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Bloating in Dogs Treatable with Gastropexy

By
Denise Flaim
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It was a beautiful fall day, and I was at a dog show. In the ring was a gorgeous veteran Greyhound – strutting his stuff in one of those peacock moments that transport gray-faced show dogs back to their youthful selves, with nothing but time and promise before them. A short time later, I heard a commotion from the parking area, and then the awful news: The handsome old dog was bloating.

Thankfully, this was a group of highly experienced dog people, and the dog’s handler immediately ran to her van to procure the bloat kit that she always traveled with. As several people helped hold the dog, she inserted a tube down his esophagus to help expel the trapped gas that was causing his ribs to expand like barrel hoops, taped the tube in place, and sped off to the nearest emergency vet. I heard through the grapevine later that the dog had, mercifully, survived.

old great dane

There’s good reason why veterinarians call bloat “the mother of all emergencies.” It can come on suddenly and, if left untreated for only a handful of hours, can spell a death sentence for a dog.

Symptoms of bloat, which is incredibly painful for the dog, include pacing and restlessness; a distended abdomen; turning to look at or bite at the flank area; rapid, shallow breathing; retching without actually vomiting up any food, and excessive drooling.

Bloat is a two-part disorder, telegraphed by its formal name: gastric dilatation and volvulus. The first part, gastric dilatation, refers to an expansion of the stomach due to the presence of gas and/or food. The second part, volvulus, is the fatal blow: The distended stomach begins to twist, cutting off the blood supply and causing its tissue to die off. As if that wasn’t trouble enough, the enlarged stomach may press on the blood vessels that transport blood back to the heart, slowing circulation, creating cardiac arrhythmia, and sending the dog into shock.

Once the stomach has torsioned, emergency surgery is required to restore it to its normal position, and to evaluate whether so much tissue has died off that the dog has any hope of surviving.

This was precisely the scenario that the quick-thinking Greyhound handler had sought to avoid: By inserting the bloat tube down the esophagus and into the stomach, she not only created an avenue of escape for the trapped stomach gases, but also ensured that the stomach could not twist while the tube was inserted. As you can imagine, this is not something that most dogs entertain willingly, and, indeed, on the ride to the veterinarian, the dog struggled and the tube was dislodged. Still, it bought enough time for his survival.

Many owners, however, don’t have the inclination or the fortitude to stick a tube down their dog’s throat, even if he is bloating. And for those who have breeds that are at a higher risk for bloat, the constant stress of worrying “Will she bloat?” after each meal is enough to prompt them to consider gastropexy, a preventive surgical procedure where the stomach is sutured to the body wall. While gastropexy won’t prevent a dog from dilating, it does greatly reduce the likelihood that the stomach will flip – which is the life-threatening “volvulus” part of gastric dilatation and volvulus.

Dog Bloat Risk Factors

Owners who are determined to prevent bloat nonetheless want to understand its causes before submitting their dogs to an elective surgery like gastropexy. The problem is, veterinary science is still unclear about precisely what triggers an episode, and instead can only offer a long and varied list of risk factors.

The mother of all bloat studies was done two decades ago by Dr. Lawrence T. Glickman and his colleagues at the Purdue University Research Group, and is still being discussed and quoted today. The 1996 study and its follow-up research found that many food-management practices that were initially believed to help reduce the risk of bloat – like feeding from a raised food bowl, moistening dry food before serving, and restricting water access before and after meals – actually increased the odds of a dog bloating.

Other risk factors include eating only one meal a day; having a close family member with a history of bloat; having a nervous or aggressive temperament; eating quickly; being thin or underweight; eating a dry-food diet with animal fat listed in the first four ingredients, and/or eating a moistened dog food, particularly with citric acid as a preservative.

Not surprisingly, certain breeds were found to be at high risk for bloat, particularly large or giant breeds. Topping the list were Great Danes, followed by St. Bernards and Weimaraners. The study found that breeds with deep and narrow chests – like the Greyhound that started this story – are also at higher risk for bloating, as are males and older dogs.

Also according to the Purdue study, the risk of bloat was more than twice as high in dogs seven to 10 years old compared to dogs two to four years old, and more than three times as high in dogs age 10 and older.

Reducing the Risk of Bloat

While not a guarantee that your dog will avoid experiencing an episode of bloat, these steps can help lower the risk.

1. Feed several smaller meals per day.

Feeding a large, once-a-day meal can extend the stomach and stretch the hepatogastric ligament, which keeps the stomach positioned in the abdominal cavity. Dogs that have bloated have been found to have longer ligaments, perhaps due to overstretching.

2. Slow down fast eaters.

Some theories suggest that air gulping can trigger bloat. To keep your dog from gobbling down his meals, invest in a slow-feeder bowl, which has compartments or grooves to require dogs to pace themselves; there are several brands available. For a low-tech version, try placing a large rock in the middle of your dog’s food bowl, which will force him to eat around it. (Of course, make sure the rock is large enough so it can’t be swallowed.)

3. If you feed kibble, add some variety.

Dogs that are fed canned food or table scraps have a lower incidence of bloat. If you feed kibble, try to avoid food with smaller-sized pieces, and opt for brands that have larger-sized pieces. While some raw feeders maintain that feeding a raw diet prevents bloat, there are no studies to support this, and raw-fed dogs are not immune to bloating.

4. Don’t go for lean and mean.

Studies show that thinner dogs are at greater risk for bloat; in fatter dogs, the extra fat takes up space in the abdomen and doesn’t give the stomach much room to move. While no one is advocating that you make your dog obese, keeping a bloat-prone dog on the slightly chunkier side might have some merit.

5. Reduce your dog’s stress.

Easier said than done, of course. But if at all possible, opt for a house sitter instead of taking your dog to a kennel. If you have multiple dogs, feed your bloat-prone dog separately, to avoid the stress (and resultant gulping) from worrying that his meal might be snagged by a housemate.

6. Don’t eat and run.

Veterinary experts recommend that you avoid giving your dog hard exercise one hour before and two hours after he eats. Many give the green light to walking, however, as it does not jostle the full stomach and in fact can help stimulate digestion.

Assembling a Bloat Kit

Because bloat strikes when you least expect it – often at night, when most veterinary practices are closed, and the nearest emergency vet might be a distance away – a bloat kit can be a literal lifesaver.

Some dog-care sites sell pre-assembled bloat kits. (One option is available from A Better Way Pet Care.) Most include clear vinyl tubing (the kind sold by aquarium stores); a wooden mouth block, to keep the mouth open while the tube is being inserted (a piece of PVC pipe can work in a pinch), and water-soluble lubricant.

Ask your vet to show you how to measure the tubing so that it is the correct length, how to insert it, and how to tell if you are passing the tube down the trachea rather than the esophagus.

Remember that a gastric tube is not a treatment for bloat; it is a first-aid measure. If you are unsure of how to use the kit, or if you are alone and don’t have someone to transport you while you work on the dog, make getting to the vet your first priority.

Deciding on Surgery

If your dog bloats and her stomach has torsioned, surgery is the only recourse if you want her to survive. And if you get to the vet in time, the odds are with you: In a retrospective study of 166 cases between 1992 and 2003, researchers found that short-term mortality resulting from bloat surgery was a relatively low 16.2 percent.

Risk factors for a fatal outcome included having clinical signs more than six hours before surgery (i.e., the longer you wait, the worse your dog’s prognosis), hypotension during any time of the hospitalization, peritonitis, sepsis, and administration of blood or plasma transfusions. Dogs whose tissue damage was so advanced that they required part of their stomach or their spleen removed (partial gastrectomy or spleenectomy, respectively) also had worse prognoses.

But the decisions regarding a gastropexy – essentially, “tacking” the stomach so it cannot torsion – are not as clear-cut. If your dog has never bloated, you’ll need to weigh the risk factors: Is your dog’s breed prone to bloat? (Great Danes, for example, have a whopping 42.4 percent chance of bloating in their lifetime.) Do you know of any siblings, parents, or other close relatives who have bloated? Is your dog nervous, aggressive, or a super-fast eater?

And, most important, has your dog bloated before? Studies indicate that such dogs have a recurrence rate of more than 70 percent, and mortality rates of 80 percent.

Types of Tacks

There are several kinds of gastropexy surgery. Securing the bottom of the stomach to the right side of the body so it cannot rotate during an episode of bloat is the common goal of each type of surgery, but slightly different methods are used to accomplish this. There are no studies that compare the efficacy of the various types of gastropexy, but the general consensus is that there is not a huge difference between them. Most veterinarians will choose one over the others based on their own preference and amount of experience.

Incisional gastropexy is a straightforward procedure in which the bottom of the stomach (the antrum) is sutured to the body wall. It relies on only a few sutures until an adhesion forms.

Belt-loop gastropexy involves weaving a stomach flap through the abdominal wall. Though a relatively quick procedure, it requires more skill than an incisional gastropexy.

In a circumcostal gastropexy, a flap from the stomach is wrapped around the last rib on the right side and then secured to the stomach wall. Proponents of this approach note that the rib is a stronger and more secure anchor for the stomach. This type of gastropexy requires more time and skill to perform; risks include potential rib fracture and pneumothorax, in which air leaks into the space between the lung and chest wall.

Gastropexy is now being performed with minimally invasive approaches such as laparoscopy and endoscopy, which shorten surgery and anesthesia times, as well as the time needed for recovery. Though both use remote cameras to visualize the surgery area, the laparoscopic-assisted approach requires an extra incision through the navel, which allows the surgeon to directly visualize the position of the stomach and make any modifications necessary.

A 1996 study of eight male dogs compared those that had laparoscopic gastropexy with those that had belt-loop gastropexy, and concluded that the laparoscopic approach should be considered as a minimally invasive alternative to traditional open-surgery gastropexy.

Complications from gastropexy are relatively minor, especially for young, healthy dogs who are undergoing the surgery electively, before any incidence of bloat. As always, be sure that your dog has a complete pre-surgical work-up to ensure there are no chronic or underlying conditions that might compromise her ability to successful recover from surgery. And again, while gastropexy isn’t foolproof, Dr. Glickman has been quoted as saying that the risk of bloat and torsion after the procedure is less than five percent – not bad odds at all.

If you do elect to have a gastropexy performed on your dog, many veterinarians do the procedure at the same time as spaying or neutering. That way, the dog doesn’t have to go under anesthesia again, or, in the case of conventional surgery, be “opened up” another time.

In the end, the question of whether or not to have a gastropexy done is arguably tougher for those whose dogs who are not at very high risk: The owner of a Great Dane has a greater incentive for getting a gastropexy than, say, the owner of a Shih Tzu, whose bloat rates are not as comparably high.

A 2003 study that looked at the benefits of prophylactic gastropexy for at-risk dogs used a financial metric to assess the benefits of surgery: Working under the assumption that elective gastropexy surgeries cost about $400 and emergency bloat surgeries cost at least $1,500 – or as much as four times that – the study concluded that the procedure was cost effective when the lifetime risk of bloat with torsion was greater than or equal to 34 percent.

As with any complex decision, assess your dog’s risk factors, as well as your individual circumstances, and then make the choice that seems right for the both of you.

