puppy is relaxed and looking at you, show her a hat, and give her a treat. Let her investigate the hat, and give her another treat. Continue completely at her pace until she’s absolutely relaxed around the hat, then put it on, and immediately take it off. Treat!
Unfazed? Great, do it again. Toss another treat. Continue at the puppy’s pace until she is eagerly awaiting you putting on the hat because it means another treat is coming her way. Next, keep the hat on and do some fun training as long as the pup is engaged with you and not worried.
The next day, try a different hat. All okay? Then, instead of letting the pup see you putting on the hat, walk into the room with the hat on. Take it off immediately as you say “It’s okay, it’s just my hat!” If the pup is worried for more than a few seconds at any point, call it a day and start again the next day at a lower intensity.
Mimic this stair-step approach for each of your pup’s novel experiences. Keep in mind that some dogs will be so obviously confident about some of these things that you’ll be able to go from introduction to high intensity interaction almost immediately. Others may feel excruciatingly slow, but keep it up because it works.
Here are some suggestions for novel experiences you can set up for your pup at home:
Wear different hats.
Play music. Start with Bach at low volume and slowly progress – as the puppy shows she’s fine with it – to louder rock music.
Walk around wearing a backpack.
Click across the floor in heels; walk in clunky boots.
Starting with the pup in the next room, run a blender, vacuum, or hair dryer for just a few seconds. Does pup come to investigate? Great. Do it again for just a few seconds, and toss her a treat. “It’s okay, it’s just the blender!” Still okay? Increase the duration. Here’s a link to what “puppy’s first vacuum experience” might look like.
Drape a sheet between two kitchen chairs, letting it dangle.
Take “field trips” to parts of the house the pup doesn’t usually see. Play there for a few minutes.
Carry a big box.
Starting at a low volume, put on TV shows for a few minutes here and there that have sounds the puppy otherwise won’t hear, maybe: kid voices, screeching tires, sirens, laugh tracks.
Put a crinkly tarp or aluminum foil on the floor for a bit, so pup can investigate and, ideally, walk across it.
Invite over one nice, calm neighbor who will respect your instruction to wait for puppy to choose interaction. Going well? Progress to more folks, more movement, more volume.
Sit on your front stoop when pup might get to see bikes, strollers, skateboards – all from the safety of his home.
Note that big families with young kids will not have to work quite as hard at this, because there is likely always something new, loud, and filled with motion happening. It’s empty-nesters like me, and folks who live alone, who need to work a little harder to vary our routines.
Next: Field Trips
Of course there’s only so much your puppy can learn about the world from the confines of your own home, and that’s why it is critical to get out and about. Wait a week or two to make sure your pup has transitioned comfortably to your household, but then it’s time to plan some outings.
That planning element is key for two reasons. The first is the puppy’s health. During the time the socialization window is wide open, puppies aren’t yet finished with their vaccination series (for diseases such as distemper and parvo). Decades ago the advice was to stay home until it was 100% safe to go out, but we know better now: That black-and-white guidance does more harm than good (see “Balancing Dual Threats: Protecting Puppies Against Viral Disease and Behavioral Problems,” October 2022). Be safe and smart; get that pup out where he can become more behaviorally sound thanks to solid exposure to the wider world.
The second reason planning is key is because you need to be 100% attentive to your pup if socialization is to be effective. It’s a common mistake to think it’s a great idea to bring the puppy everywhere you go. Nope! Don’t try to multitask.
If there’s a sale at the dog-friendly garden store, go spend a lovely hour selecting your plants – and leave puppy home with a food-stuffed toy. Go back there the next day for an adventure with your puppy, when you can focus 100% on his body language and adjust based on his needs. Here’s a video that shows what “puppy’s first trip to a store” should look like.
Here are some outings designed to prevent overwhelming your pup:
Visit your favorite neighbor’s yard. Play tug, give treats.
Walk past the playground while the kids are out there running and playing. Happy voice: “Do you hear those kids? Those are kids, playing!” Time for tiny pieces of hot dog.
Bring puppy to your friends’ houses. Worried because puppy’s not house-trained yet? Walk around out front until puppy goes to the bathroom, then visit inside for just five minutes – ideally long enough for your happy voices to help the puppy choose to go sit in your friend’s lap as she sits on the floor.
Take your pup on very short, predictable car rides, often. Going around the block is good, and going someplace the puppy loves is even better. Don’t let the only car rides be to the vet!
Go wherever you need to so that your pup can try walking on grass, sand, mud, concrete, tile, stairs, a bridge, and so on.
Give your pup a chance to choose to step in water. Small streams on a woods walk are a great way to start.
Don’t Get Overwhelmed!
I hope you feel empowered rather than overwhelmed after reading this. Once you wrap your head around it, it’s actually easy to give your pup (and yourself) this amazing gift. It does not take loads of time; it’s really a matter of flipping a switch so you keep it top of mind.
Happen to have lots of time this afternoon? Bring your pup to your friend’s house! Overwhelmed by other obligations today? Fine. Put on a hat!
