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Tail Docking and Ear Cropping Can Be Dangerous

By
Shannon Wilkinson
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1

[Updated April 24, 2018]

Cosmetic surgery for dogs, including docking tails and cropping ears, is increasingly controversial. Even the usually conservative American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has stated that the procedures are “not medically indicated nor of benefit to the patient. These procedures cause pain and distress, and, as with all surgical procedures, are accompanied by inherent risks of anesthesia, blood loss, and infection.”

It is estimated that more than 130,000 puppies in the United States undergo these procedures each year – procedures that have been illegal in other countries for years. In fact, England has banned ear cropping for more than 100 years. Yet the history of removing parts of tails and ears dates back hundreds of years. The historic reasons for the amputations are often attributed to attempts at preventing injury in fighting or hunting dogs, reducing taxes based on a dog’s tail length, or even preventing rabies.

Despite the arguably ill-founded history of the practices, they have evolved over the years and become part of many breed standards, particularly in the United States. The American Kennel Club supports these practices, stating its position that, “The American Kennel Club recognizes that ear cropping, tail docking, and dewclaw removal, as described in certain breed standards, are acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character and/or enhancing good health. Appropriate veterinary care should be provided.”

Cropping and docking are so prevalent, in fact, that dogs of some breeds are difficult to recognize and identify when they are intact. Imagine a Doberman Pinscher or Boxer with floppy ears and a long tail. Because of aesthetics, these breeds and others routinely lose body parts so that they’ll look like what we expect them to look like.

Most arguments against docking and cropping focus on the pain endured by the puppy during and after the procedure, as well as the simple fact that amputations are cosmetic in nature and therefore unnecessary. However, there are additional issues and potential problems that should be considered before removing dog parts for the sake of looks.

Different Ways We Alter Dog Breeds’ Appearances

About 70 different breeds are subject to tail docking. Puppies usually undergo tail amputation when they are between two and five days of age. The popular belief is that puppies have immature neurological systems and therefore don’t feel the pain at that age. The tails are removed without anesthesia or pain medication by being clamped and then cut off at the prescribed length. Alternatively, a special rubber band may be put around the tail to cut off its blood supply, which eventually kills all of the tissue below the rubber band. The end of the tail will then fall off after several days.

Various breed standards call for tails to be docked at varying lengths. In some breeds, the standard calls for a tail of a specific length; in others, a range is suggested, or the ideal tail is described as being in balance with the dog’s body. In some breeds, an uncropped tail is accepted; in others it is “severely penalized” by judges.

Dewclaw removal is generally done at about the same age as tail docking – again, usually without benefit of anesthesia or pain medication. In some breeds, the standards require that the dewclaws are removed; in other breeds they are tolerated by judges. (Curiously, dogs of at least one breed, the Briard, are disqualified by conformation judges if they do not have the breed’s characteristic double-dewclaws on the rear legs.)

Dewclaws are not just “claws,” but actually a fifth toe. Not all breeds have them, and some breeds have them on just their front paws. On the back paws, dewclaws are vestigial – an evolutionary remnant of ancestors of the dog who had (and used) five toes. These dewclaws have no muscular control; some do not even contain bony tissue or ligaments.

On the front paws, in contrast, some dogs have dewclaws that are capable of muscular control. Unlike the loose and floppy rear dewclaws, the forepaw’s first toe contains bones, muscles, and nerves. Removal of these digits requires (sometimes difficult) surgery by a vet.

Ear cropping is done under anesthesia when pups are older, usually between 9 and 14 weeks of age. Often, postsurgical pain medication isn’t used. Depending on the desired appearance of the cropped ear and the shape of the natural ear, as much as half of the floppy part may be surgically removed. Afterward, the ears are splinted and taped into an erect position for weeks to months, so they will eventually stand on their own.

Is Tail Docking Painful? What About Ear Cropping?

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association cites the possible formation of painful scar tissue, or neuromas, as one reason that tail docking should be made illegal, except for professionally diagnosed therapeutic reasons.

Laurie Edge-Hughes, a physical therapist and instructor in canine rehabilitation, feels that cropping and docking is unnecessary and potentially harmful. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy, is certified in canine rehabilitation therapy, and has certification from the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute. In her practice at The Canine Fitness Centre in Calgary, she regularly works with dogs who suffer from hypersensitivity and other problems potentially related to their amputated tails, and often theorizes that the problems are related to this scar tissue.

“The contraction or shrinking of the scar may effect a pull on the nerves and hence the dura that surrounds the spinal cord and brain,” she says. The dura is a tough membrane, part of the meninges, which encases and protects the brain and spinal cord.

Edge-Hughes once worked with a Rottweiler who routinely chewed at her stump of a tail. The owners were concerned about the cause of the obsessive behavior and worried that she would hurt herself. When Edge-Hughes sees repeated licking or chewing, or a sudden attacking of a body part, she first investigates neurological pain as a potential source of the problem. This pain can be compared to the pins-and-needles feeling when your hand or foot “falls asleep.”

Edge-Hughes taught the Rottweiler’s owners to apply traction to the tail, through gentle pulling, to stretch out the dura. Theoretically, this process could alleviate any compression caused by scar tissue, thereby eliminating the irritation or pain; in actual fact, the traction stopped the dog’s self-destructive behavior.

In addition to the pain related to the actual amputation and resulting scar tissue, there’s a real possibility that dogs experience phantom pain – a phenomenon well-documented with humans who have lost a body part.

“I work with so many dogs that have significant behavioral changes after TTouch on their missing parts,” says Debby Potts, Tellington TTouch Instructor and co-owner of The Integrated Animal, located in Portland, Oregon. “I can only imagine that they’re experiencing some kind of phantom pain or discomfort. And this can cause seemingly unrelated problems, including behavioral issues.”

Animals hold tension like people do, says Potts. “If you have a stiff neck or pain in a part of your body, does it make you cranky?” Animals are no different from us, she says. In her work on thousands of animals over many years, Potts has found that while lots of dogs may have tension patterns, you’re more likely to see them in dogs who have been docked or cropped.

For example, a Giant Schnauzer was brought to Potts because she was constantly and obsessively whining. Her owners, a husband and wife, could neither find the cause of the problem nor stop the whining. It had become so troublesome that the husband insisted that the dog be re-homed. When Potts started to work on the dog, she found a significant amount of tension around the dog’s cropped ears.

After one session, which included a significant amount of physical work on the head and ears, the Schnauzer’s ears actually appeared longer (due to their unusually relaxed state) – so much so that a person very familiar with the dog didn’t recognize her immediately after the session. More importantly, the whining stopped. Potts suspects that the dog was having the equivalent of tension headaches from all of the tightness around her ears. “That day I think I saved a dog and a marriage, too,” laughs Potts.

Case Study: A Dog With a Phantom Limb

Toby was a young, enthusiastic dog. He had a hard time focusing and was reactive to all kinds of things, including other dogs, and unresponsive to training. His owners were frustrated. When Debby Potts first met Toby, she made note of the fact that his tail had been docked.

She began working on him, using different TTouch techniques. When she started to work on his “phantom tail” – the space where his tail used to be – he turned around to look at her as if he were curious about what she was doing. Potts did TTouches on the existing stump of the tail, and then continued beyond the physical tail into the air where the tail would be had it not been amputated.

“It’s amazing how many dogs with docked tails really clamp it to their body,” says Potts. She recommends gently working with all docked tails, even if there is just one vertebra, to ease the tension. Over and over she has seen noticeable changes in dogs, in their bodies, movement, and demeanor after working with their existing and phantom tails.

After Toby’s session, he was more focused, able to stand in balance, and less likely to pull on his leash. “It’s not uncommon for a dog to act more balanced after this kind of work,” says Potts. She does add that she hasn’t ever just worked on the tail or other amputated part of an animal, but regularly sees a clear reaction from dogs when working on their phantom parts, such as how Toby responded by looking at what she was doing.

This can look a little odd, Potts admits. “When I teach people how to work on their dog’s phantom parts, I usually suggest they do it in the privacy of their own homes!” She adds that it’s important to believe that you’re really doing it and can “see” the tail as if it were there. Just moving the hand and fingers around the area doesn’t have the same impact, she says.

Tails Improve Dogs’ Balance

Walk along a curb or balance beam with your arms crossed in front of you. Now do it with your arms free at your sides and using them for balance. Wasn’t that easier? Dogs use their tails in much the same way, to provide balance and stability when moving over difficult or rough terrain.

When dogs don’t have tails to provide a counterbalance and rudder for movement, something has to give.

“If you take away the ability to shift weight or compensate for balance displacement by use of the tail mechanism, then the forces that would otherwise be absorbed or counteracted through the tail need to be shifted elsewhere,” says Edge-Hughes. She speculates that the stress or pressure could then fall on the cruciate ligament or patella, hip, or hock joints, or even travel up the chain into the sacroiliac joints or spine, potentially causing or contributing to seemingly unrelated orthopedic injuries.

Cruciate disease and other orthopedic problems can have many contributing factors, and can occur in dogs both with tails and without tails. Yet, for dogs, who evolved to have tails, having them removed may add another cause of injury.

Edge-Hughes is also concerned about docked dogs who are unable to use tail wagging (with a tail of normal length and without scar tissue) to stretch and flex the dura, keeping it pliable. This could be a particular problem when a dog has a slow, progressive disc lesion, such as a bulging disc, which slowly compresses the dura and spinal cord over time. “The dura might become inflamed more easily if it is not as pliable. This may lead to a faster onset of neurological signs and symptoms that accompany disc lesions,” she explains.

Veterinarian Robert Wansborough, in a paper published in 1996 in the Australian Veterinary Journal, describes how the tail is interconnected with the physiological structure of the entire hind end of the dog. He speculates that removing the tail may change the muscle tone and contribute to perineal hernias and incontinence.

Dewclaws May Help Balance Too

Dewclaws are another frequently amputated dog part that are often thought to be useless, but in fact, the front dewclaws do have a purpose says Chris Zink, DVM, PhD. “The function of front dewclaws is to prevent torque on the leg,” she says. “There are five tendons attaching the dewclaw to five muscle bundles, supporting this functionality. When a dog is running, the dewclaw comes into contact with the ground. If the dog needs to turn, the dewclaw digs into the ground to support the lower leg and prevent torque.”

“The rear dewclaws are vestigial in most breeds; that is not true for the front dewclaws, which should be more correctly called digits or thumbs,” says Dr. Zink. She works exclusively with performance dogs and has found that if a dog doesn’t have dewclaws, the leg will twist when turning, which applies significant pressure on the leg, to the toes, carpus, elbow, and shoulders. The repeated twisting and pressure can ultimately cause chronic painful conditions, especially carpal arthritis. “Of the over 30 dogs I have seen with carpal arthritis, only one has had dewclaws. All the others had them removed,” says Dr. Zink.

Docking and Cropping from A Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective

Beyond the physical balance and movement aids provided by tails and dewclaws, removing these parts, and ears too, may cause a different type of imbalance. The removal of parts as a result of docking and cropping may interfere with well-being and health from a Chinese medicine perspective. Scars or the absence of body parts that are normally part of a meridian or specific acupuncture points may adversely affect the organ systems associated with the meridian or energy channel.

An acupuncture map of the ear will show points that correspond with the entire body. In fact, there are over 200 acupuncture points on the ear – it is often described as “the meeting place of all the channels of the body.” In addition, the ear is part of the kidney meridian. When a dog’s ear is partially amputated, as with cropping, these points are removed, and scar tissue is created on the new edge of the ear. The removal of dewclaws creates a scar that may affect the Large Intestine meridian, while the Governing Vessel meridian ends on the tail.

Dogs Use Their Tails and Ears as Communication Tools

Dogs use both their tails and ears extensively for communication, with each other and with humans. Norwegian trainer Turid Rugaas describes many different positions for tails and ears in her work on “calming signals” of the dog, and how dogs use these parts to communicate.

