For a machine to work properly, it requires the manufacturer’s recommended fuel, lubrication, and maintenance. The same is true for our dogs (and ourselves). In the wild, every creature will find and choose the foods most suitable for its evolutionary development. Our dogs evolved to eat – mostly – other animals. Their strong jaws were designed to crush bones, and their sharp teeth to tear raw meat. So say the innovators who developed so-called “BARF” diets for dogs. BARF is an acronym that stands for either Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, or Bones And Raw Food; the terms are used interchangeably.
There are thousands of dog guardians who feed their dogs homemade BARF-based diets, buying all the ingredients and preparing their dogs’ meals from scratch. People who utilize home-prepared diets are happy to discuss the many benefits of this feeding method for their dogs, including clean, tartar-free teeth; fresh breath; strong bones, muscles, and joints; a glossy coat; a healthy amount of energy and a balanced temperament; and overall vibrant good health.
For all the people who have made the leap to a homemade, meat-based diet for their dogs, however, there are many more who would like to make the change, but who are intimidated by the challenge of “getting it just right.” Some are afraid of failing to present their dogs with a balanced array of nutrients; others fear bacterial contamination from handling raw meats.
It’s all here
The advent of the commercially prepared, frozen meat-based diet is the answer to these people’s prayers. Today, more than a dozen companies offer their versions of the BARF diet, so it’s almost as easy as buying and feeding kibble. These products are a convenient, safe way to feed a raw-meat diet. Most of these diets are intended to be fed as a dog’s “complete and balanced diet,” although a few manufacturers also market supplemental meats and meat-based foods. Some are available only in a local area, while others are available nationally. Some are quite comparable in price to food that you might buy and prepare yourself; others are more expensive, but generally make up for this in the high quality of the ingredients.
There are definite differences, however, so it’s good to do a little footwork up front to find the company with the product (and pricing) that works best for you. We contacted 15 BARF manufacturers and discovered widely differing philosophies about everything from what should be in the mix to how the food should be shipped to your door.
The latter is actually an important point. While a few pet food and health food stores around the country are starting to carry these foods in freezers in their pet food sections, chances are you’ll have to mail order your food. We found significant differences in the quality of the shipping packaging, which can make a difference if your food is likely to sit on the porch until someone gets home to put it in the freezer.
To ensure that your dog benefits from an improved diet, choose the products that work most comfortably for your budget and your lifestyle.
Based on bones
The inclusion of fresh, raw bone in a BARF diet is supposed to be key to its resemblance to a dog’s evolutionary diet – and to its benefits. But only some of the manufacturers whose products we examined include bone.
Some manufacturers utilize beef bone in their mixtures, but others found it too difficult to grind the bone fine enough or to find a reliable source of organic beef bones. These manufacturers use ground chicken bones instead. Some companies add calcium supplements to their products. A final group sells – and recommends that you feed – a separate bone or calcium supplement.
Don’t forget the veggies
All the manufacturers see vegetables as an essential part of a dog’s diet, although not all of them include them in their meat mixes.
Celeste Yarnall, owner of Celestial Pets, recommends that 40 percent of the dog’s diet be carbohydrates from fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, plus a small amount of grain such as slow-cooked oatmeal. The other 60 percent of the diet, she says, should be half low-fat, raw meat or poultry protein, and half bones and supplements.
Dr. Ian Billinghurst, one of the earliest proponents of the BARF diet and recent founder of BARFWorld, a new raw dog food company, recommends a different ratio: 60 percent raw, meaty bones; 15 percent crushed vegetables: 10 percent offal (organs and intestines); 5 percent fruit; and the remainder as supplements such as kefir and kelp.
Most of the manufacturers mix the veggies into their products. A few offer a choice of meat or meat and vegetable mixes. A third group sticks to straight meat mixes and suggests you add your own veggies. One company (Three Cheers Raw! Raw! Raw!) offers a “Raw Slaw” that is a vegetable mix you add to their meat mixes; it looked and smelled so good I wanted to try it myself! Its label also includes suggestions for adding your own fruits and veggies.
The other thing to look for is whether the vegetables are fresh or frozen before they’re processed. You won’t find this information on the label, so if it’s important to you, go ahead and ask. Most use fresh and organic fruits and vegetables.
Grain isn’t for every dog
Grain is a small part of the diet in the wild, finding its way into the mix when a wild carnivore eats grain-eating prey. Most of the BARF mixes we looked at were grain-free, but this varies by company and even by product. Check the ingredients to make sure your dog isn’t getting something he can’t tolerate (all the companies clearly list their ingredients).
Don’t panic, it’s organic
Most of the companies whose products we examined use human-grade meats. Some go one step further and use only hormone- and antibiotic-free meats. Organic vegetables and grains may be found in some of the products, too.
Holistic veterinarians agree that reducing the toxic burden that our dogs must carry through their lifetime contributes to better health and longevity. Because most dogs are exposed to a plethora of pesticides, herbicides, cleaning agents, and other chemicals in their short lifetimes, holistic practitioners argue that their food, at least, should be as pure as possible. We’d give bonus points to manufacturers who strive to include organic ingredients in their products.
Supplemental information
Some of the products we examined are guaranteed to be “complete and balanced,” meaning a dog eating them would require no further supplements. But some of the companies sell meat-based mixes that are intended to be supplemented. And, of these companies, some make and sell the supplements themselves, and others advise and/or encourage owners to choose and add supplements themselves.
“We like to keep it simple,” says Tim McCallean of Grandad’s Pet Foods. “We’ve been doing this for 30 years, and we think it works best when we provide the basics and encourage the dog owner to work with the veterinarian or breeder to determine what supplements to add based on the animal’s health and activity.”
The kibble question
The principals at two companies, Steve’s Real Food for Dogs and Grandad’s Pet Foods, believe it’s all right to mix the BARF with kibble if that makes it more affordable. They reason that it’s better for a dog to have at least part of his diet providing fresh, wholesome nutrients, even if the rest of the diet is less beneficial. Steve’s Real Food is even made to look like large kibble nuggets so it mixes easily with dry food. “Eighty-five percent of our customers mix our food with dry kibble,” says Steve Brown, of Steve’s Real Food. “We’ve found that even if just 25 percent to 50 percent of the calories come from our food, the dogs thrive.”
Most of the other manufacturers we talked with felt it was okay to mix their products with the dog’s usual kibble or canned food during the introductory phase to help the dog’s digestive system adapt, but the goal was to eliminate cooked, processed foods and replace them with a whole, raw food diet.
Dr. Ian Billinghurst makes a point in his latest book, The BARF Diet, that carbohydrates, a major constituent of most kibble foods, are not an essential, or even natural part of a dog’s diet. He points to research that shows how a carbohydrate-based diet leads to a rise in blood glucose, which in turn causes a pathological rise in insulin. This leads to conditions such as diabetes, obesity, arthritis, and inflammatory illnesses. It may also play a role in promoting cancer, he says.
The bottom line
Our observations about a dozen commercial raw, frozen diets are charted on the next two pages (see sidebar at end of story). We are aware of a couple more commercial diets, but their makers declined to participate in our survey.
If you want more information before you decide if BARF is something you want to try, do contact the manufacturers. A number of them have good research about their diets and all welcome the opportunity to share what they’ve learned through research and personal experience. Contact information is included in the table on the next page.
As with many natural health alternatives, it can take a while for the mainstream medical world to discover and embrace the benefits of something that isn’t backed by large companies. WDJ has published many articles on the benefits of home-prepared diets, and will present more soon (see sidebar, “Raw Information, Past and Future”).
Not long ago, the Miller five-dog pack consisted of two mixed-breed and three purebred dogs – a Scottish Terrier, a Pomeranian, and an Australian Kelpie. Of the purebreds, one was found as a stray, one was adopted from an animal shelter, and one was rehomed from a friend who could no longer keep her.
I get several calls every week from people asking me to refer them to a breeder. But it has been more than 20 years since we purchased a dog from a breeder, and I’d wager that I’ll go to my grave without ever purchasing another. Decades of work in animal protection made me painfully aware of the easy availability of any breed of dog your heart might desire.
The Top Five Caveats of Purebred Dog Buying
1. Research your desired breed carefully to avoid common breed problems. Each breed has certain defects entrenched in its gene pool.
2. Hold your breeder to an unreasonably high standard. Buying a puppy from a less-than-responsible breeder encourages that breeder to continue making contributions to the pet overpopulation problem. If you do buy from a breeder, be sure to buy from one who meets the description above as closely as possible.
3. Don’t fall into the “fad breed” trap. Learn about the breed that appeals to you – don’t get a Jack Russell because of Wishbone, a Border Collie because of “Babe,” or a Siberian Husky because you liked “Snow Dogs.” All three of those breeds can present above-average challenges to the novice dog owner.
4. Watch out for “breeder deals.” Unscrupulous breeders often try to unload their unsold adolescent pups who are now beyond the “cute” stage, or their “used up” breeding stock, with some story about how the dog was a show prospect who didn’t quite make it, and he’s willing to give you a really good deal. In fact, these dogs are often very poorly socialized, have had no training whatsoever, and are a real liability to the breeder, who should be paying you to take the dog off his hands. If anything the breeder tells you sounds “off,” it probably is. If you do take one of these breeder deals, be prepared to invest in the services of a good behavior consultant.
5. Avoid unreasonable expectations. Not every Collie can grow up to be a Lassie. If your German Shepherd pup’s ears never stand tall like they are supposed to, your Bichon Frise never makes it to Madison Square Garden, or your Australian Kelpie is afraid of cows, will you love her despite her flaws, and fulfill your commitment to love and keep her until death do you part?
The fact is, purebred dogs are everywhere. You can find them at shelters, in rescue groups, free in the newspaper, running loose in the streets, for sale by breeders, and, unfortunately, in pet stores. There are pros and cons to acquiring your next family member from any of these sources; you can find good dogs from any one of them, but each venue can also supply you with dogs with minor to severe health and behavior problems. Much of the dog breeding industry seems to subscribe to the “caveat emptor” philosophy. The average dog owner is very much on her own when it comes to acquiring a new canine companion, and she’d best be very wary, indeed. Let’s examine the good, the bad, and the ugly of each source of purebred dogs.
Ways to Find Specific Dog Breeds: Pros and Cons
Breeders
If you have any intention of showing your dog in conformation (or “breed” ring), she must have registration papers. If you want to be successful competing in the breed ring, you must have a very good quality dog with papers. There are good breeders who sell good quality dogs and bad breeders who sell unsound and unhealthy dogs. Both sell puppies with papers. Sadly, the irresponsible breeders abound, while the good ones are scarce.
After more than 30 years of experience working in and around animal shelters – and having seen untold thousands of mixed-breed and purebred dogs euthanized for lack of homes – I have developed a pretty stringent definition of a “responsible breeder.” In my opinion, an ethical breeder produces puppies solely for the purpose of improving the breed; her purpose is to attempt to come up with the best dogs she can, not to make money.
In a good breeding program, sire and dam are thoroughly screened for any health problems known to be common to that breed, and pairings are based on a complete awareness and understanding of how one dog’s qualities complement the other’s. Dogs of questionable temperament or health are never bred, and dogs of breeding quality are shown and titled in conformation and at least one competitive canine sport, to demonstrate that they have brains as well as beauty.
The conscientious breeder provides extra nutrition for the dam before and during pregnancy to ensure that she and the puppies are all healthy, and doesn’t hesitate to seek whatever veterinary care is recommended during gestation, whelping, and puppy development.
Once the puppies are born, they are kept in a clean environment and socialized to the extreme – beginning at about four weeks of age – in order to prevent any possibility of behavior problems related to the puppies’ unfamiliarity with other people and the world around them. Good breeders even begin training their pups before they place them in new homes – giving them a head start on good manners and helping them to be comfortable in crates and away from the pack even before they leave their littermates.
A conscientious breeder screens new homes carefully, and does not just sell puppies to the first buyer who arrives with check in hand. If, upon direct questioning, the buyer admits he is new to the breed, she educates him about all aspects of that type of dog, not just the warm-fuzzy qualities.