Denise Flaim raises 12-year-old triplets and Rhodesian Ridgebacks, on Long Island, NY.

Doggy Inside Jokes: The Unconventional Cues Our Dogs Learn

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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We all teach our dogs commonly used cues such as “Sit,” “Down,” and “Come,” and most of us probably use them every day. I am betting that, in addition to those common cues, we each have some cues that are unique to our relationships with our own dogs – cues that are never taught in your basic “good manners” classes.

I have long had a love affair with an “All done!” or “That’s all” cue that tells my dogs that whatever activity we were engaged in is now over (similar to the “That’ll do, pig” from the beloved movie, Babe). It started in the mid-1980s with our first Australian Kelpie, Keli, who was seriously ball-crazy. Only her “All done!” cue would work to get her to stop bugging me to throw the beloved ball one more time.

I taught the cue to Keli by giving the “All done” cue and then placing the ball in a closed cupboard where she couldn’t even see it, and then steadfastly ignoring every behavior she offered to try to get the ball to come back out. Eventually she learned that there was no point in trying, and the “All done” cue effectively resulted in a calm, non-demanding Kelpie. I’ve used it with all my dogs ever since.

Some of my favorite trainers confirmed that they, too, have unconventional cues that they use with their dogs, many of which “just happened” as a result of daily life. Here are some of them:

Enough

dog wanting attention

Renee Amodeo of Vienna, Virginia, is a volunteer with Fairfax County Animal Shelter. She uses “Enough” much like I use “All done.” Her dog Dexter is an attention sponge, and when she tries to work on her laptop or read, he will paw her for attention.

To counter this, she says, “I will pat the top of his head and say ‘Enough!’ He stops and goes to the other end of the couch. I taught him this by doing just that; a tap on the head with ‘Enough,’ then ignoring any of his attempts to engage me. Initially I gave a very short timeout – just a few seconds – then would pile affection and praise on him. I gradually increase duration, and now he can go for as long as I need.”

Inside/Outside

Valerie Balwanz of Pampered Pets in Charlottesville, Virginia, uses the cue “Inside” in place of “Come” to get her dogs to come into the house from the backyard. Her “Come” cue means “Come to me,” and her “Inside” cue means to run past her into the house.

It’s useful to have an alternative to “Come” for the behavior that specifically means to come into the house, especially if your dog prefers playing in the yard to coming indoors. You can inadvertently “poison” your “Come” cue (give it a negative association) if you frequently use it to mean that the fun for your dog is over and he has to come inside now. Doing so can make “Come” become less effective when you need your dog to run happily to you. The method Valerie uses to teach “Inside” keeps her dog’s “Come” cue happy, and gives a very positive association to her “Inside” cue.

lure training for dogs

“To teach this,” Valerie describes, “I began with my dog Trixie outside when there were no distractions. I opened the back door and stood in the entryway. I tossed some kibble onto the floor, making sure that it was bouncing and rolling far into the house, and let her run toward it. As she passed through the doorway, I said, ‘Yes!’ (that’s my verbal marker – you could click instead) and let her gobble up the food.

“The kibble makes a distinct sound when tossed on the hardwood floor. The sound and the kibble’s rolling movement encourages Trixie to run inside. To increase the value of the kibble, I coat it with beef liver powder (made with a liver cube and a cheese grater).

“When Trixie was chasing the kibble into the house reliably, I introduced the cue, saying, ‘Inside!’ just before I tossed the kibble on the floor. I gradually started using the cue when she was farther out in the yard and we didn’t necessarily have eye contact. Then I started using it when there were distractions present, such as squirrels and deer. I mixed very high-value food with the kibble when she came away from distractions involving wild animals. I kept a jar of treats by the back door for years and heavily reinforced this cue. Now, when they hear the word ‘Inside!’ both of my dogs come running at top speed into the house.”

Indoor/Outdoor Toys

Estie Dallett of Civil Dogobedience in Washington, D.C., also has unique cues for indoor/outdoor-related behaviors, but with a different purpose. Kip, her Sheltie/Border Collie-mix, has toys that are specific to indoors and outdoors. When Kip wants to come inside but has a toy in his mouth that belongs outside – particularly dirty or noisy – she says, “Outside toy,” waits until he drops it, then lets him in. She uses “Inside toy” when he wants to go out but has a toy in his mouth that she wants to keep indoors (to keep it clean and fuzzy or to prevent it from getting lost under bushes).

Estie says, “Now he’s pretty quick to drop an item when he hears this. Sometimes it still takes him a little while to decide if he wants to stay outside to play with his favorite toy – a plastic water bottle with pebbles in it – or come in without it. So we close the door until he asks again to come in. We didn’t aim to teach it, but it evolved well!”

Go Lie Down

Carolyn Kerner of Dog Gone Right in Hammond, Louisiana, reminded me of an unconventional cue I frequently use with my own dogs: “Go lie down,” which is different from the formal “Down,” which means “lie down right now wherever you are.” “Go lie down” means “You can wander around and find a comfortable spot in which to lie down.”

Carolyn says, “I use ‘Go lie down’ with all the dogs that come into our house; it means for them to go find a comfy spot to chill, chew a bone, or just be out of the way for a little while. Most of the time I use it when I have a dog who continuously wants attention or petting and he has gotten more than his share already. I generally start the new dogs off by saying the cue, then encouraging them to go to a dog bed, and giving them something to keep them occupied. After a week or so they start picking up on it. I started using this many years ago in general conversation with my dogs.”

Usually, we tell people not use the same word for two different behaviors, but the dogs seem to understand the difference with this phrase!

Find the Poop

Lisa Marino of Head of the Class Dog Training in Winchester, Virginia, taught her Samoyeds to find hidden poop in her yard so she could scoop and keep the yard clean.

Lisa says, “It was kind of unintentional. With four dogs out at the same time in the dark (or in the snow, autumn leaves, etc.) one dog poops in one corner of the yard, and one goes in another corner. By the time I bag one deposit, the next dog has moved away from where he pooped. So even with a flashlight, I can’t always find the pile right away.”

To teach her dogs to help her find stray poops, Lisa “captured” the behavior. “As the dogs sniffed where poop was likely to be, I watched for more intense interest and got there to praise and reward them as soon as I found the poop. After a few times, when I was confident about reading the body language signs accurately, I would say, ‘Did you find the poop?’ and it eventually became a cue. I either toss a cookie to the side, so I can scoop the poop, or say, ‘Leave it’ if I am unarmed. The cue is especially useful in the autumn, when poop is hard to find among the fallen leaves in the yard.”

Go Now

Simone de Lima of Brasilia, Brazil, is the founder of Pro Anima, an animal advocacy group. She lived in New England for a time and, as a Brazilian native, was unaccustomed to the cold New England winters, complete with blizzards. She taught her Lab-mix, Mali, to poop on cue so she could get back inside the warm house as quickly as possible.

Simone remembers, “I had to teach her something to get her to poop quickly because this poor Brazilian woman wanted nothing to do with the outdoors in such weather!”

To teach it, she simply gave Mail positive reinforcement (treats) for defecating, and added the cue “Coco, Mali” (a slang Portuguese term meaning “poop”) when she knew her dog was about to oblige. Simone says, “It’s the best thing I ever taught her!”

Took us a Minute

Kelly Fahey, of The DogSmith of Hunterdon in New Jersey, has a cue she uses to position her dog Cooper when she has to clean off his rear end when he has loose stools due to allergies.

Kelly describes, “In the beginning stages of Cooper’s allergy issues, he would have times where he would poop and, well, it didn’t come off clean. I would need to clean off his butt. I figured if I tossed treats on the floor he would likely move in a circle as I tried cleaning him off. I decided to toss high-value treats on the top step in our garage that comes into the house.

“There are three steps. I figured by tossing the treats on the top step, he would likely walk up and have his front paws on the second step and his hind legs still on the garage floor, keeping him at an angle where he wouldn’t walk in a circle. I made sure to scatter plenty of food on the top step so I could clean him off the entire time he was eating. If he finished eating before I was done, I stopped, scattered more treats, and continued cleaning. As I was cleaning him off I would say ‘Tookus, wanna clean your tookus?’ After a while, all I had to do was say, ‘Wanna clean your tookus?’ and he would run to the steps and get into position.

“I selected the word ‘tookus’ rather than ‘butt’ because he loves having his butt rubbed, and already has a cue for that. He will roll into a half somersault position and keep his butt in the air while we scratch it or pat it and say, ‘Where’s your butt?’ His tail wags like a weapon and he makes sounds that rival a dinosaur. I didn’t want to confuse his fun game of ‘Where’s your butt?’ by using ‘butt’ for the cleaning behavior.”

Pills

Kelly Fahey, the trainer who taught her dog Cooper the “tookus” cue, also taught him an inadvertent cue when it was time to take his allergy medication.

Kelly recalls, “I didn’t set out to teach this cue. It was my intention to make Cooper’s pill-taking a fun game. Each time I needed to give a pill (or pills), I would call him over and happily say, ‘Do you want your pills?’ I’d hide them in various pieces of food.

“Each time I would stuff a pill and go to give it to him I would repeat, ‘Do you want your pills?’ in a super happy, playful tone. Now, all I have to say is ‘Do you want your pills?’ and he will come running from anywhere.

“For a bonus behavior, my other dog, Brynn, has learned that ‘Do you want your pills?’ means to sit patiently on the other side of me (Cooper always gets his pills on the right side, she waits on the left), while I play pharmacist. When I’m done giving out the meds, she gets a treat for sitting nicely and not being a noodge.”

You’re Not Going

My Kelpie, Kaizen, provided the motivation for yet another unconventional cue in the Miller household. My husband and I recently started taking Kaizen to agility classes at Kamp Kitty in nearby Falling Waters, West Virginia, and he adores his class – so much so that he started getting totally amped up every time we made preparations to go anywhere. We began telling him “You’re not going!” anytime he wasn’t accompanying us, and he quickly learned it meant he was staying home, so there was no point in getting all excited.

Now when we give him the “You’re not going!” cue he calms right down – and looks a little sad.

Win a Prize!

Now it’s your turn. I’m willing to bet there are a ton of Whole Dog Journal readers who have unconventional and unintentional cues that they use with their own dogs. Send a description of yours to WDJEditor@gmail.com by June 15, and we’ll include some in a blog post on wholedogjournal.com and pick one winner to receive a Pat Miller book or DVD.

Author Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor, and lives in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center.

Download the Full June 2016 Issue PDF

By
Nancy Kerns
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Without a doubt, gaze and eye contact are highly important to dogs. They use eye contact in various forms to communicate with us and with other animals. We know that many dogs naturally follow our gaze to distant objects (i.e., as a form of pointing) and that dogs will seek our eye contact when looking for a bit of help. And now we know that dogs, like humans and several other social species, can be aware of what a person may or may not be able to see and, on some level, are capable of taking that person's perspective into consideration.
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The Size of the Thing

By
Nancy Kerns
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I hardly ever talk about Tito, the 10-pound Chihuahua-mix who came to stay with us “for a few weeks” a few years ago. I think of him as being very little trouble, but it’s just that his troubles – which are actually sort of numerous – are small-scaled. He is an obnoxious barker when people arrive – even when we arrive home from an errand. He cannot bear to be touched or moved once he’s settled on the sofa in the evening, and if you should happen to readjust your own position at the other end of the couch when he’s on it, he gives an immediate and loud roar/bark/snarl and leaps off the couch, supremely discomfited. I think he has as-yet-undiagnosed back or shoulder or inner ear pain that contributes to his touchiness, and it causes him to occasionally shriek in pain when he’s greeting people; the person will always look surprised and say, “I wasn’t even touching him!” but it’s not the touch that hurts. I think it’s the groveling, wagging, low-headed posture that he assumes when he’s greeting people that causes something to pinch in his back. (He’s been examined by several veterinarians and one veterinary chiropractor, but nothing significant has been found and no treatment has helped.) And then there is his touchy tummy.