Think for a moment about all of the positions floppy ears can take. The ears can be forward and the base held upright, or they can be soft and low against the head, even pinned back, tight to the head. Each subtly different position communicates something different, from aggression to fear, contentment to appeasement.

The tail, too, acts as a key communication device for dogs. Different types of tail wagging and carriage may indicate happiness, stress, anxiety, fear, or other emotions. Dogs without tails are limited in this type of communication, and have to rely on other signals, which may be more difficult for humans and other dogs to interpret.

With all of the probable and possible problems associated with cropping and docking, how important is it to keep certain breeds of dogs looking a particular way?

The Legal Picture of Breed-Specific Cosmetic Alterations

A number of countries – including South Africa, Greece, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Israel, the Virgin Islands, and parts of Australia – have made docking and cropping illegal, with only rare allowable exceptions for hunting dogs or for a therapeutic necessity.

A number of these countries have even made it illegal to import or show docked or cropped dogs, so that breeders couldn’t get around the law by having the dogs docked or cropped in another country and then imported for showing purposes.

It is expected that all members of the European Union will eventually pass laws against cropping and docking because of the provisions made by the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals. The convention prohibits “surgical operations for the purpose of modifying the appearance of a pet animal or for other non-curative purposes, including tail docking and ear cropping.

In the United States, however, there is no federal legislation. Legal challenges surrounding the issue are usually brought about in relationship to state anti-cruelty laws. Dog owners have found themselves on both sides of the law.

A number of individuals have been found guilty of animal cruelty for performing at-home cropping and docking. During 1988 a man in Texas was found guilty and sentenced to six months in jail for cropping the ears of his dog at home. A defendant in Indiana was found guilty of animal cruelty and practicing veterinary medicine without a license after an amateur ear cropping procedure. In Michigan, two separate cases found individuals guilty for botched tail docking using the banding method.

Several years ago, New York resident Jon Hammer approached the issue from a different perspective. He brought a discrimination suit against the American Kennel Club. Hammer has an undocked Brittany Spaniel, and because of the AKC’s breed standard, the Spaniel was effectively knocked out of competition due to the length of his tail. Hammer’s case argued that the AKC was forcing him to violate New York’s anti-cruelty law by requiring docking. Hammer did not prevail in the case, but it did bring the topic to the spotlight.

Some states and cities are legislating against cosmetic surgery, including docking and cropping. In most cases, the laws fall under anti-cruelty statutes. Some states have laws against these procedures, although they are rarely enforced. Maine prohibits ear cropping, deeming it to be unlawful mutilation. Other states require the procedures to be performed only by licensed veterinarians.

West Hollywood, California, recently expanded previous legislation that banned de-clawing in cats, to include tail docking, ear cropping, and other cosmetic surgeries. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights sponsored a bill in the California legislature this year to ban ear cropping. The bill was suspended in May, and may be revived during the next legislative session.

DOCKING AND CROPPING YOUR DOG: WHAT TO DO

1. Don’t dock or crop! Insist that your breeder leave your puppy au naturel.

2. Try different touch therapy or training techniques to increase your docked or dewclaw-less dog’s balance.

3. Let the AKC and breed clubs know if you’d like to see changes in breed standards so dogs with their natural parts aren’t penalized in the show ring.

Shannon Wilkinson is a TTouch practitioner, life coach, and freelance writer who has enjoyed living with a floppy-eared Great Dane and Boxer in Portland, Oregon.

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Understanding How Your Dog Communicates

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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4

Play bows. Averted eyes. Tail wags. Flattened ears. Our dogs are not only masters at reading our body language, but also experts at sending messages with an incredibly expressive tool – their own bodies. If we humans were half as good at reading their signals as they are at reading ours, there would be a lot less miscommunication between our two species.

The fact is, most dog owners don’t see, much less recognize the basic grammar of dog body language. That’s why, when owners call me, asking for help with their dog following a bite, they almost always say, “The bite just happened out of the blue – there was no warning!” In most – if not all – cases, when I meet the dog, I see him giving plenty of indications that he’s stressed and/or uncomfortable, signs that to a more knowledgeable canine observer are obvious warnings that a bite may emerge in that dog’s near-future.

What’s worse, many owners who would recognize the more overt warning signs – growls and snaps, for example – have successfully suppressed those signs by previously punishing the dog when they occurred. So, in a way, they’re right – the dog didn’t hang up a flashing neon sign that he was about to bite, because he had already learned that it wasn’t safe to do so.

Dogs Talk with Their Bodies

The more you learn about your dogs’ subtle body language communications, the better you’ll be at reading them, so you can better manage his environment to prevent trouble. Is he tensing up, readying himself for a battle to defend himself against a perceived threat? Or is he playfully anticipating a romp with a canine pal he enjoys roughhousing with?

It’s important that you not focus on just one piece of the message. The various parts of your dog’s body work together to tell the complete story, and unless you read them all, you’ll be missing out on important elements of the equation. You want to be especially aware of the ears, eyes, mouth, tail, and the dog’s body posture as the important pieces of the whole puzzle.

Because canine communication is a constant flow of information, it’s sometimes difficult to pick out small signals until you’ve become an educated observer. You can start by studying photographs of dog body language, then watching videos that you can rewind and watch repeatedly, and finally honing your skills on live dogs. Dog parks, doggie daycare centers, and training class playgroups are ideal places to practice your observation skills.

In the next few months, we’ll show you a few photos that exhibit some basic “expressions” in canine body language. But in this first installment, we’ll give you an opportunity to “translate” the photos on these two pages, using the grammar key on the next page. Jot down your observations of the key body parts visible in the photos; next month, you can compare your answers to this “What are the dogs saying?” activity to our translation.

A note about the photos: Most were taken at dog parks. Some of the dogs are wearing collars, harnesses, or other training gear we don’t like; more importantly, we don’t like to see any extra gear on dogs who are playing in groups. It’s too easy for dogs to get caught in each other’s gear.

Vaccination and Canine Distemper Virus (CDV)

By
Susan Weinstein
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0

When we decided not to vaccinate Caleb, our Bouvier des Flandres, against anything other than rabies, my friend Janice and I knew we ran a risk that he might develop a dreaded disease. We also knew that vaccination doesn’t always protect against disease, and believed it sometimes causes illness. We felt the home-prepared BARF (bones and raw foods) diet we fed him would help his body fight off many health problems. Naturally, we hoped that Caleb would never come down with anything serious like canine distemper virus (CDV). But, when he was three years old, we had to face and overcome exactly that challenge.

Caleb’s dramatic recovery illustrates the theory that a healthy, well-nourished dog can overcome even a serious disease like CDV – if treated in time by appropriate holistic modalities and devoted home nursing. If we prepare ourselves ahead of time for deadly canine viruses, it can spell the difference between life and death – whether a dog is immunized or not.

The story of how we responded to Caleb’s ailment also illuminates how difficult it can be at times to manage a nonconventional response to your dog’s illness. Many dog owners are accustomed to simply bringing their dogs to their veterinarians, and taking all the vets’ suggestions for treatment. This may be the best approach if an owner has no information about or experience with the dog’s disease; you have to rely on experts you trust!

But in our experience, there are greater rewards for educating yourself before problems happen and working with healthcare experts to corroborate your research and decisions. We feel certain that Caleb would have died if treated with the conventional veterinary tactics for CDV. As I said before, we also felt the risks of vaccination against the disease were not worth the benefits.

Of course, there are risks to this approach as well. Only dog owners who are ready to accept full responsibility for making their own decisions should attempt a nonconventional response like ours.

Telling our distemper story, we hope, will demonstrate the potential risks and huge rewards of implementing a truly holistic healthcare plan for your dog.

Be alert and observant
Janice and I observed the earliest signs of what would prove to be Caleb’s CDV infection about a week before we planned to drive 1,500 miles from rural Ontario to visit a friend in Iowa.

To begin with, Caleb went off his food. Then he threw up and had diarrhea. His first vomit was yellowish and foamy, with what looked like saliva in it. The next few times it contained lots of clear fluid, again with foam on top. His diarrhea was even more unusual. It spurted out – projectile diarrhea. It, too, was yellow, and had a powerful, unusual odor.

At first, we speculated that he had eaten something rotten in our cedar swamp, where he loves to play and explore. When the problem persisted for a day, we discussed it with our veterinarian, Dr. Susan Gambling, who was not unduly alarmed, but advised us to keep watching him and keep her informed. As so often seems to be the case after a call or visit to a vet, the following morning, Caleb started eating again and seemed to have gotten over whatever it was.

Later, I read that the first stage of CDV can be hard to tell from other upsets. Not only that, but it tends to clear up temporarily, making it appear as if the dog is all right.

Four days later, on Monday, we loaded him into our van and left for our vacation. During the two-day drive and the rest of the week, Caleb ate normally. He showed an interest in my friend’s garden, her small Terrier-mix, and her two black cats. But I remained uneasy.

Connect the dots
As the week wore on, Caleb became strangely quiet. Then, on Saturday morning, about 10 days after his original bout of vomiting and diarrhea, his beautiful eyes stayed half shut and oozed green discharge.

Having used homeopathy since 1982, I thought it could help Caleb now. The right remedy must closely match the efforts of the individual’s immune system as revealed by her specific symptoms, regardless of which organisms play into her illness. I thought that the remedy pulsatilla suited Caleb’s discharge and emotional demeanor reasonably well, but the nearest source for the remedy was 50 miles away. We’d have to get it Monday, on our way home.

Then Caleb stopped eating again. By Sunday, he strained to defecate and his energy diminished. We were anxious to get home to Dr. Gambling and the holistic practitioners we sometimes consulted, including Paul McCutcheon, DVM, of East York Animal Clinic in Toronto. At this point, one might argue that we should have taken Caleb straight to the nearest vet. But in this case, as would become clear, the fact that we pushed on until we could reach holistic help almost undoubtedly saved Caleb’s life.

We hit the road for home first thing Monday. Caleb developed a dry, croupy cough and his nose started dripping. The word “distemper” kept coming into my mind as if someone was repeating it to me.

In Iowa City, I called a local vet, and asked whether he thought we should risk the two-day trip home or come for emergency assistance right away. I described Caleb’s symptoms. After he ruled out Parvo and Lyme disease, I asked if this could be distemper. He thought probably not, adding that dogs with distemper generally produce a profuse amount of thick, greenish or yellow discharge from their noses – “Like you’ve never seen before,” he described. “You couldn’t miss it.” He thought we could try to get home to our own vet.

As it turned out, the vet’s remark about identifying CDV by quantity and quality of nasal discharge would become one of two coincidences that contributed to Caleb’s diagnosis and recovery.

The second was that since Caleb was a pup, when reading up on canine diseases something drew me to study everything I could find on distemper in particular. Contrary to mainstream belief, holistic pet care books report hundreds of cures. I did not know then that this curious obsession would someday help to save my dog’s life.

Respond to symptoms
On the road again, mucous started rattling in Caleb’s lungs when he coughed. Green goo still trickled from his eyes, their whites moist and reddish. His breath began to exhibit an odd odor, which would become very strong over the next few days. Having no professional advisor, since pulsatilla still matched some of his symptoms, we bought and gave him some immediately. The potency available, C30, was a reasonable middle strength to try without a homeopath’s guidance.

At our motel that night, Caleb’s cough got worse and he couldn’t get comfortable. We gave him more pulsatilla. We phoned Dr. Gambling at midnight, when she was scheduled to be on call. What alarmed her most was his restlessness. She said if he didn’t settle down within a couple of hours to go to the nearest emergency facility. I found a 24-hour rural vet nearby, and left the yellow pages open with the number handy.

But when we heard thunder, we understood Caleb’s uneasiness. Like many dogs, Caleb becomes agitated hours before an electrical storm. We gave him rock rose, a flower essence remedy, after which he slept quietly. That the storm had caused his anxiety showed us that even when a dog is desperately ill, some symptoms may have unrelated causes.