Stressed Puppy Body Language That's Easy to Miss
The key to socializing your puppy effectively is using her feelings as a guide – but that’s impossible if you don’t know how your pup is feeling! Studying up on canine body language is the answer. Some signs of fear and stress are obvious, such as trembling, running away, and hiding, but keep an eye out for these subtle signs, too:
Yawns. Folks, dogs are not that tired. Those yawns you’re seeing – especially if they seem exaggerated and extra wide – are most likely a sign of stress. You’ll see it in a training class, when guests come over, when you’re petting too much, and when kids hug a dog. Those yawns are a dog processing discomfort. If you see a yawn, ask yourself what might be making your dog stressed out.
Lip-Licking. This is similar to yawning; dogs often lick their lips when they feel uncomfortable.
“Kiss to dismiss.” When dogs lick humans with affection, it’s typically one quick flick, or a sustained activity of leisurely soft licks. But the lick that’s worrisome – the one that trainers call the “kiss to dismiss” – looks different. It’s intense, sometimes fast, hard, even frantic. Parents often misinterpret this, thinking the dog is finally learning to love the toddler, but that licking is designed to get the advancing human to stop!
Turning or leaning away. If you’re approaching a dog and he turns his head away from you, it’s a request for more space. A dog who wants attention will turn toward you and lean in.
Facial tension. A puppy’s wrinkled forehead is cute – until you realize those wrinkles are exaggerated because the pup is so worried at the moment. A mouth that’s tightly clamped shut echoes the message of those wrinkles.
Rolling over “for a belly rub.” Yes, sometimes happy dogs will roll over to invite a belly rub. Unfortunately, rolling over can also be a white flag, a sign the dog feels overwhelmed. Additional context clues can tell you which you’re seeing, but err on the side of caution. Back up five feet, sit on the ground (so you’re not looming), and give the dog the space and time to make his own decision. (If the rolling over happened as the puppy was surrounded by your kid’s squealing soccer team, sorry, that was probably not a request for a belly rub.)
Being unusually still or falling asleep. Sometimes people will tell me their puppy was AMAZING at the (fill in the blank with a big, chaotic experience that the human couldn’t have dialed back to meet the puppy’s needs). “She slept the whole time!” “He just sat still while everybody petted him!” Just like human babies, when they’re feeling overwhelmed, puppies will escape by going to sleep. Sometimes, they will sit or lay very still, feeling they have no other choice. Humans often misinterpret this as “good as gold” behavior when it is actually terrified behavior.
“Whale eye.” When trainers see too much of the white of a dog’s eye, they look to see what might be wrong. That “whale eye” can happen when the stressed dog is staying very still but moving her eyes to watch what’s happening. A relaxed dog would just turn her head.
If you see any of these signs of apprehension or fear, get your puppy some more space from whatever is overwhelming her, until she’s recovered her confidence and good cheer. Also, if your pup is already overly fearful of new things you will need to do more to modify his fear behaviors. In this case, it would be a good idea to seek the help of a qualified force-free behavior professional. Also See “Are Dogs More Fearful Than They Used to Be?” December 2018.
If you apply Neosporin to a wound on your dog, it’s a good idea to also put a cone on him, so that he cannot lick off the medication. Credit: Cmannphoto | Getty Images
Is Neosporin safe for dogs? Yes and no. Neosporin ointment is an FDA-approved over-the-counter antibiotic ointment for people. It contains three medications: bacitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin B. Neosporin is generally used for superficial wounds and scrapes.
The plus to using Neosporin on a dog’s injury is that it does provide a barrier between the injured tissues and outside dirt, bacteria, and debris. It can help keep tissues hydrated so they heal faster, and it kills any bacteria left after your cleansing.
When Dogs Lick Off Neosporin
The problem with using Neosporin on dogs includes the medication itself, plus the general nature of dogs. Dogs lick, especially any scrapes or wounds. That means they are consuming a medication designed for topical use only. They will lick it off their noses, their paws, and most parts of their bodies. If you apply Neosporin, you also need to put a barrier or cone on the dog, so he can’t lick the ointment off.
It’s also concerning that neomycin, one of the medications in Neosporin, has been linked to hearing loss in dogs. Granted, it would take more than a single light dose over a small scrape, but it is something to know.
All antibiotics can upset your dog’s gastrointestinal tract by altering the normal microbiome. This is especially true when your dog licks an ointment off and swallows it. In rare cases, your dog might have an allergic reaction to one of the three medications in Neosporin.
Bottom Line on Neosporin for Dogs
All wounds need more attention than a swipe of antibiotic ointment. The first step is to gently clean the injury using something like chlorhexidine (not hydrogen peroxide, which may delay healing). That may be all the cut requires. With antibiotic resistance becoming a serious problem, it behooves us all to only use any antibiotic only as needed.
If you truly feel your dog needs some added protection for a scrape or shallow wound, cleaning the wound and applying a dab of Neosporin is unlikely to cause harm. It may not be needed, however, and you will still need to protect the injury from licking.