Good breeders just don’t sell puppies before the age of eight weeks, and have pet-quality pups spayed and neutered prior to placement (juvenile spay/neuter techniques now allow eight-week-old puppies to be safely sterilized – see “Spaying and Neuturing Information“. These breeders will be happy to give you a number of names and phone numbers of people who have bought her dogs; call these people and ask whether they are happy with their dogs’ health and temperament. Pay attention if they say they no longer have the dogs!
A good breeder might insist on visiting the buyer’s home to inspect the pup’s intended environment, and may refuse to sell a puppy to a home that doesn’t have a safely fenced yard. A good breeder rarely sells two pups to the same buyer, knowing full well what a difficult challenge it is to raise two baby dogs together without behavior complications. Good breeders also rarely advertise in the newspaper, since they have taken care to have prospective buyers for any pups they produce long before the breeding takes place, and they never sell to pet stores.
Finally, a responsible breeder makes a commitment to always take back any pups that she has produced at any time during that dog’s life, if the new owners must give them up for any reason whatsoever.
As you can see, there are relatively few breeders who meet my admittedly stringent criteria. If more breeders were of this type, there certainly wouldn’t be so many purebred and crossbred dogs available from other sources, such as shelters and rescues. A breeder who does anything less contributes actively to the serious problem of pet overpopulation in this country.
On the positive side, a truly good breeder is a treasure. She produces healthy puppies of exceptionally good quality, provides a valuable education to those fortunate enough to purchase from her, is a wonderful resource for her buyers once the puppies have gone home, and becomes a lifetime friend to her puppies and their new families.
Of course, breeders are not the only source for purebred dogs, and purebred dogs don’t have to be registered in order to compete in many canine sports. Many organizations offer competitions and titles for mixed-breed and unregistered purebred dogs – they are more interested in performance than pedigree. Even the American Kennel Club, the biggest stickler for “purebred-only” policies, will issue “Indefinite Listing Privileges” to dogs who appear to be purebred, even if registration papers are not available. A dog with an ILP number may enter all AKC-sanctioned competitions, such as obedience and agility, except for the breed ring, and an ILP dog can earn all AKC sports competition titles.
So, read on to learn more about additional sources for purebred dogs!
Animal Shelters
Most people are astonished to discover how many purebred and crossbred dogs and puppies end up in our nation’s animal shelters. Over the past three decades I have visited and worked in shelters around the country, and not once did I fail to find purebred dogs in the adoption kennels.
There are lots of good reasons to adopt shelter dogs. First, you may well save a life. At many shelters, adoption dogs have a limited time to find a home before overcrowding forces animal care staff to make euthanasia selections. You might also save money – many adoption fees include a complete package of vaccinations, license, ID tags, and spay/neuter that cost far less than the price of the actual services from a private veterinarian – not to mention the initial cost of a puppy from a private source.
While some dogs end up in shelters because of behavior problems, most do not. Some have minor, easily addressed behaviors or health issues that the previous owner couldn’t be bothered to fix, while many have no problems at all – they may simply have wandered off and their owners didn’t care enough to come look or pay impound fees. Still other “perfect” pooches get left at shelters because their owners are going through lifestyle changes that don’t include Fido.
You do need to be careful when adopting from a shelter. If your local shelter has a deserved reputation for harboring distemper and parvovirus germs, you will want to range farther afield and adopt from one with a good disease control program. Also, some shelters also do a better job than others at screening their canine adoption candidates and matching them to appropriate homes. You may need the help of your favorite dog trainer to find the shelter diamonds in the rough.
The best shelters offer breed match-up services. You can go in and get approved as a prospective adopter and be put in their files for a particular breed. When a dog of your chosen breed comes in looking for a home, they can call you to come see it. It may take a little patience to wait for the right dog to come along, but it’s well worth the satisfaction of knowing you have given a shelter dog a second chance at life.
Breed Rescues
In the last couple of decades, animal rescue groups have gained high visibility for their work. Today, there is a rescue group for every breed imaginable as well as for crossbreeds and mixed-breeds, and there are rescue groups in every community. Rescue dogs come from a variety of sources, including shelters, breeders, private homes, Greyhound racetracks, and law enforcement actions against puppy mills and hoarders (animal collectors).
Like shelters and breeders, rescue groups may also range from very good to very bad. Good rescue groups offer dogs who are fully vetted, already spayed and neutered, and evaluated for behavior problems. They fully disclose any known or anticipated behavior challenges, and screen prospective adopters. A good rescuer is an expert in her breed, and will make sure you are prepared to manage the idiosyncrasies of your chosen breed.
Beware of rescuers who develop a hoarder syndrome. Animal lovers who do rescue work are sometimes unable to recognize when their responsibilities have come to outweigh their resources. Steeped in their mission to save lives, they may end up rescuing more animals than they can care for, or take animals who require far more rehabilitation than they, or the average adopter, can provide.
Be prepared to pay an adoption fee for your rescued dog. Good rescue groups make a significant commitment of resources to rehabilitate and place their wards. They are largely dependent on donations, and your adoption fees will help defray some of their operating and animal care expenses.
Newspaper Ads
Good breeders do not advertise in local newspapers; they don’t have to. Backyard breeders and puppy mills do frequently advertise there, and are not a recommended source for your new family member.
You can, however, find your ideal dog in the paper if you are careful, and if you can resist the temptation to fall for the first furry face you see. Look for a private owner who must place an individual dog for some reason – usually a lifestyle change, or a sober realization that the addition of a dog to the family was an unfortunate mistake. Be sure to take the time to evaluate the dog thoroughly before you take him home, and have a clear understanding with the owner about your ability to return him should he not work out for you.
Pet Stores
The only positive aspect of purchasing a puppy from a pet store is that you rescue that doggie in the window – that’s a good thing for that individual pup. However, while some people are perfectly happy with their pet store purchases, the risks related to buying pet store puppies so greatly outweigh the single good that we urge you to never even let the thought cross your mind.
For starters, when you purchase a pet store puppy, you support the horrendous puppy mill industry. Every dollar you spend to rescue that beguiling face in the window goes to produce, market, and sell more puppies who are raised in substandard conditions. By “freeing up” that puppy’s cage, in essence, you place the pet store owner’s order for more puppies, to be produced by mothers who are nothing more than breeding machines to the puppy farmer. Pay no attention to the store manager’s reassurances that their puppies come from “responsible breeders.” No responsible breeder sells puppies to pet stores. None.
Every breed of dog is burdened with the potential for specific diseases or medical conditions; when genes pass along traits for a specific coat type and color, conformation, and temperament, they also transmit the parent’s potential for hip dysplasia, heart defects, cancer, etc. The parents of pet store puppies are unlikely to have had any screening for the genetic defects – they may, in fact, be castoffs who actually suffer from the inherited conditions – so the chances are far greater that your pup will suffer from one or more of these debilitating defects in his lifetime. The puppies and their parents may have missed out on some important health care practices, such as good basic nutrition and deworming.
The sooner people stop buying pet store puppies, the sooner pet stores will stop selling them, and the sooner puppy mills and other irresponsible breeders will start going out of business.
Finders Keepers
Of course, you could always buy into the “No two alike” philosophy of dog-keeping. With this guide, and no preconceived idea of who we want our next dog to be, we are always open to our next serendipitous canine discovery. If we had our hearts set on a particular breed, we would have missed the opportunity to keep Dubhy, the piano-playing, skateboard-riding Scottish Terrier who wandered into our family last winter and has amused us with his no-fear attitude and Gaelic sense of humor ever since. Nor would we have had the joy of sharing our lives with Josie, the Terrier mix who crossed our paths 15 years ago during a cockfighting investigation, and who has been my teacher and guide on our positive training path ever since.
Get the Right Dog for the Job
There are 150 breeds of dogs eligible for registration with the American Kennel Club (AKC), the best-known breed registry in this country, and hundreds more recognized by other registries. When planning for your next four-footed family member, consider what purposes the dogs have been bred for, as well as the environment you can provide for him.
The AKC assigns their recognized breeds into seven groups, based on the uses for which the breeds were originally developed. They also have a Miscellaneous Class for breeds still under consideration for recognition. Other than Miscellaneous, however, the group that your desired breed falls into can tell you a lot about his likely characteristics.
SPORTING GROUP
These are the “bird dogs” – setters, spaniels, pointers, and retrievers – commonly used by hunters to seek out and retrieve “game” birds such as ducks, geese, pheasant, grouse, etc. They tend to be alert, have a lot of energy, show an affinity for birds, and be exceptionally oral – the retrievers especially. They need lots of exercise, and are bred to work very closely with humans, so tend to be pretty attentive to people.
HOUND GROUP
These are hunting dogs who either use their noses (scent hounds) or their eyes (sight hounds) to follow their prey. Both classes of hound are bred to take off after prey without worrying about where their humans are; their natural tendency is to be more environmentally-focused than human-focused. They are perfectly trainable, but the handler must work harder to convince the hounds that it is worth their while to play the training game. The scent hounds (Beagles, Foxhounds, etc.) tend to be very vocal, as they are bred to “sound off” when tracking prey.
WORKING GROUP
These dogs have been bred to perform such duties as guarding, pulling carts and sleds, and water rescue. The Mastiff is in this group, as are the sheep-guarding breeds, Rottweiler, Newfoundland, Husky, and several others. They are generally large, with a protective and somewhat independent nature, so we ought not be surprised that they can find themselves in grave trouble when neglected. Many of them (sled dogs excepted) tend to more placid than lots of other breeds. Despite its size, a Bernese Mountain Dog, for example, may be a better choice for apartment living than the diminutive but energetic and often vocal Jack Russell Terrier.
TERRIER GROUP
These feisty, energetic dogs range in size from fairly small, as in the Norfolk or Cairn Terrier, to the large Airedale Terrier. Because their ancestors were bred to hunt and kill vermin, terriers typically have little tolerance for other animals, sometimes includ
ing other dogs. They tend to be known as the group with an “attitude,” and are quite likely to take offense if you try to force them into compliance with your wishes.
TOY GROUP
These little guys are born with genetically enhanced lap instincts. If well-trained and socialized, these wonderful canines can make great companions, as well as therapy and service dogs. If not, they can be little terrors. Because of their tiny size, they are generally easy to control, so many owners do tend to skip training and overlook bad manners. Unfortunately, this has given some toy dogs a reputation for jumping up, “yapping,” and other annoying but easily prevented habits.
NON-SPORTING GROUP
This is AKC’s diverse group of dogs who don’t fit into any other category. There is no consistency here – they range from the Bichon Frise to the Chow-Chow. You will need to do more indepth research to determine if one of the Non-Sporting dogs is right for you.
HERDING GROUP
As the name implies, these dogs were bred to herd livestock on behalf of their slower human handlers. It stands to reason, then, that they have an above-average attraction to things that move (and a related, sometimes uncontrollable desire to nip aforesaid moving things). They also tend to be vocal, and possess high energy levels. Like the Sporting breeds, they do have an inbred tendency to work well with humans – it is no accident that Border Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, and Australian Shepherds are top scorers in competitive obedience and agility. Their strong herding instincts, however, may make them ill-suited to live with children unless well-supervised; their natural desire to chase and nip can get them into trouble.
These brief cameos of the various breed groups don’t even begin to scratch the surface. If you are in the market for a new dog, give serious thought to who you want her to be – don’t fall for the first furry face you see. Then, research the breed thoroughly to be sure you’re prepared to accept the inherent behavioral tendencies that are likely to come with her.
If it’s too late for you to do pre-purchase research, at least read more about the dog who already shares your home, so that you understand better why he does what he does, rather than getting angry at him for being who he is. Understanding is the first step toward modifying unwanted behavior – anger just gets in the way of training.
Finally, remember that just because a breed has certain tendencies doesn’t mean that all members of the breed act that way. If your heart is set on a highenergy Border Collie who will win herding trials and agility titles, remember that some Border Collies are calm and some aren’t the least bit interested in sheep. Spend enough time observing the potential candidates to make sure you get a high-energy sheep-magnet.