On Tuesday morning, Caleb’s eyes cleared up completely, as did his cough – a typical positive response to a well-chosen homeopathic remedy. We’d realize later that early homeopathic support may have helped prevent CDV complications of pneumonia, which dogs don’t survive as well as people do, and conjunctivitis. Caleb improved for awhile, but had diarrhea, with straining, later that afternoon. We offered him chicken broth, but he would not drink it.

That night, he threw up thin yellow bile with flecks of bloody mucous. His breath and body smelled caustic and sour, with an almost salty quality. This odor is characteristic of CDV, but I needed my books to remind me of that, and they were at home, still another 350 miles away.

At one point that evening, Caleb rolled onto his back, and we saw that his belly was red and irritated. This would become another clue. Closely related to human red measles, CDV often causes an abdominal rash. But we didn’t yet identify Caleb’s rash since he frequently gets a pink underside when bothered by allergies or fleas. The definitive red spots wouldn’t appear for two more days.

Caleb had diarrhea again on Wednesday morning, although there wasn’t much left in him. Immediately afterward, he seemed weak and wanted to be in the open air.

I phoned our veterinary clinic in Cobourg, Ontario, and made an appointment for 4 p.m. We started the final six hour drive. In spite of our reassuring manner with Caleb, we were shaken and relieved to be nearing home.

Dr. Gambling was off duty, so her associate saw Caleb. He had a fever of 103.6°F. Diarrhea had made his anus sore, his nose dripped, and he was subdued. His urine was dark and greenish; the clinic found albumin in it. But protein breakdown is typical when someone hasn’t eaten for days, so that didn’t tell us much.

It didn’t occur to us then to mention that we hadn’t inoculated Caleb against the usual infections. Dr. Gambling would have known, but she wasn’t there. Maybe we assumed her associates would be aware of Caleb’s history, or perhaps we were too stressed to think clearly. But the missed moment shows that even the experts won’t think of everything! The idea that responsible owners might not have vaccinated may not cross the mind of a vet unfamiliar with holistic thinking. And, these days, due in large part to mass immunization, vets may not see infections like distemper for years. Newer ones may know it only from a textbook.

The vet took blood to send to a lab to look for various possibilities, but did not request a test for CDV. However, even if she had, waiting for a diagnosis would have wasted precious time. CDV advances aggressively, ravaging tissues until it can kill a dog or permanently disrupt its neurological system. The sooner caretakers take action, the better the dog’s chances; not only of survival, but of a good recovery.

Feeling a sense of urgency, we took Caleb home. There, I reread my holistic books about canine viruses, their symptoms, and treatments. By the next day, I’d be glad I’d refreshed myself about what information I had and how to find it fast.

Emotional affects
During the night, Caleb’s breathing became so congested that every inhalation sounded like snoring. At 5 a.m. Thursday, Caleb asked to go out into the darkness of our fenced property. We decided to trust his instinct about what he needed. Maybe the cool autumn air would ease his breathing.

Then, in order to support him best, Janice and I faced our own fears. We felt powerless and scared. But we didn’t want our need to make him well to compromise our ability to help him. Nor did we want him to feel that he must pull through for our sake. And we certainly didn’t want him to redirect his energy into being anxious because we were upset, as dogs will do.

Recognizing this, we resolved to work toward the best possible outcome while acknowledging that it was not ultimately in our hands. If it was his will to survive, we would assist him. If not, we would try to accept that with grace.

At 7 a.m., I found Caleb down near the pond. He wobbled up to meet me and we sat down together on the grass. Then, something astonishing happened. He nodded his head toward me companionably, and a spoonful of creamy yellow liquid gushed out and covered his nose.

The Iowa vet’s words came back to me. I knew right away that Caleb had distemper. Instead of panic, I felt relief. Now, we knew what was wrong and that something could be done. No need to waste any more time not acting.

Dr. Gambling was on duty that morning. Caleb’s nostrils oozed steadily. His fever was 104°F, and his belly had the measles-like spots. All these signs plus his breath and body odor now clearly indicated stage two of an acute distemper infection, as can hardening of the pads of the feet, which he never developed.

Dr. Gambling took another blood sample, this time for the CDV test. Janice and I said we would take Caleb home and treat him ourselves with natural remedies, and Dr. Gambling got right behind us, acknowledging that such methods would offer Caleb’s best, if not only, hope. “In veterinary school,” she said, “they teach us that when it’s distemper, dogs just . . .” She made the thumbs-down sign to finish her sentence, and added that while conventional medicine can treat CDV, it cannot cure it.

Mainstream response
Medical intervention for CDV generally consists of hospitalizing the dog and intravenously giving fluids, antibiotics, and possibly other drugs or nutrients. This is meant to prevent dehydration, complications like pneumonia, and keep up the dog’s strength. The virus then runs its course.

If the dog survives, she often goes into stage three of the disease, involving encephalitis of the brain or spinal cord. The resulting neurological damage leaves chronic symptoms such as chorea (uncontrollable twitching or jerking) or seizures, during which the dog may cry out. Some vets and dog lovers believe it kinder to put CDV-infected dogs down rather than risk the devastation of stage three.

However, other vets caution against putting CDV dogs on IV fluids. Holistic veterinarian and author Richard Pitcairn, for example, writes that dogs given antibiotics, fluids, and other drugs are more likely to develop stage three than those treated with natural methods. Both Dr. Pitcairn and herbalist Juliette de Bairacli Levy speculate that such measures impede the dog’s ability to throw off the virus. De Bairacli Levy believes that feverish dogs must fast to divert energy from their digestive processes to fight disease.

And Dr. McCutcheon (the holistic vet-erinarian we often consulted via long-distance call) emphasizes that both being kept in hospital away from her family and enduring invasive procedures significantly increases the stress of a dog who is already terribly ill.

Holistic possibilities
As soon as we got Caleb comfortably settled in our house, we turned to our home library and developed a treatment plan from several different sources. The following are the things we read, and how we applied them:

• Vitamin C injections: From How to Have a Healthier Dog, by Wendell O. Belfield, DVM, and Martin Zucker, we learned how Dr. Belfield helped hundreds of dogs with CDV recover by intravenously injecting them with therapeutic doses of vitamin C twice a day for five days. Dr. Belfield recommends the sodium ascorbate form of vitamin C for dogs.

However, sodium ascorbate can be hard to find. We had some in the form of a dietary supplement, but it was not sterile for injections. Dr. Gambling phoned Dr. Belfield, who agreed to ship her some and instruct her how to use it, but delivery from his California clinic would take until Monday to get to us – four dangerously long days away. Instead, we chose to give Caleb vitamin C orally.

• Fasting and medicinal herbs: European herbalist Juliette de Bairacli Levy claims she oversaw at least a thousand cures of CDV with fewer than a dozen cases sustaining neurological damage. (This is described in her book, The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat.) She bases her approach around fasting, and warns that offering food while fever remains above 103°F predisposes a dog toward neurological damage.

In her book, de Bairacli Levy also describes giving dogs with CDV herbal antiseptic tablets or grated raw garlic and honey two to three times per day; honey-water to supply strength; fresh air; short walks for movement of limbs; and a mixture of tree barks to soothe the digestive tract. She also uses an infusion of rosemary, elder flowers, chickweed, speedwell, and/or balm to swab the dog’s eyes and nose, and applies pure almond oil to sore nostrils or eyes. She believes that early treatment will prevent stage three altogether, and advises that owners carefully reintroduce food to a dog after she has been fasting.

Caleb was fasting anyway; we’d withhold food until his temperature was normal for a day. In the meantime, we offered him wild honey water, gave him balls of garlic and honey mash, and bathed his nose and back end with rosemary infusion. As he recovered, we gave him slippery elm powder for his digestive tract. When the time was right, we gave him small amounts of mashed veggies first, easing him gradually back onto meats and his regular supplements.

• Classical homeopathy: In his classic book, Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, now in its third edition, Richard Pitcairn, DVM, lists six of many possible homeopathic remedies for different stages and symptoms of CDV, advising using a choice of only one. He also suggests dosages of vitamin C as an adjunct.

Having used homeopathy for more than 16 years, I knew it was effective and the remedies were easy to obtain. In this life-and-death situation, we’d want an experienced homeopath to choose the right remedy for Caleb, and we knew Dr. McCutcheon’s clinic would consult long-distance. So, homeopathy would be the hub of our plan. Pitcairn also inspired the dosage of vitamin C we gave Caleb orally: 3,000 mg three times per day.

• Acupuncture: In her book, Keep Your Pet Healthy the Natural Way, Pat Lazarus gathered testimonials from holistic vets who use either vitamin C injections or acupuncture to cure or control effects of stage three of CDV, such as seizures and chorea. Some vets inject vitamin C or B12 into acupuncture points. As it turned out, Caleb did not develop stage three complications. If he had, we would have researched these options further.

Applying the treatment plan
Right after Dr. Gambling confirmed Caleb’s clinical signs of CDV, we phoned Lisa Formosa, DSHomMed, the homeopath who works with Dr. McCutcheon at East York Animal Clinic in Toronto. Formosa took details of Caleb’s physical symptoms, then asked about his emotions and energy level. Was he depressed and flat? Did he want to be left alone? Caleb wasn’t like that. He watched us and acknowledged a greeting when we approached. Although he was physically weak, his energy wasn’t completely diminished.

Based on these and many other factors, Formosa recommended the remedy distemperinum, which is made from the discharge of dogs already sick with the distemper virus. Formosa said if Caleb had been deeply depressed and stage two even more established, she would have chosen homeopathic goldenseal, instead.

I was surprised. Dr. Pitcairn lists both remedies as candidates; yet even as an experienced lay person, I would have chosen goldenseal. Formosa’s explanation about dosage was new to me, too. She said Caleb’s relatively “up” energy level indicated that we start with 30C, because we didn’t want to “overwhelm” him with the higher intensity of 200C. If the lower potency had no effect, then she would recommend trying 200C. This shows why it’s wise, when possible, to get professional advice for serious problems!

We immediately contacted homeopathic pharmacies around the region, and ran into another challenge. They hadn’t even heard of the remedy distemperinum! Fortunately, the East York Animal Clinic kept some in stock. As Caleb had someone responsible at home to watch over him, I jumped in the car and drove the 80 miles to Toronto.

When I got back, I found Caleb resting on his loveseat on the porch and gave him his first dose. It was 6:30 p.m. By 7 p.m., his temperature had dropped to 102.4°F. Then, he howled like usual at a train whistling through the crossing a half mile away! We put chicken broth near him.

Formosa advised us that in classical homeopathy, caretakers administer a dose, then observe. As long as you see improvement, don’t dose again. You repeat the dose when improvement seems to stop. She said Caleb’s nasal discharge might first get worse, and reminded us that homeopathic theory views discharge as a good sign. Then she concluded calmly, “You should be all right.”

Janice and I worked out a schedule specifying what, when, and how much to give of every substance, and posted it on the kitchen cupboard. The final column gave space to check off each task when done. Our intention was to make sure we didn’t miss a beat, especially if we became too anxious to think straight. I started keeping a log on everything that happened. We dosed Caleb twice more that night.

Caleb’s recovery
Caleb came out of his illness as straight as an arrow.

On the second day of treatment, Caleb’s temperature was around 102.4°F. His nasal discharge loosened and flowed easily. On a short walk, he leaped a log (!) and later coughed to clear his lungs. He watched our kitchen activities keenly, and drank a half cup of broth. By mid-afternoon, he rested in his regular lookout spots in the yard, cruised the kitchen counters looking for food, and chased our cat away from his broth.

Once, when looking into his eyes, I sensed his energy drop and gave more distemperinum immediately. He came on strong again and got very hungry. We gave him a few tiny homemade biscuits, as a goodwill gesture. On my bed, he slept happily on his back!

On the third day of treatment, Caleb’s temperature averaged 101.8°. He took some broth with vitamin C and slippery elm in it, plus the honey-garlic mixture. He made a tiny bit of healthy poop. We dosed him again. His nasal discharge was once again clear and colorless.

