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Separation Anxiety in Dogs

By
Malena Demartini and Maia Huff-Owen, KPA-CTP, CSAT
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1
separation anxiety in dogs - dog in window
Separation anxiety is akin to a phobia in humans. Fear like that cannot be modified by using quick fix remedies - but it can be modified, and the systematic desensitization protocol used for this is tried and true. Photo Credit: Elvira Shatalova / Dreamstime.com

The advent of the pandemic in 2020 caused many of us to begin spending most of our time at home with our dogs. Many people used the opportunity of having more time at home to add a new dog to their families. 

Then, seemingly overnight, there were reports everywhere in the mainstream press and on TV discussing the huge, catastrophic,  impending wave that’s supposedly about to strike our nation: a wave of canine separation anxiety – the common expression for dogs who experience distress when left home alone. On every media (and social media), journalists are worrying about how our canine family members will adjust to being alone once our families return to school and work outside of the home. 

The good news? All that buzz created has more awareness than ever about separation anxiety in dogs. And that awareness means that people are clamoring for information. 

The bad news is that much of the information that has been made available to dog owners includes confusing or incomplete recommendations, which leaves them feeling overwhelmed and at a loss as to where to begin. 

And the really ugly news? With the increase in attention and demand for separation anxiety training services, inhumane and ineffective methods, promoted as guaranteed quick fixes, have flooded into the marketplace. Add the fact that the media has been indiscriminately airing both urban legends about canine separation anxiety (SA) as well as false claims about quick fixes, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for a lot of potential cruelty inflicted on an already highly stressed canine population.

Here are some important corrections to the most prevalent and potentially harmful inaccuracies about canine separation anxiety commonly shared today:

WRONG: “The separation anxiety crisis is new.”

CORRECTION: Media attention is new, but this is one of the most common issues addressed in professional behavior practices. 

According to a 2010 study published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, problems that occur during the owner’s absence represent up to 40% of the caseload in behavioral practices in North America. That is a lot of separation anxiety. Fortunately, because this concerning behavior is not new, there is also a lot of research available to help with its understanding. In the past four decades, separation anxiety has been the most commonly discussed disorder in published studies of experimental research and retrospective research in the fields of applied animal behavior and veterinary behavior (Ogata 2016).  

The process of training a dog who exhibits separation anxiety was originally developed in the 1950s. While the implementation of that process has been refined and improved over the years, the basic principle of systematic desensitization is the same. (See “Amicable Separation,” WDJ June 2020.)

WRONG: “Separation anxiety results when dogs are too attached to their families.”

CORRECTION: Much media attention focused on the sheer number of hours that we were spending at home with our dogs. The worry seemed to be that being home all the time would create hyper-attachment and therefore lead to separation anxiety. However, a landmark study showed otherwise. Video analysis showed that dogs with SA spent no more time in contact with or in proximity to their owners during the attachment test than dogs without SA (P>0.05) (Parthasarathy, 2006). Being more bonded does not mean more separation anxiety.

Our canine behavior practice has focused on SA exclusively for more than 20 years. In all that time, we have not seen a correlation between so-called “Velcro dogs” and separation anxiety. Nor have we seen that dogs who spend a lot of time with their owners are more likely to have signs of separation anxiety than dogs who spend less time with their owners. 

As far back as the early 1990s, we began seeing peer-reviewed research that refuted the notion that dogs who are “spoiled” by their guardians are more likely to engage in problem behaviors such as separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is not linked to any particular behaviors on the part of the dog’s owners. A lot of our work resides in reassuring these loving dog guardians that they did not create this problem. 

Have you felt guilty about what others have said about your supposed role in your dog’s separation anxiety? Please, right now, absolve yourself of any and all guilt. This condition is not your fault.

WRONG: “More exercise will fix dogs with separation anxiety.”

CORRECTION: We’re all for physical exercise and mental enrichment, but these aren’t a cure for fear in this or any case. We shout from the rooftops that dogs need appropriate enrichment both physically and mentally. 

However, this is because enrichment contributes to the overall health and wellbeing of our dogs. More physical exercise or mental enrichment unfortunately does not result in a resolution of fear-based behaviors like separation anxiety, despite how prevalent these recommendations are. 

Let’s say you are terrified of flying on an airplane, but you must make a flight later that day. What if your friend told you to run 10 miles prior to boarding in order to feel less afraid? We think you’ll agree that this would not help. Physical exertion cannot overcome panic, particularly not in the long term. 

WRONG: “You can prevent separation anxiety.”

CORRECTION: Helping your dog learn about spending time alone is a great exercise for many reasons. But the idea of prevention gets fear in dogs all wrong. We cannot “prevent” that for which we don’t know the cause. Separation anxiety may be well-researched, but what causes it still remains unclear. 

We can do a lot to help dogs learn that alone time is safe, and we can prepare them for the eventuality of time spent without us. However, even these worthwhile tasks do not guarantee the prevention of separation anxiety. 

WRONG: “Separation anxiety in dogs can be fixed quickly.”

CORRECTION: It’s so tempting to think that there’s a way to speed up fear recovery. If there were a gadget, a pill, or an app that fixed separation anxiety, we would be all over it, but none exists.

It’s imperative to understand that separation anxiety training has to be adjusted to the individual dog with whom we are working. The dog sets the pace, and no two dogs are the same. These are living, breathing, sentient beings, and we can’t apply cookie-cutter training and expect resolution.

Separation anxiety is akin to a phobia in humans and the level of panic that the dog experiences when left alone may not be logical to us, but it is very real to the dog. Fear like that cannot be modified by using quick fix remedies. 

But you can take comfort in this: The scientifically supported training that is used to resolve SA is not new; it’s been tested and true.  

WRONG: “Nobody knows how to help these new dogs with separation anxiety!”

CORRECTION: We do know how to help dogs with separation anxiety. Thankfully, we already have good practical experience and don’t need to reinvent the wheel. 

The successes that we have witnessed are countless. Additionally, members of our team have helped many more dogs, and the collective accomplishments are inestimable. The dogs we’ve seen are incredible. They just need help feeling safe in this modern world. Our clients’ dogs who suffer from separation anxiety are truly extraordinary in every way; they are simply terrified of alone time. We can help them thrive. 

The premier specialists with this behavior issue are Certified Separation Anxiety Trainers (CSATs). CSATs are the only separation anxiety practitioners recommended by the American Veterinary Society for Animal Behavior. 

WHERE TO BEGIN: TREATING SEPARATION ANXIETY IN DOGS

Are you worried about leaving your dog alone? Don’t heed the myths and confusion shared in the popular press and social media. Contact a qualified dog professional and get started. We’ve been here all along and we’re here for you now. You can get through this and your dog can, too. 

Malena DeMartini-Price is renowned in the dog training world for her expertise in dog separation anxiety issues. She is the author of the books Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs, as well as Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Next-Generation Treatment Protocols and Practices.

Maia Huff-Owen is a KPA-CTP and a CSAT. She is also an instructor for Malena DeMartini’s Separation Anxiety Certification Program, a 14-week, intensive course that teaches dog trainers how to work successfully with separation anxiety cases. See “Resources,” page 24, for contact information. 

Excessive Copper in Dog Food May Cause Copper-Associated Hepatopathy

By
Dr. Eileen Fatcheric, DVM
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6
doberman Copper-Associated Hepatopathy
Copper-associated hepatopathy (sometimes referred to as "copper storage disease") used to be considered a concern only in certain predisposed breeds, including Dobermans and Bedlington Terriers. However, veterinarians today see it in dogs of every breed, indicating that copper levels in many dog foods are too high.

We all know good nutrition is critical for the health and longevity of our dogs, and most of us rely on commercial dog foods to help us achieve that. Now, what if we told you those complete-and-balanced diets – the quality food you’ve carefully chosen for your dog – may be slowly killing him? 

It’s true, says Dr. Sharon Center, Emeritus James Law Professor of Internal Medicine at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Center is nationally renowned for her expertise in liver diseases of dogs and cats. She says the excess amount of the essential trace mineral copper in commercial dog food can cause a serious, potentially lethal, illness called dietary-induced, copper-associated hepatopathy (CAH). The incidence of CAH is increasing at a rate that’s causing alarm among veterinarians and dog owners, with one study showing 30% of canine liver biopsies revealing evidence of CAH. 

Certain breeds of dogs are predisposed to CAH, including Bedlington Terriers, Labrador Retrievers, Dalmatians, Dobermans, and Westies – but this is no longer considered a danger to just those breeds. CAH can develop in any dog, and it is expected to happen more and more if copper levels in dog foods remain too high. In fact, it can be actively happening in the liver of a dog showing no outward signs of illness.

ESSENTIAL COPPER IN DOG FOOD

Dietary copper helps your dog make red blood cells and absorb iron. It also functions in the formation of skin and hair pigmentation and connective tissue. A deficiency, though rare, can cause muscular and skeletal problems, so copper is a necessary mineral in our dogs’ food.

Copper-associated hepatopathy in dogs occurs when the amount of dietary copper ingested exceeds their tolerance level and accumulates in the liver. Once in the liver, it can cause acute, severe liver inflammation with immediate, disastrous consequences, or it can cause chronic, insidious damage over time, resulting in widespread scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and liver failure. 