A Word About “Registration Papers”
There are a number of organizations that register various breeds of dogs. The American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club are the most widely recognized and respected in this country, but even AKC and UKC registration papers are no guarantee of quality, or of mental or physical soundness. In fact, among unscrupulous individuals in the industry, paper-swapping and falsification is a not-uncommon practice. Say a litter of three Jack Russell Terrier puppies is born. An unscrupulous breeder can register a litter of five, and then have two extra sets of papers to apply to any spare Jack Russells who happen to come along.
Pedigrees can be even more confusing. A pedigree is a dog’s “family tree,” and tells a knowledgeable dog person a great deal about a dog’s breeding. Backyard breeders will point triumphantly to champions listed in red ink several generations back in a puppy’s pedigree and advertise puppies from “champion lines.” The average puppy buyer doesn’t realize that the absence of red ink in the most recent two or three generations of the pedigree speaks volumes about the lack of attention to quality in the current breeding program.
Pat Miller is WDJ’s Training Editor and the author of The Power of Positive Dog Training.
We’re all looking for the mythical “perfect veterinarian,” right? Most animal guardians I’ve known would gladly pledge their undying support to a veterinary practitioner who could offer high-tech diagnostic tools and skills; a deep knowledge of pathology, nutrition, and conventional medicine; and the ability and willingness to utilize appropriate alternative and complementary therapies.
Unfortunately, this “perfect vet” is an extremely rare find. Most of us – people who embrace both conventional medicine as well as herbs, chiropractic, acupuncture, and other holistic medicines – have to resort to “building” our perfect veterinarian. Most of us do this by assembling a team of healthcare providers, each of whom is consulted for diagnosis or treatments that he or she is best able to provide.
This is, admittedly, a less-than-perfect solution, because sometimes these gifted professionals strongly disagree about “what’s best,” and you and your dog are caught in the middle.
For example, what happens when your brilliant and local conventional practitioner – the person you rely on for routine examinations and emergency care – is adamant about administering annual vaccinations to all her patients (and you are opposed to them)? Or when the same veterinarian wants you to put your elderly Labrador on Science Diet’s anti-arthritis food and Rimadyl – but you know your dog is better-served by a raw diet, nutritional supplements, and monthly acupuncture treatments?
I’ve heard many stories from people who use holistic practices and get tired of being pressured by their conventional veterinarians to (over) vaccinate, use (sometimes harmful) drug therapy as a first (not last) resort, or feed their dogs a commercial (low-quality) kibble. Sometimes, in an effort to find more sympathetic veterinarians, these caring guardians replaced their conventional primary practitioner with a holistic veterinarian – only to be disappointed by this professional’s resistance to useful conventional medicine!
In order to best utilize a “team” or network of healthcare providers for our dogs, it’s best to be aware of some of the potential pitfalls, as well as the benefits, of this approach. The following experiences clearly illustrate both.
Finding her own path
Christine Swingle, who raises West Highland White Terriers in Connecticut, has spent years contemplating this problem. She became interested in holistic medicine in 1996, when Summer, one of her cherished Westies, was misdiagnosed by a veterinarian who had treated Swingle’s dogs for decades. Two weeks later, despite intensive care from specialists at a highly regarded animal hospital in Massachusetts, Summer died. Swingle turned her grief into determination to find a better way to keep her Westies healthy.
Guided by Juliette de Bairacli Levy’s Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat, Swingle began feeding her dogs a well- balanced raw diet. “As I continued my research,” she says, “I realized how ignorant and isolated I had been all my life. Treating the whole patient instead of specific conditions was a giant shift for me, especially because I had been a vet tech for 18 years. Until then, I believed 100 percent in conventional allopathic medicine.”
In addition to changing their diet, Swingle stopped vaccinating her puppies and adult dogs and discarded all flea, tick, and heartworm chemicals. She and her sister soon visited a well-known holistic clinic. “My sister’s 11-year-old dog had cancer,” she explains, “and she wanted to avoid harsh treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. By comparing notes with other patients, I discovered that everyone who goes there receives the same standard list of diagnostics and treatment, regardless of the patient’s age, condition, history, or illness. Looking back, I think the clinic provided more false hope than anything else. My sister spent thousands of dollars on holistic remedies, but her dog died within a month.
“My own dog, Emma, who did not have cancer, did not respond to the clinic’s one-size-fits-all protocol, either. Ironically, it was allopathic medicine that helped Emma the most, not by healing or curing anything but by improving her quality of life.”
Then Swingle discovered homeopathy and began consulting a veterinary homeopath. “Homeopathy uses extremely dilute solutions of natural substances like plants or minerals to stimulate the body’s healing forces,” she explains. “It’s the opposite of allopathic medicine because instead of suppressing or attacking symptoms, homeopathy treats ‘like with like.’ That is, the remedy prescribed for an illness is the remedy that would normally produce the same symptoms as the disease. This way of stimulating the body’s healing mechanism made perfect sense to me. The Westies were thriving, and life was good – or so I thought.”
In 2001, Swingle took her champion-quality female, Hannah, to her homeopathic veterinarian for spay surgery. Tragically, there were complications during surgery, and Hannah ended up bleeding to death in her guardian’s arms, right there in the veterinarian’s surgery.
“I had assumed that whether allopathic or homeopathic, all veterinarians have the same fundamental training and set up their practices with the same modern equipment and trained staff,” says Swingle. “I did not realize that some homeopathic veterinarians cannot see the light beyond the medicine they practice, even when it means the patient’s life or death. In Hannah’s case, a homeopathic remedy was not going to correct her blood loss. I knew that, and I erroneously assumed that the vet did, too.”
Now Swingle is building a network of healthcare providers for her dogs, including a local allopathic veterinarian who handles emergencies and a veterinary homeopath whose office is a two-hour drive away.
The right person for the job
Like Christine Swingle, Nora Hayes has had good and bad experiences with holistic medicine. Four years ago, her eight-year-old Golden Retriever, Buster, led an active, healthy life. “Then his stride began to break down while walking,” she says. “Soon it grew more pronounced and turned into a definite hobble.” Hayes’ local veterinarian diagnosed a minor injury and prescribed rest and steroids.
At the same time, Hayes increased Buster’s visits to a holistic veterinarian, who also examined the dog and diagnosed the problem as a bruised rib. Despite conventional care, chiropractic adjustments, and acupuncture, Buster’s condition only worsened. Finally, the first veterinarian referred Buster to a neuromuscular specialist. “This man took one glance as we walked through the door,” Hayes recalls, “and announced that Buster had bone cancer.’”
A few minutes later, X-rays confirmed that diagnosis by showing a leg bone pocked with holes like Swiss cheese. “I was shocked,” says Hayes. “I thought the only question to be settled was whether his limp was due to a bruised rib, pulled muscle, or injured tendon. No one had suggested cancer, and it hadn’t crossed my mind.”
Hayes had to decide whether to put Buster down, amputate his leg, or do something else. “I was completely unprepared,” she says. “I hadn’t had time to consider the different options, and I didn’t even know what they were.”
Because Buster’s normal chest X-rays and overall condition made him an excellent candidate for amputation, which the specialist said would give him at least a year of pain-free life, Hayes agreed to immediate surgery. However, Buster’s recovery was interrupted by repeated relapses as the cancer spread to his ribs, and he soon died.
“Throughout this ordeal, I was upset, disappointed, and confused,” says Hayes. “Circumstances had put me in a position for which I had no experience or training, and that was very difficult. I had to act like a general contractor, coordinating the efforts of veterinarians who did not work together and who practiced very different types of medicine.”
Like Swingle, Hayes learned from her painful experience. She studied the connection between diet and cancer, consulted with holistic practitioners, searched the Web for information, and put her dogs on a raw diet. “Neither of my younger dogs has the hot spots, allergies, or chronic ear infections that plagued Buster and his companion, Daphne, who died of cancer a year after Buster did,” she reports.
Both Hayes and Swingle take their dogs to local veterinarians who practice conventional medicine but who understand and accept their clients’ use of alternative or holistic therapies. “My vet and I had a heart-to-heart talk after Buster died,” says Hayes. “I still take my dogs to her and I have confidence in her care. What changed is that I am much more involved in the care my boys receive, and she in turn has become more open to my suggestions.”
Lines of communication
Not everyone is comfortable asking questions, making suggestions, challenging the authority of veterinarians who are used to deciding how animals will be treated, or seeking a second opinion.
“These things get easier with practice,” says trainer Nancy Strouss, of Valley Cottage, New York. “I have always been direct with vets if I feel the need for a second opinion. If I already know who I want to go see, I just tell them that’s where I’m going. But often I will ask them who they would recommend for the type of problem I’m dealing with. None of my vets have ever had a problem with this,” she says.
“I simply wouldn’t deal with a practitioner whose ego gets in the way of his or her concern for the patient. Most of the vets I consult work together by forwarding records and sharing information. I always report back to my primary vets about second-opinion consultations because I want to know what they think and because they are often involved in continuing treatment.”
Veterinary chiropractor Sue Ann Lesser, DVM, who conducts monthly clinics in five Northeastern states, agrees that communication is the key to successful healthcare. “The best thing you can do,” she says, “is keep everyone informed. I’m always happy to work with other members of the team, whether they’re allopathic vets, holistic practitioners, acupuncturists, herbalists, or anything else. Many dog trainers have an excellent eye for lameness and sports medicine problems, and I value their input, too.”
Several of Dr. Lesser’s veterinary colleagues refer patients to her when they can’t solve a problem using conventional diagnostics and treatment. “Their test results and X-rays are valuable for ruling out whatever isn’t causing the problem,” she says. “Likewise, if I think a dog’s lameness might be caused by a fracture or bone chip, I’ll refer the dog back for an X-ray, or if I think it might be Lyme disease, I’ll send the dog back for testing. I strongly believe that the more information you can collect and share, the better it is for everyone, especially your dog.”
Building the team
It’s one thing to know that holistic practitioners exist and another to find the right ones for you and your dog. One place to start is the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, which can refer you to practitioners in your area. Local trainers, animal shelters, dog clubs, health food stores, breeders, friends, groomers, and the Internet are other sources of information and referrals.
“I strongly suggest that people call to set up an interview appointment with a potential holistic or homeopathic veterinarian before deciding whether to take a dog there for treatment,” says Christine Swingle. “Ask lots of questions about the vet’s education, training, length of practice, and medical philosophy. Good topics to raise are home-prepared diets, vaccinations, and chemical flea, tick, and heartworm products.”
Swingle also recommends that potential clients also discuss financial matters; because of the advanced and specialized education that holistic veterinarians have paid for, their rates are often more than those of conventional veterinarians. “I would ask, ‘How much does an office visit cost, and what are typical treatment costs?’ I have received quotes from veterinary homeopaths for $75 an hour up to $250 an hour and more. The first visit is typically longer than follow-up visits because it involves taking a medical history, and that adds to the expense,” says Swingle.
“Then I would ask exactly what they do and don’t do. In other words, do they perform surgeries such as spaying or neutering? Do they do other operations? If so, do they have a well-equipped surgical room including a gas anaesthetic machine? Do they have IV fluids, oxygen, and other life support if an animal needs it during or after surgery? The best way to avoid tragedies is to ask questions ahead of time – don’t assume anything.”
Then there’s the matter of finding or training a conveniently located, affordable, open-minded conventional veterinarian. “It can be a challenge,” says Swingle, “to find a local allopathic veterinarian who accepts your use of other disciplines. Many veterinary homeopaths, veterinary chiropractors, and other holistic practitioners do not draw blood, take X-rays, or perform other lab tests. It may be necessary to find a local vet to do these things in support of a medical philosophy he or she might not understand.”
Some conventional veterinarians are simply not comfortable with such an arrangement. “No practitioner has all the answers,” says Dr. Lesser, “just as no medical discipline has all the answers. If you’re dealing with a veterinarian who is particularly contrary, then maybe you need to look elsewhere for someone who’s less territorial and more of a team player. Don’t be shy; there are plenty of veterinarians. If you ask around, you’ll find one who will support your right to choose your dog’s treatment.”