At one point that day, Caleb caught my eye and placed his foot on the lid of his biscuit tub. When I refused to give him a biscuit, he ran off with my plastic clog. I gave him one small biscuit, and later, some mashed cooked carrot.

We could feel that he was going to be all right.

By day four, Caleb breathed silently through his nose and his rash had faded. As his temperature averaged 101.2°F, over the day we provided cooked grains, a few nuts, baked winter squash with kefir and parsley, another carrot, and grated raw cabbage. (Note: We have long since omitted grain from Caleb’s diet.) He wanted even more.

Things just kept getting better. Caleb’s former sweet breath started returning, and on day five, with his temperature at 100.2°, we offered him his first small portion of raw meat. By the eighth day, all the symptoms of CDV had gone and he was back on his full diet.

To rebuild his health, we added vitamin B complex to his diet, plus oat tincture several weeks later. We kept these up for months, as it takes a long time to rebuild a dog’s strength after CDV.

Finally, we reintroduced his daily supplements slowly as his ravaged digestive system became less sensitive.

When conventionally treated dogs survive CDV, neurological damage can show up weeks or even months later. Dr. Gambling told us that after three symptom-free months, we could announce Caleb’s recovery to the world. It’s now been seven years and counting.

Dr. Gambling also suggested eventually immunizing Caleb against CDV, since her in-office veterinary reference text says survivors maintain natural immunity for, at most, six months. Instead, we agreed to check his titers periodically. A vaccinated dog’s CDV antibody count is normally below 200. The minimum score thought to sustain immunity is 24; after vaccination, it averages 36-48. Caleb’s never-vaccinated titer, more than six years later, is 768.

Today, at 10, Caleb glows with better general health than most dogs his age. He’s a mischievous, shining, energetic testament to why we should feed dogs a natural diet and be well prepared beforehand lest a nasty virus tries to gain a foothold.

-Susan Weinstein is a freelance writer with a strong interest in animals and holistic healthcare. She is now working on a book about pets and stress with Paul McCutcheon, DVM. Weinstein and Caleb live with Janice Newson and Farida the Monster Cat in Grafton, Ontario.

Correcting Canine Skin Problems

By
Randy Kidd
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When the dog’s skin is healthy, we don’t give it a second thought. But when it is out of whack – greasy, itchy, smelly, flaky, bumpy, or raw – it becomes the center of attention for our dogs, and us, too. There is no more miserable dog than one with a serious skin problem.

The skin is the epithelial and connective tissue covering of the body. Skin is also referred to as the “integument,” a term meaning “a covering or investment.” Cutaneous is also used to describe the skin.

An animal’s skin is its largest organ of the body, and it is properly thought of as a living, breathing organ system with a multitude of functions, specific nutrient needs, and intimate interconnections with other organ systems of the body. Of particular interest to health and healing are the functions of the skin that involve inner-body protective mechanisms, whole-body immunology, and nervous functions that affect sensation.

The surface of the skin is a critical interface between the highly controlled internal tissues and the external environment. It permits the maintenance of bodily homeostasis, and it is a primary organ system for creating and maintaining whole-body health.

Anatomy and physiology
Skin is composed of two integrated cell layers, the epidermis and dermis. In total, the skin acts as a semipermeable protective layer covering the entire body.

The epidermis is the nonvascular, outermost layer of the skin and is composed of several cell layers. It is the tough part of the skin, and it has the ability to thicken with use. The epidermis varies in thickness, depending on the area of the body, but over most of the body it is about 0.1 mm thick. A dog’s foot pads are greatly thickened and toughened epidermis.

The dermis is the part of the skin that lies beneath the epidermis; it is composed mostly of connective tissue along with blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatic ducts.

In the skin two particular cell types, keratinocytes and Langerhans cells, are of special importance for holistic health. Both are prime contributors to the health and healing of the skin.

Keratinocytes are stratified (in layers) squamous (scaly or platelike) epithelial cells, which are the primary cells found in the skin and mucosa, including oral esophageal, corneal, conjunctival, and genital epithelium. Ninety-five percent of the epidermal cells are keratinocytes. Keratin is an insoluble protein synthesized by keratinocytes. Keratin adds toughness to skin, hair, and nails; it the substance that forms a barrier between the animal and the environment.

Keratinocytes undergo characteristic changes as they move upward/outward from the basal layers of the epidermis (the deepest layer of keratinocytes where the stem cells reside) to the outer cornified (hardened) layers of the skin. The normal turnover time for keratinocytes is about 30 to 60 days, but this time may vary with disease or patterns of increased use.

Langerhans cells form the “nerve cen-ter” of the skin; they are migrating dendritic cells (from the Greek, dendron, for tree) found in the epidermis. These are cells of nervous tissue origin that participate in the cutaneous immune response. They have the ability to migrate from the skin to lymph nodes where they can transfer antigenic information being received by the skin throughout the entire body. Their communicative ability is greatly enhanced by their extensive “dendrites” – branching, threadlike extensions (like the limbs of a tree) from the cell proper.

Melanocytes are cells found in both the epidermis and dermis; they contain pigmented granules of melanin. Melanin granules are all the same color (reddish-brown); it is the variation in the amount and location of melanin that causes the different colors of skin and fur.

The subcutaneous layer lies below the epidermis and dermis. It is composed mostly of fat, and it forms a loose attachment between the dermis and underlying muscle tissue. Its loose attachment allows for considerable movement of the dog’s skin over its body.

Structures that originate from the skin include hair or fur, glands, and nails.

Most mammals have both oil (sebaceous) and sweat (sudoriferous) glands located throughout the skin, but the dog’s (and cat’s) sweat glands are found only on the pads of their feet. Panting (along with increased salivation) are the primary ways a dog cools down.

Sebaceous or oil glands are usually associated with a hair follicle, and they are widely distributed throughout the skin of most mammals. Secretory cells of the sebaceous glands produce sebum, a substance that is mostly lipid (fatty material).

The functions of the sebaceous glands include:

• Lubrication and production of a protective, oily layer for the hair and skin.

• Inhibition of bacterial growth.

• Synthesizing vitamin D. (A precursor to vitamin D, dehydrocholestrol, is formed in sebaceous glands. When dehydrocholestrol is irradiated by sunlight to its active form, vitamin D, it is absorbed by the body.)

• Secretion of sebum. (Sebum production is related to hormonal levels, generally being highest around the time of puberty.)

Apocrine glands are considered by some physiologists to be a second type of sudoriferous gland. Apocrine glands are typically located in the anal and genital regions, and in some species they secrete a type of pheromone or sexual attractant. Anal glands in dogs and cats are examples of apocrine glands.

Claws are formed from keratinocytes located in the dermis that surrounds the periosteum (bone covering) of the distal toe. Claws/nails of dogs (and cats) are supplied with blood vessels and nerves.

A closer look at skin diseases
Entire tomes have been written on the subject of canine skin diseases and their great variety of treatment approaches. Here, we will only simplify an approach to identifying and treating skin problems from the holistic perspective.

For purposes of this article, we will take the organ system of skin in its totality, and make the assumption that if we can keep its two primary cells healthy – the keratinocytes and Langerhans cells – we will be well on the road to overall health of the dog’s skin.

Remember that keratinocytes change in both morphology (appearance) and function as they progress in maturity from the inner, basal layers of the epithelium to its outermost, dead-cell covering. Recent studies have indicated that this progressively changing function can be greatly affected (positively or negatively) as it is occurring. In other words, keratinocytes may be “uploaded” toward health or “downloaded” toward disease, depending on what stimulus is being applied – either from within or from the surrounding environment.

A prime example of a “downloading” (disease-producing) stimulus occurs with the condition known as atopy (discussed in more detail below). Any oxidative stress, including ultraviolet radiation, chemical oxidants, and the presence of microorganisms may incite the keratinocytes’ stem cells to produce mature cells more susceptible to disease.

One example of a “downloading” stimulus that has been extensively studied in humans is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Excess exposure to UV rays is one of the primary contributing factors in producing skin tumors. Scientists have discovered that the “stress” of ultraviolet light initiates a change in gene expression of the stem cell keratinocytes, speeding the process of cell aging, and ultimately leading to the production of a population of mature cells that are more prone to tumor development.

Note that dogs, when compared to humans, have a built-in sunscreen: their hair coat. The UV-induced downloading of the keratinocytes may thus not be as big a problem in dogs, but the science behind it is interesting nonetheless. Also interesting: Of the few species studied, each has its own cellular mechanism for coping with sunlight. Some species use one pathway to create altered keratinocytes; others use an entirely different pathway.

A good example of “uploading” the keratinocytes occurs in the body’s natural response to cuts and scrapes. In wound healing, activated keratinocytes begin to produce keratin proteins distinct from the keratins of healthy epidermis, and the keratinocytes themselves become hyper-proliferative and migratory.

There are many substances that can upload keratinocytes. Any of the dietary antioxidants (for example, vitamins A, C, and E and Omega-3 fatty acids) likely have a salubrious effect. Judging from its ability to rapidly regenerate epidermal cells, the topical use of the herb calendula (Calendula officinalis), may also be directly beneficial to skin cells.

Vitamin C has been well documented as a skin helper. In addition to its antioxidative capacity, vitamin C participates in several biological roles. It helps protect the skin against sunlight, and its primary role in collagen synthesis is crucial for skin regeneration and wound repair. Vitamin C also modulates keratinocyte and lymphocyte differentiation, helping to produce healthier mature skin and cells of the immune system.

Further, vitamin C has at least two beneficial effects for cancer prevention. First, it is important in the inner-cell mechanism that helps damaged cells die off rather than grow into tumor cells. Second, it seems to help the effects of at least some chemotherapeutic agents.

Finally, we know that vitamin C is accumulated in healthy skin cells, apparently waiting there for any increased need. It is found in lower amounts in cells of older animals, a possible reason for increased cell aging in the elderly.

Veterinarians have been taught that dogs do not need dietary vitamin C because they can produce it themselves. However, most holistic veterinarians think that there are plenty of occasions when the “normal” amount of produced vitamin C isn’t enough for the need – for example, for skin allergies that require enhanced antioxidant and healing activities. My own recommendation is to routinely add maintenance levels of vitamin C to the dog’s diet, and to increase these amounts to therapeutic levels whenever there is a need. Check with your holistic vet for dosages.

Factors contributing to skin health and disease
Following is a list of some of the general factors that can adversely affect the health of the skin, along with some very basic ideas for how we can enhance the dog’s individual ability to maintain healthy skin.

• Genetic. Studies indicate that there are certain breeds of dogs and particular genetic lines within breeds that are especially prone to skin diseases.

For example, there are many breeds that have been reported to have an increased susceptibility to atopy. The Shar-Pei, for example, has a high relative risk factor for generalized demodicosis (mange), atopy, and hypothyroidism, and there are certain lines of Cocker Spaniels that exhibit a higher incidence of seborrhea.

When we have looked further into the cause of this increased susceptibility, it often turns out that the breed has a general population of keratocytes that are genetically programmed to download (proceed into disease mode) rather than upload toward healthy mature cells.

Further, it appears that some breeds or individual lines within breeds seem to have a genetic propensity for a poorly functional immune system.

The best advice, of course, is to avoid breeds and genetic lines that are more susceptible to skin problems, but this is obviously not always possible (hindsight is 20/20, but foresight is not always available, unless you know the genetic history of the individual). Susceptible individuals may need to be on a lifelong regime of multidimensional skin enhancers, including nutrition, immune-boosters, topical skin-care products, etc.

• Immune system. As it pertains to the skin, the immune system is a two-lane highway. The animal’s innate immune ability affects the health of the skin, and the immune system located within the skin (Langerhans cells) needs to be healthy for it to transfer an accurate immune response from the externally received antigenic stimuli to the inner reserves of the immune system.

• Nutrition is the key to good skin health. The problem is that, for the key to be effective, it must fit the lock (the individual). In the old days there were many locks that could be opened with one general skeleton key, and likewise there is a skeleton program of good nutrition that will help many animals (see “Diet Tips for Promoting Skin Health,” next page). For those critters that are prone to skin disease, you may need to have a holistic practitioner devise a nutritional program that specifically fits your individual.