Left to his own devices, Tito eats fast – way too fast. Sometimes, he vomits an hour or two after eating, and if he eats dry food, and you happen to be present before he eats whatever he threw up again (aren’t dogs lovely?), you will see that his food is nearly intact, looking like a wetted version of what was poured into his bowl. He doesn’t chew! He gulps down kibble (and everything else) whole, and then, an hour later or so, you might see him either vomit, or walk around lifting one hind leg and then the other, clearly experiencing tummy pain. This is why he doesn’t get dry kibble anymore.

Soaked Dog Food

I soak his kibble in a bit of warm water until it’s mushy, and then feed him. He still snarfs it up too fast, but it doesn’t seem to cause any problems after that.

Sometimes, people will warn you about soaking a dog’s food, because the increased moisture at room temperature can promote the growth of whatever bacteria may be in the food – Salmonella, for instance. That’s why you don’t leave wet food out overnight, or even for more than an hour. If a dog doesn’t eat it pretty much right away, wet food should be picked up and refrigerated. But not eating the food is not a problem in our house.

Here’s the thing: Every time I need more dog food, I buy a different dry dog food.  Yes, I switch with every bag. I switch brands and I switch varieties within brands.

(I know, I know, your vet told you to switch foods slowly. That advice is only relevant to people who have fed one kind of food for months or YEARS, and then wanted to switch. In that case, the dog’s digestive biome has been accustomed to dealing with a very simple menu; the population of microorganisms in the gut reflects what’s needed to digest that diet. If you suddenly switch what has been an unvaried diet, the dog’s system needs a bit of time to switch up the materials needed to break down the new substances. It has to adjust and produce a more appropriate digestive enzyme mix and the gut microflora might need to repopulate different species that can handle the new ingredients. But if you switch all the time, your dog’s system gets accustomed to handling everything and anything edible.)

Yes, I switch foods all the time (and not just kibble: raw, dehydrated, canned). And one thing I’ve noticed from soaking different types and brands of kibble is this: Some soak up warm water more like a sponge  – and some require an hour or more to soften all the way through. It has to do with kibble size, ingredients, how they were extruded… the point is, until I started soaking the food for Tito, I never really thought about the imperviousness of some kibbles compared to others.

When you consider that dogs were never meant to grind grains or grasses for a living – their molars lack the relatively flat surfaces of animals who do grind their food as the first step in digestion – and that many dogs give only a cursory crunch to some percentage of their kibble, the relative slowness of some kibble to absorb moisture may bother many more dogs than just Tito.

Try it yourself! Pour a little handful of kibble in a bowl and cover it with some warm water, and watch how quickly (or slowly) it hydrates. It’s something to consider if you feed a dog who bolts his food, and if that seems to cause tummy troubles like Tito’s.

It’s Tick Time!

By
Nancy Kerns
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Be sure to read Whole Dog Journal‘s in-depth feature on ticks and Lyme disease if you haven’t already.

This is the most trying time of the year for walking my dogs off-leash. On March 15 each year, the rules change for my favorite place to walk dogs, and only leashed dogs are allowed, until the end of June, for the bird nesting season. Rather than walk three dogs on leash – something I “can”do but don’t enjoy – I switch to another nearby area where dogs are allowed off-leash year round. But in this particular area, oh my goodness, the ticks abound.

I could forgo our off-leash walks for the months when the tick-free area where I walk the dogs the rest of the year is restricted to leashed dogs. But because we are able to walk off-leash so much of the time, my dogs (especially Otto) seem to really miss the joys of leash-free walks: being able to run ahead and run back, stop and really smell something very deeply, running to catch up if sniffing took a long time, stopping in mid-stride from time to time to stare at something or (again) smell the air for faint scents of wild animals or other walkers. After a leash-free walk, they sleep harder and longer, and their behavior is better for more days afterward.

The relatively large American Dog Tick is one problem; the tiny deer tick is another thing altogether, especially when they are crawling through my dog Otto’s abundant, long hair. Even though I use monthly applications of Frontline at this time of year, after a walk on the trail in this area, I have to spend at least an hour going through Otto’s coat with a Furminator (his undercoat is shedding, so this helps that task, too) and then a flea comb, catching ticks in the tight tines of the combs, and dropping them into a glass of soapy water.

Ticks in Soapy Water

 I start at Otto’s head and work down each leg. I look between his toes for grass awns – and find a tiny tick crawling between the toes of one front foot. I work backward, finding fewer ticks on his rear end; they seem to always migrate in the direction of his head, and tend to bite him (if I fail to locate them) on his neck and behind his ears. If, after going over him from nose to tail, I can comb for five or ten minutes without finding another tick, I call it quits. Tonight, after a two-hour, leisurely hike with the dogs and my husband, it took me an hour to accomplish tick-free combing.

It’s five times as bad if I haven’t put Frontline on him for over a month.

Some of you are horrified at the prospect of using a spot-on pesticide on your dog. You must not live in or walk in a tick-infested area.  Or know anyone with a dog who suffered from any of the tick-borne diseases: Lyme, anaplasmosis, erlichiosis, babesiosis, or Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

None of my dogs have ever had a bad reaction to Frontline, though my son’s dog, Cole, had a very bad reaction (with vomiting, diarrhea, and a loss of appetite for a couple of days) to Advantix.

I’ve tried a variety of home-prepared remedies that are supposed to repel ticks, such as sprays that contain essential oils; the most commonly mentioned is rose geranium oil. I’ve not seen any reduction in the number of ticks on my dog when using only essential oil-based preparations. I’m sticking with Frontline for now.

What works for keeping ticks off your dogs?

Behind the Scenes of Our Dog Food Reviews

By
Nancy Kerns
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WDJ began publication in 1998, and we began reviewing dog food that year. There were very few products that met our early selection criteria – perhaps half a dozen – but we listed all that we could find.

I was in favor of the “teaching people to fish” approach to the reviews. I thought it was more important to teach dog owners how to read a dog food label so they could tell the difference between the really good ones and the ones with really attractive labels. My boss disagreed; he was in the “give people a fish” camp. He said, “Nancy, I know you are a writer, but trust me when I say that when it comes to this sort of thing, many people will never read your article; they just want the list of foods we approve of.”

I learned within just a few years that he was absolutely right: Lots of people don’t read the dog food review, where I try to give them the reasons why we like the foods we do, and why we don’t like other foods. Many, many people just look at the list of foods, and then ask, “Why isn’t Brand X on your list?” 

Dog Food Aisle at Pet Store

In the years since those early reviews, we’ve added things to our list of selection criteria, and the reviews have gotten more involved. But the number of good – and even REALLY good foods – has gotten longer and longer. In the past 18 years, the industry has been moving in the right direction (in our view). That said, the number of really BAD foods is still much longer than the list of good foods; there are just as many truly atrocious foods out there. So, in my view, it’s still very important to continue to describe the hallmarks of good foods, and to identify the traits of low-quality foods, in addition to listing examples of the ones we like best.

When we analyze the products offered by a particular company, we look at a number of factors. We started adding some of these factors to a spreadsheet, so we could keep track of whose products display which characteristics. Over the years, these factors turned into columns and fields in a chart where we listed some of this information for the list of foods that met our selection criteria, until the 2015 version contained more information than ever before. But guess what? We don’t recall receiving even a single comment in support of the chart or the information it contained!

So, we tried a new style for this year’s dry dog food list in order to accommodate the growing number of quality dry foods on the market today. With so many pet food manufacturers listening to owners’ concerns and improving their foods, our list has grown quite long in recent years. So, we began the 2016 review with an eye toward offering more information in the ARTICLE than ever before, and merely listing the companies that make foods that meet all of our selection criteria.

Since then, however, we’ve heard from a number of you that the chart was more valuable to you than we realized! Some of you were quite upset that the list didn’t have the detailed information about each company’s offerings anymore. So, the spreadsheet will be back for 2017 – and, if you wouldn’t mind,  we’d love your feedback about which information that was contained in the chart was most helpful to you.

The following are fields that appeared in the 2015 version of the list of approved dry foods. Would you mind letting us know which information was most valuable to you? We will build this information into our list of approved canned foods later this year, and of course, into the 2017 dry food review in the February issue.

Indicate which information is most important to you:

Whether the food is made by the company itself, or co-packed
Where the food is sold (in terms of independent stores or in chains)
How many varieties the company offers
Whether the foods are made with meat, meat meal, or both
The range of minimum amounts of protein and fat in the foods offered by the company
Whether or not the company has ever had recalls
The approximate price range of the foods
Notes on the company and its products
Anything else you’d like to know about each company’s products?

Feel free to comment below, or send feedback to WDJEditor@gmail.com. Thanks so much!

 

Raw Dog Food and Salmonella Risks

By
Denise Flaim
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2

There is no such thing as a good time for your dog to get violently ill, but Christienne O’Rourke of Long Island, New York, knows that there most definitely is a bad time. A couple of months ago, O’Rourke found herself shuttling back and forth to the hospital, where her grade-school son had been hospitalized for almost a week. And then the family’s 3-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback, Kaos, became suddenly ill as well.

One evening, returning from the hospital, O’Rourke returned to find Kaos squeezed into a corner of his spacious crate, desperate not to step in the pool of diarrhea that was seemingly everywhere. As soon as O’Rourke opened the crate door, Kaos ran to the backyard, only to come back in leaving a trail of bloody diarrhea. Panicked, O’Rourke took Kaos to a 24-hour emergency practice, where the attending veterinarians placed him under observation, gave him fluids and started a diagnostic work-up.

“Nobody could watch him for me, so I kept him in the emergency room,” says O’Rourke, whose son and dog both pulled through their medical emergencies and are now home and back to their regular lives. But the $4,000 price tag for that prolonged veterinary care “brought me to my knees,” she says wearily.

Four days after Kaos was admitted, the test results came back, showing Salmonella in his stool. A third-generation raw-fed Ridgeback, Kaos had been on a home-prepared raw-food diet since he was three weeks old. But, spooked by the diarrhea and the vet bill, O’Rourke switched him to a high-quality brand of kibble.

“A raw-food diet was great for him,” says O’Rourke, adding that she could see a difference in Kaos’s overall condition compared to kibble-fed dogs she had owned previously. “Until we got to the Salmonella.”