Symptoms of late-stage CAH include abdominal swelling, decreased appetite, diarrhea, increased thirst, jaundice, lethargy, and vomiting. But keep in mind that in the early stages of copper accumulation, there may be no symptoms at all.

“There is certainly a rise in copper-related hepatopathies these days,” says Dr. Joseph J. Wakshlag, Professor of Clinical Nutrition and Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Section Chief of Nutrition at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “It may very well be related to a lack of safe upper limits of copper consumption and higher than expected levels in dog foods,” he says. 

Currently, the legal minimum for copper in an adult canine maintenance diet is 7.3 mg/kg (milligrams per kilogram), but that means little to the average consumer because the copper level is rarely listed on dog food labels (you can call your dog-food manufacturer and request it). At this time, however, there is no maximum limit for copper in your dog’s food. At one point, there was, but that was eliminated when the recommended type of copper used in dog foods was changed to a more bioavailable form. Why the limit was eliminated is not clear, but the results most certainly are. 

THE EFFECTS OF COPPER IN DOG FOOD

dog with high levels of copper
Vira’s hepatopathy was caught at her annual wellness examination, when a routine blood test revealed a high level of ALT, and repeat bloodwork showed the level to be increasing. A liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis.

Meet Vira, a happy, seemingly healthy 4-year-old, spayed female Labradoodle. Routine bloodwork performed at her annual wellness exam showed a concerning elevation of alanine transaminase (ALT), a liver enzyme that increases in the presence of liver inflammation or injury. When repeat bloodwork one month later showed an ongoing increase in ALT, Vira underwent liver biopsy surgery. Biopsies confirmed the presence of excessive copper levels in her liver with associated hepatocellular damage or CAH.

Treatment for CAH usually includes administration of an oral copper-chelating agent (a compound that binds to copper to help remove it) called d-penicillamine. Dogs with CAH are also fed a copper-restricted diet to prevent further copper accumulation in the liver. Antioxidants like vitamin E and S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) are recommended as supplements. 

It can take many months of treatment for the liver damage to resolve. Repeat biopsy is the only definitive way to determine how the affected dog is doing. Because this is an expensive proposition – and most of us don’t want our dogs undergoing multiple invasive surgical procedures – progress is usually monitored with a blood test that measures the liver enzyme ALT. All affected dogs should be fed copper-restricted diets for life, and some dogs will require chronic, low-dose chelation therapy.

Vira has responded favorably to her treatment and her ALT level is now normal. She eats a copper-restricted diet called “The Scoop” (available at safedogfood.com). Other commercial options for copper-restricted diets include Hill’s l/d Liver Care and Royal Canin Hepatic Veterinary Diet (both require a veterinary prescription). 

GETTING HELP WITH COPPER-ASSOCIATED HEPATOPATHY

nutramax supplement to help with CAH
Nutramax’s over-the-counter SAM-e supplement, sold under the name Denosyl, is recommended by many veterinarians for helping dogs with CAH.

Dr. Wakshlag says that most of the low-copper commercial foods designed for dogs with liver disease are also protein-restricted, which is not appropriate for all CAH cases. “This is where I come in,” says Dr. Wakshlag, who offers nutrition services at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals. Since it’s hard to find commercial diets with low copper and higher levels of protein, a home-prepared diet formulated by a veterinary nutritionist may be the best alternative. “We have been formulating diets for these copper-related hepatopathies in dogs for nearly 20 years,” says Dr. Wakshlag.

It’s also wise, if you have copper water pipes in your home, to flush the lines for several minutes before filling your dog’s water bowl to reduce the copper content in his water.

Electing to have a routine blood chemistry run at Vira’s annual wellness exam most likely saved her life. Please consider this relatively inexpensive option for your dog at his or her annual wellness examination to catch any life-threatening copper toxicity in your dog.

Dr. Center is relentlessly lobbying the FDA to immediately re-establish maximum-allowed copper levels in commercial dog foods and to reconsider current federal canine dietary copper recommendations, but we all need to make our voices heard (see “What You Can Do: Contact the FDA,” below) in order to make this an industry-wide change. 

The Regulatory Players
AAFCO statement on dog food label
All “complete and balanced” dog foods must carry one of these statements, indicating that they have met one of the two AAFCO nutritional adequacy protocols.

Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). A non-profit organization consisting of the state officials who are responsible for enforcing state laws regarding the safety of animal feeds. AAFCO provides a forum where state agencies, federal agencies, and industry develop uniform language and model regulations that states may adopt or reference. AAFCO committees have developed protocols for proving the nutritional adequacy of pet foods. In order to be represented as a “complete and balanced diet” for dogs, dog food companies must state on the product label which AAFCO nutritional adequacy protocol the product met; either the product performed adequately in a feeding trial conducted according to AAFCO standards, or it was formulated to meet one of the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles for dogs of a specific life stage. These Nutrient Profiles establish minimum recommended levels – and a few maximum levels – of each essential nutrient for dogs.

National Research Council (NRC). This is the operating arm of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), a congressionally chartered non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide independent scientific evidence and advice for the benefit of society. Reports from the NRC are used by the FDA to create policies and regulations regarding dog foods, and have helped inform the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles, as well.

United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of many marketed products, including animal foods and feed. The FDA is the only one of these three agencies with the power to change regulations regarding the nutritional content of dog foods.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON COPPER IN DOG FOOD

The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA), recently published a commentary written by a working group comprised of Dr. Center, Dr. Wakshlag, and other veterinary specialists, expressing their concern about the excessive amounts of copper in commercial dog foods; you can read it here.

You can also experience the FDA Virtual Listening Session where Dr. Center discusses CAH and the reasons she is imploring the FDA, NRC, and AAFCO to re-examine dietary copper recommendations, reconsider current guidelines, and establish a safe upper limit to copper amounts in commercial dog foods, by visiting bit.ly/WDJ_DrCenter.

What You Can Do: Contact the FDA

Dr. Center asks that if your dog has been diagnosed with copper hepatopathy, please complete the FDA questionnaire at https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/reportproblem/how-report-pet-food-complaint. Ask your veterinarian to do the same, as entries from veterinarians are taken very seriously. You can start by Selecting “Safety Reporting Portal,” and identify yourself as a guest. Then select, “Start a New Report.”

For a title for your FDA report, Dr. Center recommends “Dog Food Copper Over-Supplementation.” Fill out the form to the best of your ability, trying not to leave any entries blank. The entry marked “Problem Summary” is the most important entry, says Dr. Center. Make it clear to the FDA that your dog was affected by copper overdose through dog food and add personal commentary regarding your experience.

For example, you might say: “My dog was impacted by copper-associated hepatopathy thought to be due to over-supplementation of copper in commercial pet food. I implore the FDA to take corrective action to lower the maximum copper concentration in commercial dog food to mitigate this avoidable and potentially fatal illness.”

We recommend that you expand this entry with your personal commentary of hardship you endured. Tell them about the expenses you incurred, your dog’s illness, the difficulty of the diagnosis and management, and the emotional stress to yourself and your family. 

This article originally appeared in Cornell Dogwatch, the official publication of the Cornell Margaret and Richard Riney Canine Health Center. To subscribe, visit www.dogwatchnewsletter.com.

Download The Full March 2022 Issue PDF

By
Nancy Kerns
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2
  • Excessive Copper
  • Saboteurs in the Family
  • Separation Anxiety
  • Anxiety Medications
  • Lessons from Force-Free Gundog Trainers
  • Creative Confinement
  • Wash Your Dog's Toys
  • Does Your Dog Hurt?
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Finding the Best Dry Dog Food with Meat or Meat Meal (Or Both)

By
Nancy Kerns
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3
aisle of dry dog food
It's hard to compare dog food formulas when you're in a pet supply store. Instead, you can use our searchable database to find products with just the traits you're looking for, or looking to avoid!

A few years ago, we added a column in our “Approved Dry Dog Foods” tables – an additional data point for people who are looking for certain attributes in their dog’s food. The column is “Meat, Meat Meal, or Both.” The information in this column helps consumers find products that are among the more than 1,100 options on our “Approved Dry Dog Foods” list that contain only a fresh or frozen source of (named) animal protein (in this instance, “meat” would be indicated in this column), “meat meal” (meaning a dry, rendered meal made from a named animal source), or “Both,” indicating both a named meat and a named meat meal (e.g., chicken and chicken meal).

The reasons behind our collection and inclusion of this information were thoroughly outlined in “Meat and Meat Meal: Sorting Through Animal Protein Sources.” But, to recap in an abbreviated way, “meat” is (relatively) fresh tissues from slaughtered animals. Because it contains a lot of moisture, its protein content is relatively low. In contrast, the protein content in “meat meal” is much higher, because much of the moisture (water) has been removed with heat. Pet food makers can use meat meal alone to produce a kibble with sufficient (and far more than sufficient) levels of protein, but if they use meat only, they often have to also include one or two or three sources of plant-sourced proteins. Often, the makers of premium pet foods use both, in order to have a higher-protein product that’s also maximally palatable (attractive in taste and aroma) to dogs.

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Whole Dog Journal’s 2022 Approved Dry Dog Foods

What’s better: Meat or Meat Meal in Dog Food?

What’s best? We won’t take a position on this. It’s practically a political or religious topic among some pet owners! Our opinion is always, “Whatever works best for your individual dogs.” Performance, in pet-food industry parlance, is what’s most important to us.