Nora Hayes thinks of her local vet as a general practitioner or family doctor who takes care of emergencies and routine matters, while she uses holistic practitioners and medical specialists for anything that is not routine. “In that case,” she says, “I believe the right thing to do is trust your hunches, call in the cavalry, and don’t worry about hurting anyone’s feelings. It’s your dog’s life, and a good vet will understand.”
Holistic care in perspective
Holistic medicine is exciting because it often works spectacularly well, correcting multiple problems while improving overall health. But it’s important to keep everything in perspective, suggests Swingle.
“Holistic medicine is often represented in books and magazines as a cure for everything, and some of its practitioners deliver an optimistic prognosis no matter what. That isn’t always realistic,” she says.
“It’s a mistake to think of holistic medicine as a magic pill. Learning about nutrition, medicinal herbs, flower essences, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, and other therapies used by holistic practitioners as well as the conditions that affect your dog and its breed will help you stay objective. There are many resources to learn from, plus chat lists on the Internet that can put you in touch with others who have knowledge and experience. There is no excuse for being in the dark about canine health. It is up to all of us to know just as much as we can so that we can participate in meaningful discussions with all of the members of our veterinary team.”
Nora Hayes agrees. “Too often, in my opinion,” says Hayes, “holistic or alternative practitioners defensively criticize the disregard that mainstream vets have for their disciplines, but they don’t acknowledge the important role conventional medicine can play when an animal’s life is at stake.
“Until the disciplines learn to talk together and practice cooperatively, I have to be my animal’s advocate. This means learning as much as I can and intervening in the treatment as necessary. This might mean deciding against a conventional treatment in favor of something holistic, but it might also mean deciding against a holistic therapy in favor of something conventional.”
What to fix first
Dr. Lesser practiced conventional veterinary medicine for 10 years before studying chiropractic, acupuncture, and homeopathy, which she considers the foundations of holistic medicine. “At a recent conference,” she says, “I heard someone explain how these therapies work together, and I think it’s a great description: Chiropractic is like the overall or coarse adjustment on a television; it fixes the structure. Acupuncture is the fine tuning; it improves focus by fixing the energy flow. Homeopathy, which is also a type of energy medicine but one that’s more involved with the patient’s constitution, is that last click that brings the picture in crystal-clear.
“In my opinion, that’s the ideal sequence to follow. First, fix subluxations with chiropractic adjustments so the body moves correctly. Once the basic structure is aligned, the body is better able to respond to acupuncture’s release of energy blockages, and when energy is flowing as it should, the body is better able to respond to correctly chosen homeopathic remedies. Of course, underlying everything is nutrition. Whenever I see that this sequence of treatments isn’t working, I know the diet needs fixing. As soon as the dog’s nutrition improves, everything else follows.”
Chiropractic, acupuncture, and homeopathy are medical specialties, but anyone can practice the basics of holistic medicine by improving a dog’s diet or learning how to use a few safe, effective medicinal herbs, nutritional supplements, flower essences, or basic massage techniques. “These simple steps,” says Dr. Lesser, “lay the groundwork for a lifetime of improved healthcare.”
Staying organized
Initial consultations vary according to discipline, and the questions asked by a veterinary homeopath are likely to be quite different from those asked by an allopathic veterinarian or a veterinary chiropractor. But all practitioners are likely to inquire about your dog’s health history.
“Sometimes understanding a dog’s condition involves detective work,” says Nancy Strouss. “Has the dog had this symptom before? If so, when? What was the treatment, and did it work? What else was happening at the time?”
These questions are easier to answer if you keep health records in a single location, such as a file folder or notebook. Strouss keeps track of all her dogs in a separate appointment book that she uses just for them. “I write down everything that goes on in their lives,” she explains, “including where I took them for a long walk and anything unusual that they ate or did. If one of the dogs starts limping on her left front leg after playing ball, I write it down. In addition, both of my vets keep excellent, detailed records; they measure and thoroughly describe all of my dogs’ lumps and bumps so they know right away if anything has changed.”
Coordinating your dog’s healthcare by assembling a team of holistic and conventional practitioners requires effort, but this investment of time, energy, and resources can pay a lifetime of health dividends.
The harness is routinely used for certain canine activities such as carting, mushing, tracking, and guiding the disabled. It is also an important accessory for the canine seat belt, since it’s not safe to restrain your dog by his collar in a moving vehicle.
Oddly, there isn’t much talk about the value of the harness as a basic positive training tool. With all the justifiable concern about the risk to a dog’s throat from pressure, or worse, jerks on a collar, it would seem that harnesses might find greater favor with positive trainers.
There are a number of advantages to using a harness. In addition to the total lack of pressure placed on the dog’s vulnerable trachea by a good harness, it is almost impossible for a dog to slip out of a well-designed, properly-fitted harness. Because it distributes pressure across the dog’s entire chest, a harness is also far less likely than a collar to contribute to spinal misalignments, particularly for dogs who have a tendency to lunge and hit the end of the leash with their full weight. Thus, they are the tools of choice for dogs who do suffer from spinal problems and/or damaged tracheas.
Finally, if you use a canine seat belt, getting into the car with Rover doesn’t require the additional step of donning an extra piece of equipment.
There are disadvantages to using a harness, however. Putting a harness on a dog can be a frustrating experience, especially if he doesn’t cooperate. It is certainly more comfortable for a dog to pull on the leash when he’s wearing a harness, since the pressure is distributed over a wider area, so you may need to spend additional time working on polite leash-walking behaviors. Plus, a large, strong dog in a harness might easily drag a small or not-strong handler right along behind him.
In addition, harnesses can rub and cause wear and tear on canine coats, even matting on long-haired dogs, and a poorly fitted harness may chafe the dog under his front legs, and even result in sores.
Finally, fitting can be a challenge. The best harnesses are generally not available from local pet supply stores, which means you may have to order them online or from a catalog. Measurements for harnesses are usually taken around the dog’s barrel, right behind the elbows, and ideally, an adjustable harness will fit dogs within a given measurement range so you can select the size most likely to fit your dog.
Like most training tools, harnesses may be appropriate for some dogs and not for others. If you are looking for a way to prevent Rover’s walk from being a pain in the neck for him, a harness just might be the ticket.
What we’re looking for
Ideally, a harness would be made of a soft but strong material, with sturdy fittings, designed so that it’s simple to figure out and put on the dog. Harnesses generally consist of several different straps (chest, barrel, back, and sternum), and these pieces should be stitched and/or held together with reliably strong metal or plastic hardware. All the various straps should be easily adjustable to allow for fitting to an almost infinite variety of canine shapes and sizes.
When properly adjusted, straps should lie flat on the dog’s body, and the hardware should be positioned in places where the pieces are least likely to rub – that is, not under the armpits – or prevent a dog from lying down or sitting comfortably.
Ideally, harnesses allow an option for attaching a leash either at the back (above the dog’s midsection) or behind the neck (for dogs who may need a little more control) without putting pressure on the dog’s throat.
We would expect to pay a reasonable price for a well-made harness, and having a choice of colors and designs would be icing on the cake.
There are literally dozens of harnesses on the market, and we couldn’t test them all. However, for comparison, we did try to purchase a wide variety of the ones that appeared to meet our criteria.
Top picks in harnesses
The Premier Surefit Harness, made by Premier Pet Products of Richmond, Virginia, offered all of our most desirable features, as well as one unique to this brand – the ability to unbuckle the harness from both sides. This means you can put it on your dog without having to lift up and thread through one of his front legs, and you can easily remove the harness from either side.
This harness is made of top quality materials and has five adjustment locations – on the sternum strap (underneath the dog’s chest) and on each side of the barrel and neck, and the adjustment buckles are easy to use. In addition, it offers two attachment points for a leash: behind the neck and farther down the back. Premier is known for producing high quality products, so it didn’t surprise us that we found very little to dislike about their harness. Our only complaint is that the minimum size is 12 inches, and some young toy breed pups might need smaller than that.
The Quick-Klip Adjustable Harness, made by Leather Brothers of Conway, Arkansas, is a solid, nicely-made, reasonably-priced no-frills harness, although more costly than our top-choice harness. The nonadjustable sternum strap is a mild drawback (the harness offers a total of three adjustment points), but it is a serviceable product.
White Pine Outfitters, of Iron River, Wisconsin, makes consistently high quality products and its Tracking Harness (not limited to use for tracking) is no exception. It was, however, the highest-priced harness we found on the market, so be prepared to pay a little more for its quality materials. We especially love the exceptionally soft web material that White Pines uses in its products.
One note – there seems to be an unwieldy excess length of material in the sternum strap – probably to allow for maximum adjustment. Once the harness is fitted properly to your dog, you will need to cut off the excess strap and heat-seal the end.
The harness adjusts in four places, and we found the adjustment hardware to be easy to move.
Middle-ranked
The Non-Restrictive Harness made by Lupine, Inc., of Conway, New Hampshire, is a workable harness, but one that offers less comfort, and is at the high end of the price range. It does come with a lifetime guarantee, even if chewed, so if your dog is a termite when it comes to canine accessories, this product might have greater value for you!
We found the nylon material to be strong but a little stiff, which makes it less comfy for the dog and more difficult to adjust; it required a little more effort to slide the somewhat inflexible material through the three adjustment points. It does, however, offer both front and rear attachments for a leash, and colorful pattern choices.
The Adjustable Nylon Harness made by Scott Pet Products of Rockville, Indiana, is our favorite of the lower-end harnesses – easy to adjust, made of reasonably solid materials, with lots of color choices. It’s just not comparable to the higher-quality products due to its slightly stiffer and thinner nylon material. The harness has two leash attachment points and three adjustment points; unfortunately, one of the buckles is located where the dog must lie on it.
The Adjustable Harness made by Coastal Pet Products, of Alliance, Ohio, is a more middle-of-the-road, medium quality harness with limited features. In our opinion, it’s serviceable, but not top-of-the-line. The harness has three adjustment points, and hardware works easily. There is one buckle that is positioned underneath the dog if he lies down.
Not our dog’s harness
We were amazed that we found this much variety in the different harnesses we tested – but this one almost had us in tears. The Non-Restrictive Dog Harness made by Hamilton Products of Ocala, Florida, is made of good quality materials, but extremely difficult to adjust. We wanted to throw it away!
Even the manufacturer’s fitting instructions were incomprehensible to us. This might be a good harness once you get it adjusted, as long as you never have to change it again! The harness has four adjustment points, but the hardware is exceptionally difficult to work.
We found the Step-In Harness, made by Leatherite Nylorite, of Carmel, Indiana, to be a poorly designed harness that fit our test dogs awkwardly no matter how we adjusted the straps. We also found the plastic adjustment buckles to be of a poorer quality than those on our higher-rated harnesses.
The harness has three adjustment points.
The leash attachment on this harness is unique, with two D-rings coming together over the plastic connecting snap in the middle of the dog’s back. This assures that no stress is put on the connecting hardware, which is a good thing. We like this feature, and the “step-in” concept of this product, but the final design still needs some work.
Other products
The following are more harnesses we tested; each earned only one paw on our product rating scale. Due to space limitations, we describe these only briefly, and don’t include them in the details chart at the end of the article.
Size Right! Adjustable Harness, made by Coastal Pet Products. (We purchased from J-B Wholesale, 800-526-0388; www.jbpet.com.)
Available in five colors and four sizes. $5 – $9. This figure-8 style harness is a different design than most of the adjustable harnesses. Rather than separate body, neck, and sternum straps, this product consists of a single nylon strap that loops in a figure-8 over the dog’s head and around the body, with connecting hardware that holds the loops together at the crossing on the dog’s back.
We’re not fond of this design, primarily because it exerts direct pressure on the trachea, negating the primary benefit of a harness, but also because it offers less control. We think a dedicated canine escape artist could pull back and slip out of a figure-8 harness much more easily than a standard adjustable harness.