Depending on your point of view, Kaos’ story is either a cautionary tale about the dangers in raw-food diets – or an equally telling example of how raw-food diets are reflexively blamed for episodes of intestinal distress. After all, it wouldn’t be unusual for a raw-fed dog like Kaos to have Salmonella in his stool. And the emotional issues at play – the intense stress that a sudden hospitalization put on the family, the abrupt change in routine, and long periods of being crated home alone – could very well have triggered the explosive diarrhea that Kaos experienced.

Just how dangerous is Salmonella, not just to the dog that is infected with it, but the other animals and humans around him?

How Common is Salmonella?

To say Salmonella is ubiquitous is an understatement: According to the Centers for Disease Control, this rod-shaped bacterium – named for the 19th-century scientist who discovered it, Dr. Daniel Salmon – is responsible for 1.2 million food-borne illnesses in humans, with 19,000 hospitalizations and some 400 deaths every year.

Thanks to dogs’ industrial-strength digestive systems, their strong stomach acids usually disarm the Salmonella bacteria before they can cause illness. And even if enough of the bacteria survive and manage to take up residence in the dog’s digestive tract, he may well be completely asymptomatic; not all canine carriers of Salmonella become ill. This makes it difficult to know how widespread Salmonella infections are in the canine population.

The Merck Veterinary Manual says that “many” dogs are Salmonella carriers, adding that, unlike in humans, “clinical disease is uncommon.” Other estimates of Salmonella infection say that as many as a third of dogs carry the bacteria.

Whatever the real number, what is undisputed is that Salmonella infection in dogs isn’t just a cause of concern for that species: Salmonella is zoonotic – that is, transmissible from animals to people, which in the case of dogs is usually through the oral-fecal route. (In other words, a person comes into contact with feces that is contaminated with Salmonella – say, while picking up poop, he unknowingly gets some on his hand, and then eats an apple and inadvertently ingests some of the bacteria.)

Though it’s relatively uncommon for dogs to actually become ill from ingesting Salmonella – the illness is called “salmonellosis” – the canine symptoms are similar to those seen in humans, including diarrhea, sometimes with blood and/or mucous; vomiting and refusal to eat; fever; lethargy; and abdominal pain and cramping.

Treatment usually involves the administration of fluids and electrolytes to avoid dehydration, and sometimes anti-diarrheal drugs. There is disagreement over the use of antibiotics in mild cases of salmonellosis, because of concerns that it may contribute to the microbe’s resistance to the drugs. Mild cases can often be dealt with at home, provided the dog can be properly hydrated. In rare cases, a Salmonella infection may progress to sepsis – a systemic infection carried through the bloodstream.

It’s also important to note that dogs who have been infected with Salmonella can shed the bacteria in their feces for four to six weeks.

Salmonella is Everywhere, But Not Always Dangerous

While salmonellosis can be contracted through the consumption of raw meat, the reality is that the microbe can be found in many places in the environment – including, from time to time, in commercially produced kibble! Though extrusion (the high-temperature, high-pressure process that cooks kibble) kills the bacteria, the product can be recontaminated later, in the process of drying, cooling, application of an oil coating, or packaging.

Concerns about Salmonella in pet food peaked in the last decade, due in large part to the heightened attention that the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has paid toward food contaminants in the wake of the 2007 recalls of foods containing the toxic substance melamine. In 2012, multiple brands produced by Diamond Pet Foods in the company’s Gaston, South Carolina, facility were recalled after being linked to cases of salmonellosis in humans.

According to veterinarian and natural pet-care advocate Dr. Karen Becker of Bourbonnais, Illinois, “There are endless sources of Salmonella present in the environment, but most do not cause pathogenic contamination,” meaning the source can test positive but never cause illness. Pools of standing water, unwashed vegetables, buildings that contain rodent populations, open fields where birds fly overhead, the areas around bird feeders and bird houses, and, yes, bags of commercially produced dry kibble – all are potential sources of contamination.

In humans, potential contaminants are just as diffuse: Salmonella can lurk in the feed given to livestock animals, and waste from dairy-cow and pig factories can leach into water supplies used to irrigate crops. A 1998 study from the University of Arizona found that bacteria-covered chicken carcasses so contaminated kitchens that appreciably more pathogens were found on sponges and dishtowels than on toilet seats in the same households.

Still, in dogs, raw-food diets remain the poster child for Salmonella transmission. In November 2013, the FDA issued a warning about feeding raw-food diets to companion animals, cautioning that owners had a higher risk of getting infected with Salmonella and another common foodborne bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes. The warning was issued after a two-year study by the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, which screened 196 samples of pet food and found that 15 were positive for Salmonella and 32 were positive for Listeria.

The news made some pet professionals far more paranoid than others. We heard of a case in Sudbury, Ontario, where veterinarians decided to quarantine any raw-fed patients, even if they were coming in for something as innocuous as a wellness check. Depending on the practice and the staff member, protective gloves and even surgical masks were used during examinations.

In a podcast last year on the subject of Salmonella contamination and raw feeding, holistic veterinarian and author Marty Goldstein noted that his Smith Ridge Veterinary Center in South Salem, New York, sells 2,500 to 4,000 pounds of raw food each month, with no ill effects. “Salmonella poses virtually no threat to most dogs,” he said, noting that according to the Morris Institute, 36 percent of healthy dogs carry Salmonella in their digestive tracts.

For her part, Dr. Becker points that many diagnoses of salmonellosis are based more on conjecture than science. “Most commonly, vets don’t even do a diarrhea panel, and simply say, ‘If your dog has acute illness and you feed raw food, the cause is the raw food, probably E. Coli or Salmonella,'” she says. “They make huge, sweeping generalizations not based on testing, but based on their personal and incorrect assumptions. Most cases of diarrhea pertaining to raw food are a dietary transition problem, not a pathogenic infection.”

Even if a veterinarian does do a fecal screening, Dr. Becker notes that test has its own limitations: “It will simply say it’s positive for Salmonella, but not what subspecies,” she explains. “Most are not pathogenic.”

One Dog Food Manufacturer’s View on Salmonella

Dean Ricard of Mountain Dog Food in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is a member of the Canadian Association of Raw Pet Food Manufacturers, or CARPFM, which has set up guidelines, third-party inspections, and best practices to prevent bacterial pathogens from infecting pets and people.

Ricard says it’s simply wrong to assume that the existence of Salmonella in raw meat is a foregone conclusion. “In fact, a properly processed product, coming from an inspected facility, basically does not contain Salmonella – it’s very low risk,” he says. “Salmonella is probably not as prevalent in raw foods as people would like to think.”

Ricard notes that there is no “acceptable” level of contamination for Salmonella. Either a sample has it, or it does not, and if it’s the former, the product fails inspection, even if the bacterial load is miniscule. “Many people believe that any Salmonella in the product will cause problems, when in fact there have to be minimum levels of contamination before there is a problem,” he explains.

Ricard says the best way to ensure that raw-food products are free of Salmonella is to have a clearly defined “chain of custody” of the product, from the supplier who rears the chickens to the pet food manufacturer who packages the finished product. And he reminds that precisely because Salmonella is so commonplace, opportunities for contamination await at seemingly every corner.

“Many people believe it’s the process of raising the chickens that contributing to the Salmonella outbreaks,” including keeping them in highly confined quarters, Ricard says. “But the reason they wind up in barns is to prevent Salmonella from getting into the food stream.” Ironically, while more and more consumers want free-range poultry, the natural way those animals are reared leaves them vulnerable to Salmonella contamination, such as from the droppings of a passing critter or a bird flying overhead.

Salmonella-free birds raised in pristine, controlled conditions can be contaminated if they are shipped to a processing plant in trucks that have not been cleaned and disinfected appropriately, Ricard continues. After slaughter, the meat can be contaminated in the bagging area, for example. This is just as common a scenario in the manufacturing of kibble as it is commercial raw diets, Ricard says. “Unless you’ve got a good quality handling process, the potential for recontamination is there.”

All that said, Ricard notes that the frenzy to make our lives – and our food supplies – free of microbes might do more harm than good in the long run. Akin to the old-fashioned philosophy that says letting little kids hunker down in the dirt to make mud pies builds up much-needed immunity, there is a growing awareness that hygiene-obsessed first-world cultures are weakening their immune systems in their quest for a pristine world.

“There are a lot of countries in the world that do not have anywhere near the sanitary resources that we do in the United States and Canada, and they are populating their part of the world quite well,” he says. “This move toward an ultra-sanitized world has created this atrophy in the immune system.”

Ricard adds that the paranoia over pathogens in the food supply is also somewhat myopic. “People focus on the meat, but we probably have a bigger problem from vegetable products” that are added to some raw diets, he says. “In actual fact, the majority of incursions from a bacterial point of view are coming from vegetables more than the meat. Vegetables are not anywhere near as regulated or as monitored as the meat.”

Prevent Bacterial Buildups and Still Feed Your Dog Raw

While most dogs can encounter Salmonella without becoming symptomatic, that’s not always the case with weak, ill, old, or immune-comprised dogs. What’s a concerned owner to do, if even commercial kibble diets carry with them the risk of contamination?

For dogs with such compromised immune systems – including those undergoing chemotherapy – Dr. Becker recommends a raw food that has been processed with high pressure pasteurization, or HPP. “It’s sterile,” she says, “and the safest food in the pet food industry.”

Instead of using heat to kill pathogens, HPP applies high hydrostatic pressure, which is exerted by a liquid in a water bath. (See “High Pressure Processing and Your Dog’s Raw Food,” WDJ April 2015, for in-depth information about HPP and how it works.)

As for humans living with raw-fed dogs, the same concerns apply: Preschool children, the elderly, pregnant women, and the chronically ill or immune-compromised are at greater risk for Salmonella infection.

Even for healthy owners with vibrant immune systems, following common sense and proper hygiene can go a long way toward preventing infection. The top recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include the following:

– Thoroughly wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after handling raw pet food, and after touching surfaces or objects that have come in contact with the raw food. Countertops, the inside of refrigerators and microwaves, kitchen utensils, feeding bowls and cutting boards are all potential sources of bacteria.
– Thoroughly clean and disinfect all surfaces and objects that come in contact with raw pet food. (The FDA stresses the difference between those two verbs: Cleaning means only removing germs from surfaces and objects; disinfecting means actually killing them.) The FDA recommends first washing with hot, soapy water, then following with a disinfectant, such as one tablespoon of bleach dissolved in one quart of water. Running utensils and cutting boards through the dishwasher after use can also disinfect them.
– Freeze raw meat until you’re ready to use it, and thaw it in the refrigerator or microwave, not on the countertop or sink.
– Carefully handle and segregate raw food, and don’t rinse it, or you can splash the raw juices onto other food and surfaces.
– Immediately cover and refrigerate leftover food.
– Avoid kissing your dog around his mouth, and don’t permit him to lick your face, especially after he has just consumed a raw-food meal.
– Thoroughly wash your hands after touching your dog, or after the dog has licked or “kissed” you. (Wait a second – not kiss your dog? Isn’t that one of the more compelling reasons for having one?)

In the end, like most things in life, managing your dog’s exposure to Salmonella – dietary or otherwise – isn’t black and white. If you want the benefits of a raw-food diet, then you need to accept a degree of risk, to both your dog and yourself, in terms of exposure to pathogens like Salmonella.