The companies who make and market foods with meat only make a case for their stance. Halo is probably the most vociferous about it; they have a whole page of information containing their rationale here. When you read marketing materials, though, you always have to be alert for hyperbole. Their page begins:

“Meat meal” is a primary ingredient in most dry cat food and dog food, and it is made from taking slaughterhouse and fish processing factory remnants that are not edible for humans, and cooking them, processing them under high heat, and dehydrating them into a dry powdery substance that goes into kibble.
label of dog food without meat meal
This is a “no meat meals” marketing blurb on the label of a food made by Bixbi.

What they don’t say is that the “meat” used in pet food is also taken from “slaughterhouse and fish processing factory remnants that are not edible for humans” and, to make kibble, is cooked under high heat and pressure and then dried into a granular substance.

That said, there are certain benefits to foods made without meat meal, and they “perform” best for some dogs. For other dogs, the often-high inclusion of plant-sourced proteins (or other factors) may offset those benefits.

Our recommendation is always this: Try products with different formulations and attributes and – this is critical – keep track of what you are feeding and what changes (if any) you observe in your dog. It’s absolutely undisputed that some dogs do better on foods without meat meal in them, some do better on foods without a high inclusion of plant proteins in them, and some dogs do fine on almost anything at all. But if you don’t keep some sort of record, you’ll likely be at a loss to understand what works best for your dog.

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Whole Dog Journal’s 2022 Approved Dry Dog Foods

How to find the best dry dog food with our database

There are two ways you can go about finding foods on our “Approved Dry Dog Foods” list that contain either meat only, meat meal only, or both. Of course, you can simply sort all the foods on our list by clicking on the top of that column and then scroll.

But if you really want to have fun, use the filters in the new searchable database! You can start simply by using the filter for the “Meat, Meal, or Both” column. By selecting “Meat” using that filter, I see that we have 158 products that contain no meat meal among all the products on our “Approved Dry Dog Foods” list.

dog food without meat meal ingredients list
Foods that contain no meat meal and no grains are likely to have a high inclusion of legumes.

Note: When I start examining the products in that list, I remembered one little complication: Some of the products found in that search contain dehydrated meat or freeze-dried meat. There is a reason we didn’t separate those potential responses in the “Meat, Meat Meal, or Both” column: There is little reason to distinguish those ingredients from “meat” in terms of quality. Both dehydrated and freeze-dried meats are subjected to their moisture-removing processes quickly, before the material can begin to go rancid or experience significant pathogenic bacterial growth. And neither is subjected to the kind of heat or fat-removing process that so radically alters the cellular structure of meat meals. In our view, meat, dehydrated meat, and freeze-dried meat all fall under the category of “meat.”

You can to add as many more selection attributes that might be helpful to you and then sort the results by clicking on the top of “meat, meat meal, or both” column. For example, say I want a dry dog food that contains both meat and meat meal (because I’m not afraid of meat meals, I find the meat-containing foods are more palatable to my dogs, and I’m not a huge fan of plant-sourced proteins) but also doesn’t contain chicken or beef – and I need it to be on the low end of the range of fat. I started with my filters set like this:

dog food database filtered for dog food without chicken, beef and with meat and meat meal

Whoa! That resulted in only two foods, both “weight management” products. And look! They both contain lots of protein-containing plant-products. This makes sense because I started with a fat content that was too low. Think about it: Kibble is made with protein, fat, and carbs. If you reduce the fat a lot, the protein and carbs necessarily increase. Legumes contain both. So maybe, to find products that better meet my criteria, I need to increase the amount of fat I’ll accept in the candidate products, and use another filter to eliminate grain-free dog foods (which almost always contain legumes). I got 34 candidate foods when I set my filters like this:

dog food database filtered to have meat and meat meal

Looking down the list, I do actually still see some products that contain legumes, but there are enough candidates to choose from that I would still have plenty of products to try.

Try the filters in the searchable database! Have fun! And let us know in the comments if you are having trouble of any kind setting up your filters.

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Whole Dog Journal’s 2022 Approved Dry Dog Foods

An overabundance of needy dogs

By
Nancy Kerns
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35
cute scruffy dog up for adoption
This was so nearly my new dog. Oh, my heart.

My friend Leonora, owner of tiny Samson (my dog Woody’s BFF), is starting to search for a second dog. It’s been over a year since her last big dog died, and she’s just starting to look for just the right new family member. The candidate has to be gentle and dog-friendly enough to live with 4.8-pound Samson, whose legs are like chopsticks, so we’ve been frequenting our local shelter, which, sadly, is packed to the roof with dogs at the moment. Yikes.

Over the 14 years that I’ve been living in this town and volunteering for the shelter, I’ve earned the privilege of getting to visit and work with dogs when the building is closed to the public. So Leonora and I are able to wander through the adoption wing on weekends when she’s off work and take out any dogs we like.

I wanted to show her two puppies that I spotted. If my 14-year-old Otto was already gone, I would have adopted one of them myself. They both had irresistible scruffy faces like Otto and seemed like they were going to be a bit smaller than him, which I want for my next dog. I can’t bring a puppy home while we’re going through end of life stuff with him. I just can’t. But I was sorely tempted.

Leonora spent a long time with those puppies, and some time with a younger puppy. We’ve learned over the past few years that Samson can hold his own with very young puppies, effectively training them when they are young to not step on him or knock him over; if they do, he goes at them with a great show of ferocity, scaring but not hurting them. As they grow well past Samson’s size, they become increasingly careful with him! So getting a very young puppy might be the best way to raise a Samson-safe friend; older pups, in contrast, might not respect his ferocity, coming as it does in such a small package. For this reason, plus all the other work of raising a puppy, complete with housetraining and puppy kindergarten, Leonora is leaning away from the idea of adopting a puppy this time. Since she lives alone and works full time (and tiny

two dogs up for adoption
SO TEMPTING. These pups will get adopted quickly. LOOK AT THOSE FACES!

Samson gets to come to work with her, but a second dog could not), she’s not wild about the idea. And besides, puppies ALWAYS get adopted quickly; she’d like to help an older dog get out of the shelter.

I later learned that the two pups who tempted me so strongly were transferred to a shelter in the San Francisco Bay Area that has far fewer dogs. I’m so glad; they will get adopted in a hot minute down there.

Looking at adult dogs to adopt

We didn’t see just the right dog – but we saw one who needed help. There was a female Great Pyrenees, about 18 months old, pasted to the back of her kennel, who wouldn’t make eye contact with us. We looked at her cage card. She had been adopted two months prior, but was recently returned to the shelter because – I’m not making this up – shedding.  No kidding!! A Pyrenees! There was one very hard, dry poop in her otherwise dry kennel; she was “holding it.” No wonder she looked so miserable.

I went inside her kennel, but she was petrified and wouldn’t approach me – wouldn’t even look at me. However, neither did she give me any aggressive signals. I scratched her chest for a moment, and she leaned a little closer to me. I slipped a leash over her head and she immediately moved to the kennel door; she knew this meant I would take her out.

Once outside and freed in a large run, the Pyr urinated for what seemed like several minutes, and then pooped several enormous poops. No wonder the poor baby looked so miserable inside!

This was Saturday morning on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday weekend, so the shelter was closed to the public for three days in a row. The staff would be cleaning and feeding, but the dogs don’t get outside on those days. I texted the shelter manager and asked if we could bring the Pyrenees home for the weekend, and happily she agreed. Much of the fencing on my property is only four feet tall, whereas Leonora has six-foot chain-link fences, so she agreed to hold the dog over the weekend. The dog’s name was supposedly “Pearl,” but she didn’t seem to recognize it over any other word, so we started calling her Delilah (you know, to go with Samson!).

She’s a strange girl, with some weird fears and apprehensions. She hops readily into the car, but then won’t get out. At first, we had to practically drag and push her into and out of the house; she didn’t like going through doorways. She chose to sleep in Leonora’s bathroom. The first night in the house, she didn’t move from the spot where we put a big blanket for her; the next night, she went into the bathroom and slept wedged between the toilet and the shower.

Come Tuesday morning, neither of us could stand the idea of taking the big, shedding dog back to the shelter. The shelter staff had already reached out to a Pyrenees rescue, and they are trying to find a foster or adoptive home for her, but for now, Leonora is fostering her and hoping to bring her more and more out of her shut-down behavioral shell.

Training another rehomed dog

pyrenees and malti-poo
Delilah the Pyrenees and Sophie the Malti-Poo, both with some issues, both looking for homes.

Right when all that was going on, another friend of mine had adopted a dog – rehomed from Craigslist – but had to travel for much of the month of February. When she was making arrangements for the adoption, I told her I could dog-sit the new dog until she got back. So she had the dog for just over two weeks before I was going to dog-sit, and every day that passed, my friend was more convinced that she had adopted the wrong dog. This little Maltese/Poodle-mix (also about 18 months old, hmmm) is barky, not house-trained, has separation anxiety, and chased her elderly cat. And returning the dog was not an option. Oops! I told her not to make any hasty decisions, but to let me spend some time with the dog; we could more easily find the little cutie another home with a little training under her collar.

Sophie’s understanding of housetraining is fine, but she’ll sneak a pee indoors if you’re not paying attention. And her separation anxiety is not severe; she’s improving with my efforts to only slowly increase the duration of the minutes I leave her alone. I’ve been working a lot on name recognition and “leave it,” so whomever she ends up with will have solid tools to get her to turn away from whatever she is barking at and come back.