Jeffers Pet Supply (800-533-3377; www.jefferspet.com) makes and sells the Jeffers Nylon Dog Harness, which comes in three colors and three sizes and sells for $3 – $6. This odd harness lacks a sternum strap – it has a sort of breastplate instead, and the only adjustment point is the metal buckle you undo to put it on and take it off.
The nylon material is sturdy but stiff, and the single adjustment buckle appears to be made of an inferior-grade metal. Plus, in any position, the buckle lies directly under the dog’s armpit or chest, potentially causing discomfort when the dog moves or lies down.
Finally, we ordered all the harnesses in a size that should be expected to fit an average Labrador in good condition. Every harness we ordered except this one easily fit on Paws, one of our regular photo models. We had to turn to our next-smallest model, Jessie, to show this harness. We’d suggest you order a size larger than you need.
The Jubilee Adjustable Harness, made by Quality Pet Products (we purchased from Direct Pet Supply, 800-360-4838; www.valleyvet.com) comes in nine colors and three sizes. $5.50 – $8. It has three adjustment points, and the hardware works easily. However, the D-ring that you would snap a leash or seat belt onto “floats” – it’s not stitched in place, but can twist and slide along the dog’s back. Also, one buckle is positioned under the dog, causing possible discomfort when he lies down, and the adjustment hardware may rest under the dog’s armpits.
Slippery elm for dogs is used to help treat digestive issues and skin irritation. The supplement (scientific name: Ulmus fulva) is one of the safest herbs commonly given to dogs, and one of the most beneficial.
Herbalists attribute many wonderful healing properties to slippery elm: demulcent (soothing, mucilage-forming), emollient (soothing and protective for skin), nutritive (providing specific nutrients), tonic (promoting healthy function of one or more body systems), and astringent (constricting, binding, or drying effect). It can be used both internally and externally. Slippery elm is one of the herbs used in the original formulation of “Essiac,” an herbal brew that has been widely promoted as a cancer-fighter.
The part of the tree used is the inner bark, which is soft and stringy. Simplest to use is the powdered form, which can be purchased loose or pre-packed in capsules at most health food stores. It is also readily available over the Internet from herb suppliers.
In the gastrointestinal tract, slippery elm acts directly. Think of it as a natural Pepto-Bismol (Pepto-Bismol itself should be used with caution because it contains salicylate, a.k.a. aspirin). Slippery elm’s mucilage content coats, soothes, and lubricates the mucus membranes lining the digestive tract. Slippery elm is an excellent treatment for ulcers, gastritis, colitis, and other inflammatory bowel problems. It is high in fiber, and so helps normalize intestinal action; it can be used to relieve both diarrhea and constipation. It may also help alleviate nausea and vomiting in dogs suffering from non-GI illnesses, such as kidney disease. A syrup made from slippery elm bark (see recipe below) can be used to help heal mouth ulcers.
Slippery elm is said to relieve inflammation of virtually any mucus membrane, and has been used in the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the lungs (bronchitis, asthma), kidneys, bladder (cystitis), throat (tonsillitis), and joints (arthritis).
This wonder herb also contains many nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, and several trace minerals) that can be beneficial for dogs recuperating from any illness, and it may stay down when other foods are not tolerated.
Externally, a soothing paste of slippery elm powder (mix the powder with a little cold water) can be used as a poultice for hot spots, insect burns, rashes, scratches, ulcerated areas, or other shallow wounds. Native Americans used slippery elm bark to stop bleeding. It forms a natural bandage that can be left in place for several hours, if you can convince your dog to leave it alone! Moisten with water to remove it.
Internal Uses of Slippery Elm for Dogs
Slippery elm is thought to soothe the bladder lining, making it helpful for dogs suffering from cystitis. Slippery elm bark contains natural pentosans, a class of complex sugars that contains the same compound found in the drug Elmiron, the major pain-relieving treatment for interstitial cystitis in women. However, slippery elm is somewhat high in magnesium and ash, so may be contraindicated in dogs who have an active infection with an elevated urinary pH, where struvite crystal formation may be a risk.
To administer internally, mix about a quarter-teaspoon of slippery elm bark powder with cold water for every 10 pounds of the dog’s body weight. (The quarter-teaspoon dose works fine for dogs who are less than 10 pounds, too.) The bulk powder may be very fluffy, so pack it down as much as possible to measure it.
Alternatively, use a half-capsule (per 10 pounds), opened and the contents mixed with water. Slippery elm powder will absorb many times its own weight in water, so be sure to add enough to make a moderately thick gruel. This gruel can be given before meals by syringe or eyedropper, or added to baby food, canned food, or a homemade diet. It has a slightly sweet taste and is usually well-tolerated by dogs when mixed with food. Administer the dose before or with meals for digestive tract problems, such as inflammatory bowel disease, until symptoms resolve.
Because slippery elm may interfere with the absorption of certain minerals and pharmaceuticals, I would recommend that it be given several hours before or after any concurrent drug therapy.
Slippery elm bark is inexpensive and easy to use; it would be a great addition to your holistic medicine chest!
Recipe for Slippery Elm Syrup
Author Anitra Frazier gives the following recipe for slippery elm bark syrup in her book, The New Natural Cat, which applies equally well to our canine companions when adjusted for weight:
Into a small saucepan, place a half-cup of cold water and one teaspoon powdered slippery elm bark. Whip with a fork. Bring to simmer over low flame, stirring constantly. Simmer one or two minutes or until slightly thickened. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Keeps seven or eight days. Give a teaspoon of syrup (5 cc) per 10 pounds of body weight five minutes before a meal to minimize diarrhea, or to soothe and heal mouth ulcers.
Jean Hofve, DVM, is a regular contributor to WDJ. Her veterinary practice is in Englewood, Colorado.
Never, in the five-year history of WDJ, have we published an article that got our readers’ attention – and divided them into two disparate camps – as Kathleen Dudley’s examination of spot-on pesticides (“Are Spot-On Flea Killers Safe?” February 2002). And that’s interesting, because we’ve always discouraged our readers from using pesticides on and around their dogs, as part of the effort to reduce the toxic burden that most dogs labor under in their short lives.
Fortunately (for us!), about 90 percent of the calls, letters, and e-mail messages we received were appreciative of the article and its follow-up piece, “Eliminate Fleas Without Poisons,” published in the March issue. Some readers wrote to express how pleased they were to see an article that was critical of these products in print:
“Thanks for such an educational, honest article. The main reason I subscribe to WDJ is that it is difficult to get honest, unbiased reporting in other publications. I look to you to continue to report honestly on all sides of current canine health issues – how else are we going to learn about them?”
“I want to thank you for your informative article on flea treatments. The article was clear, concise, and gave me information I can’t seem to get from my veterinarian.”
Others wrote in to confirm that they have found non-toxic flea control methods to be effective and worthwhile:
“Our two-dog, three-cat household has been flea-free for nearly 10 years without pesticides. I’m convinced that the best defense against fleas is to have the healthiest animals possible.”
By far the most rewarding letters for me to read were the letters from dog guardians who corroborated Dudley’s assertions – including people who have witnessed the acute or chronic effects of these pesticides on their own dogs:
“What an eye-opening article! I almost jumped off the couch when I read the segment where the San Diego veterinarian’s clients stated they put Advantage on the backs of their dogs and could smell it on the dogs’ breath in a matter of minutes following the application! That is exactly what I told my vet, who told me that it wasn’t possible! I will no longer use these products.”
“I just received some information on Bayer’s product, Advantage, also obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Within one year of its introduction into the U.S., Bayer had received well over 600 incident reports, possibly close to 700 (Bayer’s reports to the US EPA were in poor condition and poorly documented, thus the EPA reviewers could only estimate the exact totals).
These reports included at least 70 deaths (17 dogs, 46 cats, 7 unspecified), 300 reports of skin irritation, 73 reports of central nervous system disturbances, including convulsions, 90 reports of lethargy, malaise, etc., and 92 reports of vomiting, diarrhea, or other gastrointestinal reactions. (Some animals had more than one reaction, but each animal was listed only one time in the above statistics.) . . . There are no short cuts without a price attached.”
The other camp But as I intimated earlier, not all of our readers had a positive take on our articles. A few readers were outraged that we saw fit to describe the potential dangers of using spot-on pesticides, given that “so few dogs have actually died” following use of these products. Each of these people expressed their unwavering support of the companies and veterinarians who make and sell these products. One went so far as to suggest that he would not only continue to use the products, but would make it his mission to propagate negative information about the article whenever he could! Another wrote:
“Apparently you have twisted sound, scientific evidence and testing to make your article more interesting. Shame on you for not investigating your author’s so-called ‘facts.’ I happen to have a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet from one of the products she accuses of being a health risk to humans and animals. You claim that Imidacloprid (the active ingredient in Advantage Flea Adulticide) causes thyroid lesions in dogs and that carcinogenicity is “yet to be determined,” when in fact, based upon the MSDS animal toxicity data, Imidacloprid is labeled as having no evidence of carcinogenicity and there is nothing written about thyroid lesions in dogs . . .
“I am a very concerned pet owner who takes impeccable care of her animals. Articles such as this are very hard to stomach and hopefully you will do the right thing and recant your false information. Granted, some products can be very dangerous to animals, but to include products such as Advantage and Frontline in the same category is just plain wrong. I have provided several of my friends with the article and hopefully you will be hearing from them, too; we are satisfied users of Advantage and trust our veterinarians’ advice.”
To which I can respond only that I did, in fact, personally witness the mounds of documentation that our author compiled in support of her article. It’s true that there are not easily accessible reports on the potential health effects of these products – but they do exist.
I also have seen how difficult it is to obtain information about pesticides in general and spot-on products in particular. Our author had to submit Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain access to the full results of the pesticide makers’ tests. It took some companies more than six months to respond to these requests (which they are legally required to respond to); some companies have not yet responded, nine months later.
The makers of these products are not unique. Like most pesticide manufacturers, they are in a race against time, and they have a vested interest in stalling.
There is a certain window of opportunity for all pesticide makers, in which their products can be aggressively marketed. The window opens when they have passed the EPA’s initial safety tests. The products are put into use in the consuming public – and then adverse effects reports begin to come in. As the number of these reports rises, the target of the pesticides begins to adapt and develop resistance to the poisons.
It may take years or even decades, but eventually, the window closes, when the products are no longer effective due to target-resistance and/or when the number of product injuries is so high that the EPA must finally file “stop action” orders against the chemical makers.
This is history, not speculation. In the past couple of decades alone, dozens of pesticides have been ordered out of existence for these reasons. This includes several flea-killing pesticides, including (most recently) chlorpyrifos (Dursban).
All of us take risks every day, and it’s up to us to weigh the risks and benefits of all of our actions for ourselves. In our articles, we are not judging you or the decisions you make for your dogs. We simply want to faciliate your ability to make informed decisions. You may well decide that the risk of injury to your dogs and your family is so small, it’s not worth worrying about. Others may decide it’s an unneccesary risk. Finally, here’s another aspect to consider:
“My reason for writing is to point out one more urgent reason not to use these toxic products. You didn’t explicitly confront the issue, but it was horrifyingly evident in the data presented: the products are tested on laboratory animals, including DOGS! The description of laboratory studies brought me to tears. What an obscene concept to torture and kill laboratory dogs in toxicological studies so that the manufacturers can assure us the products are ‘safe’ to use on our companion dogs. I hope other readers will take note and stop using them.”
What about ticks? Some readers were disappointed that we did not discuss ticks and tick control methods in these articles. I’m sorry that I failed to direct readers to our last article on the subject, “Ticked Off,” August 2001 issue.
However, while fleas and ticks may be (to some extent) successfully treated with some of the same pesticides, the two types of insects pose very different dangers and control challenges to dog guardians. The habitat, feeding patterns, and life cycle of the tick is very different from that of the flea, and they are not nearly as easy to target with an integrated pest management (IPM) system as are fleas. In the August 2001 article, we do discuss the issue of balancing the dangers of tick-borne diseases against the dangers of pesticides, as well as mention some IPM methods for tick control.
Losing our nerve? As I mentioned earlier, flea control seems to be an incredibly polarizing issue for most dog guardians, and the letters we received were, with one exception, either strongly supportive or strongly critical of our articles on pesticide use for fleas.