That said, other commercially prepared foods are not without risk, either – and Salmonella is only one of them. You will have to weigh the pros and cons and make the decision that’s right for you and your dog.

The founder of Modern Molosser magazine and a regular contributor to WDJ, Denise Flaim raises 12-year-old triplets, as well as raw-fed Rhodesian Ridgebacks, in Long Island, New York.

The Boarding Kennel Checklist

By
Nancy Tucker, CDBC, CPDT-KA
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[Updated May 23, 2018]

A couple of years ago, I was informed that the dog boarding facility I trusted – the one and only place where I felt comfortable leaving my own dog – was closing its doors indefinitely because the owner had fallen seriously ill. Obviously, my family was first and foremost very concerned for the owner. True, we relied heavily on her services, but she had also become a personal friend over the years. (The story does have a happy ending, as she has since fully recovered and is in excellent health.) While she was experiencing a very serious personal challenge, we – and all of her regular clients – were also suddenly faced with some significant inconveniences: Who would watch our dogs?

It can seem like a trite question, given the circumstances, but for a family like mine, whose members travel frequently for work, arranging for our dog’s care during our absence ranks very high on our list of priorities when making travel plans. If the one person we trust to take care of our dog is not available, we don’t seek to make other arrangements for our dog. Instead, we change our travel dates, or we don’t go. Period.

So while our friend and dog sitter recovered, we rearranged our lives in order to ensure someone could be home to care for our dog. This lasted 15 months!

Wags Hotel

Wags Hotel

During this time, I was approached by many of the kennel’s clients seeking guidance on where else in the area they could board their dogs. Several had been clients of my training business, and they wanted to know my recommendations. “Where would you go?” they’d ask. They were looking for someone they could trust implicitly, and they knew my standards would be high.

I had no answer for them. I was in the same boat as they were, and told them I was also searching for another boarding facility. They asked me, “How do you choose? How do you know a good place from a not-so-good place?”

This got me thinking about what criteria a dog-sitting operation should meet. What features should we look for? What are the deal-breakers? What features or services might be okay to live without?

What follows is a list of questions to ask a boarding facility before agreeing to leave your dog in their care during your absence. “Boarding facility” can also include those businesses that offer dog-sitting services in their private home. (Note that while some businesses offer pet-sitting services that include visiting your own home to care for your dog while you are away, this article specifically addresses facilities where your dog goes to stay. )

If a boarding facility operator refuses to answer a question, or indicates that she shouldn’t need to answer these questions at all, that is an excellent cue for you to walk away and look elsewhere. If I were offering to care for someone else’s dog, I would expect them to ask me these same questions. They are perfectly reasonable.

1. How Clean is the Facility?

Obviously, this is one question you’ll want to answer for yourself. Visit the premises. Ask to see where your dog will spend most of his time. The verdict is out on whether you should call ahead of time to arrange for a visit, or if you should show up unannounced to see the place “in action.”

I think it’s courteous to call ahead and arrange a time that is most convenient for the owner of the facility. Operating a kennel requires a lot of skillful time management and there are many tasks to accomplish in a systematic way. Keep in mind that disrupting the operators’ schedule will directly affect the dogs currently in their care. While it is tempting to make a surprise visit to see “what really goes on when no one is looking,” at some point you have to trust that your questions will be answered honestly and will provide the information you’re seeking.

Use your senses while you’re there: Does it look clean? Does it smell clean? Is it heated or air-conditioned? Visit more than once if you’d like to verify if the conditions you observe are consistent.

2. Is Drinking Water Readily Available?

This is a question you won’t want to skip. Some boarding operators prefer to withhold water during certain times of the day in order to minimize the number of times a dog needs to pee. I personally find this unacceptable. Dogs should have access to clean drinking water at all times, especially if they are experiencing stress, like many dogs do while away from home.

Note: Dogs of certain breeds and body types (deep-chested dogs, large-breed dogs over seven years old, large breed male dogs who are more than seven years old) are more prone to bloat than others. If you limit your dog’s water intake immediately before and after eating, or follow other protocols recommended by your veterinarian to prevent bloat, make sure the boarding kennel operator will also follow these protocols, and that she knows why you have requested them.

3. Does Each Dog Have Free Access to a Private Outdoor Run?

Depending on the design of the facility, some indoor kennel runs have a doggie-door that leads to an outdoor run and can be left open during the day (climate permitting), allowing the dog to move in and out as he pleases.

If there is no doggie-door, ask how often the dog is taken out of his enclosure during the day, and for how long. Does he just get to pee and then is returned immediately to his kennel? Or does he get to sniff around a bit, or go for a walk?

Ideally, check to ensure that your dog is let out of his enclosure for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes at a time, at least twice a day.

If you see that a kennel facility can house 40 dogs during peak season, and that there are only two staff members on duty at any given time, you can probably do the math for yourself to figure out whether it’s possible for each dog to receive personal attention outside of his enclosure.

For example, in a 12-hour day, is it humanly possible for one employee to let 20 dogs out of their enclosures, individually, for 15 minutes, twice? Well, yes, it’s possible. However, there would be very little time remaining to handle all of the other tasks like cleaning and meal preparations, not to mention time for the staff member’s own bathroom and meal breaks! Make sure the boarding facility is adequately staffed.

4. How Secure is the Facility?

If the door to your dog’s enclosure is opened and he slips out and squeezes past the kennel staff, how far can he get? Is the building door kept securely shut? Is there a fence or a gate stopping him from running off the property or into the road?

5. What Separates the Enclosures?

Solid walls, sometimes made of concrete or wood, separate some enclosures; others are simple chain-link fencing, either with or without a canvas or vinyl tarp covering the fencing. This is an important consideration if you have a dog who isn’t at ease in the presence of other dogs. A visual barrier is often best to keep the peace and to reduce the stress level. Dogs should never be able to make physical contact between enclosures, like through spaces beneath or above the separating walls.

6. What Happens if Your Dog Has a Health Emergency?

You’ll want to ensure that the person or people taking care of your dog know what to do in a medical emergency. Are staff members certified in pet first aid? Is there transportation available at all times to take your dog to the vet in case of an emergency? Ultimately, you will also have established in writing what medical decisions the kennel operator can make on your behalf, and which ones must be made by you.

7. Do Dogs Interact with Each Other?

Whether or not dogs get to interact with each other brings up a whole other series of questions. Some businesses allow dog-dog interactions (and in fact, promote them), while others prohibit them at all times. Some dogs do very well in the company of other dogs, and a certain amount of well managed, well supervised interaction can be healthy.

Some dogs, however, are best kept apart from other dogs for various reasons. They may be fearful or aggressive around other dogs, or they might not be physically well enough to engage in direct contact (like if they’re elderly, injured, or recovering from surgery). If dog-dog interaction is allowed, you’ll want to ask the following questions:

A) How large is the play area? According to the ASPCA, each play area should include 75 to 100 square feet of space per dog, and each group shouldn’t consist of more than 10 to 15 dogs, with at least one supervisor per 15 dogs. Personally, I find this ratio entirely too high and would prefer much smaller groups of dogs for each human supervisor – like four to six dogs per one supervisor.
B) How would your dog’s playmates be selected? Based on size or play style?
C) What kind of training have staff members received? Are they qualified to read dog body language to recognize stress, discomfort, or volatile situations? What kind of handling skills do they have?
D) What if you prefer that your dog not play with other dogs – will they respect your wishes? You know your dog best, and the decisions you make about your dog’s well being should be honored.

8. How Do They Handle Certain Behaviors?

Ask what exactly will happen to your dog if he barks excessively. Will they spray him with water? Will they use a special collar of any type to try to control the barking? What exactly do they do about barking dogs? Ask them to be specific. Any type of “correction” is unacceptable.

What about a dog who growls at staff members or at another dog? How do they respond to this? Staff members should be qualified enough to recognize that a growling dog in an unfamiliar environment is most likely expressing fear or discomfort. Measures should be taken to help the dog feel more at ease. As with barking, any type of “correction” for growling is also unacceptable.

In any given scenario, your dog should be handled with kindness and patience. Ask specifically if staff members apply any physical corrections that are meant to startle or frighten your dog (like poking, jerking on the leash, “alpha rolling,” pinning your dog to the ground, shouting, etc.) or tools that are meant to be aversive to your dog, such as choke, prong, or collars that emit a shock, vibration, or citronella. None of these handling methods or tools are acceptable, and no qualified kennel operator who is knowledgeable about dog behavior would use them to manage the dogs in their care.

9. What are the Kennel’s Health Requirements?

Most kennels will require that your dog’s vaccinations are “up-to-date,” but you’ll want to find out what they mean by this. Would a positive vaccine titer test suffice? Or does the kennel require prospective boarders to have been vaccinated within the past three years, or one year? What about the Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine? No matter what your personal feelings might be towards immunization protocols, you’ll probably need to meet the boarding facility’s requirements in order to use their services.

10. How is Feeding Handled?

Find out if the kennel staff is willing and able to maintain the diet you specified for your dog. Will they honor your instructions to refrain from feeding a particular food item to your dog? If you bring a week’s worth of stuffed Kongs and special treats for your dog, will they arrange to give them to your dog as requested? If you feed a raw diet, do they have the necessary freezers and refrigerators to store the food? Are they okay with handling raw food? Are they willing to take the time to mix and prepare dehydrated food?

11. Is There a Night Shift?

One of the reasons I chose the facility I use is because it is on the owner’s property, next to her house, so there is always someone present at night, all night. But some kennels do not have staff members on site overnight. Ask if anyone stays behind with the boarders. If the dogs are left alone overnight, it’s a deal-breaker for me. I want someone to be at least within earshot of the kennels at all times.

Conduct Further Kennel Research

In the end, a boarding facility’s reputation says a lot about its operation. Don’t rely on advertising or a great-looking website. Get references from people who use their services. Ask local vet clinic staff about them.

Personally, security is my primary concern when choosing a boarding facility. I want to be able to leave my dog in the care of someone I trust, and not worry about her safety.

Also, I choose not to allow my dog to interact with other dogs while she is boarded (the boarding facility I use does not permit dogs to come into contact with each other). She is not a socially confident dog, and I insist on supervising all dog-dog interactions that she engages in. That is my personal choice, and I need to know that the facility operator won’t disregard it.

I prepare tons of interactive food toys in advance and pack them with my dog’s belongings to ease the boredom of time spent at a boarding facility. I rationalize that if the worst thing that can happen to my dog is that she is bored while I’m away, that’s fine with me! I would prefer “bored” over “traumatized,” “hurt” (by another dog), or “punished,” “corrected,” or “disciplined” by a stranger.

Nancy Tucker, CPDT-KA, is a full-time trainer, behavior consultant, and seminar presenter in Quebec. She writes about dog behavior for several Quebec publications, focusing on life with the imperfect family dog.

Tips from Dog Kennel Operators

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Don Hanson, owner of Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor, Maine, and Allison Bennett of Warms Hearts, Cold Noses, in North Hatley, Quebec, helped me compile this list of tips – ways to make boarding your dog a good experience for everyone involved, and to help clarify why kennel operators have the rules they do.

dog in suitcase

A Dog’s Life Photo|Dreamstime.com

1. If your dog requires medications, bring them in the original containers that are labeled with dosage instructions as prescribed by your veterinarian. Pack a couple of additional days’ worth in case you are delayed returning home.