• Hygiene. As with all holistic approaches, balance is the key to managing your dog’s hygiene; too much or too little is not healthy.

Trying to scrub away all the dirt and detritus that our dogs collect in their normal course of work and play may be counterproductive. Too much cleansing can be drying to the skin. Dry skin is physically irritating, which may cause the dog to dig and scratch excessively. Additionally, we know that the skin’s oil glands produce a substance that is antibacterial; so excess cleaning actually removes the antibacterial barrier.

Furthermore, there is considerable recent evidence to indicate that a certain amount of “dirt” is good for the immune system. Exposure to dirt, low concentrations of locally important bacteria and bugs, local plant pollens, and household dust are all vital for developing a healthy immune system and for stimulating an appropriate immune response.

Finally, many shampoos or soaps contain substances that are irritating to the individual, again stimulating the itch/scratch cycle that ultimately damages the skin. Also, soaps seem to be individually tolerated or rejected; what works fine for most dogs may stimulate extreme itching in a rare individual.

Try a soap initially on a small area of your dog and observe the results. When you’ve found a shampoo that seems to work for your dog, use it only often enough that it keeps your dog clean and at the same time allows her normal skin oils to be present. Healthy skin should be dry but not flaky, pliable, and possessing a slightly oily feel, and the hair coat should have lustrous sheen.

To maintain this look and feel, some dogs need a bath every week or so; others will do better if the interval between baths is a month or more. An animal suffering from ongoing skin disease may require special care, with increased bathings that may also need to be medicated (herbal shampoos are often very helpful) or nutritionally enhanced shampoos (many shampoos have added vitamins or antioxidants that can be beneficial).

Note: Shampoos that contain oat extracts seem to be the most universally soothing, but sometimes they contain additives that are irritating – scents, preservatives, and other things that don’t need to be included. So, even oat-based products should be spot-tested first.

• Bugs. We all know that fleas, ticks, mites, and lice can cause dastardly consequences, and so we know that we need to keep their numbers to a minimum. Products abound: spot-ons, collars, and oral drugs that circulate bug-unfriendly toxins to fight the invaders from within; sprays and powders to attack them from without; shampoos to stop them in their tracks; and dips to keep them away for weeks. While the negative impact that bugs can have on the dog’s skin health shouldn’t be minimized, I often think we’ve overdone it more than just a bit.

It is clear, for example, that bug killers are toxins and that they also affect the animal we apply them to – reason enough to give us pause before we wage all-out war against all vermin, real and imagined. We also know that the anti-bug drugs can produce an allergic response in the animal, creating a skin irritation that is exactly like the one we were trying to prevent by keeping the bugs away. Finally, toxic chemicals are not species specific; when we kill the bad guys, we also end up killing any beneficial bugs that may be helpful for the long-range health of the animal, and we may leave a residue to contaminate the environment for a long time to come.

So, from my perspective, the holistic answers to bug problems:

• Use only what is necessary, when it is truly needed.

• Use natural products whenever possible.

• Enhance your dog’s whole body health.

• Inner milieu. In addition to the necessity for a functionally competent immune system, there are other parts of the inner body that are important for maintaining healthy skin. In turn, the skin can affect seemingly unrelated organ systems.

For example, there is good evidence that antibiotic use actually “downloads” the keratinocytes – that is, antibiotics may cause the keratinocyte stem cells to mature into cells that are less healthy and more prone to disease. And, both intestinal (inflammatory bowel syndrome, as one example) and lung problems (such as asthma) may incite skin problems – although which disease condition comes first and which follows is often difficult to determine.

• Hormones also have an affect on the skin. It is important to appreciate that all organ systems of the body ultimately affect the skin, but hormonal influences, particularly the sex and thyroid hormones, are especially important. The adrenal hormones (glucocorticoids) are also important primary contributors to skin disease whether they come from inner sources or are provided via veterinary prescription.

Hormone conditions that affect the skin have two components that differentiate them from other allergy or infectious-related conditions. First, they usually do not produce itching. Second, they typically occur over the body in a specific configuration known as a “hormonal pattern”: a bilateral patchwork of changes including skin thickening, discoloration, and/or hair loss or thinning.

Abnormal skin conditions
Dermatitis is a nonspecific term to describe inflammation of the skin. Dermatitis can be produced by numerous agents, including external irritants, burns, allergins, trauma, and infection (bacterial, viral, parasitic, or fungal). It can be associated with concurrent internal or systemic disease; hereditary factors also may be involved.

The skin’s response to insult manifests as any combination of pruritis (itching), scaling, erythema (redness), alopecia (hair loss), thickening of the skin, hyperpigmentation, oily seborrhea, odor, and hair loss.

Following are brief discussions of just a few of the more prevalent causes of dermatitis in dogs.

• Pyoderma literally means “pus in the skin.” This accumulation of white blood cells in the skin can be caused by infectious, inflammatory, and/or neoplastic etiologies, but most commonly in dogs the term refers to bacterial infections of the skin.

Most skin infections are superficial and secondary to a variety of other conditions including allergies (flea allergy, atopy, food allergy); internal diseases (primarily hormonal diseases, especially of the thyroid or due to an excess of glucocorticoids from internal sources or prescribed by the vet); seborrhea (abnormal production of secretions of the sebaceous glands or the glands surrounding the hair follicles); parasitic diseases (mange, for example); or anatomic predispositions (from skin folds).

Any of a number of bacterial species may be involved, but Staphylococcus intermedius is usually the primary pathogen, often making it possible for other bugs to invade. It is important to remember that the normal skin of a dog has a healthy population of resident bacterial species; since these bugs are health-promoting, indiscriminate use of antibiotics should be avoided. To cause infection, S. intermedius needs to stick to the keratinocytes of the skin. Anything that changes the normally dry environment of the skin to a more humid one (such as skin folds) can predispose the host to an overgrowth of bacteria.

Holistic treatment for pyoderma consists of a combined approach that couples topical with internal medicines. External applications should be directed toward drying the wet (skin fold) areas and decreasing the bacterial populations to a level where the animal’s inner defenses can deal with them. Ideally, internal medicines will be directed toward enhancing the immune system as well as attacking the bacteria directly. Once again, it is important to appreciate that skin infections are usually a secondary response due to some other cause; determining that primary cause will be necessary for long-term healing.

• Atopy is estimated to affect about 10 percent of the canine population. Animals with atopy are thought to be genetically predisposed to become sensitized to environmental allergins that are absorbed through the respiratory tract. Most of the symptoms of atopy (including intense itching) are exactly the same as those that result from food allergies, flea-bite dermatitis, contact allergy, or mange mites, thus compounding the problem of accurate diagnosis.

Symptoms include intense itching, which typically results in skin damage (often intense damage) from the dog’s self-trauma due to scratching, licking, and biting at the itch. Secondary bacterial infections are common. In some dogs, the only symptom of atopy may be chronic or recurrent otitis (inflammation in the ear).

Conventional medicine typically confronts the itch as its prime enemy, and its arsenal includes avoidance of the offending allergin; symptomatic therapy to control the itch (most commonly glucocorticoids which, with long-term use, effectively shut down the normal, inner immune system); and immunotherapy, that is, desensitization to the allergin or vaccinating against the allergin. At one time antihistamines were extensively used to treat atopy, but current research indicates that they are not effective for relieving the itch associated with the disease.

Of course, avoiding the offending allergin isn’t always plausible. What do you do when the dog proves to be sensitive to the grasses and trees in your own backyard? And remember that an intradermal skin test only reveals exposure to the allergin; it is not necessarily a measure of the dog’s sensitivity to the allergin.

Holistic medicine takes a different approach. The goal here is to try to enhance the dog’s innate immune system so he can better cope with his environment.

Holistic methods that enhance the immune system include acupuncture (proven to enhance the production and function of immune-important lymphocytes); herbal remedies (many herbs, but especially Echinacea spp., enhance the balance of the immune response); and homeopathic remedies (many homeopaths feel that the primary way homeopathy works is by stimulating the immune system). Each of these methods has specific remedies to help control itchiness. In addition, moderate daily exercise, massage, and proper nutrition all enhance the immune response.

When the nits come to the grits, however, there is no medicine that will be effective all the time. You may need to combine some of the conventional methods with the alternative ones.

• Psychogenic dermatosis is a general term that attempts to describe skin conditions that involve behavioral components. Nearly all itchy conditions will cause some degree of psychogenic stress, but some dogs apparently itch (or scratch) excessively for reasons confined to their psyches.

For some of these animals, behavioral therapy, either with or without pharmacologic interventions may be helpful. Other dogs – those with obsessive-compulsive or self-mutilating disorders – may not respond to any therapy.

• Skin tumors. Tumors can occur in all the tissues of the skin and surrounding tissues, and they can be either benign or malignant.

In my experience, the malignancy or non-malignancy of a particular skin tumor is often difficult to assess, perhaps due to the fact that skin has an amazing ability to transform to a rapid growth phase (whether that phase be malignant or non-malignant) with such ease. Any lump or bump of the skin should be looked at by a veterinarian. Simple needle biopsies can be extremely helpful for differentiating infections and inflammations from potential tumors. The pliability of the skin makes surgical excision of smaller-sized lumps easy to perform if it’s deemed necessary.

Alternative medicines for skin
An accurate diagnosis is necessary to adequately treat conditions of the skin with either holistic or conventional medicine. In addition to a complete physical exam, this may require skin scrapings, examination of individual hairs, cytology, fungal and/or bacterial cultures, and (especially when systemic disease is suspected as a cause) blood and urine tests. Intradermal skin testing has been used to determine specific allergins, but its use has recently come into question (a positive test only indicates past exposure to a particular antigen, and the significance of this for determining a treatment regime is questionable).

Once you know with some degree of certainty what you are dealing with, you have to embrace the fact that skin is an extremely complex organ system that oftentimes requires an approach to healing that is multi-factorial, requiring the use of many healing disciplines to be effective.

In other words, it’s essential that you understand:

• the enemy (the cause of the disease);

• that the enemy will likely be present in complex ways (most often there are several factors that are contributing to the disease);

• that you may need to bring in an entire army of different healing modalities to be effective; and

• that the battle may be long and costly.

Finally, you and your team of holistic practitioners should develop an exit strategy from the very beginning of treatment. Decide ahead of time how long you plan to stay with any one treatment regime, and when it will be the time to switch to another approach.

Unfortunately, skin is often the first organ system to suffer harm and the last to heal. It is, after all, an organ with a huge surface area that is in contact with all kinds of stuff in the surrounding environment. It is also a highly sensitive organ that is influenced by the health and well-being of all the body’s other organ systems. To add to the overall problem, almost all symptoms of the skin can be caused by a multitude of conditions.

And as one further consideration: According to its theory of “movement of symptoms,” homeopathic medicine believes that all diseases, no matter their origin, move through a set pattern that leaves the skin as the very last organ to heal.

My very basic holistic approach to healing the skin follows:

1. Eliminate any external source that may be causing the condition: parasites, bacteria, allergenic food sources, environmental irritants, and other sources of stress, physical and/or mental.

2. Explore all the possible causes, including psychogenic.

3. Try to narrow this list of differential possibilities down to a few of the more likely causes. This will, we hope, result in a more manageable list of probable causes.

4. Develop a plan of attack that will likely include lifestyle changes, nutrition (including supplements and nutriceuticals), herbal helpers, and either homeopathy or acupuncture as primary therapy.

5. Make a list of realistic expectations (how the dog’s caretakers feel the therapy should progress, based on their desires, and on the practitioner’s past experience with similar cases), and define a time frame (and a reasonable budget) for these expectations to come to fruition.

6. Be confident. Remember that most skin conditions will resolve themselves – if we provide a properly holistic foundation of inner health and outer resilience. But . . .