The one exception was when we both scored and bombed. This reader was initially thrilled that we “took on” the pesticide issue, but was also saddened that we offered suggestions for those who were not yet ready to give up their use of spot-on pesticides. In response to our suggestions for a “reductionistic” approach, she wrote:
“I just wrote you a letter praising you for your courage to publish the truth about topical flea killers. Then I accessed the latest issue online and couldn’t believe my eyes after reading, ‘Addicted to Spot-Ons?’
“How can you publish an article one month confirming that these products are comprised of known carcinogens, then the next month say ‘Well, if you have to use these products . . .”? This article seems like a concession to somebody, but I don’t know who. Are you worried about alienating the users of these products and thus losing their subscriptions? Shouldn’t you be more worried about alienating the subscribers who either don’t use these products and are grateful for the validation and/or the ones who were using them and will reconsider based on this new information?
This undermines the truth of the valuable message delivered in the February article. Please don’t abandon your stand once you’ve taken it.”
I’m sorry this is how the “at least, reduce your use” article appeared. Actually, it was an effort to offer some practical compromises – ones that would benefit dogs – to people who are adamant that they cannot control fleas without pesticides. We do strongly believe that dogs, humans, and the environment would be far better off with reduced, and better yet, zero toxic pesticide use.
As always, thanks for your close attention and support of WDJ.
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Once a month, at a minimum, I receive a note from someone who complains about WDJ’s use of the word, “owner.” “By using that sort of language, you perpetuate the owner/slave hierarchy, which encourages humans to regard their animal companions as property,” is a (paraphrased) common criticism. What’s more, some readers have pressed, as a “progressive,” animal-friendly publication, WDJ really ought to be leading the drive among dog magazines to strike such paternalistic, repressive language from our pages. According to the real hard-liners among you, we shouldn’t even imply ownership with phrases such as, “your dog,” as used in a sentence like, “Pet your dog at every opportunity.”
I’m very sympathetic to these complaints. But for goodness’ sakes, what can I replace the word “owner” with?
I often use “guardian,” which seems to be the leading contender among those who hate “owner” and all the evil it implies, but others resist this solution. “The word ‘guardian’ also implies a child/parent type of dependent relationship,” someone wrote me the other day. Others worry that “guardian” seems to open the door for humans to shirk their animal-care responsibilities and liabilities. “Caretaker” and “keeper” suffer the same problems.
Whenever I can, I substitute “owner” with the phrase, “canine companion.” But let’s face it, this is a little unwieldy, and upon repetition in a how-to type of article, this would drive me nuts – and probably you, too. “Give your canine companion a reward of some kind every time she sits on cue. Make sure your canine companion is aware of the treats or toy you are using as a reward . . .”
(Say, did you notice that we alternate feminine and masculine personal pronouns in our text? We may actually have a slight preponderance of hypothetical females in our articles.)
As much as some of you readers despise the use of “owner,” there are some alternatives I just can’t bring myself to use – at least, not very often. Sharp-eyed readers may infrequently catch WDJ describing a specific human as “Fido’s person,” but it makes me feel queasy every time I allow a writer to do this. I can perfectly visualize my journalism professors doubled over in laughter as they ridicule this usage.
I may be the only dog-loving person alive who objects to the use of “mother” or “father” to describe the relationship between a dog and a human. Sorry, I am not “Mom” to the Border Collie who shares my home, heart, and (I swear) my checking account.
I don’t have a hard-and-fast solution for this semantic issue, but I’m willing to consider any solutions you may want to propose. In the meantime, forgive WDJ’s inconsistent but hopefully sensitive attempts to solve the problem.
Eddie Pepper’s muscles flex as his compact body flies over the jumps and scrambles up the A-frame. Eddie’s guardian, Bonnie Vogt, rewards him for hitting the contact zone and then signals him through the tunnel and over the teeter. When Eddie takes the last obstacle in the sequence, he races back to Vogt for a quick game of tug and a whole lot of praise.
By now, if you’re into dogs, you’ve probably heard about agility. Maybe you’ve even seen it in action or tried it with your dog. Agility is one of the fastest growing dog sports in the world, and with good reason – it’s fun! “Of all of the dog things I’ve done, agility is the most fun,” says Vogt, a resident of Scotts Valley, California, who has participated in a multitude of dog activities, including search and rescue, obedience, hunting tests and flyball, as well as agility.
The Ultimate Team Sport
Agility is fun for a whole bunch of reasons. It’s fast. It’s always different. The dogs love it. The handler is constantly challenged. But perhaps the most wonderful part about agility is the way the dog and handler work together as a team. It is the ultimate team sport – and like any team sport, the relationship of the team members is key.
“It’s a really active and involved thing,” says Bud Houston, a long-time agility teacher and seminar leader who resides in Ostrander, Ohio. Houston has written numerous books on agility and is founder of the Just For Fun (JFF) agility organization. He points to his dogs’ joy and enthusiasm for the sport when he describes why he loves agility. “They really light up when we go out to the training building.”
Vogt echoes Houston’s sentiment. “Playing agility has brought us closer, sealed that bond a little tighter. Eddie seems to thoroughly enjoy the running and playing, and it’s helped us have more of a partnership.”
From the beginning, agility seemed to be a hit with dogs and people. Agility began as a demonstration event at the Crufts Dog Show in England in 1978. The obvious enjoyment of the dogs and the enthusiasm of the crowd at the first agility demonstration could have predicted the future popularity and growth of the sport. Today, agility is practiced throughout the world. In North America alone, you can find more than 10 organizations that sanction agility trials.
The goal in agility is for the handler and dog to run an obstacle course, with the handler directing the dog through and the dog navigating the obstacles. The course generally consists of between 14 and 20 obstacles that are designed to test a dog’s balance, speed, jumping, and climbing ability as well as the communication between the dog and handler. The obstacles commonly include:
• Jumps: A variety of jumps are used in agility including single jumps, double jumps, triple jumps, winged and non-winged jumps, panel jumps, broad jump, and tire or hoop jumps. The height of the jumps varies depending on the size of the dog.
• Tunnels: Flexible tunnels, 15 to 20 feet long, are used, as well as a collapsed tunnel made with a barrel opening and a fabric sleeve that the dog pushes through.
• A-frame: One of the “contact” obstacles (an obstacle that the dog must touch in a yellow-painted zone to insure a safe performance on the obstacle), the A-frame is a large climbing structure that the dog runs over.
• Teeter-totter: Also called the seesaw, the dog tips the board as he runs across. The teeter-totter is another contact obstacle and the dog needs to touch the yellow zones for safety.
• Dog walk: This contact obstacle is a type of balance beam that is three to four feet in the air. The dog runs up a ramp, across the beam, and down the descending ramp.
• Weave poles: Up to 12 weave poles are found on a standard agility course. Weave poles are often considered the most difficult obstacles to teach a dog.
• Table or pause box: The dog gets on the table and stays in either a down or sit position for five seconds. This is a control exercise and requires a dog to stop in the midst of running through the course.
In a competition, the course must be run within a certain amount of time and the team can be judged “faults” for mistake, such as taking the wrong obstacle or knocking down a jump bar. The courses are always different, making communication between the handler and dog as critical as the dog’s ability to navigate the obstacles.
Agility Not Just for Superdogs
Big dogs, little dogs, fast dogs, slow dogs, mixed breeds and pure breeds – all types of dogs can do agility. In fact, agility is one of the few dog sports providing as many opportunities for mixed breed dogs as for pure breeds. With the exception of AKC Agility, every dog agility organization in the United States welcomes mixed breeds in competition. Dogs as small as a Papillon and as large as a Great Dane can and do enjoy agility. Of course, not every dog (or person) is cut out for competition and only a select few will win national championships. But almost all dogs can enjoy some version of the sport.
Agility is an obvious choice for high energy and athletic dogs. It gives dogs that are often seen as “hyper” a place to put their drive and energy. It is also a good way to help timid or shy dogs build confidence. It’s a great way for both people and dogs to get some exercise.
“Agility keeps Eddie and me both in better shape,” says Vogt. “We both need the exercise and he needs a job to do.”
In general, dogs who play agility should be physically able to do the sport safely – they should have sound hips, elbows, good vision, and be in good physical shape. But even dogs and handlers with some physical limitations can enjoy the just for fun experience of agility. For example, jump heights can be lowered for a dog that is not physically able to jump full height. A dog shouldn’t do agility if it will make a condition worse, cause pain, or be unsafe in any way. It’s a good idea to have your veterinarian conduct a basic health examination before beginning agility.
Agility for Competition or Fun?
As with all sports, agility encompasses elements of competition. The competition can be as intense as professional basketball or as casual as a pick up game of softball on a sunny afternoon. In other words, agility can be played at the Olympic level, the city league level, or strictly for fun in the backyard or park.
In agility trials, teams compete in two ways. First, the dog and handler run against the time on the clock, with the goal of completing the course under the time limit and with no faults (called a clean run). In addition, the team is also competing against the other dog and handler teams within their class and height for placement – generally first, second, and third place dogs are recognized and awarded ribbons. The competition for a clean run and title are not the same as competing against other dogs. You can have a clean run and not win. You can also win and not have a clean run. As in other dog sports, you can compete at different levels and earn titles on your dog.
In addition to the standard agility course, dozens of games can be played in agility. Games range from those commonly found at trials, like Jumpers (which tests the dog’s speed and the person’s handling skills), Gamblers (which offers challenges in distance handling), and Snooker (which incorporates elements of both strategy and control), to those designed for fun or to help build specific skills.
But do you have to compete to do agility? Absolutely not. Some people do agility with the goal of winning at the highest level. Some people run their dogs with the goal of a clean run and earning a title, but aren’t really concerned about winning. Others play agility strictly for fun, without ever needing or wanting to compete. Agility can be enjoyed in a totally non-competitive fashion. That means that you can teach your dog the obstacles, learn to direct him through course, and run courses either with or without a time limit. Playing agility non-competitively eliminates the pressure to perform – so you and your dog really can just get out there and have fun.
Agility practice, even without competition as a goal, is a wonderful way to build everyday skills. Agility strengthens basic training such as the down, stay and recall. It is a fun way to work on off-leash behaviors and develop off-leash reliability. It can help dogs become more confident in the world, and it can help people learn to better train and communicate with their dogs. (If you can teach a dog to run through a set of weave poles – which is anything but a natural behavior for a dog – you can probably teach him just about anything!) Quite simply, agility practice can improve relationships between dogs and people.
“I’d like to get to the point where we can compete,” says Vogt, when she talks about training with Eddie. “But if we don’t, that’s OK too.”
Houston, who has competed and earned many titles on his dogs, says that one of his dogs, Ringer, will probably not become a dog he takes to trials. “Ringer gets carsick if we go more than about four miles,” says Houston. “So he will probably never do a lot of agility trialing in the world. But, he loves the game and he’s developing very nicely.”
Houston strongly promotes the recreational aspects of agility, and cautions against making agility into something that validates the handler, rather than something that is fun to do with your dog.
“It’s not about winning, you know,” says Houston. Houston emphasizes that agility is a recreational sport we play with the canine members of our family. It is about the relationship, the fun, and enjoyment of playing with your best friend.
Houston also stresses that agility should be accessible to anyone who is interested and can be a “lifetime sport” that we share with our dogs. With this spirit in mind, Houston formed Just For Fun agility. JFF’s slogan, “dog agility for the rest of us,” is helping to make the sport more available to those who may not have the perfect “competition” dog as well as to those who cannot afford the time or money needed to train competitively and enter trials.
JFF agility does promote a degree of competition, but emphasizes that it should always be low cost (or no cost) and fun. With that in mind, JFF agility launched the idea of league play – a version of the sport that can be organized and played on a local level, similar to local softball or basketball leagues offered through park and recreation programs. As with local softball and basketball leagues, anyone can join and play at the level at which they are comfortable. In JFF, each person chooses the jump height that is most appropriate for his dog’s ability.