2. Portion your dog’s food into Ziploc bags (or small Ziploc-type containers if not kibble), one for each feeding. Pack a few extra days’ worth in case you are delayed.

3. Provide an emergency contact and make sure that the contact knows you have chosen her, and that she understands she needs to be available and able to respond if called.

4. If you are going to have someone else pick up your dog from the kennel at the end of his stay, make sure the facility knows this in advance. No kennel should release your dog to anyone other than you unless you have confirmed this in advance. (Check the kennel’s payment policy; the person picking up may have to settle the bill if you haven’t already made other payment arrangements.)

5. Having someone visit or “check in” with your dog while they are at the kennel can be good or bad. It might be a nice break for your dog if the person takes them out for several hours or even a couple of days (keeping in mind that they will probably need to sign a release form). But it might also simply upset the new schedule that the dog has become accustomed to. A sure way to upset the dog is to simply stop in to say “Hi,” and then leave. The dog may spend a very long time afterwards in a state of anticipation.

6. Be totally up-front with a facility about any past and current medical issues affecting your dog. If your dog has had a seizure in the past, or sometimes limps on one leg, the boarding facility needs to know. Mention any details about your dog’s behavior that can be helpful, such as: he has thunder phobia, or guards his food, or is fearful of men and has bitten before.

7. Write down anything that you’d like the kennel operator to know (or type and print to ensure legibility). Avoid rattling off instructions verbally to the kennel operator during your drop-off. Make a list and be specific.

8. Avoid packing too many things. Your dog will be fine with one bed or blanket and one or two familiar toys (ask if your kennel accepts that you bring your own bedding). Bringing too many items also means taking up extra precious space in an already-confined enclosure.

9. Clearly identify any items you leave with your dog at the kennel. Things can get moved around, or need to be washed or cleaned off and then are misplaced, especially during a busy season. If an item is treasured or irreplaceable, don’t bring it. It may get lost, muddied, or chewed.

10. Don’t wait too long to book! If you know you’ll be traveling during the Christmas holidays, don’t wait until December to reserve your dog’s spot at the kennel. Chances are, the popular periods (as when kids are out of school) will be booked up well in advance – sometimes weeks or months!

11. Expect a kennel to have a “no show” fee if you make a reservation and then fail to show or call to cancel in advance.

12. Avoid over-emoting when dropping your dog off. You’ve chosen the kennel because you trust the operators. Have confidence in their service, and rest assured that your dog will adapt to his new environment just fine.

Prison Dog Training Programs: An Inside Look

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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I went to prison a few years ago – invited to speak to the participants in Pixie’s Pen Pals dog training program at the Lunenburg Correctional Center in Victoria, Virginia. I was a little nervous, but I needn’t have been: The trainers for the program were professional and capable, the prison staff was welcoming and supportive, and the men in the program were friendly, attentive, and eager to share their experiences and show me their dogs. And the dogs, of course, were wonderful.

I left the prison that day with tears in my eyes and a renewed faith in humans, thinking I should write an article about the redeeming power of interspecies partnerships. Other articles were on the agenda, though, and the impetus for the article faded.

Katie Locks dog prison trainer

I was at a dog training conference last fall when I bumped into Katie Locks, one of the lead trainers from the Pen Pals program. She reintroduced herself to me, and then asked if I remembered the man sitting next to her. I must have looked blank, because she grinned a little when she introduced me to Rob, one of the now-graduated, former-inmate participants who now works professionally as a dog trainer! After a bit of a conversation, I was much impressed by this intelligent, soft-spoken, gentle man. It was the push I needed to finally write this article.

Some of my other colleagues are also involved with prison dog training programs. Brad and Lisa Waggoner, husband and wife trainers and owners of Cold Nose College in Murphy, North Carolina, have participated in a prison dog training program at the Colwell Probation and Detention Center in Blairsville, Georgia, for the past four years. Like Katie, they get a great sense of accomplishment from their work with the dogs and men in the prison dog training program they volunteer with.

Katie Locks and the Virginia Prison Dog Programs

Katie Locks is the owner of Lucky Dogs Training and More in Amelia Court House, Virginia. Since 2004, she has worked with rescues and individuals to strengthen the bond with dogs through training. She trains for the Southside SPCA as well as Lab Rescue of the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac, is a mentor trainer for Animal Behavior College, and is the lead trainer for Pixie’s Pen Pals.

Pen Pals was started in 2001, and operates at four Virginia prisons: Lunenburg Correctional Center, Buckingham Correctional Center, Deerfield Work Center, and Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women. Katie oversees the programs at the first two prisons.

Pat Miller: How, when, and why did you become involved in a prison dog program?

Katie Locks: I have been working in the Virginia prisons with Pixie’s Pen Pals since October 2009. The previous director of the program (then managed by Save Our Shelters, now managed by FETCH a Cure) contacted me and asked if I would be interested in meeting with her and visiting a prison. I jumped at the opportunity to try something new and different.

Pat: Where do the dogs come from that you use in the program? What do you look for in selecting dogs for the program?

Katie: The dogs that I take in to the facilities I oversee come from Southside SPCA in Meherrin, Virginia – a small, private, nonprofit organization run by a small staff and a large network of volunteers in rural central Virginia. I work closely with the Assistant Director, Francee Schuma, and we meet and evaluate dogs regularly. We look for the dogs who are not quite ready to go to adoption events but have a lot to offer. Usually, it’s the “underdog” that I take in. There are no set criteria; we are always hopeful that through patience and a little training we can turn that dog’s future around.

Pat: How are inmates selected for the program?

Katie: I do not select the human participants in the program. They are selected by the liaisons I work with at the prison, and the criteria is pretty strict. The men selected for the program have to be charge-free for two years, cannot have had any animal cruelty-related or sex offenses, and they have to be “model” inmates and be eligible for honor housing.

Once they are part of the program, they must follow the education outline and show respect for the dogs and other handlers. At that point, I have input as to their continued suitability for the program.

At Lunenburg there are generally 12 men and six dogs in the program at any given time, and at Buckingham, four men and two dogs.

Pat: Do many inmates choose to work with dogs after they are released? Do they stay in touch with you?

Katie: Some do wish to continue, either on a volunteer basis or as a career. For most guys, this has not become a career due to the time it takes to build a business or the difficulty in finding employment with facilities willing to hire them.

I have had a few over the years reach out to me for professional advice and support, and update me on their progress on the outside.

Pat: What are the goals of the program? How does it work?

Katie: It is a full-circle effect. The dogs come into the program because they need a second chance to learn new skills, and the men who train them need a second chance to develop their potential and sense of self-worth. So the goals of the program are to rehabilitate humans and dogs through a mutual system of trust.

Pen Pals prison dog

The dogs stay with the inmates in their cells. Some facilities have one-man cells and others have two-man cells, but the ratio is two handlers per dog in all facilities.

I go to the facilities once a week to evaluate, monitor, and teach new skills to the handlers. The dogs stay in our program until they are adopted or a long-term foster can be found. The inmates stay in the program as long as they are permitted and continue to meet the criteria of the program.

The men do have ongoing course work and advance to higher skill levels upon completion of each level (i.e., beginner, secondary, and primary handler status). Each level is assigned seven to 10 books and videos which they must read/view. The inmates must write reports, take tests, and pass a skills assessment.

Pat: What do the dogs learn? What training methods are used?

Katie: The first thing the dogs must learn is to trust. Once there is a good rapport and bond with the handler, they begin to learn the basics (sit, down, wait, stay, come, leash walking, crate training, housetraining, good manners.) Once dogs are proficient at the basics, the men are allowed to teach them some fun stuff (roll over, play dead, wave).

We promote only positive training methods using incentives such as food, toys, praise, and access to fun stuff.

Pat: How are dogs placed in homes after they complete the programs? If there a waiting list for adopters? Are the dogs usually easy to place?

Katie: Dogs are posted on the FETCH a Cure website and through Petfinder, and remain in the program until adopted.

I wish there were a waiting list! Some dogs are in the program for far longer than necessary. The dogs themselves are, for the most part, fantastic, but we just don’t have adopters waiting in line.

Pat: What’s your favorite thing about the program?

Katie: I love the fact that dogs who need a little help and humans who need a little help get to help each other, sometimes without realizing the huge impact they have on each other. I have seen many men transform through this program and become responsible, caring individuals who are better able to handle life on the outside because of this program.

Pat: What do you consider your greatest success so far?

Katie: The greatest success is seeing the sense of accomplishment that these men feel when their dog is adopted by a family who is very grateful and appreciative of all their hard work and effort.

This program has changed my life and the way I view people in general. There is good in everyone if you are willing to see it.

Lisa & Brad Waggoner

Lisa Lyle Waggoner, CPDT-KA, PMCT, CSAT, and her husband Brad Waggoner, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, are the owners of Cold Nose College in Murphy, North Carolina. The Waggoners have been involved with the dog training program, “RESCUED: Saving Detainees and Dogs One Life at a Time,” at the Colwell Probation and Detention Center in Blairsville, Georgia, since it was started four years ago.

Pat: How and why did you become involved in the RESCUED program?

Lisa: My dad was a psychologist in maximum security prisons when I was growing up. He had a PhD in psychology, and lobbied for using positive reinforcement vs. punishment in the rehabilitation of prisoners. There were many times he was a whistleblower, standing up against inmate beatings.

In 2004, while driving to Maryland to attend a week-long dog training instructor course at Peaceable Paws, I drove by a prison and thought of my dad’s work. It was then that I first hoped to one day be involved in a prison dog training program. When Brad and I were approached about implementing a dog training program within the Colwell Probation and Detention Center, it was easy to say “Yes!”

Pat: Where do the dogs used in the program come from?

Brad: The dogs come from two shelter partners of the program, Castoff Pet Rescue and Humane Society Mountain Shelter, both in Blairsville, Georgia. RESCUED is a 10-week program that matches a detainee with a dog in need of care and patient training.

We don’t select the dogs for the program. However, the two groups have done a nice job of selecting dogs who have only general training needs, as opposed to serious behavior issues.

Pat: How are inmates selected for the program?

Brad: The detainees are selected to participate in the program after an extensive application process that includes an essay, a thorough background check of their criminal histories, and an assessment of their institutional behavior. When the detainee has successfully completed the first part of the process, he is interviewed by a panel. After this, the board makes a decision of who will fill the vacant handler positions.

Pat: Do many inmates choose to work with dogs after they are released?

Lisa: There are only two that we know of who initially began working with dogs. One as an employee in a boarding/day care/training facility and the other as a vet assistant.

Pat: Do they stay in touch with you?

Lisa: Many do and it’s a joy to continue hearing from them via email or by staying in touch through Facebook.

Pat: What are the goals of the program?

Lisa: RESCUED is the first dog rescue program within the Georgia Department of Corrections. RESCUED teaches viable job skills that enable the men to gain employment upon re-entry into their communities. As Diane Hassett, superintendent of the facility says, “This gives them a chance of being ‘rescued’ from the revolving door of incarceration.”