Five dogs go, six return

Given the exercise needs of both of these adolescent dogs, Leonora and I have been taking a lot of walks together. Given her mild separation anxiety, Sophie is terrific off-leash (I like to joke that the problem with separation-anxiety dogs is that you can’t leave them, but on the other hand, they won’t ever leave you!). She likes to run with my big dog, Woody, and looks extremely cute bounding through the tall grass in our local open spaces.

We don’t take Delilah off leash. The Pyrenees rescue group warned us that no matter how attached to you a Pyr seems to be, when given the opportunity, they tend to take off running and not look back. And since it’s still a challenge to get Delilah to so much as look at us when we say her name (she can do it well without distractions, but out in open spaces, forget it), we keep her on the long line.

otto, dog swimming in pond
One our walks, we let my 14-year-old dog Otto set the pace, and swim whenever he wants to.

Last weekend, Leonora and I took all five of our dogs (my three: Otto, Woody, and Sophie, and Leonora’s Samson and Delilah) for a short, slow, sniffing walk in the hour before sunset in a part of our local “wildlife area” where we don’t often walk. All of our dogs except Delilah were off-leash. When we were almost back to Leonora’s car, we heard a dog barking at us – though at first, we couldn’t tell where the barking was coming from. We have been out on the trail at this time of evening and had coyotes barking at and watching us, so Leonora scooped up tiny Samson and I quickly called Sophie to me and snapped her leash back on. A minute later, the barker revealed herself: a short, fat, (maybe) Cattle Dog-mix, came rushing out from underneath a tree, looking for all the world like a castaway on a desert island who just saw a boat on her beach. She was wary of all of our dogs, but came at me in a frantic fashion, “Oh my dog I am so glad to see you thank you thank you thank you I thought I was going to starve out here!”

Given that Leonora had her hands full with tiny Samson in her arms and giant Delilah on a leash, I told her to walk ahead so I could try to assess what was going on with the stray dog.

This wild enthusiasm had little Sophie freaked out – she wanted to get away from the whirling dervish – so I unclipped her leash and dropped a loop around the neck of the castaway, to try to contain her writhing and leaping about. Instantly she transformed into a wild horse at the end of a lasso: “What the heck? Are you trying to kill me? Help! Someone! Help! I’m dying!”

I hunkered down, food treats in hand. “Hey, buddy, it’s ok! Look! Food!” But the little dog was convinced she was about to be murdered. I slipped the leash off – and she reanimated immediately. “Thank you, thank you! Friend! Thank you!”

Given how portly she was, I wondered if she had pups under the tree; she was too close to the ground for me to see if she was nursing. I walked back over to the tree where she had been. The grass was all pressed down in that area, as if she had been hanging out there for some time, and there were torn-up fast food bags and wrappers strewn around. Had she raided garbage cans in the area and brought the bags back to her hiding spot? Or had she been abandoned there with a bag of food? There’s no telling.

Given that we already had a car FULL of dogs – small ones in the front seats with us, the giant one taking up the full back seat, and my two boys in the generously sized “way back” of Leonora’s SUV – I was worried about whether we could (or should even try to) bring the castaway with us in the car, especially given that she had not, apparently, had a leash on before. I decided not to make her come along with us, and instead, see if she would follow us the short distance back to the car, or go back to her tree. She not only followed, but hopped into the car pretty easily, hunkering down on the passenger side floor on my feet. Okay, well, we don’t have to worry about coyotes eating her, but where are we going to put her? I texted the shelter manager and asked if I could bring her in, and put her in one of the outdoor pens where local law-enforcement officers sometimes bring dogs they catch after hours. Thankfully, despite the crowding in the shelter already, she agreed.

found cattle dog
Our “desert island” dog — a neutered male! Even hunkered down low, I didn’t see anything to tip me off. 🙂 He’s still unclaimed at my local shelter; I think he was probably a “garage’ puppy and dumped out there.

At the shelter, I took pictures of the dog and put her in one of the outdoor holding pens with food, water, and a blanket. Back at home, I posted her picture on all the local “lost/found pet” sites I know and made a “found dog” flier to post back in the area where we found her the next day.

I had to scratch out the “female” part of my fliers the next morning when a shelter staffer texted me to let me know that my desert island dog was a neutered boy, not a girl. Whoops! He was fuzzy and low to the ground! But despite being neutered, no microchip. Argh!

I hear that in some parts of the country, there is a shortage of dogs to adopt? If that’s you, let me know! We’ve got way too many here.

Limited Ingredient Dog Food – How to Find the Best Dog Food for Allergies & Intolerances

By
Nancy Kerns
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4
limited ingredient dog food

So much of what’s on dog food labels has to do with marketing, rather than nutrition. The phrase “limited ingredient” falls somewhere in between.

There is no agreed-upon definition for “limited-ingredient foods.” In some cases, pet food makers use the phrase to designate foods that contain only one animal protein source and one carbohydrate source; these products may contain very few ingredients overall… but this is not always the case. In some cases, using only a single animal protein source results in a food that contains less protein than the pet food maker wanted, so a plant protein source (or two, or more) are added.

By the way, no matter how “limited” the formula is, it may appear to contain dozens of ingredients. The pet food makers don’t really consider all the ingredients that go into their vitamin/mineral pre-mix when they call a food “limited ingredient,” even though they have to name each of the ingredients included in that pre-mix on the list of ingredients on the product label. Generally, when the phrase is used, it’s meant to mean all of the major ingredients, not the vitamins and mineral sources, and certainly nothing that’s named among or below those sources on the ingredients list. (Since the ingredients are listed by the weight of their inclusion in the mix, anything that’s included in the same amount or less as some individual vitamin or mineral is present in the food in a very small amount – not enough to worry about for any but the most allergic dog ever.)

What advantage is there to a limited ingredient diet? A small ingredient list isn’t a virtue in and of itself; it’s only particularly helpful to dogs who are allergic to or intolerant of several food ingredients.

A review: An allergy involves an exaggerated or pathological immunological reaction (often referred to as a hypersensitive immune response) to a benign substance. True allergies cause the immune system to produce antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). In dogs, allergies usually cause extreme itchiness; digestive issues such as diarrhea and vomiting are not out of the question, but they are far more rare than itchy skin (including itchy paws and ears).

A food intolerance, in contrast, is something that causes an adverse reaction such as vomiting, diarrhea, and extreme gassiness.

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Whole Dog Journal’s 2022 Approved Dry Dog Foods

Dog food elimination diet trials

The best way to find out which food ingredients your dog is allergic to or intolerant of is to conduct a dog elimination diet trial. In this sort of trial, you feed your dog an extremely limited-ingredient diet – generally a home-prepared diet consisting of a single animal protein source and a single carbohydrate source. The protein and carb are selected for novelty – something the dog (one hopes) hasn’t ever eaten before. For example, you may try bison for protein and barley for carbohydrates. This diet (and nothing but this diet) is fed for a few weeks while the dog is watched carefully for reactions. If he remains symptom-free, then a single new ingredient is added to the diet – perhaps another protein source – and he’s again watched carefully to see if any symptoms arise.

If he responds at any time with symptoms, the ingredient that was added most recently is suspected of causing his allergy or intolerance and removed from the diet until he’s free of symptoms again. From then on, the owner tries to make sure the dog’s diet is free of that/those ingredients. (For more about food-allergic dogs and how to conduct a food elimination trial, see this article.)

If you don’t know what food ingredients your dog is allergic to or intolerant of, you might find a limited-ingredient diet that doesn’t contain the ingredients that are problematic for your dog by sheer dumb luck. That’s great if you never change his food again, and if the manufacturer doesn’t ever change the formula, and if your dog doesn’t develop an allergy of/intolerance to any more ingredients (it happens). But a food-elimination trial is really the way to go, so you know what you are avoiding.

Dogs who are allergic to or intolerant of several or lots of common food ingredients (or even more) are the most difficult to find commercial diets for. They are the ones that a truly limited-ingredient diet is helpful for – as long as the product doesn’t contain the specific ingredients the dog is allergic to or intolerant to.

Use our searchable database to find limited ingredient dog food!

How can you find limited-ingredient foods? Well, it’s not the easiest task, mostly because (as I said earlier) there is no specific definition of the term. But some manufacturers who are taking this tack try to include “Limited Ingredient” in the product name – and these we can capture using the “approved food” searchable database on our site. I searched for the word “limited” in the “dry food variety” field and got 23 results. I expanded the ingredients list field on each food, to see exactly how “limited” they were.

limited ingredients dog food search

The most limited-ingredient products (shortest ingredient list) on our list are Taste of the Wild products in their “Prey Limited Ingredient” line. The Beef variety contains just four major ingredients: beef, lentils, tomato pomace, and sunflower oil.  The Turkey and the Trout varieties have the same formula, with just the different protein (turkey, lentils, tomato pomace, and sunflower oil in the Turkey variety and trout, lentils, tomato pomace, and sunflower oil in the Trout variety).

How do we define “major ingredients” in dog food? Essentially, we’re talking about the protein, carb, and fat sources high up on the label. As soon as you get into things like “natural flavor,” which comes next on the label, you are no longer in the land of “major” ingredients.