Positive Training and Agility
The sport of agility has, perhaps inadvertently, become a huge promoter of positive training methods. You can probably imagine that it would be difficult to drag a reluctant dog over an A-frame or force a dog to run at top speed through a set of weave poles. Agility training generally incorporates positive-oriented training techniques, including clicker training, lure and reward, and classical conditioning. Dogs are motivated and rewarded with food, praise, and toys. Although some agility instructors do use punitive methods, most do not.
Nancy Gyes, co-owner of Power Paws Agility and a top level agility competitor in the United States, addressed the very issue of using compulsion methods in training at a recent seminar in Watsonville, California. Gyes admitted to the seminar crowd that she is so competitive that if using a pinch collar on her dog would help her win, she might use it for training in agility. But that the fact is, according to Gyes, positive reinforcement training methods work better in building accuracy, speed, and enthusiasm. Gyes went on to point out that the leading agility competitors in the country all use some elements of clicker training in working with their dogs – even those who do not consider themselves clicker trainers.
Getting Your Dog Started
Because agility is still relatively new, many of the people who are currently involved started out self-taught – building equipment, reading books, watching videos, attending seminars, and learning by trial and error. With the growing popularity of the sport, however, agility-training facilities are popping up everywhere. If you’d like to try agility, you could begin on your own, but your best bet is to find a trainer in your area to help you get started. When you are looking for a trainer, look for someone who:
• Focuses on safety and the well-being of the dogs above all else.
• Uses motivational methods. Forcing a dog onto equipment can ruin the fun for both of you.
• Can help you understand both how to teach your dog to use the equipment and help you learn to direct your dog through the course. Agility is a 50/50 team sport. You both need to learn your part.
If you do not plan to compete, your instructor does not need a competition background. But if you do want to compete, look for a teacher who has competition experience to mentor you through the process. If you or your dog have any special needs or limitations, ask the instructor if she is willing to work with you around those areas.
Because agility training is a long-term training process, it becomes especially important to find an instructor with whom you enjoy working.
Backyard Agility Fun
Interested in giving agility a try, but don’t have a training center near you? Here are a few things you can try at home. Remember to make these exercises as easy as possible until your dog gets the idea, offering lots of rewards along the way. Never force a dog to do any agility exercise. One of the most important aspects of agility is the dog’s enthusiasm and willingness to play the game; forcing a dog to participate may spoil his natural inclination for fun. In addition, make sure your dog is physically able to comfortably do the exercises you are asking of him.
Most adult dogs can safely try out the exercises below, but if you have any doubts, check with your veterinarian first. For serious agility training, your dog should be at least a year old and in excellent condition. Excellent condition for agility means a dog who has good hips and elbows, who is a good weight (for agility, this means scrawny – you will want to be able to easily feel your dog’s ribs when he is in a standing position). In addition, a dog who trains for agility should run off leash for at least 20 minutes four or five times a week. Walks alone are not enough to keep a dog in shape for agility.
Practice Handling
Because agility means working with your dog on both sides of you and making lots of twists and turns while running together, it’s helpful to practice “handling skills” with your dog. You will want to do these “on the flat” without any agility obstacles in the picture. First, try running in a straight line with your dog off leash on your left side. Then try it with him on your right side. If he’s a bit confused, you can put a treat in your hand to help him follow you, giving him the treat when you stop. Use the palm of your hand to guide your dog as you move.
Once your dog can run in a straight line, try turning to the left, then to the right. Help your dog understand where you are turning by using your foot, shoulder, and hand closest to your dog to motion to where you want him to go. Practice turning and moving in the opposite direction, too. Try having your dog turn toward you, and then have your dog move away from you.
Jumping into Action
You can put together a make-shift jump by placing a broomstick on top of two cinder blocks, or you can build or buy practice jumps made out of PVC pipe. When you begin teaching your dog to jump, use a very low jump – below your dog’s elbows. As he begins to get the idea, you can gradually raise the jump to between his elbow and shoulder. Unless your dog is in very good shape and conditioned to jump, do not raise the jump above his shoulder height.
Begin teaching your dog to jump by having him stay on one side of the jump. You move to the opposite side and then invite your dog over. You can use a treat or a toy to encourage him the first couple of times. When your dog is coming over the jump, click and treat. Once your dog is happily coming over the jump to you, start sending your dog away from you, over the jump, to a target. The target can be a touch object like a small plastic lid. Or, have your dog wait, toss a toy over the jump, and then send him over to get the toy. When he goes over the jump to the target or toy, lavish him with praise. Next, try walking, then running with your dog as he goes over the jump.
Fun with a Play Tunnel
You can purchase a small tunnel for kids at a toy store or use a long box (like those that hold hot water heaters) with ends cut off as a play tunnel for a smaller dog. For larger dogs, you can put together a makeshift tunnel with chairs and a bed sheet. As with jumping, begin by encouraging your dog to come to you through the tunnel. You may need to get down on the ground and stick your head in the tunnel, reaching through with a treat to get your dog to go through the first few times. When your dog comes through the tunnel to you, click and treat. As with jumping, after your dog can come to you, practice sending him to a target, and then practice< running next to your dog as he goes through the tunnel.
Walk the Plank
A 12-inch wide board, eight to twelve feet long, balanced on two cinder blocks is a fun way to start the dog walk. Encourage your dog to walk across the board. Walk with your dog if necessary. Be sure to click and treat when your dog is on the board, not when he steps off. Then spend some time helping your dog understand where his back feet are (so he won’t slip off when moving quickly), by having your dog do tricks like sitting, laying down, or changing direction on the board. Encourage your dog by clicking and treating for keeping all four feet on the board. Once he gets the idea of walking across the board and knows where his back feet are, try running in both directions and with you on each side.
Putting it All Together
Once your dog can jump, run through the tunnel and across the board, you can try putting it all together in a mini course. At first, put your obstacles in a straight line, 10 to 15 feet apart. Try running back and forth with your dog. You can encourage your dog by clicking and treating each obstacle at first. Once you have mastered running together with the obstacles in a straight line, try with the obstacles in a circle.
Remember to keep it fun and give your dog lots of rewards. Try treats, ball play, or a great game of tug. Experiment and see what motivates your dog the most.
Dog Agility is Addictive
When asked what he would say to someone who was considering trying agility, Bud Houston responds, “You’ve got to do this. It’s too much fun!” Anyone who has tried agility can tell you that it’s addictive. You just may end up with jumps in your backyard, weave poles in your living room, and a whole new set of vocabulary words. You may end up practicing front crosses and reverse flow pivots as you vacuum. You may start muttering terms like “clean runs” and “yards per second” in your sleep. Like any person exhibiting signs of addiction, your friends and family may wonder if you’ve lost your mind – or just given it to the dog.
Mardi Richmond is a writer and editor living in Santa Cruz, California. When she’s not busy playing with her dogs, Mardi teaches Just for Fun Agility classes. She is also the co-author of Ruffing It: The Complete Guide to Camping with Your Dog.
Dogs don’t experience heart attacks the way humans do, but this doesn’t mean they don’t die of heart disease. Heart failure is increasingly common in America’s dogs, with many showing symptoms by age seven or eight. Even some young dogs develop congestive heart failure, inheriting the propensity for the disease from their parents.
Conventional medical practitioners consider congestive heart failure and other circulatory problems to be progressive and irreversible, but holistic veterinarians know that in many cases, heart disease can be slowed, reversed, and even cured. Understanding heart disease will help you prevent it in healthy dogs and treat it in dogs who are already ill.
UPDATE: For information on another common heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, see Whole Dog Journal‘s September 2018 story.
What Does Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs Look Like?
The symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF) are easy to overlook, and the illness is often mistaken for other conditions, such a respiratory infection or the normal aging process. In short, the condition is an inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs, because of a failure to adequately empty the venous reservoirs.
In congestive heart failure, the heart doesn’t actually fail or stop beating; instead, its valves become thick with scar tissue, which prevents them from closing properly. Leaking valves cause fluid to accumulate on either side of the heart, and the heart grows larger as it works harder. Fluid accumulating on the right side of the heart produces lung congestion and coughing; fluid on the left side leads to edema (fluid retention) in the abdomen. Arrhythmia, or an uneven heartbeat, can occur as well.
In dogs as in humans, there are four functional classifications of CHF. Class 1 has no obvious signs. This early phase, during which the heart begins to malfunction, can last for years.
In Class 2 CHF, fatigue and shortness of breath begin to accompany active exercise or heavy physical activity. There are no symptoms when the dog is sitting still or lying down. A lack of circulation in the extremities in this and later stages may interfere with wound healing, and mental confusion can occasionally result from a lack of oxygen in the brain.
In Class 3 CHF, even slow walking on a level surface can produce shortness of breath and fatigue. Other possible signs include a persistent dry or hacking cough, wheezing, sudden collapse, and a bluish discoloration of the tongue and gums during exercise. Because the accumulation of fluid in the chest interferes with deep breathing, the dog may seek fresh air more than usual.
In Class 4 CHF, the patient is uncomfortable at all times, even while resting. Edema can affect the legs and feet as well as abdomen and chest area. In advanced cases, fluid collecting in the chest cavity can push on the heart and collapse the lungs. In contrast to the long time lag between Class 1 and Class 2, the illness progresses quickly from Class 3 to Class 4, so that a dog that seemed healthy and active may suddenly enter a critical condition.
Conventional vs. Complementary Approaches to Congestive Heart Failure
Conventional medicine treats CHF with diuretics, which remove accumulated fluids; digitalis or other heart drugs, which stimulate and temporarily strengthen the heart muscle; oxygen, which improves the animal’s breathing; and a low-salt diet, which helps prevent further edema. These treatments effectively treat the symptoms of the disease, vastly improving the quality of the animal’s remaining life, but do nothing to prevent the progression of the illness.
Generally, holistic practitioners also employ the effective conventional drugs to suppress the symptoms of CHF and seek to augment conventional treatments with nutritional support and herbs. Their goal is to improve whatever underlying imbalances or deficiencies the dog may be experiencing, which may help to slow or stop the progression of disease.
Since all drugs used to treat symptoms of CHF have some adverse effects, another goal of holistic practitioners is to facilitate the safe reduction or even elimination of the dog’s conventional prescriptions. Of course, success depends on the type, severity, and duration of the dog’s illness, but many veterinarians and dog guardians have seen great improvements in their patients with this approach.
Nutritional Support for Dogs with Congestive Heart Failure
Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other nutrients play a crucial role in maintaining circulatory health.
• Vitamins: In the 1940s, Drs. Wilfrid and Evan Shute, who were brothers, began a 40-year study of the effects of vitamin E on the heart. Wilfrid Shute’s research involved dogs as well as humans, for he was a show judge and Doberman Pinscher breeder. Soon, thanks to his efforts, vitamin E improved the health of dogs around the world.
As Wendell O. Belfield, DVM, reports in his classic book How to Have a Healthier Dog, many of these cases were dramatic. In 1945, Dr. N. H. Lambert in Dublin, Ireland, learned of the Shute brothers’ work and began giving vitamin E to dogs, the first of which, a nine-year-old Griffon, was dying of heart disease complicated by an inflammatory uterine condition. Conventional treatment had been unsuccessful. “Placed on vitamin E, she made a spectacular recovery,” Dr. Belfield reports. “Lambert said she became quite rejuvenated and lived for another six years.
“Among the virtues of vitamin E is the prevention of excessive scar tissue production,” he adds.
Vitamin C is another crucial nutrient for heart health, as it stabilizes blood vessel walls by supporting the production of collagen, elastin, and other connective tissue. Some physicians consider congestive heart failure a form of scurvy, caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. A powerful antioxidant, vitamin C protects the cardiovascular system as well as speeds wound healing throughout the body, including tiny lesions and wounds within blood vessel walls. In addition, vitamin C is a cofactor for enzymes (biological catalysts) that improve the metabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides.
But of all the vitamins associated with heart health, the most important may be those of the vitamin B complex, including one that has never been recognized as important to human health (vitamin B4, or adenine), even though animal research has shown that withholding it produces congestive heart failure. Vitamin B4 is found in yeast, liver, and wheat germ.