Dramamine, or preferably an FDA-approved drug, can help your dog with motion sickness. Note that this dog is properly secured in the vehicle with a padded car-safety harness that hooks to the seatbelt apparatus and has a dog hammock that stops him from falling between the seats. (It also protects the car’s seats.) Credit: BanksPhotos | Getty Images
Dramamine is often the drug of choice for treating motion sickness in people. Dramamine works in dogs, too, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice. Then what can you give your dog for motion sickness?
The symptoms of motion sickness are nausea and/or vomiting caused by riding in a moving vehicle. And, as soon as the motion stops, the nausea or vomiting stops.
Many dogs suffer from motion sickness, and owners of these dogs often dread traveling with them. Motion sickness happens most often in young puppies, which happily disappears as they get older. Note: Travel anxiety is different from motion sickness and requires other treatments if this is the primary problem, or if the anxiety is in addition to motion sickness.
To combat motion sickness naturally, it is generally recommended not to feed your dog or puppy within two hours of travel if he often gets motion sickness. This alone might not keep your dog from feeling sick, but it will reduce the amount of mess that needs to be cleaned up afterward.
Dramamine for Dogs
Some over-the-counter human medication antihistamines, like Dramamine, are widely considered safe for dogs. Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) is related to Benadryl (diphenhydramine), which you may have administered to your dog if he had a reaction to a bee sting. Dramamine can be given 30 minutes prior to travel, and the anti-nausea effect lasts for three to six hours.
Bonine (meclizine), also an antihistamine, can be given one to two hours prior to travel. Given on an empty stomach, the anti-nausea effect lasts for 24 hours.
A Note of Caution: Side Effects of Dramamine for Dogs
The main side effect of these antihistamines is mild sedation, but other side effects like diarrhea are possible. In addition, some dogs with health issues like kidney, liver, or heart disease might not be good candidates. These medicines come in different strengths, which is extremely important for dosages. For these reasons, the safest thing to do is discuss what you want to do with your veterinarian, who may recommend you consider an FDA-approved medication instead.
FDA-Approved Medications for Dog Motion Sickness
Two medications are FDA-approved for motion sickness in dogs. Both require a prescription.
Cerenia (maropitant) acts on a trigger zone in the brain to prevent vomiting. It should be given two hours prior to travel on empty stomach, is effective for 24 hours, but should not be used for more than two days in a row for motion sickness. Cerenia can be administered safely to dogs who are at least 16 weeks old.
Acepromazine, or “ace,” is more commonly known as a tranquilizing/sedating drug, but it has anti-vomiting effects. It is recommended less often because of its side effects: moderate sedation and a decrease in blood pressure. In most dogs, the effect lasts for three to four hours. Boxers, sighthounds, and some herding breed dogs can be particularly sensitive to acepromazine.
An anti-anxiety bed is classically round, with a fur-like covering and a deep indented “nest” in the center that your dog can snuggle down into. Credit: Cindy Foley
Many manufacturers claim to have an anxiety-reducing dog bed that can make your dog feel less worried and safer. We found at least five dozen beds priced at less than $100 advertised as anti-anxiety beds seemingly by virtue of meeting one or two of these three criteria:
It’s warm and cozy An anti-anxiety bed’s purpose is to make a dog feel warm, comfortable, and safe–like he did as a puppy when he was sleeping with his mother and littermates, so it has faux fur (to resemble mom’s fur) and a raised edge to put his head in a similar position as his littermates did.
It’s deep and soft Again, the theory is to replicate the snuggling that he once felt as a puppy. It’s usually a round bed, because a pile of puppies is usually round-ish, not square.
It fits and “belongs” to your dog What’s a comfortable bed for your dog will vary, but he needs a bed he can call his own. It needs to be the right size for your dog’s preferences—some dogs want the old bed they’ve had since puppy days; other dogs want the smallest size bed they can squeeze into; and a few dogs prefer a large, flat bed they can stretch out on.If your dog has any orthopedic issues, consider a bed that claims it has orthopedic support and then “test” it yourself to determine if it’s cushioning and supportive. A comfortable bed helps reduce anxiety (we can all testify to that, right?).
Be careful what bed you choose, though. Some pet-anxiety beds don’t unzip for cleaning; some have inferior memory foam liners that are hot or can emit noxious fumes; and most lack the faux hair cover. It’s easy to find a bed with all three qualities if you’re willing to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars, though.
As for science, frankly, we didn’t find any peer-reviewed scientifically designed studies on how or if anti-anxiety beds make your dog feel better. We found studies paid for by manufacturers, studies about pets and humans sleeping on the same bed, and studies that took human orthopedic bed data and moved it to dog beds—all of which were referenced as support for anti-anxiety beds.
It’s OK, though, because an anxiety bed is a bit like putting a Band-Aid on a wound that needs stitches. You need to figure out what’s causing his anxiety and fix that. Is it his environment (an unhappy household), separation anxiety, other dogs or the lack of them, his exercise level, thunderstorms or other noises, or is it your behavior?
Some of these issues can be changed with the help of a force-free dog trainer, and some things (like thunderstorms) may not be changed at all. If it’s separation anxiety because your dog must sleep in a different room from you, the most expensive bed on earth won’t solve that.