Personally, I’m not such a huge fan of products with a legume (or legumes) representing so much of the formula, but if your dog is intolerant of grains and legumes seem to suit your dog, fine!

Triumph Pet Food has a product called Limited Ingredient Lamb & Brown Rice in its Wild Spirit line with just six major ingredients: deboned lamb, lamb meal, brown rice, whole barley, peas, and chicken fat. I like the fact that the peas are lower down on the list of that product, but this is a personal preference.

You might find other dry dog foods on our “approved foods” list that have short ingredient lists but without the word “limited” in the name. It would be best if you knew exactly which ingredients you were trying to avoid because then you could simply build a search that omitted all of those ingredients – like a soy-free, corn-free, wheat-free, rice-free, and chicken-free dog food. Something like this example:

example of dry dog food filter

That search resulted in 73 prospects to look over – pretty good for your dog food search when your dog suffers from several food allergies!

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Whole Dog Journal’s 2022 Approved Dry Dog Foods

Find the Best Dog Food For Your Dog with Allergies

By
Nancy Kerns
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13
dog food for allergies

Many of us have identified certain ingredients that we don’t want to see in our dogs’ food.

Sometimes we have good evidence for this, such as a solid association (backed up by daily notes written on our dog’s health calendar) between our dog eating a certain ingredient and having diarrhea, or a certain type of food causing our dog to nearly instantly develop an ear infection. (Ear infections are often caused by inflammation in the ear that is brought on by allergies. See this article for more details and information on how to prevent ear infections.)

Sometimes we are trying to avoid a certain ingredient or ingredients because we are just worried about the possibility of potential adverse effects.

Whatever the case, if you want to find foods that are free of the ingredients you’re trying to avoid feeding to your dog, we think you’ll appreciate the new search tool now available on our lists of approved dry and canned dog foods. Read on to learn how you can find the best dog food for allergies, intolerances, and your dog’s preferences!

Our list of approved dry dog foods for 2022 – more than 1,100 products that meet our selection criteria – currently appears here on our website (note that only current subscribers can access our approved foods lists). In past years, the reviews of dry and canned foods printed in the magazine and posted on the website were the same and listed only the manufacturers who make the products that meet our food-selection criteria. A summary described the products made by each manufacturer on our lists. But now, on our website, we have listed every single one of the products made by the manufacturers on our “approved foods” lists – and you can use filters to look for foods that either do or don’t contain any ingredients that are of special interest or concern to you.

Before Otto, my previous “heart dog” was Rupert, a Border Collie with a serious and confirmed allergy to chicken in any form: chicken, chicken meal, chicken fat – you name it. Of course, chicken is one of the most ubiquitous ingredients in dog food; it’s hard to find chicken-free dog food.If only I had this tool back then!

Before, a chicken allergy in dogs would make finding a safe, healthy dog food difficult. Now, all I would have to do is scroll down on this page to where it says “Searchable Dry Dog Food Database,” click on the little box that says “Add Filters,” and set the filters to search for “Ingredients does not contain chicken,” and voila! A stunning 441 foods on our list don’t contain chicken!

dog food database filtered to not include chicken
If your dog is allergic to chicken, just filter out chicken as an ingredient.

You can also change the order that the foods appear in by clicking on the top of the columns where the detailed data for each food is tabulated. This enables you to sort and order the foods (highest to lowest, or lowest to highest) by average price per pound, protein content, or fat content.

Add as many filters as you like to find the best dry dog food for your dog’s allergies! You can search for a salmon-based food that does not contain any rendered meals for dogs of all life stages and that contains at least 30% fat (this search returned just one product), or any other combination of data about the food that would be helpful to you and your dog. Check it out! We hope you will find it as useful and interesting as we do!

dog food database filtered for salmon based food
We used product filtering to find a dry dog food with salmon and protein content higher than 30%.

A final note: Given the amount of data shown on the screen for each food (including the complete ingredients list, the minimum amount of protein and fat, whether the food contains meat, meat meal, or both; whether it’s for dogs of all life stages or adult maintenance, and its average price per pound), it’s MUCH easier to see and use the database on a laptop or desktop computer than on a phone screen.

What Causes Sudden Hind-Leg Weakness in Dogs?

By
Dr. Eileen Fatcheric, DVM
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16
Hind-Leg Weakness in Dogs
Every hunt for the cause of lameness should start with your veterinarian giving your dog a through physical examination and basic blood tests. Your detailed observations about your dog's activity and the onset of symptoms are aloso very important clues your vet can use to help determine which advanced tests to employ in order to narrow the possible causes of hind-limb weakness.

When a dog suffers from weakness, regardless of cause, it’s usually most noticeable in the hind limbs first. This makes sense, as the dog’s hind limbs do a lot. They are responsible for pushing up from a sitting or laying position and for propelling the body forward during movement. Difficulty with these simple activities of daily life will alert you to hind-leg weakness in dogs.

What does it look like when your dog’s back legs are weak? Slow to rise, sinking on hind limbs, dragging the tops of the toes, hind end swaying, limbs crossing sometimes, exercise intolerance, slipping, sliding, and hind-end collapse are all signs of hind-limb weakness. Your dog may also suddenly not be able to walk on back legs.

If your dog is showing any of these signs, a couple of important observations you can make that will help your veterinarian determine the cause are:

  • Is the weakness episodic or constant?
  • Is it exercise-induced or not?
  • Did it come on gradually or suddenly?

Your dog’s age and size will make some conditions more likely than others. This is also used in the diagnostic process.

Causes of hind-limb weakness can be categorized into four main groups: orthopedic, neurologic, metabolic, or cardiac.

Orthopedic Causes of Hind-Leg Weakness

The main orthopedic cause of hind-limb weakness in dogs is chronic joint inflammation/pain (osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease). While the arthritis itself is obviously painful, it is frequently accompanied by muscle aches and pains, called compensatory pain. The result is that it’s hard for the dog to get up and get moving. This may cause him to become more sedentary, resulting in loss of muscular strength and fitness, which compounds the whole situation.

Arthritis most commonly affects older dogs due to wear and tear on the joints over the years; overweight dogs bear an additional burden due to the excess stress those extra pounds put on the joints. Dogs with hip dysplasia (abnormally formed hip joints) may develop hip arthritis at a young age. Hind-limb weakness due to these arthritic conditions usually has a slow, insidious onset. It won’t seem like it happened overnight.

Acute forms of arthritis that can result in sudden weakness in the dog’s hind end include immune-mediated arthritis and Lyme arthritis. Other orthopedic causes of hind-limb weakness include fractures, intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), and bilateral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, which are common in overweight dogs. Blood tests and x-rays will help your veterinarian diagnose these conditions and prescribe appropriate therapy.

Neurologic Causes of Hind-Leg Weakness in Dogs

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) crosses over from an orthopedic probem to a neurologic one when a diseased disc (or discs) puts pressure on the spinal cord, resulting in neurologic weakness. Many of these cases can be managed medically, but if paralysis occurs or there is no improvement with medical therapy, surgery is indicated. 

Spinal tumors and other neurologic conditions cause similar signs. Advanced imaging, such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and sometimes cerebrospinal fluid analysis, is required for diagnosis.

Diskospondylitis is an infection of the intervertebral disc and the ends of the adjacent vertebrae. It is very painful, frequently causes hind-limb weakness, and can be difficult to diagnose. Treatment is antibiotics for an extended period of time (six to 12 months). Because this condition can be hard to diagnose in its early stages, your dog may require repeat x-rays and/or advanced testing like CT or MRI to get to a definitive diagnosis. Properly diagnosed and treated, these dogs can make a full recovery.

Lumbosacral stenosis, also known as cauda equina syndrome, is a degenerative condition similar to IVDD but specific to the lumbosacral joint. This is the joint connecting the last vertebrae to the pelvic area. It’s different from the other intervertebral joints in that it is where all the peripheral nerves that go to the hind end branch off from the spinal cord. Disease in this area is very painful and frequently causes neurologic deficits, resulting in hind-limb weakness.

Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a slow but progressive degeneration of the spinal cord resulting in hind-limb weakness. It occurs in many breeds but the German Shepherd Dog is the poster child for this disease. It usually affects middle-aged and older dogs. There is currently no effective treatment for DM, just supportive care.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder that results in muscular weakness that comes on with exercise. It can start with the hind limbs, but rapidly evolves into full-body weakness and collapse. 

Here’s a scenario that’s classic for MG: Your dog gets up from resting and is perfectly normal. You head out for your walk and within minutes, he is sinking, slipping, and staggering until he can no longer stand or walk. After a period of rest, which allows for replenishment of affected neuromuscular transmitters, he can once again function for a short time. Diagnosis requires a blood test. Treatment is long term (six months or longer). Some dogs will achieve remission and go on to live normal lives. Others will require treatment and support for life.

Exercise-induced collapse (EIC) is an inherited disorder in Labrador Retrievers and a handful of other breeds. It usually becomes apparent between 6 months and 2 years of age. It happens after several minutes of strenuous exercise. The dog suddenly becomes progressively weaker and uncoordinated in the hind limbs until he ultimately collapses. There is no treatment for this. Prevention involves avoiding strenuous exercise. For these reasons, it is important that you purchase your puppy from a breeder who has tested the parents for this gene. If you’ve adopted a dog with these symptoms, have him tested for the EIC gene.