7. For the chronic, persistent cases, you may need to light candles, shake rattles, pray . . . do whatever it takes to make the magic of medicine work for you and your dog. (For more information, see “Walking the Allergy Maze,” WDJ August 2004.)

-Dr. Randy Kidd earned his DVM degree from Ohio State University and his PhD in Pathology/Clinical Pathology from Kansas State University. A past president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, he’s author of Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Dog Care and Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Cat Care.

Animal News Alerts: November 2005

By
Nancy Kerns
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Monthly magazines are at a disadvantage when it comes to breaking news; we send an issue to press at least a month before the date that will appear on its cover. So, usually, we don’t even try to disseminate news. But the following items are of such importance and continuing relevance that we are going to break our standard rule.

Canine Flu

An entirely new, highly contagious, and sometimes deadly strain of influenza is sweeping the country’s canine population. Immunologists studying the flu strain have identified it as a variant of an equine influenza; scientists have never before witnessed an influenza virus “jumping” from horses to dogs. The first cases were reported in Florida, which has a large equine population and lots of Greyhound breeding and racing facilities.

Most dogs who become infected with the respiratory illness will experience a milder form of influenza, with symptoms that are similar to those of kennel cough, such as a persistent cough, low fever, and listlessness. However, some develop a more acute disease with clinical signs of pneumonia. Immediate veterinary care, including antibiotics and fluids, will be needed to save the life of a dog with severe symptoms, such as a high fever, secondary bacterial infection, and nasal discharge. Among the latter group, the mortality rate is 1 to 5 percent.

Because this is thought to be an entirely new virus, no dogs have any natural immunity to it, so virtually all dogs who are exposed to it, no matter their breed or age, will become infected. About 80 percent of the dogs who contract the illness will develop symptoms, although all the exposed animals will be capable of transmitting the virus to other dogs.

The virus is airborne; dogs can become infected from contact with anything that an infected dog sneezed or coughed on.

As we went to press, canine influenza had been found in states all across the country. Stay alert to any signs of illness in your dog; take her to a veterinary clinic if she shows signs of fever or coughing.

Hurricane Forces Pets to be Left Behind

Like you, we were saddened and enraged by the news of thousands of people being forced to leave their pets behind when they evacuated from the September’s hurricane zones. Though the many relief efforts undertaken in recent months to help the abandoned animals have been admirable, many thousands of these rescues would have been unnecessary if more people could have taken shelter with their pets.

Fortunately, many efforts are underway to change local, state, and federal laws and policies to allow people to bring their beloved dogs, cats, and other pets with them in evacuation vehicles and into shelters.

The Humane Society of the United States is urging Congress to quickly enact legislation that addresses the needs of the animal victims of disasters. The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, H.R. 3858, requires state and local emergency management agencies that receive federal funding to make plans for people with pets or the disabled who rely on service animals to safely evacuate along with their animals in the event of a disaster.

Five U.S. Congressmen introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Three Dog Bakery of Kansas City, Missouri, has started hosting fund-raising events in support of legislative efforts to enable the concomitant rescue of people and their animal companions in disasters. The company is also selling T-shirts (with profits supporting the efforts above) emblazoned with the message, “Leave No Man Behind; Leave No Pet Behind.” See www.threedog.com or call (800) 4TREATS for more details.

Download the Full November 2005 Issue PDF

By
Nancy Kerns
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Do Fence Them In

By
Nancy Kerns
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Hannah, my brother’s dog, is a reformed escape artist. Keith lives in a house that is situated in a five-acre fenced compound in the country (it’s a self-storage facility). You’d think this would be dog heaven! But as a pup, Hannah learned that there is much more fun available outside the fence and down the road – other loose dogs, kids playing, ponds to swim in, deer to chase. Her mentor was a neighbor’s dog who used to escape his yard and run along the outside of Hannah’s fence. “Hannah! Come on out so we can play!” She did, and what fun!

Keith nearly lost his mind trying to find and block all the places where Hannah could slip out. The problem was, she’s a big, young, athletic dog who needs a lot of exercise; she comes unglued when she doesn’t get to play outside of Keith’s secure but tiny private yard. He’d take her out to the big yard after the storage facility was closed for the evening so she could chase hard-hit tennis balls and run along with the manager’s golf cart up and down the aisles of lockers until she was tired.

Frequently, though, at some point, Hannah would run after a ball – and then keep running for the far fence. By the time Keith (running after her and yelling her name) could reach the far side of the compound, she was through a hole only she knew about and off for adventures unknown. Luckily, she would always come back within an hour or two, muddy and happily exhausted.

Keith spent hours filling gaps beneath the chain-link fence, but since he never managed to witness the moment or site she wriggled through, his work felt pointless and endless. He called me several times for advice, and I sent him WDJ articles about teaching her to “Come!” and developing off-leash reliability. But training skills like these can take a long time, lots of successful practice – and as few opportunities to practice the unwanted behavior as possible. The escapes kept happening. Half joking, I once suggested that Keith tie Hannah’s tether to one of those big rubber balls that have a handle – the kind little kids sit on to bounce. She could easily drag it around, but when she crawled under the fence, the ball would get stuck and hold her there, marking the spot where she got out like a buoy!

One afternoon, Hannah escaped right after Keith had taken her collar off and given her a bath. She was running around the big yard in that exuberant post-dog-bath way, when she ran around the house and took off for the mystery exit. She didn’t come home that night. The next morning, after driving around his neighborhood calling, checking the roadside ditches, and searching the kennels at his local shelter, Keith made a “lost dog” flier and started posting them. One pole a mile from his house already had a “found dog” flier on it – with Hannah’s abashed countenance appearing between the tattooed arms that held her for the photo. Mr. Tattoo was grateful for the reward money, although his wife hinted that they might have to spend more on cleaning the sofa where Hannah had spent the night!

Fortunately, Hannah seems to have (survived long enough to have) grown out of her trips “abroad.” Other dogs may not be as lucky. Read Pat Miller’s article (“Preventing Great Escapes”), and take her advice about over-fencing your yard before you bring your new dog or puppy home.

-Nancy Kerns

Runaway Dog: Preventing Your Dog From Escaping

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Runaway dogs have a penchant for escaping, regardless of how secure they may seem.
Credit: Westend61 | Getty Images

[Updated August 21, 2017]

RUNAWAY DOG OVERVIEW

– Make sure your fence is secure before you bring that new dog home. Even if it keeps your current dogs safely confined, a canine newcomer may have new talents that test your confinement system.

– Be careful any time you put your dog in a new containment area. Check the area first to ensure it is secure, and watch him after you put him in to be sure he’s not testing the fence.

– Consider the safest approach – always keep your dog indoors when you’re not home.

Otis the Bloodhound was an opportunistic runaway dog. I discovered his talent one day while working at the front desk at the Marin Humane Society, early in my animal protection career. A woman came in asking if we might know where a Bloodhound lived, because he kept visiting her house every day. He was charming, she said, but she worried that he might get hit by a car.

A Bloodhound owner myself at the time, I was curious where this errant Bloodhound might live; it’s not a very common breed. But when I asked the woman for her address, I was dismayed to hear she lived around the corner from me. Could it possibly be MY safely fenced dog who was making house calls around the neighborhood?

It was, indeed. Unbeknownst to me, Otis had discovered a hole in the fence behind some dense bushes. He waited every morning until I was gone, crawled out the hole, spent his day visiting neighbors, and returned home in time to greet me innocently at my back door.

I was lucky. Otis wasn’t a dedicated escape artist – a solid patch to the fence ended his wanderings. Other owners often work much harder to keep their canine fugitives safe at home.

Dogs Who Become Skilled Escape Artists

Roaming is an innate behavior for dogs. They are hunters and scavengers, and left to their own devices will wander a territory far larger than the average backyard. Escaping, however, is a learned behavior. Dogs who are given the opportunity to escape often do. Once they figure out how, they will try harder and harder, even when the fence is belatedly fortified. Dogs who become escape artists hone their skills to a fine edge. Keeping them safely confined at home where they belong can be a huge challenge. Our nation’s animal shelters are full of escape artists.

The best avenue for managing a dog’s wanderlust is to prevent him from wandering in the first place. The problem starts when you bring home the new puppy before you are fully prepared, promising to put up that fence before Rover grows up.

A tiny puppy won’t wander far from the back stoop, even when you leave him out on his own for a bit. Before you know it, though, Rover is six months old, already has a habit of making neighborhood rounds, and you still haven’t finished the fence. When Mr. Jones from down the road calls you up and threatens to shoot Rover if he chases his goats one more time, you rush to the hardware store to buy some metal fence posts and hog wire. Hastily you throw up a pen in the backyard that attaches to the back deck. “That should hold him until I get the rest of those post holes dug!” you think.

As you settle yourself back on the sofa to watch the last half of the football game, Rover is already testing the fence; he’s late for his daily visit to the Smith’s garbage can! He checks out the gate latch, but it doesn’t yield to his tentative pawing and gnawing. He trots around the inside of the enclosure, searching for a way out.

In the far corner he finds a three-inch gap between the wire and the ground and pokes his nose under. Getting his nose on the other side of the fence encourages him to try harder. He starts to worm his way under. The soft ground gives way beneath his claws. He digs harder. Before you can say “end zone,” he’s free, headed for the Smith’s omelet scraps and bacon drippings. You eventually retrieve him and fill the hole, but the damage is done. Rover is on his way to a lifetime career as a master escape artist.

Preferred Escape Methods Depend on the Dog’s Breed

Whether your dog’s escape efforts focus on tooth or claw or he excels in feats of aerial accomplishment depends both on genetics and learning. Dogs who are genetically programmed to dig, such as Terriers, are likely to burrow under the fence, especially if a handy soft spot presents itself.

If, however, the first weak spot in the fence is a loose board, we can inadvertently train Rover and our Terrier to eat their way through fences, turning them into beavers rather than burrowers. Once Rover discovers that the fence is breachable, he’ll test every spot where his teeth can gain purchase, and you’ll forever spend your football-watching time patching his holes.

Herding dogs such as Border Collies and sporting breeds like Labradors have a natural ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Given the opportunity, they’ll often make jumping fences their specialty.

However, you can inadvertently teach a less-athletic dog to bound over fences by starting small.

Confident that a four-foot fence will contain the Beagle-mix you just adopted from the shelter, you leave him in the backyard and go off to work. That night, your new dog greets you in the driveway after terrorizing cottontails in the neighbors’ woods all day. You raise the fence six inches, positive that this will hold him. Flush from his exploits the day before, your dog has to struggle a little harder to make it over 4’6″, but nothing breeds success like success. A little extra oomph, and he’s out again for another rousing day of bunny-bashing.

You raise the fence to five feet this time, absolutely sure there’s no way he can get over that. But again, even more confident of his jumping prowess, your dog tries a wee bit harder, and he’s up and over. There’s a good chance that if you had started with a five-foot fence Snoopy never would have tried to jump it at all. What you’ve done is taught him to jump higher and higher, consistently reinforcing his belief that if he just tries hard enough he can make it.

Bolters have learned to watch for a moment of human inattention, then charge through the tiniest crack in the gate or door.

While the other escape methods work best in the absence of humans, bolting requires the unintentional complicity of the visitor who doesn’t know (or the family member who forgets) that Dash must be manacled and hog-tied before a door is opened to the outside world.

Once again, prevention is the better part of valor. If Dash is taught from early days to wait politely at a door until invited out, he won’t learn the fine art of door-darting.

Preventing Your Dog from Getting Out

You’ve heard this from me before, and you’ll hear it from me again. It’s always easier to prevent a behavior problem from happening than it is to fix it after the fact. There’s no excuse for letting a puppy learn how to be an escape artist. Prevention measures are relatively simple. Don’t let your puppy learn that roaming is rewarding – keep him at home, and stop any embryonic escape attempts in their tracks by taking the following prophylactic measures:

• Provide a safe, secure enclosure. Before the new puppy comes home, make sure your fence is flush to the ground, or even buried a few inches. Check for rotten spots, and crawl behind shrubs and brush to look for holes or loose boards.