After trying to reduce anxiety with training and environmental changes, it is wise to consult your veterinarian about anti-anxiety medications. It won’t hurt anything but your wallet to buy an anti-anxiety bed, but it may not make a difference either.
Veterinary emergencies come in many forms; your dog can slip on damp grass and tear his ACL, suddenly exhibit extreme lethargy due to a ruptured spleen, choke on a piece of a toy, or, as seen here, need to be treated for an accidental poisoning from eating an entire bottle of a carelessly stored prescription medication. Treatment and just a single night in the hospital can run into several thousand dollars, making an entire year’s insurance premiums entirely worth the cost. Photo by Nancy Kerns.
Only only about 3% of the almost 77 million dogs living in the United States are covered by pet health insurance. That’s a lot of dog owners footing the entire veterinary bill themselves or, sadly, sometimes opting for what’s called “economic euthanasia,” which means the dog is ill but the owners cannot afford the cost of treatment. Don’t let that happen to you and your dog!
Since inflation drove up the cost of veterinary care an estimated 10% last year, you’d think that pet health insurance premiums might have increased as well. But, surprise! The North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) 2022 State of the Industry Report shows that the cost of dog health insurance decreased 3.3% in 2021 with an average cost of $583.91 per year ($48.58 per month). The fact is, pet insurance is not that expensive, and it does whittle down out-of-pocket veterinary expenses.
Why Purchase Pet Insurance? A Risk-Management Decisions
Both you and pet insurance companies make risk-management decisions when it comes to the cost of insurance and deciding what dog insurance covers for your dog and how much it will cost.
In setting its rates, the insurance company looks at the likelihood of your dog becoming ill or injured, which includes your dog’s breed, age, size, and (sometimes) activity, and where you live (consider that everything’s more expensive in New York City than it is in Mercedes, Texas).
Data shows why the breed of dog makes a difference. For example, 65% of Golden Retrievers die from cancer compared to a 25% rate in all dogs, according to a June 2022 study in PLOS. So, yes, insuring your Golden will cost more than a Jack Russell Terrier, one of the least expensive to insure, but it’s not an arbitrary thing. There are numbers behind the decisions.
Size matters, too. Larger dogs are more prone to orthopedic and tendon/ligament issues than smaller dogs, and often the costs of their medications are higher. Finally, aging brings on more illnesses and problems, just as it does in people, so insurance rates rise every year for your dog.
Those things will affect the prices that insurance companies will quote for covering your dog. But you need to look hard at what you get for your money, and compare this with offerings from other companies, in order to get the best protection for your dog for the money.
Financial Help for Pet Medical Bills
In some areas, you may be able to get financial help paying your dog’s veterinary bills (beyond begging friends and relatives for help).
The American Veterinary Medical Association lists places that will help with your veterinary bills, if you qualify. Visit https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/yourvet/financial-assistance-veterinary-care-costs to learn more. They advise that you can also contact your state’s veterinary medical association to see what is offered in your area.
CareCredit offers a no-interest credit card to pay your veterinary bills within a short period of time. You need to apply for the card, and your veterinarian must be a participating provider. A quick look showed that far more veterinary clinics are accepting this option over discount cards. In addition, CareCredit offers a discount on your premium for Pets Best insurance, if that insurance fits you and your dog’s needs
Check Prospective Pet Insurance Policies For These Things
NAPHIA lists 38 pet insurance companies among its members; there are a lot of choices for insurance. In the chart below, we’ve listed what we feel are the top choices available, but it’s not an all-inclusive list. The best dog insurance is the one that suits your individual needs and covers your dog’s most common risks.
The first thing to do when you’re evaluating an insurance policy is to download a sample copy of the insurance policy and really read it. It’s the only way to know for sure what the insurance covers and doesn’t cover – the exclusions. If you cannot download a copy, email the company and request one. If they refuse to send one, move on.
Examine the policies you are considering so you understand how they deal with the following:
Waiting periods. Every insurer has waiting periods before coverage starts – otherwise everyone would just wait until their dog is ill and then get insurance. It doesn’t work that way! Most waiting periods are two weeks on illness, sometimes less time for accidents. Orthopedic coverage may be around six months.These are all acceptable and understandable ranges and illnesses that occur during that waiting period may be considered pre-existing. Find out. The AKC insurance is the only insurer we found that will cover pre-existing conditions. They will not cover them for the first year of your policy but, if your dog has had no incident of the condition during that year, after those 365 days, they will cover new episodes.
What’s “medically necessary.” Be sure the policy defines “medically necessary” services. Are these services the insurer considers necessary? If so, that policy may not be best for you. It should cover all services recommended by your veterinarian. “Medically necessary” is a term we think should be defined by the veterinary professional.
Exclusions (what it won’t cover). When you read the policy, highlight things that concern you, such as no breeding coverage. Does that include accidental pregnancies or just professional breeders? If you’re not sure if you should be concerned about an exclusion or not, ask your veterinarian. Most veterinarians will do everything they can to help you with insurance because they know it benefits the dog; any vet will tell you that the saddest and most frustrating part of their profession is being told that a sick or hurt pet’s owner cannot afford the treatment.Exclusions for elective procedures like tail docking are understandable. But “bilateral exclusions” are far less understandable; they mean that if a dog requires knee surgery on the right leg and later injures his left, it won’t be covered!Also watch out for exclusions that are worded in a confusing manner, like: “If your pet has undiagnosed masses prior to the end of the waiting period, any mass or condition where a mass is a clinical sign is not covered, including cancer.” What? Email the company to clarify any wording you don’t understand and get the answer in writing. If they won’t do that, say “No, thank you.”