Idiopathic vestibular syndrome is a common cause of incoordination and hind-limb weakness in geriatric dogs. It comes on suddenly, and it may seem to you as if your dog has had a stroke. The cause of this disorder is unknown. It is frequently accompanied by balance issues and a head tilt. Most dogs will recover in time with supportive care.

Several tick-borne diseases can cause generalized neuromuscular weakness that may first be apparent in the hind limbs. Tell your veterinarian if you have seen ticks on your dog.

Metabolic Causes of Hind-Leg Weakness in Dogs

hind leg weakness in dogs
Keeping your dog at a healthy weight, like the dog in the background will not only help prevent hind-end problems, but also improve the prognosis of any problems that might develop. Extra weight, like that carried by the dog in the foreground, will make any injury more painful and any weakness more difficult for your dog.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), low red blood cells (anemia), and low potassium (hypokalemia) are all examples of metabolic disorders that can result in hind-limb weakness. These are easily diagnosed with blood tests. Finding their underlying causes, which requires further diagnostic testing, is important for resolving these issues.

Underactive adrenal glands (Addison’s disease) and low thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) are endocrine disorders that can cause weakness. Both disorders are diagnosed with blood tests, and treatment is for life.

Some liver conditions can result in a metabolic condition called hepatic encephalopathy, which causes episodic weakness and confusion, most obvious after eating a meal.

Cardiac Causes of Hind-Leg Weakness in Dogs

Adequate cardiac function is essential for blood flow and oxygen delivery to all the body’s tissues. When cardiac function is impaired, regardless of cause, weakness results. Again, for the reasons previously stated, weakness in dogs is usually first apparent in the hind limbs.

Heartworm disease, congestive heart failure, heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy), cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac or pericardial tumors, and fluid in the sac surrounding the heart (pericardial effusion) are all examples of cardiac diseases seen in dogs. 

Your dog’s physical exam will clue your veterinarian into a cardiac cause for the hind-limb weakness you’ve identified, and diagnosis and treatment will move on from there.

Hind-Leg Weakness is Not Just Caused by “Old Age”

As you can see, there are myriad potential causes of hind-limb weakness in dogs. This is why it is important to have your dog examined if you notice this issue – and never just dismiss it as an “old dog” issue. Your veterinarian can rule out many of the underlying causes and hopefully get to a definitive diagnosis. Identifying and treating some of these diseases can be life-changing for your dog, even if he’s quite senior!

For some chronic conditions, like osteoarthritis, there is no cure. But there is so much you can do to improve and maintain quality of life for your dog for a long, long time. It starts with your tender loving care and commitment to supportive measures. 

Support for Arthritis-Related Mobility Issues
help em up harness for dogs with weak limbs
If your dog has weak limbs, a Help ‘Em Up Harness can be worn all day like a collar so you can help them get up stairs and move around.
  • Weight management. Everything is more difficult for overweight dogs.
  • Joint supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin (I like Dasuquin by Nutramax), and/or hyaluronic acid/egg shell membrane (I like Movoflex by Virbac).
  • The disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug Adequan Canine (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) by American Regent Animal Health.
  • Fish oil supplements, which offer anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. (My favorites are Welactin by Nutramax and Nordic Naturals.)
  • Anti-inflammatory medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as deracoxib, carprofen, meloxicam, and others are the mainstay of pain relief for osteoarthritis. Always give these drugs with food to protect your dog’s stomach and have your dog’s kidney and liver function monitored at least twice a year while on these meds.
  • Physical therapy, geared toward building and maintaining muscular strength. This can be pursued at a canine rehabilitation center, where underwater treadmill and other exercises will be incorporated into your dog’s individualized plan. But you can also do a number of exercises with your dog at home. Try “Puppy Push-ups,” for example: Have your dog sit, then stand, then down, then stand. Repeat. Slowly increase the repetitions like you would with your own fitness regime.
  • You can also purchase an “instability” platform such as the K9FITbone (made by FitPAWS; see fitpawsusa.com). Standing on this inflated, rubbery platform helps build your dog’s muscles and body awareness. Start by teaching your dog to balance on the bone. Once he is comfortable standing on it, you can have him do his puppy push-ups on it! While he is standing, use a food lure to encourage him to slowly stretch his neck to his flank on both sides. These exercises are fabulous for core-strengthening, which helps combat hind-limb weakness.
  • Laser therapy utilizes light energy at a particular wavelength known to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and promote healing. It is administered by a trained professional into the tissue with a hand-held probe. Treatments usually start out twice a week for two to three weeks, then once a week for awhile, then as needed.
  • Acupuncture reduces the pain of osteoarthritis and other painful disorders. It requires a skilled professional; see ivas.org to find trained veterinary acupuncturists. Some acupuncture practitioners also use herbal remedies that are formulated according to traditional Chinese medicine.
  • Depending on your dog’s pain level, your veterinarian may prescribe pain medications such as tramadol, gabapentin, pregabalin, or amantadine.
  • If your dog struggles to get up or has trouble on stairs, prevent further injury and help support him with a Help ‘Em Up Harness. It fits so comfortably that your dog can wear it 24-7 just like his collar. It has a handle over the shoulder blades and another handle over the hips, so you can reach down and help your dog with no delay – and no excess strain on your back! See helpemup.com for more information and videos of the harness in action.

Extreme Anxiety in Dogs

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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6
anxiety in dogs
It's fairly common for dogs to become anxious when they hear gunshots, an engine backfiring, or fireworks, but a normal dog will recover from their fright fairly quickly. In contrast, it might take hours for the pathologically anxious dog to regain her normal demeanor. She may forevermore exhibit fear when taken to the location where she heard the scary sound. These dogs need our empathy and help. Photo Credit: Brad Myrick/ Dreamstime.com

Most of us have had moments of anxiety in our lives, and while it’s not fun, most of us survive those moments and get over it. Similarly, most dogs also have those moments and can recover and carry on. It’s not so simple, however, with pathological anxiety.

Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness; having a sense of impending danger, panic, or doom. Anxiety gets categorized as pathological (extreme in a way that is not normal, but rather, characteristic of an illness or mental problem) when it continues or grows without environmental conditions justifying it. Pathological anxiety is uncontrollable by the dog. 

Perhaps your dog is somewhat anxious about being walked near passing vehicles. You take care to walk her in low-traffic areas, but occasionally a car goes by. She spooks, jumps, looks worried for a moment or two, and then carries on with your walk. The pathologically anxious dog is a different story. She’s tense just going for a walk, in anticipation of the appearance of a dreaded vehicle. When one does appear, she may behave as if she thinks she is literally about to die. She panics, flails madly at the end of her leash (“freaks out” is how many owners describe this), and the walk is now spoiled for her. Trembling, she huddles in a pathetic puddle on the sidewalk. She can’t recover quickly; you may as well turn around and go home – if she can even walk. You may end up carrying her. 

As frustrating and sometimes embarrassing as this may be for you, it’s much worse for her. It’s important to remember that your dog isn’t being “bad.” She is truly having a major panic attack and she cannot control her behavior. She needs empathy and the implementation of a behavior management and modification program to help her be able to better deal with her world. 

COMMON MANIFESTATIONS OF ANXIETY IN DOGS

While any odd or random stimulus can be anxiety-producing for an individual dog, there are several circumstances that commonly trigger canine anxiety, which may range from a mild distress response in the presence of the stimulus to a full-blown panic attack. It is the panic-attack end of the range that is appropriately labeled “anxiety.” Here are some of the more common ones:

  •  Separation anxiety. This is probably the one we hear about most often – the dog who cannot tolerate being left alone. Extreme vocalization, house soiling, destructive behavior, and desperate attempts to escape are typical signs of separation anxiety.
  •  Noise anxiety. This is most noticeable in the dog who suffers greatly during thunderstorms and firework displays, but a sound-anxious dog can also panic at the sound of pans dropping on the floor, a far-off gunshot, a low-battery “chirp” from a smoke detector, or any other noise with which she has had a very negative experience (such as the warning beep of a shock collar). These dogs may panic and run away (hence the overcrowding in most shelter kennels on July 5th) or they may just shut down, panting and trembling violently.
anxiety in dogs when riding in car
Their first ride in a car can be traumatic for sensitive pups, especially if it’s also their first experience away from their mother and littermates, and they may exhibit anxiety the next few times they are put into a car. With time, most dogs learn to associate the car with fun (going to Grandma’s house or to the park), but for others, the car becomes a trigger for what resembles a human’s panic attack.
  • Car-ride anxiety. Often a result of the association with carsickness as well as the stress of the first ride and first separation from a pup’s family, car-ride anxiety often manifests as a dog’s increasing unwillingness to even approach the car, followed by constant panting and pacing once the ride starts.
  •  Specific-stimulus anxiety. Dogs can have a pathological anxiety response to any stimulus with which they have had a very significant negative past experience. Again, the dog’s behavior may range from a violent, panicked attempt to escape, to constant panting and pacing, or severe trembling and shutting down.
  •  Generalized anxiety. With generalized anxiety, the dog shows constant reactivity, restlessness, nervousness, trembling, and tension that interferes with a normal social interaction, often in the complete absence of any noticeable triggering stimulus. These dogs are in a constant state of anxiety, as opposed to specific-trigger anxiety.