The detainees are also taught useful skills and given the privilege of on-the-job training, which helps solidify their foundation as productive citizens.

In addition to positive dog training and a grooming program, the program has expanded to include a number of other programs offered by different organizations. These include a basic animal health class taught by Dr. Patti Barnes and Dr. Dwaine Zagrocki of Union County Pet Hospital, classes in pet first aid and pet CPR taught by Brad, and a variety of classes on building a resume, job search skills, problem-solving, computer skills, small business and money management, and anger management. Also, detainees can earn a certificate in grooming through a course offered by Central Georgia Technical College.

Pat: How does the program work?

Lisa: Three dogs from each shelter partner organization are selected for each 10-week RESCUED program. In June of 2012, the six men and four dogs were housed in a 216-square-foot room, which included six bunks, four dog crates, and additional dog gear. After the successful first year of the program, the Georgia Department of Corrections gave Colwell the permission to expand the program and the space it occupies. The men and the dogs now live together in a 1,100-square-foot dorm that also includes six double bunks, a bathing and a grooming area, and a library of positive dog training books, DVDs, and publications donated by dog trainers from around the United States.

The total number of men varies, though there is always a minimum of six dogs and six handlers, along with two or three mentor detainees. The mentor detainees are men who have completed the previous 10-week program and stay involved until their release date. Colwell is a minimum security and probation detention center, so the stays are much shorter than in maximum security prisons.

We spend one morning a week teaching the participants positive dog training, which includes basic family manners, agility for fun, a two-hour presentation on dog body language and canine communication, and a session on nose work, along with presentations on learning theory, pet first aid, and CPR.

Dogs usually stay in the program for the 10-week session, but if a dog isn’t adopted at the end, the dog often stays in the program until he finds his forever home, though some dogs may go back to the shelter. The two partner groups are responsible for the adoptions.

Sometimes the men in the program adopt the dogs they’ve worked with, though some of them cannot because of life situations upon their release. But finding homes for the dogs is becoming easier now that we have two new shelter partners, and the Georgia Department of Corrections has allowed the facility to have a Facebook page for the program. The Public Affairs Office is also in the midst of putting together a video about the program that will soon be released, which we anticipate will help promote adoptions.

Pat: What do you like about the program?

Lisa: The ability to see the amazing transformation in the men (as well as the dogs). We see their attitudes and their anger melt away as they begin to learn with their dogs. It’s also so incredible to see them realize that positive techniques can be applied to people, too. It’s evident to see that the program has a powerful effect on the men, as demonstrated by the comments I received after last week’s training session:

Detainee Carlton, now a mentor, says, “Mentorship wasn’t what I expected. It was harder. I’ve managed construction crews before, but it was not of this magnitude. It’s expanded my leadership abilities. I now have a different way to teach and lead people.”

Detainee McGraw offered, “It’s been a wonderful learning experience. I wasn’t looking to fall in love with a dog. I was really just looking for a way out of the other dorm, but we’ve all come together. We’ve learned more from the dogs than they have from us, especially patience. These dogs have had a hard life in the shelter and it’s amazing what you can teach them. If they can learn, then we can, too. Anything is possible.”

Detainee Fulkerson chimed in that for him, “It’s been a challenge working with the other people and a challenge for ourselves. We have to set an example. Some of us have a harder time following integrity, but we’ve learned that integrity is about doing the right thing with no one is looking. The dogs want to be loved and we want to be loved.”

And Andrew Holcomb, a former graduate who is now working as a long-haul truck driver, said to me this week via Facebook, “The RESCUED program taught me that there is more to life than myself. I actually care about more than myself now. It changed my outlook on life all together. It taught me how to love and care for others and no matter what, always do the right thing.”

For Brad and me, it just doesn’t get any better than that!

Pat: Is there anything you’d change about the program if you could?

Lisa: Not a thing. We have an amazing team of individuals involved in this program and we all believe we’re making a difference in the lives of the men and the dogs. The superintendent recently put together a proposal to convert the vacant gymnasium (which has never been used) into a new facility where more men and dogs can be in the program, as well as an adoption center where dogs can easily stay and wait for their forever homes if they’re not adopted.

Pat: What do you consider your greatest success so far?

Brad: Everyone involved in the program sees the acceptance and expansion of the program as its greatest success. To date, 74 detainees have completed the program and were released. Of those, 67 percent continue to be productive members of our society.

I’d like to tell other trainers, “If you have a chance to volunteer for such a program, jump on it!” We’re honored to be involved.

Author Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She and her husband Paul live in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center, where Pat offers dog-training classes and courses for trainers.

A Former Inmate’s Success Story

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Rob was one of the inmates in the Pen Pals program when I spoke there several years ago. It was a delightful surprise to see him at the Pet Professional Guild trainer conference in Tampa, Florida, last fall and have a chance to chat. It is clear from his comments that the program contributed to his successful reintroduction into society. Rob is currently working with a mentor trainer to gain additional experience and knowledge in the field of dog training and behavior.

After the conference, I contacted Rob and asked if I could interview him for this article. He was happy to participate. We’ve withheld his last name to protect his privacy.

Pat Miller: How did you come to be incarcerated?

Rob: Many years ago I was rather immature and selfish, and lacked any sense of direction. With a mind filled with negativity and alcohol, I did something unkind and thoughtless.

adopted dog in new home

Pat: How did you get involved with the prison dog program? How did it affect your life while you were in prison?

Rob: In 2007, the Pen Pals program was introduced to the facility where I had been assigned. An application process was set up to determine which men would be best suited for the program. I applied, and in July of that year I was accepted, and immediately moved into a cell with another inmate handler. That move was probably one of the best moves I have ever made, as it afforded me the opportunity to live and breathe dog training 24 hours a day.

Pat: What did you like about the program?

Rob: There are so many things! One of the top ones is the sense of accomplishment and self-worth you get from helping another living creature find a life of happiness, security, and comfort.

Pat: How long were you in the program? How many different dogs did you train?

Rob: I was in the program from July 2007 until October 2014. In that time I worked with close to 40 dogs – those brought in for the program as well as those owned by staff working at the facility.

Pat: Did they all get adopted? Was it hard to let go?

Rob: Almost all of those dogs were successfully adopted, with the rare exception of one or two who were unable to adjust to the prison environment due to extreme fear. It was always a little difficult to let go – but it was comforting knowing they were going to loving homes and would be cared for, for the rest of their lives.

Pat: Was there one dog in particular who touched you?

Rob: All of the dogs affected me, but the one who stands out the most was a Foxhound/Collie-mix named Woody. He was the first one I worked with who had severe fear issues, and he taught me more than any other about fear and behavior, and about myself as well.

Pat: Were there things you learned in the program that have helped you with other aspects of your life?

Rob: I learned so much through the program. One of the most important is letting go of the old, selfish mindset, and opening up my heart and thoughts for others. Also, having been entrusted with a leadership role within the program, I was able to develop skills so valuable to all of life, such as real listening, conflict resolution, and public speaking, as well as being a liaison between staff and inmates.

Pat: Do you currently hold any trainer credentials? Are you pursuing any?

Rob: I am a professional member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), as well as an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. I will possibly pursue further certifications and credentials in the future, but for right now I am attempting to gain as much direct experience and understanding as I can in relation to all aspects of training, behavior, and business.

Pat: Do your clients know you were in prison? Has this created any obstacles for you?

Rob: Some of the clients I have worked with know about my past, and those who do are not bothered by it.

Pat: What did you think of the PPG conference?

Rob: The PPG Summit was an incredible experience, one that I will look back on for a long time with happiness.

Pat: Is it your plan to make dog training a lifetime career?

Rob: Training animals is what I would love to do as a lifetime career. I am working hard to follow that dream.

Pat: Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Rob: I would like to thank all of those who were involved in the program at all levels. I hope they realize how amazing it is for me to have been a part of something so big and powerful.

Cayenne for Canines: They’re Not Too Hot!

By
CJ Puotinen
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[Updated August 22, 2018]

Cayenne or chili pepper – the spice that gives Mexican and Sichuan food its heat – is an important medicinal plant. Not only is it Herb of the Year for 2016, it’s good for dogs!

Since 1985, the International Herb Association has announced its Herb of the Year during National Herb Week, which this year is May 1 through 7. The IHA has just published Capsicum: Herb of the Year 2016, a book that reviews chili peppers and their growing conditions and uses, and the organization helps garden centers and herb farms promote its featured plant.

Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) and other members of the Capsicum family are known as chili, chilli, chille, or chile peppers. They belong to the nightshade family, which includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, paprika, pimento, tomatillos, and tobacco.

Native to Central and South America, where they have been cultivated for more than 6,000 years, Capsicum peppers were brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus, whose physician recognized their medicinal benefits. Portuguese explorers continued the trend, and soon hot peppers were grown around the world. Today’s popular varieties include (from mild to hottest) Anaheim, jalapeno, serrano, cayenne, tabasco, Thai, habanero, and ghost peppers.

Rich in vitamins C and A, cayenne also supplies vitamins B3 (niacin), B2 (riboflavin), and B6 (pyridoxine), the minerals iron, copper, and potassium, plus flavonoids and other micronutrients.

Cayenne’s unique ingredient is the alkaloid compound capsaicin (pronounced cap-SAY-sin), which gives hot peppers their heat.

How hot is hot? In 1912, Wilbur Scoville, an American pharmacist, created a test to measure the heat of chili peppers. Now called the Scoville scale, its SHU (Scoville Heat Unit) ratings range from zero (bell peppers) to 30,000 to 50,000 (cayenne), 100,000 to 300,000 (habanero and Scotch bonnet peppers), and up to 2 million for the world’s hottest peppers. Today their heat is measured by High Performance Liquid Chromatography, or HPLC, but the Scoville Heat Units remain popular.

Medicinally, chili peppers are added to herbal formulas in small amounts as a catalyst, a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected. In oral supplements or when added to food, cayenne speeds reactions in the digestive and circulatory systems. Applied topically, it is a rubefacient, which means that it increases circulation to the skin, nerves, and joints, opening subcutaneous capillaries and acting as an analgesic. Wherever applied, cayenne improves the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, fight infection, alleviate pain, and reduce inflammation.

Can Dogs Eat Cayenne?

The key word in any application of medicinal herbs is moderation. This is especially important with cayenne because too much applied topically can damage the skin or, when swallowed, cause severe digestive pain.

Cayenne made headlines in Seattle three years ago when a property manager sprinkled cayenne pepper around her apartment complex, hoping to repel resident dogs whose owners left their waste behind. At least one dog was injured as a result, prompting demands for legal action. Charges of animal cruelty were not filed by the county’s prosecuting attorney because while exposure to cayenne can be painful, it isn’t fatal and doesn’t cause lasting damage. The dog received veterinary treatment and recovered, the property manager apologized, and pet owners agreed to clean up after their dogs.

Capsaicin is the main ingredient in self-defense sprays designed to repel aggressive dogs, bears, coyotes, and other animals. An Internet search will display a variety of sprays and testimonials about their effectiveness. Commercial pepper sprays use oleoresin capsicum or chili oleoresin, an extremely hot pepper extract. Pepper sprays are considered weapons if used against humans, and regulations regarding their legality vary by state according to the products’ strength and size. In some cases, such as when misused by law enforcement officials, pepper sprays have been fatal.