Requirements for enrollment. The insurer may require complete medical records for your dog before they issue a policy. They also may require a veterinary exam have been done within the last 12 months. Some policies will deny claims if you do not, in their opinion, properly care for your dog, including annual visits and vaccinations.The policy may state things like if your veterinarian recommends a certain treatment and you refuse that treatment, that condition may be excluded in the future. For example, if you refuse to give your dog a particular vaccination and your dog contracts that disease, the insurance will not cover the treatment.Find out what you must do every year to stay insured. Are there specific vaccinations you must give? Do you have to have an annual well visit? These are not unreasonable, but you need to be aware of them and adhere to them or risk getting your claim denied.
Senior dogs. If you want to have your dog insured into old age until the very end, no matter the cost, be sure that the company will do that when you sign up for the insurance. Nearly all companies have a limit as to how old the dog can be upon initial enrollment but will cover the already insured dog – at a high cost – until death. A few will only cover up until a specified age.
Dental care. For many dogs, it’s not a case of if but when they will have dental problems (yes, brushing their teeth every day makes a positive difference, but so few of us do it). Check to be sure dental care is covered and avoid policies with limits on dentals. One policy had a $1,000 cap. I know of at least two people whose dogs had dental bills of over $2,500. Some policies require professional teeth cleaning to cover dental procedures due to poor teeth.
Congenital/hereditary diseases. If these conditions are diagnosed prior to you getting a policy, it’s understandable that the insurance would consider them pre-existing. This is one of the many reasons to insure your puppy as soon as she comes home. However, some policies refuse to cover any inherited diseases, such as hip dysplasia.
Prescriptions. Nearly every company covers prescriptions at 100% of actual cost. If the one you’re looking at doesn’t, consider another one. Always check for the prescription formulary list of drugs as well. These are the medicines the company will reimburse.You can’t predict what drugs your dog will or will not need, but if the list is really short – like one page – you might wonder why.
Continued coverage. The policy should state that they continue to cover your dog even if he becomes chronically ill, as long as you pay the premiums. Be wary of provisions that state they can cancel if your dog contracts a chronic disease, like diabetes, or that they only pay for that disease for one year. Fortunately, these are outdated policies, but they may appear.
Specialists. As in human medicine, veterinary medicine is becoming increasingly a specialist field. While decades ago, you saw one veterinarian for nearly everything your dog needed, now you may find yourself being referred to a cardiologist or orthopedist or ophthalmologist. Be sure there are no contract exclusions on seeing a specialist.
Payment to you or the veterinarian? With most plans, you must pay the veterinarian at the time of your visit and then be reimbursed by the insurance. Note: Trupanion will pay the veterinarian directly, but your vet must be willing to accept that option.
Which veterinarians you can see. Every policy should say that you can see any licensed veterinarian in any state. There are programs masquerading as insurances that require you to use a veterinarian from within their corporation, which could become a problem if you decide you don’t like the clinic anymore.
How to Save Money on Pet Insurance Premiums
There are a number of ways that you can save money on the cost of your dog’s insurance – and a few things that we don’t recommend trying:
Insure early. The age of your dog when he’s first enrolled matters – a lot. Insure your dog as soon as you get him. The least expensive rates start at puppy ages. Every year you wait, the initial premium will be higher – higher than if you started insuring with that company when the dog was a pup.Don’t listen to the naysayers who claim young dogs don’t have to be insured. Have you heard of a greenstick fracture? Also, anything your puppy or young adult dog is seen by a veterinarian for prior to his enrollment in an insurance plan will likely be excluded as a pre-existing condition. If you take him to the vet at the age of 1 year and learn that his itching is due to allergies, when you try to insure him at 18 months, you may find the insurance company will not cover the cost of allergy treatments for the rest of his life. Whoops!
Choose a plan with deductibles and co-insurance amounts that work best for you. Fortunately, deductibles and co-insurance choices are pretty standard across the industry. When you sign up, you can fiddle with the choices to find a premium you like (it’s not a lot of difference, but it may add up over the course of your dog’s lifetime).There’s no right or wrong here, just keep in mind that you’ll pay a lot more out of pocket if your co-insurance is 70/30% and your dog needs surgery versus 90/10%. (A $5,000 surgery would cost you $1,500 out of pocket at the 70/30 and $500 of you chose the 90/10.)Embrace offers an interesting vanishing deductible option, which could save you money if your dog stays healthy long enough. It resets once there’s a claim.Trupanion offers a lifetime deductible, which means you pay the deductible for each new illness, not every year for the same illness. In other words, if your dog gets cancer and requires treatment for a year or two, you’re only paying the deductible for that particular illness once. This is a risk management decision, too. If your dog contracts four different illnesses in a year, you’re paying four deductibles that year.