LIVING WITH AND HELPING AN ANXIOUS DOG

walking an anxious dog
This little dog suffers from chronic anxiety. She shows signs of anxiety in every situation – even on walks in nature or on car-less streets, and even at home. Her posture is always low, tense, and backward-leaning, and she nearly always has a lowered or tucked tail, pulled-back ears, and constantly flicking tongue. Can you imagine feeling this scared all the time? She would benefit from medication

The good news is that there are a number of things you can do to help reduce your dog’s anxiety and help her get through those difficult times:

1. Medication. First and foremost, a truly anxious dog needs pharmaceutical help – and, sooner rather than later. This is a quality-of-life issue, and the sooner you see your veterinarian about appropriate medication, the happier you and your dog will both be. 

If your veterinarian is not behaviorally knowledgeable (it’s a complex field!), she can schedule a phone consult with a veterinary behaviorist for guidance on appropriate medications for your dog. If your vet does not already have a relationship with one, there is a complete list of veterinary behaviorists here: dacvb.org/about/member-directory

2. Comforting. There is absolutely nothing wrong with comforting your anxious or frightened dog. You are not at risk of “reinforcing the unwanted behavior” (as some people used to believe); you can’t reinforce emotion. Think how soothing it is for you to have someone comfort you when you are stressed. Then go and comfort your stressed dog!

3. Managing. We can’t say this frequently enough: The better you are at managing your dog’s environment to prevent her exposure to the conditions that cause her anxiety, the better life will be for her (and for you!). As you work to modify her anxiety, keeping her below her anxiety threshold as much as possible will help your modification efforts go more smoothly as well.

4. Products. There is an ever-growing list of products on the market designed to help your dog through episodes of anxiety. Many of them can be helpful, and it’s often a very individualized response – what helps one dog may be totally useless for the next. I put them in the “can’t hurt, might help” category and encourage my clients to try as many as possible to see what might work. (See “Products to Help Ease Your Dog’s Anxiety”)

5. Modification. All the above, by themselves, won’t “fix” your dog’s anxiety. You will also need to work to help her understand that she doesn’t need to panic about whatever it is that is triggering her extreme emotional response. 

Carried out carefully, a program of habituation can help. This means just exposing your dog to the trigger stimulus at a very low intensity – a level at which she shows awareness but no distress whatsoever – and keeping it there until she doesn’t even notice it at all – then very gradually increasing the intensity, waiting for her to “not care” at each new level before increasing intensity again. (This can be impossibly hard to do with things like thunderstorms and fireworks!) 

When you add treat-feeding to habituation you get counter-conditioning and desensitization – the mainstay of emotion-changing behavior modification. 

Anxieties don’t get fixed quickly or easily, but with your loving attention to your dog’s emotional needs you can do a lot to help her have a better life. 

Products That Can Help Ease Your Dog's Anxiety
thundershirt for dogs with anxiety to noise
ThunderShirt is the original anxiety-reducing garment

It never hurts to supplement your management and modification with products that are known to aid in reducing your dog’s stress. Here are some:

Calming Shirts. Calming coats and snug t-shirts apply mild, constant pressure to a dog’s torso, surrounding a dog much like a swaddling cloth on a baby. Depending on the size of your dog, there are several brands and models to choose from. The original product on the market that addressed this was the ThunderShirt anxiety jacket; today the company makes a number of designs (see them at thundershirt.com). There are any number of imitators, too. You can do an internet search for “dog anxiety apparel” and find many to choose from. 

Supplements. There are dog treats and over-the-counter products that contain supplements that have been proven to help anxiety. Typically, they will contain melatonin, thiamin, chamomile, L-theanine, and/or L-tryptophan. Some also contain ginger, which can help with sensitive stomachs. Note: If you use over-the-counter products sold for human use, check to be sure they don’t contain xylitol! Ask your veterinarian which ones she might recommend and would be comfortable with you giving to your dog.

Adaptil. This product is a synthetic substance that is meant to mimic the pheromones emitted by mother dogs when they are nursing their puppies. The natural pheromone is thought to help keep puppies calm; Adaptil purports to do the same for adult dogs. It’s easy to use; just plug the diffuser in an outlet in the room where your dog spends the most time. The diffuser releases “dog-appeasing” pheromones, an odorless scent particular to dogs. (It also comes as a spray that you can apply to a scarf when you take your dog out for walks or in the car and a collar your dog can wear.) Adaptil is available from your veterinarian and in most pet supply stores.

ZenCrate. The ZenCrate was designed to help dogs with a variety of anxiety factors and serves as an escape pod for your canine companion. It’s similar to a standard crate but it provides vibration isolation, noise cancellation (through sound insulation), reduced light, as well as comfort and security. A motion-activated sensor turns on a gentle fan when your dog enters, which helps block noise and provides a steady stream of fresh air. You can pre-program the crate with music. It comes with a removable door, so your dog can self-comfort and enter at any time. See zendogcrate.com for more information.

Calming Sounds. The time-proven iCalmDog music can be useful to help soothe anxious dogs. Originally known as “Through a Dog’s Ear,” this music is “psychoacoustically designed” to trigger relaxation (for more information about how this is accomplished, see icalmpet.com/about/music/). The products are available as downloadable sound files or on CDs or microSD cards, or can be streamed through major streaming platforms. Check out the company’s complete offerings at icalmpet.com.

Who We Are

By
Nancy Kerns
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4
Whole Dog Journal Editor-In-Chief Nancy Kerns

I didn’t mention it last month, but this is the start of WDJ’s 25th year of publication. These milestone anniversaries call for a bit of reflection. 

There may be some subscribers among you who have been here for a good part of the past 24 years. I hear from these long-time readers from time to time – people who remember Rupert, the Border Collie who appeared with me in this space from the first issue, and some who remember the joyous occasion when Otto’s fuzzy face first appeared here in 2008. I so appreciate these readers! I’m glad that I’m not the only one who remembers how few good dog foods there were on the market in 1998 and how force-free, dog-friendly training was considered new and unusual. Happily for dogs everywhere, both of those things are mainstream today! 

From the first issue, it’s been our goal to bring a reasoned approach to evaluating the tools and techniques needed to live with and care for our dogs. Whether we are reviewing harnesses, flea preventatives, a technique for teaching a solid “stay,” or dog food, we base our recommendations on the factors that can result in the best outcome for your dogs with the fewest adverse effects.

As time passes, we learn more and our opinions shift – but our central philosophy does not; protecting the dog’s physical, mental, and emotional condition, and a convivial and trusting dog/human relationship is what we are all about. This drug that seemed like a godsend? Too many side effects. That training tool that appeared to be a gentler alternative to pain-producing collars? Still too aversive for many dogs.  The widely touted homeopathic remedy? A waste of time and hope. The most effective way to teach a dog to “leave it”? We found one that dogs seem to learn faster.

There are publications out there that take an anti-vaccine, anti-pharmaceutical stance. There are others that recommend the year-round, monthly administration of pesticides and medications for internal and external parasites, whether your dog lives a sheltered life on the 32nd floor of a New York apartment building or is exposed to every pathogen imaginable as a search-and-rescue dog. Some maintain that giving kibble to dogs is tantamount to poisoning them (despite widespread evidence to the contrary); others warn against killing your dog with raw diets.

We don’t embrace any of these all-or-nothing extremes. We strive to give you the evidence-based information you need to make choices that will build and maintain your dog’s vibrant good health and behavior. Our job is to point you toward what works best with the least harm. And that won’t change, even in another quarter century!

Why is My Dog’s Nose Dry?

By
Dr. Eileen Fatcheric, DVM
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0
why is my dog's nose dry
Many Boxers, Pugs, Bulldogs, and other brachycephalic (flat faced) dogs can't moisten their noses with their tongues (their tongues won't reach!) and experience an accumulation of crusty, dried tissue on their noses as a result. In this case (one of the more benign cases of a chronically dy nose), regular use of a dog-safe moisturizer will help prevent this unsightly(and likely uncomfortable) dry build-up.

Most of the time, if your dog’s nose seems a bit dry, it’s not a big deal. The wetness of a canine nose is a dynamic situation, constantly changing in response to the dog’s hydration and exercise status and the environmental temperature and humidity. Dogs’ noses are always drier when first waking from a nap. Some of the brachycephalic breeds, like Pugs and Shih Tzus, can’t lick their noses very effectively, which means they are always a little on the dry side.

So when should you be concerned about a dry nose? If the appearance of your dog’s nose changes, if your dog seems at all uncomfortable, or if there is nasal discharge. These are all signs that something else may be going on and it’s time to see the vet.

A DRY NOSE IS RELATIVELY BENIGN

Two of the least worrisome conditions that can cause a dry nose are hyperkeratosis and blocked tear ducts. 

Hyperkeratosis is a pretty common condition in aging dogs. Keratin is a protein found in hair, skin, and nails. Dog noses contain lots of it. With age, the dog’s normal cell turnover slows and keratin builds up. This results in those crusty, craggy, not-so-pretty noses you sometimes see on geriatric dogs. 

While benign, hyperkeratosis can be uncomfortable, so keeping the nose as moisturized as possible is recommended. (See “Effective Moisturizers for Persistently Dry Noses” on the next page for moisturizing product recommendations.)