While the taste of pepper doesn’t always deter dogs, less concentrated sprays may prevent Fido from licking and chewing pillows, plants, shoes, or furniture. One popular do-it-yourself repellent spray posted on VetInfo.com combines 1 part cayenne powder with 10 parts water in a spray bottle. “Shake up the mixture to evenly combine the two,” says the instruction page. “Spray just a few sprays of the mixture on the surfaces of the furniture that you’re interested in protecting and in the area surrounding it.”

Cayenne is also recommended as a garden insect, ant, and rodent repellent.

Because cayenne irritates mucous membranes, be careful to avoid your dog’s eyes, nose, genitals, and rectum whenever spraying or applying this herb.

Cayenne Helps Dogs’ Heart Health and Digestion

cayenne peppers

Stephen S. Nagy

Can cayenne stop a heart attack? For hundreds of years, herbalists have made this claim, and it appears to be true. Dr. John Christopher, a 20th century American herbalist, used cayenne so often for this purpose that he and his followers made cayenne a routine treatment for heart disease.

As Candace Hunter and Sue Sierralupé wrote in their book Chili Pepper: Naturally Hot Herbal Medicine, “Chili peppers may help stop a crisis in progress. We have historical data to suggest a goodly dose of chili powder swallowed amidst a heart attack can stop the crisis, though we don’t currently have scientific studies to support that. What we do know is chilies can assist the body in healing afterward. Heart surgery patients who experience low circulation, lack of energy, and listlessness are strengthened and invigorated by a daily dose of cayenne pepper in capsule form.”

According to Randy Kidd, DVM, PhD, in his article “Promoting Canine Cardiovascular Health” (WDJ February 2005), “Cayenne is probably the most useful of the systemic stimulants, regulating blood flow and equalizing and strengthening the heart, arteries, capillaries, and nerves. Cayenne is a general tonic and is specific for the circulatory and digestive systems. It has the ability to balance blood pressure, correcting it to a normal range.”

As Dr. Kidd explained, cayenne can be used any time an animal is debilitated, whenever the circulation is stagnant or there is congestion in the body, and whenever there is a lack of energy or vitality. Cayenne is also an outstanding carrier herb, helping in the transport of other herbs and medications to various parts of the body, especially to the heart, stomach, and brain.

Canine heart disease can cause lethargy, weakness, vomiting, a chronic cough, shortness of breath, lameness, and a rapid pulse, all of which may improve when cayenne is added to a dog’s food. Cayenne’s warming effect spreads throughout the body, even to an animal’s extremities, warming a dog’s cold paws and improving the health of veins and capillaries.

In the digestive tract, cayenne improves the body’s absorption of nutrients while reducing gas, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Years ago doctors warned human ulcer patients to avoid hot, spicy foods, but more recent research shows that chili peppers can actually help heal ulcers.

Cayenne is available in capsules, tinctures (liquid extracts), and as the familiar culinary powder. Start with a small amount, such as a pinch of powder or a drop of tincture hidden in your dog’s food or in a capsule that can be hidden in food; two-part gelatin capsules are sold in natural food markets and online. To help prevent digestive discomfort, feed cayenne with a full meal, not on an empty stomach.

Over a period of days or weeks, gradually increase the dose according to your dog’s weight and tolerance. If purchasing cayenne capsules, look for products with a Scoville Heat Unit rating of 30,000 to 40,000, or try Nature’s Way Capsicool controlled-heat cayenne or Solaray’s Cool Cayenne, both of which are advertised as gentle to the stomach. If the recommended dose for adult humans is 2 capsules per day, work up to 1 capsule for dogs weighing 50 to 60 pounds, or, with the help of empty 2-part gel caps, feed half a capsule to dogs weighing 25 to 30 pounds or one-fourth of a capsule to dogs weighing 10 to 15 pounds.

Approximate measurements should work well because individual responses vary and sensitivity to cayenne decreases with daily exposure. If your dog shows signs of discomfort, simply reduce the amount.

You may not have to hide cayenne to get your dog to swallow it, for some dogs are chili heads! Seamus, my husband’s Cairn Terrier, is famous for his enthused vocalizations when he’s offered anything containing hot sauce or cayenne.

Cayenne Topical Treatment for Dogs

It sounds counterintuitive, but cayenne can be an effective first-aid treatment for cuts, scrapes, bites, bleeding nails, mouth lacerations, and other injuries. It is a natural styptic, which stops bleeding on contact, and an analgesic, which stops pain.

When she was a child, a friend was bitten on the leg by her grandmother’s horse. “My grandmother hauled me back to the house,” she says, “filled her hand with cayenne powder and held it against the wound. That hurt for a second or two, but then it stopped bleeding and stopped hurting. The bite was never infected, and it healed in record time without a scar.”

Herbalist Alicia North of Cornwall, Connecticut, has a similar story. Several years ago her cousin snipped the tip of her 14-year-old Terrier’s ear while trimming his hair. “Jack had been bleeding for 10 minutes when she called,” says North, “and none of the remedies she had tried made any difference. She was frantic and without a car so she wanted me to take them to the vet.”

North asked her cousin whether she had any cayenne pepper and then told her to apply it to the cut on Jack’s ear. “She was skeptical and thought that it wouldn’t work and was afraid it would hurt him,” says North. “I assured her that it would help, so she reluctantly agreed and we hung up so she could apply it. Moments later she called back shouting, ‘It worked! I’m so relieved! I thought he might bleed to death. Who knew that spices in my cabinet could be used for anything but cooking?’

“Of course, I knew,” says North, “and I was happy she got such instantaneous results!”

Aches and pains

Some of the most popular treatments for human joint pain and arthritis contain capsaicin.

As the Arthritis Foundation explains on its website:

“Applied as a topical cream, gel, or patch, capsaicin works by depleting the amount of a neurotransmitter called substance P that sends pain messages to the brain. For the first couple of weeks of use, it may cause burning or stinging as substance P is released and ultimately depleted; it must be used regularly to keep substance P from building up again. Many studies have shown that capsaicin effectively reduces pain from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. In a 2010 German study, joint pain decreased nearly 50 percent after three weeks’ use of 0.05 percent capsaicin cream.

“Most capsaicin products – such as Zostrix, Zostrix HP, Capzasin-P and others – contain between 0.025 to 0.075 percent concentrations. Apply regularly three times daily.”

Make Your Own Cayenne Liniment

Dogs can enjoy similar results from topical products containing capsaicin. Consider making your own liniment to warm and relax joints and muscles, increase circulation, relieve inflammation, improve flexibility, and speed healing. Traditional recipes combine skin-warming ingredients and therapeutic herbs with cider vinegar.

In a glass jar, combine:

1 pint (2 cups) apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon powdered cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons dried (or ¼ cup fresh) rosemary
2 tablespoons dried (or 1/8 cup fresh) comfrey leaf or root that has been cut or broken into small pieces

Cover and let stand at room temperature, shaking daily, for a week or longer. Strain before using.

Massage this liniment into tight muscles, bruises, or sore joints, or simply soak a cloth or bandage and hold it on the affected area for as long as possible. You may want to wear latex or vinyl gloves while applying it. Keep this liniment away from eyes and mucous membranes.

Cayenne can be especially helpful in the treatment of pain following surgery, leg amputation, or similar traumas. Taken with food, cayenne increases circulation and promotes tissue regeneration, and applied topically, it helps reduce pain and stimulate healing. According to some reports, human patients with phantom limb pain have been helped by cayenne, as have human and canine patients with nerve damage caused by accident or injury.

Grow Your Own Peppers!

Cayenne and other peppers make attractive garden plants and can be colorful house plants. Most seed catalogs carry a variety of peppers and most garden stores and nurseries offer young plants that transplant easily. Peppers prefer full sun or sun with shade, and overnight temperatures should remain above 55° F (13° C) so that plants produce fruit.

Make Your Own Cayenne Tinctures

You can make your own custom-dose cayenne capsules by partially filling two-part gelatin capsules with cayenne powder. Herb supply companies sell capsule-filling kits to simplify the process.

Make your own cayenne tincture by filling a one-pint or one-cup glass jar with loosely packed fresh cayenne peppers (for best results, cut or chop the peppers as you fill the jar) or loosely packed crushed or broken dried peppers, then add 80-proof vodka or a similar distilled alcohol to fill the jar. Close the lid and leave the jar in a warm but shady location, shaking it every few days for four to six weeks.

When ready to use, strain the tincture through cheesecloth or muslin and pour it into dropper bottles. All the supplies you need are available at natural markets, herbal supply stores, and online. Alcohol tinctures keep for years if stored away from heat and light.

Make Your Own Lactofermented Hot Sauce (AKA Sriracha)

By making a hot sauce, you and your dog can further enjoy the benefits of chili peppers – with just about anything! Start with:

1 pound Fresno or other fresh hot peppers
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
4 tablespoons liquid whey (the clear liquid that separates from live-culture yogurt when you cut it with a spoon and leave it in the refrigerator).

Combine these ingredients in a food processor or blender, or mince the peppers by hand and combine with the other ingredients. Spoon the chili mixture into a glass jar, leaving 1 inch of head space, cover, and let stand at room temperature for 3 to 5 days (longer if the kitchen is cool, less in hot weather).

Transfer to the fridge until ready to use, then set a fine-mesh strainer over a mixing bowl and press the fermented chili through it, or sieve the sauce through a food mill. Pour the strained sauce into a jar or bottle and store in the refrigerator, where it will keep for months. Use in moderation to add warmth and spice to your meals. The taste is uniquely complex and more flavorful than that of vinegar-based sauces. Try adding a drop or two to your dog’s food or use it in place of pepper tincture in two-part gelatin capsules.

Spicy Homeopathy: Cayenne Flower Essence

No discussion of cayenne would be complete without mentioning its use in homeopathy and flower essences. Homeopathic preparations are so diluted that they contain very little of their original ingredient, making them exceptionally safe to use. Homeopathic Capsicum annuum is often prescribed at the 3x or 6x strength for those with poor circulation or who have respiratory or digestive problems. Homeopathic remedies are usually given under the tongue between meals.

Flower essences are made by placing freshly picked blossoms in crystal bowls of pure spring water and leaving them in direct sunlight for three or more hours, after which the flowers are discarded and the energized water is preserved with brandy.

According to the Flower Essence Society, “Cayenne flower essence is a wonderful catalyst whenever we are stuck and need to light a fire to move through obstacles… Cayenne essence can fire up a sluggish will, stimulating activity and movement when our life has stagnated, to move through inertia and challenging obstacles.” It is considered a treatment for apathy and depression.

Some canine massage therapists and acupuncturists incorporate flower essences into their hands-on work. Applying flower essences to a chakra or an acupressure point and then pressing, holding, massaging, or tapping the point can increase the treatment’s effectiveness. Because frequency of application makes flower essences effective, try applying a drop of cayenne flower essence to your dog’s bare skin (nose, paw pads, abdomen, and inside ears) at least twice or three times daily.

CJ Puotinen, author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care and other books, is a long-time contributor to WDJ. She lives in Montana.

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