Don’t buy a plan with an annual limit. You can save money on your premium by choosing an annual limit on what the insurance will reimburse – the total amount the company will pay for your dog in one year. Many experts state there’s no problem choosing a figure, as most dogs do not reach those limits. That may be true, but what if a cancer diagnosis comes along and the surgery and therapy put you over your limit? And it’s only July. The rest of the treatments are all on you.We recommend that you choose only companies offering unlimited coverage. Save money with deductibles and co-insurances, and by declining add-on riders you don’t really need.
Only buy the riders that you need. Preventive care is not what pet insurance was designed to do. Yes, human medicine covers some preventive care, like colon-cancer screenings, because it’s cheaper in the long run than treating the disease.But the preventive care offered by most pet insurance companies is not the same. It’s just paying in advance for routine things your dog may or may not need. And the reimbursement amounts are often small and limited: $15 for a rabies shot. $15 for a routine urinalysis (the last urinalysis I paid for was over $85, without the vet office fee).Another company offers $50 for flea/tick control for the year. Last time I looked, that costs $10 to $15 a month, so the company reimburses less than half of it. If you will use all the covered preventive care benefits, well, OK.
Decide whether you want a plan that covers the cost of office visits. A few companies do not cover the fee for the veterinarian seeing your dog. That’s your cost and the average office fee is $50 to $75. It is a way for the insurance company to save a few dollars and pass along a lower premium, which may be helpful. There’s no right or wrong here. It’s the calculated risk thing. For me, an occasional veterinary visit is an expected part of owning a dog, just like food, so I accept that risk to get the lower premium.
We don’t recommend low-cost “accident only” policies. This type of policy is better than nothing, but the odds are more likely that your dog will become ill than get hit by a car, if you’re a responsible owner. They are far less expensive than injury-and-illness plans; just know what you’re getting.
We like plans that cover complementary and alternative medicine. Frankly, this should be included in your basic policy – at least the widely accepted therapies like acupuncture, laser treatment, and chiropractic. On the other hand, if you don’t believe in these modalities, then it’s a way to save some money because a few insurers still offer them as add-on riders.
Look for “member” discounts. You can get discounts for multiple pets, being a veteran, a AAA member, and many other types of things.
Avoid insurers that reimburse on a “usual and customary” fee scale. You want insurance that considers the actual cost of the veterinary bill you receive when calculating their payment. Not that long ago, many companies listed a maximum amount that they would pay for any particular procedure. Only a few use that now, but if you see one, we suggest you keep looking.
Don’t buy policies with a per-incident deductible. With a per-incident deductible, you pay the first $250 (if that’s your chosen deductible amount) of every veterinary interaction. Most policies now offer an annual deductible, so you pay the first $250 bill for the year.
Discount Programs
There are programs, like Pet Assure, that offer an immediate percentage discount on everything, provided you go to their participating group of veterinarians, which may leave you with a small number of choices. You pay the company a monthly fee, which can vary widely from $10 to $30 a month or more, and they send you a card to show at the clinic. There are similar programs out there for things like dentistry for humans. If your veterinarian is participating, you get the percentage off your bill. But be aware that if your dog is referred out to another veterinarian, like a specialist, you may be paying the whole bill.
Years ago, you could sometimes negotiate a reduced rate with veterinarians, back in the days of the one-doctor-owned veterinary clinic. These places are scarce, and most clinics have multiple veterinarian associates who are employees and cannot negotiate fees. Plus, many veterinary clinics are being bought by large corporations – so the owner isn’t even a single one person – and it’s easy to understand why insurance is a necessity.
Making a Decision on the Best Dog Health Insurance
There’s no right or wrong here, and chances are good that you can adjust your policy when you renew it if you think that maybe you should have included the preventive/wellness rider or used a higher deductible. Whatever you decide, be sure your policy covers accidents, illness, and prescriptions. For us, that’s the minimum. Riders like preventive care are gravy. Most people still opt for the $250 deductible, 80/20 insurance plan. It’s the middle range of that “premium versus out-of-pocket expenses” decision.
Insure your dog as soon as possible, and be sure you adhere to your obligations in that contract, such as core vaccines and annual visits. And, finally, once your dog is insured, file your claims quickly. Some policies have very lenient time limits for filing, but the wisest course of action is to get it done immediately. If questions or concerns arise, everyone involved will have the case fresh in their minds.
WDJ’s Top Pet Health Insurance Companies
From the 38 companies that belong to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), we’ve selected 17 that meet our basic criteria for a useful insurer: They all cover accidents, illness, and prescriptions and don’t use tricky language to obfuscate any weaknesses. This chart compares the most important variables in pet insurance policies, to help you reject companies that don’t offer what you need, so you can focus on the companies that offer what you want.