In some cases, if the buildup gets excessive, your veterinarian may be able to trim back some of the hardened tissue, which will allow your moisturizing agents to work better.

If your dog’s nose is dry and his eyes are watering excessively, he may have blocked tear (nasolacrimal) ducts. This can happen on one side or both. Sometimes mucous can block the inside of an otherwise healthy tear duct. Swelling from surrounding inflammation or infection can occlude a tear duct from the outside. Your veterinarian can confirm tear-duct obstruction by putting a fluorescent stain in the eyes and looking to see if any fluorescence appears at the nostrils. If not, the duct is occluded. 

One can aggressively treat this condition by  flushing the tear ducts under general anesthesia. Often, because this condition is not harmful and general anesthesia is not without risk, this option is not pursued. However, if your dog has to be anesthetized for something else (such as a dental procedure), consider having the ducts flushed. 

Sometimes you can dislodge a mucous plug with repeated, gentle, circular massage under the inside corner of your dog’s eyes. 

Your veterinarian may have you try antibiotic ophthalmic steroid drops if infection or swelling is suspected as the underlying cause for the tear-duct obstruction.

Effective Moisturizers for Persistently Dry Noses
  • Snout Soother by American Dog Co.
  • Solva-ker gel by VetriMax (contains salicylic acid, which is keratolytic)
  • Dermoscent BIO BALM
  • Musher’s Secret 
  • Coconut oil

DRY NOSE REASONS OF GREATER CONCERN

More serious causes of a dry nose include infection, dry eye syndrome, autoimmune disease, cancer, and chronic ear infections.

  • Infection of the nose or nostrils, called nasal pyoderma or mucocutaneous pyoderma,. can cause dryness, cracking, discomfort, and nasal discharge. It may involve one nostril or both. Treatment is usually oral antibiotics, as it’s tough to effectively treat a nose infection topically due to the dog’s frequent licking. If topical antibiotics are tried, mupiricin is considered the antibiotic of choice. 
  • If your dog’s nose is dry and he has irritated, dry-looking eyes with excessive, thick mucous discharge, he may have dry eye syndrome (also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca or KCS). Inadequate tear production due to KCS results in decreased moisture flowing to the nose. There is a simple test for this condition that can be performed right in the exam room. If KCS is confirmed and treated, the dry nose will resolve.
  • Pemphigus and discoid lupus erythematous  are immune-mediated diseases that can result in a dog’s dry, crusting, cracked, painful nose. Other mucocutaneous junctions on the dog (i.e., eyes, lips, genitals) may also be affected. Diagnosis requires a biopsy. Treatment involves long-term steroids or other immune-suppressive therapies.
  •  Nasal cancers, like squamous cell carcinoma, will frequently start out looking like a dry, crusty nose. If the nose changes you are seeing get progressively worse, see your veterinarian right away. 
  •  If your dog suffers from chronic ear infections and a dry nose, there could be a connection. Dryness of the nasal mucosa, called xeromycteria, can result from injury to the parasympathetic nerves that innervate the nasal mucosal glands. Because these nerves travel close to the middle ear, inflammation associated with infection of the middle ear (otitis media) can damage these nerves. Otitis media is usually caused by chronic, unresolved external ear infections. To avoid these serious complications, be sure to work with your veterinarian until full resolution of any ear infection is confirmed.
  •  Allergies sometimes get blamed for causing dry noses in dogs. I don’t know if they do or not, but if they do, successful treatment of the underlying allergy should resolve the problem.

THE BOTTOM LINE ON A DOG WITH DRY NOSE

If your dog develops a dry nose, it’s okay to try things like increasing the humidity in your home and applying a topical moisturizer. But if that dry nose persists, or gets worse, see your veterinarian. Sometimes a dry nose is more than just a dry nose. 

Otto Is Showing Age-Related Dementia Symptoms Often Seen in Dogs

By
Nancy Kerns
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44
otto dog at sunset

My 14-year-old dog Otto is starting to show signs of age-related dementia. While there are all kinds of ways dementia in dogs can manifest, his symptoms are most similar to what’s often called “sundowning” – where elderly humans seem pretty much okay in the early part of the day, but show increasing confusion, anxiety, and/or restlessness in the later afternoon and evening. It’s not been fun, but my husband and I are trying to adapt and accommodate his need for attention and comfort – but also meet our own needs for sleep! 

It started in early November. A couple nights in a row, Otto woke me up in the middle of the night by coming into my bedroom (he and my 6-year-old dog Woody usually rotate between sleeping on the giant dog bed and the couches in the living room). On those nights, Otto approached my bed, panting loudly and clearly in distress. He’s done this dozens of times before, but always for one of a few reasons:

  • He heard a car backfire or gunshot or firework and he got scared.
  • His digestion was upset and he needed to go outside to relieve himself.
  • He heard cats screaming, or people walking on our rural road (odd in the middle of the night), or smelled deer walking around; he urgently wanted to go outside to sound the alarm and investigate.

But in the case of these nights in early November, he wasn’t trembling in fear, the way he does if he hears fireworks or other loud BANGs, and when I got up to let him outside, he didn’t run off to relieve himself OR go charging off into the night barking, as he would have if had detected suspected intruders on or near our property. He just went outside and stood there, looking around, and then came back inside. And then just stood there, looking at me intently. When I told him to “Go to bed! Go lie down!” he did, but a few minutes later was back in my bedroom, panting loudly in my face, wanting … something! But what? Not food, not water, not to go outside. It seemed like he just wanted attention.

To allow my husband (at least) to get some sleep, I took a blanket to the couch and encouraged Otto to lie down next to the couch (he doesn’t like being on the couch as the same time as anyone else, human or canine). He would be calm as long as I was petting him and rubbing his neck and especially behind his ears (his long-time favorite spot), but if my hand would stop moving as I was falling back asleep, he’d loudly start panting and/or get up and start pacing around the house again.

That happened two nights in a row, and then for several nights, Otto was quiet all night. Then I left town for a few days, and on the last night I was gone, Otto’s nighttime restlessness returned. This time, my husband had to deal with it all alone. He, too, resorted to sleeping on the couch with one hand on Otto, but didn’t get much sleep. We discussed it when I returned the next day, and I called around to see if I could get Otto seen, soon, by any one of the three veterinarians I am currently using (last week, I described my three-vet regimen here).

The first vet who could see Otto suggested we run tests on his blood and urine, to look for clues of anything physical that might be amiss. Only one thing was out of whack, and it was a head-scratcher: Otto had a urinary tract infection (UTI). While these are common in older female dogs, it’s a bit unusual in male dogs. We added a urine culture test, to determine which specific bacteria was in Otto’s urine, and, while waiting for those results (which take a few days), we started him on a course of plain-Jane antibiotics.

The veterinarian also thought it was possible that the non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that Otto receives wasn’t doing enough to relieve his arthritis pain, so we added gabapentin to his medication list.

When the urine culture came back, it showed that the bacteria in Otto’s urine was e. Coli – the most common culprit in canine UTIs, but again, much more common in females than males. He finished his antibiotic– unfortunately, without any appreciable change in his anxious nighttime behavior. We waited a week after that, and then I took him back to the vet to have his urine tested again. He still had bacteria in his urine! So we started him on another, more aggressive antibiotic,and the vet suggested I make an appointment with our vet who is board-certified in internal medicine, and perhaps do an ultrasound on his abdomen and particularly his prostate. Apparently, bacteria that gets into the prostate of older male dogs can be difficult to budge, and if this was the case, Otto’s prostate would have been inflamed and enlarged.

Nope, the ultrasound found nothing unusual. As before, he finished the prescription, we waited another week, and tested his urine yet again. Thankfully, this time, the infection was gone – but his nighttime restlessness was still present, even with the addition of gabapentin (and an increased dose).

It was then that I remembered I had a copy of a great book about canine cognitive dysfunction. Remember Me?: Loving and Caring for a Dog with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (2016, Bright Friends Productions), was written by Eileen Anderson, an award-winning dog blogger who writes about canine behavior and learning theory (and a contributor to WDJ). I pulled the book off of my shelves and read the book cover to cover. It helped me realize a few key things:

While Otto is certainly showing some symptoms of this disorder, and while his frequent nighttime perambulations are disruptive, these behaviors are not as severe as they can become. As Anderson describes in the book:

The types of problems associated with canine cognitive dysfunction are often represented clinically by the acronym DISHA. DISHA stands for:

dog accupuncture
Otto being a very good boy during an acupuncture appointment.

Disorientation

Interactions with people and other pets that have changed

Sleep-wake alterations

House soiling

Activity-level alterations

Anderson included a link to a website she maintains for sharing information about canine dementia. On the site is a long checklist of symptoms that dogs with dementia can display; visitors to the website can print out the list and check the symptoms their dogs are having. This can help the dog’s veterinarian understand the full array of behaviors a dog is exhibiting.

As yet, Otto is exhibiting only a few of these behaviors, and only at night – and none of the ones that seem like they would be making him suffer (such as getting “lost” in our home, “stuck” in corners, being unable to eat or drink, or falling off of things). I’m talking to my veterinary team about what sort of enrichment, foods, supplements, and/or medications we can try to preserve his brain function, and have taken him to see our  third veterinarian for some acupuncture.

If your dog is elderly and exhibiting signs of dementia, I’d strongly recommend Remember Me? as an information resource.

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