• Go overboard on fence height. Raise the fence to at least five feet for a small dog (perhaps higher for very athletic small dogs like Jack Russell Terriers) and six feet for medium to large dogs. Make sure there are no woodpiles, doghouses, deck railings, or other objects close enough to the fence to provide a launch pad.

• Teach your pup to wait at doors until invited through. Use “Wait!” at every door to the outside world, every time you open it, whether you are going to let him go through it or not (see “Training Your Dog to Stay Using Cues,” May 2001).

• Install dog-proof latches on gates. There’s no point in waiting until after he’s been hit by a car to discover that Rover can learn to work the latch. In fact, a padlock will prevent accidental release from the outside by a visitor or intruder at the same time it keeps Rover from practicing his latch-opening skills.

• Minimize male dogs’ motivation to roam by neutering at a young age (eight weeks or not long thereafter), and provide ample exercise and companionship at home (see “When is a Good Time to Spay or Neuter?” June 2000).

• Consider keeping the dog indoors when you’re not home. Boredom and loneliness provide strong motivation to escape, and Rover has plenty of time to plan and execute the great escape when you are not there to interrupt unwanted behaviors such as digging under and chewing through fences.

Retraining Dogs Who Run Away

What if it’s too late for prevention? Maybe you adopted Rover from the shelter after his last adopter taught him to jump a six-foot fence, and then returned him because he kept escaping. Do you give up on Rover, too? Not at all. There are lots of steps you can take to fortify your defenses and keep your escape artist at home, depending on his proclivities.

• Bounders: If you have a scaler, who hooks his nails in the chain link and climbs up and over, you can cover the inside of the fence with a flat, solid surface so his nails can’t get a purchase. A relatively new material, FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) that is now regularly used in animal shelters may withstand tooth and nail, but it may be prohibitively expensive if you have a large fenced area.

Or, you can install a “roof” at the top of the fence that comes in at a 90-degree angle; he won’t be able to reach behind his head and pull himself backward over the ledge when he gets to the top. Some people use wire mesh to create an angled-in barrier – similar to those at the top of prison fences, only without the razor wire! – that impedes jumping.

Another option that I’ve seen work is to top your fences with a “roll bar” that prevents your dog from getting a purchase at the top of the fence and pulling himself over. This is easily installed by running a wire or rope through sections of fat PVC pipe and hanging them along the top of the fence.

If you have a sailor, who gets a good running start and clears the fence with the greatest of ease, plant a hedge or place some other obstacle in his takeoff zone, interrupting his stride and making it impossible for him to jump. If you put your last fence extension inward at a 45-degree angle you may also fool his eye and foil his leap.

• Bolters: The dog who bolts through open doors needs an airlock – a system of double gates so that if he makes it through one, he is still contained behind the next. Self-closing gate springs are a must, to prevent visitors and family members from being careless twice in a row. A good solid recall – teaching Dash to come when called – taught with positive methods, of course, is an excellent backup plan for the door darter (see “Why a Reliable Recall is So Important,” December, 2000). Family members also need to remember not to panic and chase when Dash slips out – a good game of keep-away just makes door-darting more fun for the dog.

• Burrowers: If you’re going to bury the fence for a dedicated burrower, bury deep – at least six inches to a foot. If you bury it two inches, you’ll just teach him to dig deeper. You might do better setting the fence in cement, or lining your fence trench with large rocks or small boulders. You definitely need a cement pad at the gate, since you can’t bury the gate.

• Beavers: If Bucky has learned to gnaw his way through your fence you could be in big trouble. Lining the inside of the fence with heavy-duty wire – like chain link – may stop him. It may not, however, and he may break teeth in his attempts to eat his way out. Sheets of FRP are good for this also. Cement block walls can be effective, but may not be aesthetically pleasing. Ceramic tiles can be glued to the blocks to make them more attractive, but they’re not cheap.

A Shocking Solution?

Many dog owners are turning to electric shock collars to keep their dogs contained. Non-visible electronic fences are quite the rage, especially in communities where shortsighted homeowner regulations prohibit the installation of physical fences. Many dog owners are pleased with the results – no unsightly fence to impede their view of the sunset, and Rover magically stays within his delineated boundaries. Many dog owners are not so pleased. There are a myriad of things that can fail with non-visible shock fencing systems. Here are just a few:

■ For most dogs, there is a stimulus strong enough to entice the dog through the fence. For some, it might be that bunny or squirrel venturing a tad too close. Once the dog is outside the fence line, he’s rarely motivated to brave the shock to get back in.

■ Some dogs learn that the shock stops once they cross the line. Dogs who are determined to escape can learn to grit their teeth and risk one shock to get to the other side.

■ Shock collars are a punishment tool, and their use risks all the potential negative side effects of punishment. They can cause fear and/or aggression. If a dog receives a shock while a child is walking by, he may associate the shock with the child and become aggressive toward children. Or mail carriers. Or joggers. Or other dogs. Some dogs have become terrified and refuse to go into their own yards after receiving shocks from the collar during the training process.

■ Electronic equipment can fail. Batteries die, and when the dog no longer hears the warning beep he is free to come and go as he pleases. Some collars have malfunctioned and delivered repeated shocks to hapless, helpless dogs until their owners arrived home from work at the end of the day to rescue them from their torture.

■ The non-visible fence does not, of course, provide the dog with any protection from intruders, so Rover is at the mercy of other dogs or humans who may enter the yard and do bad things.

■ As an advocate of positive, dog-friendly training methods, I simply reject the idea of shocking dogs around the neck for our convenience. I would much prefer a chain-link dog pen with a top, set on a cement pad, for the master escape artist.

Most dog owners want to be able to give Rover the freedom to play in the yard, however, so when all else fails, I am a bit less loath to use electric shock in a situation where the dog learns by doing. I have, on rare occasion, suggested the use of a single strand of battery-powered electric fence wire, installed at nose level on the inside of the physical fence.

While a shock to the neck that comes out of nowhere seems to confuse and even terrify a good number of dogs, an “ouch!” to the nose when they touch something seems to make more sense. After one, or maybe two touches, most dogs leave the fence alone without apparent long-term psychological trauma. A last resort, perhaps, and a very aversive one, but preferable to being hit by a car.

Any Dog Can Escape a Yard

I’m far more careful now than I was in the Otis days; my dogs are never left in the backyard if no one is home to monitor their activities. Still, that doesn’t mean that accidents don’t happen. Just the other day, my phone rang. I answered, and it was Helen, my assistant, calling from the training center a few hundred feet from the house.

“I have Lucy,” she said.

WHAT?!

Lucy was supposed to be safely in the backyard! I dashed out to find the back gate open – left that way by the usually-very-careful guy who mows our lawn. Tucker was safely indoors, Dubhy and Katie were still in the backyard – only Lucy had made the great escape, and she hadn’t gone far.

It can happen to any of us. I was just thankful someone was home.

Canine Cancer Crisis

By
CJ Puotinen
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Cancer has to be the most feared diagnosis in all of medicine, one that sends patients and their families on a bewildering journey through statistics, treatment options, and life-or-death decisions that have to be made right now. Cancer has become so widespread that the care and treatment of its human patients is one of the world’s largest industries. Now cancer affects a significant percentage of veterinary patients as well.

Most medical dictionaries define cancer as a disease resulting from an abnormal and uncontrolled division of cells that invade and destroy surrounding tissue. In most cases, this cell division creates malignant growths called tumors. Cancer cells often migrate via the blood or lymph, resulting in the development of additional tumors throughout the body.

Cancer has no known cause, but its risk factors include genetics, diet, hormone imbalances, exposure to radiation, viruses, vaccinations, and environmental toxins such as lawn chemicals, flea and tick dips, asbestos, and tobacco smoke.

In the 1960s, about four out of every 1,000 dogs were diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year. At that time, the most common canine cancers involved the breast in females, the testes in males, and connective tissue, skin, lymph nodes, mouth, throat, and bones in both genders.

In 1997, a Morris Animal Foundation survey found that cancer was the leading cause of non-accidental death in America’s dogs. Today nearly half of dogs over age 10 die of cancer.

The similarities between canine and human cancers are striking, but there are differences. For example, dogs have 35 times as much skin cancer as humans, 4 times as many breast tumors, 8 times as much bone cancer, and twice the incidence of leukemia. Humans have 7 times as much lung cancer as dogs and 13 times as much cancer of the stomach and intestines.

Running in the family
In a 1997 Swedish study involving 222,000 dogs, the breeds at highest risk for cancer included Boxers, Giant Schnauzers, and Bernese Mountain Dogs (all of whom had a mortality rate due to cancer of over 30 percent), Irish Wolfhounds, Cocker Spaniels, and Doberman Pinschers (over 20 percent), and Pomeranians, Newfoundlands, German Shepherd Dogs, Saint Bernards, Great Danes, Greyhounds, and Basset Hounds (over 10 percent of deaths due to cancer).

English scientists published a study in 1999 that found that in the United Kingdom, Afghan Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Standard Poodles, and Rottweilers had the highest incidence of cancer, while Airedales, Beagles, Dachshunds, Irish Setters, Jack Russell Terriers, Rough Collies, and Yorkshire Terriers had a relatively low risk of dying from cancer.

In a 2003 Danish Kennel Club study, researchers investigated the age and cause of death for nearly 3,000 dogs and found that cancer affected 14.5 percent of the dogs studied. Bernese Mountain Dogs, 34.4 percent of whom died of cancer, had the highest cancer rate in Denmark.

Accurate cancer statistics for America’s dogs are hard to come by, but studies published by epidemiologists provide estimates that appear in the following descriptions. Today the most common type of cancer in American dogs is skin cancer, followed by mammary cancer and lymphosarcoma.

Cancer’s symptoms
The early warning signs of cancer in dogs are similar to human warning signs publicized by the American Cancer Society. These include any abnormal swelling (especially a swelling that continues to grow), sores that don’t heal, weight loss, bleeding or discharge from any body opening, a reluctance to move or exercise, a loss of stamina, or difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating.

Any sort of lameness in an older dog, especially large breeds, should be investigated as a potential cancer case. Even minor or subtle symptoms, such as sleeping more than usual, refusing to play, or having less interest in social interaction, can be warning signs.

Types of cancers
There isn’t room to describe every cancer that affects America’s dogs, but the following alphabetical list describes some common diagnoses. Becoming familiar with the descriptions below will help you make sense of these and other canine cancers.

• Bladder cancer: Bladder and ureteral cancers are most common in older dogs. While some studies have shown a higher risk in females and other studies found no gender differences, there may be a higher risk in neutered dogs of both sexes.

Bladder tumors have been associated with the use of flea and tick dips, flea and tick shampoos, or exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons such as paraaminobiphenyl, paranitroliphenyl, and betanapthylamine. The authors of one study suggest that it is not the active ingredients in flea and tick products that cause bladder cancer but rather “inert” or “carrier” ingredients such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and petroleum distillates, all of which are known carcinogens and which often make up 95 percent of the total product. They are used as solvents for the active ingredients.

A Purdue University study published in 2004 found that Scottish Terriers exposed to lawn chemicals have an increased incidence of bladder cancer. Scottish Terriers were chosen for the study because they develop bladder cancer 20 times more often than other breeds, but dogs of any breed can develop the disease.

Other bladder cancer risk factors include obesity and living in a marshy area.

• Hemangiosarcoma: Originating in the endothelium (the lining of the spleen and blood vessels), hemangiosarcoma forms highly malignant tumors that develop throughout the body, especially in the spleen, liver, and heart.

German Shepherd Dogs, Golden Retrievers, Boxers, and English Setters are at higher than average risk, and the disease is most common in middle-aged or older dogs of medium to large size. In many cases, symptoms are noticed only after the disease has progressed to an advanced stage.

Initial symptoms include bleeding (especially nosebleeds), weakness, pale mucous membranes in the mouth and eyes, panting, and abdominal swelling. Death often occurs quickly, within one to four months of diagnosis. Many dogs with this disease die suddenly without manifesting clinical symptoms.