Insurance/ Website
Wellness Rider
Exam Covered
Complementary Treatment
Annual Limits
Waiting Periods
24Petwatch
24petwatch.com
Yes
Yes
Yes
$2,500 to $7,000
14 days
AKC
akcpetinsurance.com
Yes
Rider
Yes
$2,500 to unlimited
2 days accident, 14 days illnesses, 180 days cruciate ligament, 180 days IVDD
ASPCA
aspcapetinsurance.com
Yes
Yes
As defined by American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians
$5,000 to unlimited
14 days
Embrace
embracepetinsurance.com
No
Yes
Yes
$5,000 to unlimited
2 days for accidents, 14 days; up to six months for orthopedic
Fetch
fetchpet.com
No
Yes
Yes
Unlimited
15 days; up to six months for knees/hips injuries
Figo
figopetinsurance.com
Yes
Rider
Yes
$5,000 to unlimited
1 day accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and 6 months for orthopedic
Hartville Pet Insurance
hartvillepetinsurance.com
Rider
Yes
Yes
$5,000 to unlimited
14 days
Healthy Paws
healthypawspetinsurance.com
No
No
Yes
Unlimited
15 days
Lemonade
lemonade.com/pet
Yes
Rider
Rider
Unlimited
2 days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and 6 months for cruciate ligament
ManyPets
manypets.com
Yes
Yes
Yes
Unlimited
15 days
MetLife
metlifepetinsurance.com
Yes
Yes
Yes
$2,000 to $10,000
Zero days accident, 14 days illness
Nationwide
petinsurance.com
Rider
Yes
Varies with plan
Varies to unlimited
14 days
Pets Best
petsbest.com
Yes
Varies with plan
Rider
$2,500 to unlimited
3 days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and 6 months for cruciate ligament
Pumpkin
pumpkin.care
No
Yes
Rider
$10,000 to unlimited
14 days
Spot
spotpetins.com
Yes
Yes
Yes
Unlimited
14 days
Trupanion
trupanion.com
No
No
Rider
Unlimited
5 days accidents, 30 days illness
Wagmo
wagmo.io
Yes
Yes
Yes
$10,000 per incident limit; $100,000 lifetime limit
15 days, 30 days cancer, 6 months for cruciate ligament
Overwhelmed? Consider Using a Pet Insurance Broker
Pet insurance brokers, such as Pawlicy Advisor (pawlicy.com), can help you navigate your many options. Just like your local independent insurance agent, these companies work with multiple major insurers and help you navigate all the tricks, traps, and benefits available. They are paid by the insurance company, so it doesn’t cost you anything more, but they can be a great advocate for you if you have a problem. They want to keep your business. They should be able to help you with any exclusions or requirements you highlighted in the sample policies you download.
What steps should you take when you're left with a stray and her puppies?
Here’s an actual email exchange I just had with a young man who went to high school with my son:
Hi Nancy,
First off, sorry for the out-of-nowhere email 🙂 I’m a high school friend of [E, your son] and a close friend of [S, your son’s friend, who adopted a dog from your local shelter with your help about two years ago]. S passed along your email address.
I recently had the good luck of a stray Husky giving birth to puppies in my front yard. They’re 8 weeks along now and ready to find forever homes, but I haven’t had luck in my social network and worry about passing them off to a shelter. I’ve heard you’re well connected in this area – any suggestions on where/how to start? Many thanks in advance!
First, good on you for taking in the mom and raising the babies. How many are there?
I understand your reluctance to consider a shelter for placing the puppies, but from my view, often a shelter is the best place for puppies, because they will be vaccinated and microchipped, but most importantly, receive spay/neuter surgery before getting placed in a home. Most shelters today can get all that done for only about $100- $200 per puppy, whereas, when an individual takes them home and makes their own appointment for the same surgery, they will most likely be told they need to wait 6 months to a year, and then charged anywhere from $200 for a male to be neutered to up to $600 (or more) for females for spay surgery. (The bigger the dog, the more likely the owner will be told to wait before surgery, and the price gets quoted on the dog’s weight). What this often means is that dogs who are given away rarely get spayed or neutered; people who take home a “free” pup balk at that cost, and then, 7 months or a year later, guess what? More “free puppies”!
Most shelters today hire vets (or have one on staff) who can do many more surgeries in a day than a vet in a mixed practice can do, and at a much lower cost. It’s also state law in California that all dogs and cats must be spayed/neutered before adoption, so shelters have to find a way to make that happen.
Shelters also screen their applicants, making sure that people have fenced yards or other basics.
The big problem is, ALL of the west coast shelters are struggling with an overabundance of Huskies and Husky-mixes at the moment. Huskies are notoriously high-energy dogs – there is a reason they are the chosen breed to pull sleds! – and their coats require owners who are committed to living with a lot of loose dog hair floating around their homes and cars. As you now know, they are among the cutest puppies ever, but they grow into very smart dogs who are motivated to MOVE and RUN and CHEW! They work overtime as adolescents to have fun – which often translates into some of the highest rates of “owner-surrenders” back to shelters. Many people can’t handle their energy and struggle to keep them exercised, and they turn into champion escapees, climbing fences, chewing their way through gates, and digging under barriers of all kinds – which is probably how you found the mama on your lawn. But what this means is, you might have trouble finding a shelter that will take them, because they might already have a number of untrained, unruly adolescent and adult Huskies they are trying to find homes for.
On the other hand, shelters know that it’s far better for the community to spay/neuter puppies and get them placed in screened homes than to allow them to be given away and likely not get neutered. And puppies tend to get adopted more quickly than adolescents or adults — so if you can find a shelter that WILL take them, that would be ideal (in my view). However, many shelters are so full right now that they are not taking “owner-surrendered” dogs. (My local shelter is not taking dogs from owners right now; they barely have enough room for all the strays that their officers are picking up.)
Less ideal, from your view, is that if you can find a shelter who will take them, the shelter is likely to charge a fee for “owner-surrendered” dogs; it helps defray the cost of those vaccines, microchips, and spay/neuter surgery, not to mention the highly possible cost of having to keep them for weeks and weeks before they get adopted. (Why “weeks and weeks”? Most shelters have perennial cases of “kennel cough” that puppies are likely to catch upon admittance, which means they will be held back from the public for at least a week and sometimes as much as three weeks while being treated for their runny, snotty noses and deep coughs, which can sometimes turn into a more serious illness, especially in a shelter setting. This is rarely fatal, but the pups will be growing older and larger while waiting to recover from their cough; no one wants to take home a puppy with a scary cough!)
I know they aren’t “your” dogs — so why should you have to pay an “owner-surrender” fee? Well, in your case it’s true – you were being a good Samaritan – but you should know that “we found these puppies” is what 99% of people who bring puppies to shelters for surrendering say. I’ve heard, “I came home from work and heard puppies under my deck, the mom had them under there, and I’ve never seen her before!” and “We found them all dumped by our mailbox! (or “in a ditch by the side of the road”) more times than I can count. And the fact is, the shelter will be spending more on each pup then they get back in adoption fees – that’s why they are constantly fund-raising – and even a fairly stiff owner-surrender fee often barely covers the cost of caring for each pup.
I’m not sure what town you’re in, but most of the Bay area shelters are pretty darn reputable, and if you can find one that will agree to take them, that might be your best bet, and ultimately what’s best for them. You can also ask any shelter you call if they know of any rescue groups who might take puppies. Rescue groups generally take on only as many dogs as they can afford to care for and place; they don’t have the burden of having to take in all the strays of municipal shelters.
But if you can’t find one, you’re back at square one: Marketing on social media to friends and family and their friends and family. Your cute pics will help – as will any vaccinations you’ve obtained for them. Make your photo albums shareable, and try to get them placed ASAP, because they rapidly lose their adorableness as they approach 3 and 4 months, and are missing out on puppy socialization and bonding with their new families.
Sorry if this sounds kind of discouraging. You are the second person in two weeks to ask me this same question – and my own local shelter (where I volunteer) is so full, they’ve been waiving all adoption fees, trying to get dogs and puppies placed at a faster rate than more keep coming in. The staff is exhausted! They’ve been DROWNING in puppies – most likely because since COVID, many vets have had long waiting times for appointments, and dogs have been getting pregnant before people knew they COULD get pregnant. And we’re several canine generations into that cycle at this point.
Good luck — and again, thanks for taking this on. I know it’s a burden!
When dogs get hot, their tongue naturally gets longer and wider to maximize their ability to cool themselves. This dog’s tongue indicates he needs shade or air conditioning, water, and rest before he plays again. Credit: Alphotographic | Getty Images
A dog’s electrolyte losses from playing hard on a hot day are minimal, and the best thing to give that dog for dehydration is plain water. But many pet owners reach for products like Pedialyte, hoping to do “better.” Dogs can have Pedialyte, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for them.
Pedialyte is an over-the-counter supplement formulated for infants, children, and adult humans who suffer from vomiting or diarrhea. It is designed to hydrate and “provide essential nutrients” to humans. Ingredients include water, sugar (dextrose), and electrolytes in the form of salts (sodium, chloride, potassium, citrate).
Dogs prevent overheating and maintain normal body temperature primarily through panting.
This process does cause water loss, and if the water is not replaced, dehydration can result. Unlike humans, however, who can sweat anywhere there is skin, dogs only have sweat glands on their paw pads, and they’re largely inefficient. Thus, in dogs, the loss of body heat and water and electrolytes through sweating is minimal.
So, yes, you can give Pedialyte (or dilute Pedialyte) to a healthy dog on a warm day to prevent dehydration. But, since the dog doesn’t need the electrolytes in Pedialyte, they are filtered out by the kidneys and end up in the dog’s urine. Note: Because of Pedialyte’s high salt content, you should use caution giving Pedialyte to dogs with heart or kidney diseases, as sodium restriction is often part of managing these conditions. In addition, the level of sugar in Pedialyte is not appropriate for dogs.
True electrolyte losses can occur in a dog when he suffers from vomiting or diarrhea.
If your dog cannot keep food or fluids down, or if symptoms are severe or persist beyond a single bout, have your dog evaluated by a veterinarian rather than administering Pedialyte. If your veterinarian does recommend an electrolyte replacement, chances are good he or she will suggest a formula for dogs.
I’ve had a number of older owners book lessons with me lately—more than half a dozen individuals and couples in their 70s and even 80s, all wanting some training help with their new dogs or puppies.