Spayed females are four times more likely to develop vascular tumors (cardiac hemangiosarcomas) than intact females; neutered males are also at higher risk of hemangiosarcoma than intact males.

• Histiocytosis: The most common cancer found in Bernese Mountain Dogs, histiocytosis is rare in other breeds, although it can occur in Rottweilers, Golden Retrievers, and Flat-Coated Retrievers. Its symptoms include depression, fatigue, lethargy, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Malignant histiocytosis progresses rapidly and has usually metastasized by the time symptoms develop. Most patients die within two to four months of diagnosis. Systemic histiocytosis creates skin abnormalities on the face and legs.

Most patients are middle-aged or older. Histiocytosis that spreads to the lungs can interfere with breathing, and anemia is another common symptom.

Histiocytomas are benign tumors that usually appear on the head of dogs under three years of age. They are not considered a health risk.

• Leukemia: Leukemia, or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), usually affects older dogs and involves the rapid reproduction of mature lymphocytes throughout the body, including the bone marrow. Because elevated circulating lymphocyte counts are easily identified in complete blood panel tests, CLL is often discovered when the blood is tested for other reasons.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia tends to progress slowly and is often not treated until the circulating lymphocyte count increases to very high levels or the dog becomes lethargic, CLL’s main symptom.

The condition can progress to a lymphoblastic crisis, also called lymphoblastic leukemia, which is a more aggressive form of the disease, comparable to advanced stage lymphosarcoma. With conventional treatment, most dogs with lymphoblastic leukemia survive for about a year.

• Lung cancer: While unusual in dogs, lung cancer does occur, and the number of cases diagnosed each year appears to be increasing. However, this may be the result of improved diagnostic techniques rather than an increasing number of cases.

According to some research, short-nosed breeds exposed to secondhand smoke have twice as much risk of lung cancer than long-nosed breeds. (Conversely, long-nosed breeds living with smokers have an increased risk of nasal cancer.) Exposure to asbestos can increase the risk of cancer of the lining of the lungs (mesothelioma), and dogs with this type of cancer are likely to live with owners whose work or hobbies exposed them to asbestos.

• Lymphosarcoma (Lymphoma): The third most-common cancer in dogs, lymphosarcoma (also known as lymphoma) affects lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) and tissue of the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and bone marrow.

Although lymphosarcoma strikes dogs of all ages, most patients are over age five, with males and females at equal risk. Boxers, German Shepherd Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, Golden Retrievers, Scotties, West Highland White Terriers, and Pointers may be most vulnerable to this disease.

There are five classifications of lymphosarcoma, depending on the tumor’s primary location.

The most common type involves external lymph nodes. It is also the most likely to be overlooked because many dogs have only mild symptoms such as fatigue or decreased appetite. More obvious symptoms include weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst or urination, weakness, or difficulty breathing. In some cases, the only signs are enlarged lymph nodes under the neck, behind the knees, or in front of the shoulders.

The other classifications are gastrointestinal (symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and loss of appetite), mediastinal (affecting the chest, creating breathing problems and excessive thirst and urination), cutaneous (affecting the skin, which can be dry, flaky, scaly, irritated, and itchy), and bone marrow (producing anemia, infections, and bleeding).

Because lymphosarcoma spreads quickly, its diagnosis involves biopsies, aspiration of affected tissue, blood tests, urinalysis, and a search for tumors throughout the body using X-rays, sonograms, or other methods.

• Mammary cancer: The most common cancer in female dogs is breast or mammary cancer. According to some studies, mammary tumors are more common in purebred dogs than in mixed-breed dogs of the same age, and they are far more common in dogs that are intact or were not spayed until after age two and a half years. Spaying offers maximum protection to dogs spayed before their first heat cycle and almost as much protection to those spayed before their second season. Obesity is a risk factor for mammary cancer, and the breasts most likely to be affected are those farthest from the head.

Approximately half of dogs with mammary gland tumors have more than one. These tumors tend to develop between the age 6 and 10 years.

Mammary tumors vary by size, texture, and condition. They may contain fluid or be ulcerated or inflamed. None of these symptoms reveals whether a tumor is malignant, and in dogs that have not been spayed, about half the tumors tested are benign.

Lymph node involvement increases the risk of cancer spreading to the lungs or other organs.

Survival rates are higher for dogs with small rather than large tumors and for dogs whose tumors have not metastasized.

• Osteosarcoma: Highly aggressive and fast growing, osteosarcoma affects more than 8,000 American dogs every year and causes an estimated 85 percent of all canine bone tumors.

The illness has been diagnosed in six-month-old puppies, but it is most common in older Great Danes, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernards, Newfoundlands, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Irish Wolfhounds, Rottweilers, Labrador Retrievers, Doberman Pinschers, Weimaraners, Boxers, and other large-breed dogs. It is almost 500 times more likely to affect dogs weighing over 35 kilograms (about 80 pounds) than those weighing less than 10 kilograms (about 23 pounds), and males are at greater risk than females.

Any stress on weight-bearing legs is a risk factor, including previous fractures and infections. Bone tumors are most likely to affect the legs but can also occur in the skull, ribs, vertebrae, or pelvis.

Osteosarcoma is twice as common in spayed females and neutered males as in their intact counterparts.

After producing tumors that weaken bones, osteosarcoma spreads throughout the body. Its main symptoms – lameness, intermittent pain, leg swelling, and fractures at the tumor site – may be mistaken for arthritis or other chronic conditions until the disease is advanced. As pain increases, behavioral symptoms such as irritability, aggression, and a reluctance to exercise become more obvious.

Without treatment, most dogs with osteosarcoma die within two months of diagnosis, and only 20 percent survive for two years. Limb amputation is commonly performed to provide pain relief, but it does not usually cure the disease or prevent its metastasis. The most common cause of death is the spread of cancer to the lungs.

• Prostate cancer: In humans, prostate cancer is a common but slow-growing cancer that affects older men. In dogs (the only other species to have significant amounts of prostate cancer) the disease is fast-growing, aggressive, and likely to spread to lymph nodes, lungs, and bones. In one study, one out of every 150 male dogs age eight and older was found to have prostate cancer. In most cases, prostate cancer is diagnosed in its advanced stages.

• Skin cancer: The skin is the most prevalent tumor location in dogs, comprising an estimated 58 percent of all canine cancers. Most skin cancer tumors contain mast cells, squamous cells, or melanin-pigmented cells. These tumors are usually soft or solid raised, nodular masses. If malignant (many are benign), treatment depends on their stage or grade.

Mast cell tumors, also called mastocytomas or mast cell sarcomas, are the most frequently diagnosed cancers in dogs. They are most common in middle-aged Boxers, Pugs, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Boston Terriers, Schnauzers, Beagles, Labrador Retrievers, Dachshunds, Fox Terriers, English Bulldogs, Staffordshire Terriers, and mixed-breed dogs.

Squamous cell carcinomas are common in lightly pigmented dogs such as Beagles, Dalmatians, Whippets, and white English Bull Terriers. Nail bed squamous cell carcinomas tend to occur in black-coated large-breed dogs.

Melanomas are usually solitary black tumors. Melanomas of the mouth and nail bed are usually malignant.

• Testicular cancer: Human males tend to develop only one type of testicular cancer (seminomas) while intact dogs can develop any of three different types (Sertoli cell tumors, seminomas, and interstitial cell tumors).

Canine risk factors include undescended testicles, which remain in the body cavity instead of migrating to the scrotum, as well as inguinal hernias. Neutering prevents the development of testicular cancer. Breeds associated with testicular tumors include Samoyeds, Cocker Spaniels, Beagles, and English Bulldogs.

Links between cancer and environmental toxins have long been suspected, and during the Vietnam War, working dogs exposed to parasitic infections, chemicals used to treat those infections, and agricultural chemicals such as herbicides developed increased levels of testicular cancer.

More on the way
In the coming months, we will explore conventional, complementary/ alternative, and support therapies for canine cancer. Next month, we’ll discuss what works and what doesn’t in conventional cancer treatment – and how much it costs.

Also With This Article
Click here to view “Cancer Treatments for Dogs”

-Author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, Natural Remedies for Dogs & Cats, and other books, CJ Puotinen lives in New York with her husband, Labrador Retriever, and red tabby cat.

Hurricane Katrina

By
Nancy Kerns
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Dear Readers,

In light of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, many dogs and other companion animals are in desperate need of rescue, shelter, and the opportunity to be reunited with their caregivers or find new homes. One of the few organizations in a strong position to provide direct rescue and shelter to displaced animals is the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge. Please consider making a donation to their rescue effort. Make checks payable to the LVMA Dr. Walter J. Ernst Veterinary Memorial Foundation (write “Katrina Fund” on the memo line) and send to the LVMA, 8550 United Plaza Blvd., Suite 1001, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. They will be able to use these funds quickly. You may designate that your donation be used to care for animals directly, or that it may be used to support the displaced veterinarians who are now in Baton Rouge helping to provide care for stranded animals. For more information, please call toll-free (888) 773-6489 between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm, or e-mail Katrina@ldaf.louisiana.gov. You can also consult the LSU web site at www.vetmed.lsu.edu/#DONATIONS.

-Nancy Kerns, Editor

What is Bite Inhibition?

By
Nancy Kerns
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When my beloved Border Collie, Rupert, was a puppy, I was pleased that he wasn’t one of those “sharky” pups who was forever putting his pin-sharp teeth through my skin. In fact, I was so grateful, I never ever stopped to wonder why he never tried to bite or chew on me, not even a tiny bit.

If we were playing or roughhousing, he’d occasionally grab a pant leg or sweatshirt sleeve in hopes of initiating an exhilarating game of tug, but if he accidently put his teeth on my wrist or ankle, he’d immediately let go and cower, as if worried he’d get hit. I certainly never hit him, and he was raised on a sheep ranch, where I figure the farming family members were probably rather too busy to take time away from 1,000 sheep and about 12 other dogs to abuse any individual puppy. I guessed that he simply was an incredibly sweet and submissive puppy, ever sensitive to causing another creature a bit of harm.

I was dead wrong.

I still have no idea how or where Rupert developed his extreme reluctance to put his teeth on me or anyone else. But what I learned later in Rupe’s life was that because he had never learned how to gently put his teeth on me or anyone else, when he was scared enough or backed into a corner, he would defend himself with a single, quick bite that punctured skin.

I didn’t get it until after I started editing this magazine, and had the opportunity to read a number of dog training books and attend lectures on dog training and behavior. By then, Rupert had bitten two people, about five years apart: the five-year-old daughter of a good friend, who had (unbeknownst to me or her mom) chased him into a room from which he could not escape and then tried to hug him, and a teenaged girl who leaned into the open back of my little station wagon, trying to pet him (despite the fact that he was cowering away from her). Both bites punctured the skin, and both bites were to the child’s face.

You can imagine; I could not have been more mortified.

I knew that in each instance he was frightened, but I could not understand why his bite was so hard in each instance – until I learned about “bite inhibition,” and what an important thing it is for dogs to learn. You can have the benefit of learning about it now, before you get your next puppy, I hope. See Training Editor Pat Miller’s article, “Bite-Me-Not,” in this issue.

While this may seem counter-intuitive to a dog owner who is highly concerned about creating a companion dog who is friendly and sociable, I think about it like this: If my darling but puncture-prone Rupert had growled at either one of the children before he bit them, I’m sure that both of them would have removed themselves from his vicinity – fast – and saved themselves a trip to the emergency room. Rupert never once growled at anyone in his lifetime, but that was clearly not a sign that he was okay with kids.

As I’ve said so many times in the past, I can’t wait for the opportunity to do things right with my next dog. Maybe you won’t have to wait so long.

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A couple of days ago, I received a text from a dog-training client, wondering about a video she had just watched—and which she linked in the text. “Is meat meal bad for dogs?” she asked. She followed that message with, “I get that she’s selling her own pet food, but is it (meat meal) that bad?”
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