In the last 20 years, Bruce West, DC, has treated thousands of congestive heart failure patients with nutrition rather than drugs. Although he works with humans rather than dogs, his explanation of how congestive heart failure develops applies to both. The cause in most cases, he says, is what he calls American beriberi, or beriberi of the heart. Beriberi is a B-vitamin deficiency that causes nerve conductivity problems, weakness, and muscle paralysis. “Congestive heart failure,” he says, “is a problem of poor nerve conductivity to the heart, an almost paralyzing weakness of the heart muscle, and the resultant failure of the heart muscle to be able to pump out blood.”
Dr. West recommends nutrient-rich foods that contain the entire B-vitamin complex as well as all of the nutrients important to circulatory system health. Unlike prescription drugs, these supplements help the body repair itself by providing the nutrients whose deficiency caused the damage in the first place.
According to Dr. West, most human patients who follow his protocol reduce their prescription drugs and diuretics within a few months and stop them altogether within a year, and this is quite possible for canine patients, too. “Heart drugs are powerful and can prolong life,” he notes, “but when they are no longer needed, they can do serious damage to the heart and kidneys and should be discontinued.”
Recommended dosages vary widely, depending on the prescriber’s philosophy. Practitioners of orthomolecular medicine use very high doses of synthetic vitamins to treat heart disease and other conditions. In Keep Your Pet Healthy the Natural Way, Pat Lazarus lists the supplements used by Richard J. Kearns, DVM, to treat canine heart disease, which include 400,000 International Units (IU) of water-soluble vitamin A, 20 to 25 grams of vitamin C, and up to 4,000 to 6,000 IU of water-soluble vitamin E. Megadoses of synthetic vitamins have a drug-like effect and require professional supervision.
At the opposite end of the spectrum are those who use whole-food supplements rather than synthetic vitamins or isolated nutrients. Even though they supply individual nutrients in minute quantities, whole-food supplements such as those made by Standard Process and Wysong contain all of the C-complex, B-complex, and other families of vitamins, plus hundreds of other nutrients. Food-source supplements are readily absorbed and utilized, have no adverse side effects, and work synergistically to repair damaged tissue.
• Coenzymes:Coenzyme Q10 is used by holistic practitioners for many heart ailments, including CHF. Coenzyme Q10 (generally written as CoQ10 and pronounced “Coe-cue-ten”) is a vitamin-like substance that resembles vitamin E in its action, and strengthens the heart muscle and enhances immunity.
For his canine CHF patients, San Diego-based veterinarian Stephen Blake (see “Holistic Veterinarians Propose Other CHF Causes and Treatments” sidebar at end of story) prescribes one milligram of oil-based CoQ10 per pound of body weight per day, or two milligrams of powdered CoQ10 per pound of body weight.
• Amino acids: The amino acids taurine and L-carnitine are popular supplements because they have been shown to help strengthen the heart muscle, increase its output, and help relieve edema. These amino acids work best when given with high-quality protein and are usually recommended for CHF in doses up to 10 mg per pound of body weight.
• Minerals: Of the many minerals that help maintain heart health, the most important are found in raw bones. Dogs on a raw bone-based diet ingest these minerals daily. Calcium supports the contraction of muscle cells in the heart as well as the conduction of nerve impulses that trigger heartbeats. Magnesium helps normalize an irregular heartbeat, and works synergistically with calcium to strengthen the heart. Trace elements such as zinc, manganese, copper, selenium, chromium, molybdenum, and boron are also important, but are needed in only small quantities.
Supplements such as Calcifood, Min-Tran, and Organic Minerals from Standard Process or Wysong’s Orgamin and Chelamin contain all of these important nutrients. Powdered kelp (½ teaspoon per 15 pounds of body weight) and liquid colloidal minerals (½ teaspoon per 30 pounds of body weight) can be added to food for additional support.
• Essential fatty acids: Essential fatty acids (EFAs) can be important supplements, especially for dogs fed a grain-based commercial diet. EFA supplements that contain fish oils (marine lipids) provide omega-3 fatty acids that improve heart function by correcting EFA deficiencies and balances.
• Enzymes: Systemic oral enzyme products such as Wobenzym and Nutrizyme help repair damage to the heart and other organs, especially where inflammation is involved. Systemic oral enzymes are enteric-coated digestive enzymes taken between meals on an empty stomach.
“Instead of staying in the stomach and digesting food,” explains enzyme researcher Charles Green, “these enzymes circulate through the body, removing inflammation, breaking down scar tissue, and restoring healthy tissue.” According to Green, this therapy reduces inflammation quickly, within a matter of days or even hours, while the removal of scar tissue takes place more slowly. These products have been proven safe even in large doses for long-term use.
Herbs for Your Dog’s Heart
Of the many herbs that support heart health, several are suitable for use with dogs.
The hawthorn berry (Crataegus oxyacantha), is gentle, effective, and nontoxic. Hawthorn’s flavonoids increase coronary blood flow while slightly enhancing the force of the heartbeat; it stabilizes the pulse, increases the heart’s tolerance of oxygen deficiency, and increases cerebral blood flow. Because it has a gradual effect, hawthorn should be taken over a long period, such as several months or years, for maximum effectiveness. Prolonged use is safe, as hawthorn has shown extremely low toxicity in every animal species tested. Any hawthorn preparation sold for human use can be given to dogs, adapting label directions to the patient’s weight.
Another herb with impressive cardiovascular benefits is garlic. Garlic improves cholesterol balance, inhibits harmful platelet congregation, and acts as an antioxidant. There is much debate about which type of garlic is best, and every preparation (fresh, dried, cooked, raw, aged, or extract) has its proponents. Although side effects are rare, garlic does thin the blood and should not be used by dogs with bleeding disorders. Otherwise, it is usually safe to take in “courses” of five days on and two days off for four weeks, then discontinued for one week before resuming, with occasional breaks of a month or more.
Cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum), another culinary herb with cardiotonic properties, helps stop internal bleeding, relieves pain, strengthens tissue, and improves circulation. Cayenne capsules are widely sold and easy to administer in food.
Other tonic herbs with circulatory system benefits include ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), gotu kola (Centella asiatica), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).
Liver support, which is important in most cases of congestive heart failure, is well provided by dandelion leaf or root (Taraxacum officinale) and milk thistle seed (Silybum marianum).
For best results, work with a veterinary herbalist to determine which herbs would benefit your dog, adjust the dosages, and monitor their effects. As mentioned earlier, success with nutritional support or herbal medicines may enable you to reduce your dog’s conventional medications. However, this must be done under a veterinarian’s supervision. Contact the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association to find a holistic veterinarian in your area.
Holistic Veterinarians Propose Other CHF Causes and Treatments
It’s in the Food
To Australian veterinarian Tom Lonsdale, author of the book Raw Meaty Bones and a longtime advocate of raw diets for dogs, the cause of almost every case of canine congestive heart failure is commercial pet food. “Domestic dogs that are fed the way a wolf or dingo feeds itself bloom with health,” he says. “I’m talking about whole carcasses or large lumps of raw meat and bones as the staple of the diet. Congestive heart failure is rare in dogs that eat the diet nature intended.
“Heart disease usually starts in the mouth,” he continues. “A diet based on raw meaty bones provides the nutrients and exercise that keep teeth and gums clean and healthy, while commercial pet food promotes periodontal infections like gingivitis and pyorrhea. These infections have consequences for other body systems. Harmful bacteria drain from the mouth and spread throughout the body, leading to multiple problems, including heart disease.”
According to Dr. Lonsdale, congestive heart failure involves collagen, the connective tissue that holds the body together. Dietary deficiencies and mouth infections affect all of the body’s collagen adversely, he says. As circulatory system collagen loses its flexibility, inflammation results, producing scar tissue, leaky valves, and circulatory insufficiency.
“As with so many things,” says Dr. Lonsdale, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is especially so with dogs that have an audible congenitally acquired heart murmur. If one can improve the patient’s dental hygiene and diet before signs of congestive heart failure arise, then, despite the heart murmur, general health often remains surprisingly good. That’s a relief because drug treatments are at best unreliable.”
Detoxification
San Diego veterinarian Stephen Blake agrees that congestive heart failure is a syndrome rather than an isolated illness. “It’s a mistake to focus exclusively on the heart,” he says, “because the heart is only part of the problem. Ninety percent of the congestive heart failure patients I see also have some kind of liver problem, which isn’t surprising considering our toxic environment. Dogs are exposed to toxins in their food and water, not to mention vaccines and prescription drugs, all of which overwhelm the liver. So in most cases, in addition to supporting the heart, I’m going to be treating the liver.”
Dr. Blake begins this process by removing as many toxins as possible from the dog’s environment and diet. “Anything that’s not natural should be eliminated,” he says. “I recommend that the dog not receive vaccinations, heartworm preventatives, flea or tick treatments, food that contains chemical preservatives, or anything that might contain pesticide residues or other chemicals. If the patient is on prescription medication, I consider whether going off the drug would be beneficial or dangerous. For example, if the dog has diabetes as well as congestive heart failure, I’m not going to pull him off insulin. But in most cases, you can discontinue prescription drugs by providing herbs or supplements that have similar effects.”
One patient who recovered on Dr. Blake’s protocol of improved nutrition, herbs, homeopathy, and acupuncture is Mia, a Chow who, two years ago, had a chronic lung infection and congestive heart failure. Despite conventional treatment with antibiotics, heart drugs, and diuretics, her condition was rapidly deteriorating.
“She was on a low-protein food for senior dogs,” he says, “and that has to be the worst kind of diet for the heart. We increased the amount of protein in her diet and improved its quality by switching her to raw meat and bones. I had her take colostrum, which is rich in growth factors and helps promote tissue repair, as well as Cardio-Plus and glandular products from Standard Process for support of the heart. Then I chose a homeopathic remedy to fit her constitutionally.
“At her first appointment, this dog could barely breathe, coughed all the time, was extremely uncomfortable, and was close to death. Now she no longer takes Lasix (her prescription diuretic) or other medications except for one heart drug, which she takes at a reduced dose. She just turned 16 and is in great shape, full of spit and vinegar.”
Homeopathy and Energy Medicine
Gloria Dodd, DVM, uses homeopathy, nutrition, and energy medicine to treat dogs with CHF. Her Web site features beforeand-after photos of some of her patients, including Snookie, a 12-year-old spayed female Poodle who had severe congestive heart failure, emphysema, plus liver and digestive problems. She was also deaf.
After treatment with an improved diet and Dr. Dodd’s homeopathic combination for CHF, Snookie looks years younger. Her lungs are clear, she plays like a puppy, and her hearing has returned.
Dr. Dodd’s interest in energy medicine prompted her to design a halter that combines color therapy, quartz crystals, pyramid configuration energy, heart chakra energy, and an antiradiation bead. The first dog to wear the harness, which now comes in different sizes, was her own Poodle, who had CHF and a severe mitral heart valve murmur. After wearing the halter, her CHF and heart murmur disappeared. Now 18 years old, the Poodle has remained active and free from disease for the past four years, with all clinical exams and blood tests remaining normal.
“The basis of all my treatment for any illness is one of detoxification and support, which I describe on my Web site,” says Dr. Dodd. “I find that in order to effect a cure (and that is what I aim for; I don’t espouse repressive therapy even with natural methods), one has to ferret out the true cause of disease. It is multilayered, and I consider energy medicine my most important tool.”
Unorthodox Approaches
As one might guess, the ideas forwarded by these holistic practitioners are not supported by most conventional practitioners, who generally treat CHF with modern pharmacology alone. If your conventionally oriented veterinarian scoffs at your queries regarding complementary therapies, look for a holistic veterinarian who can augment your healthcare options. The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA) can help you find a practitioner in your area.
In Conclusion
Congestive heart failure has many possible causes and many possible treatments. By focusing on diet and nutrition, by avoiding conditions and products that add stress to the body, and by providing appropriate support therapies, many patients with CHF can experience a total restoration of health.
Freelance writer CJ Puotinen is the author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care and many other books.
Your dog might seem to love being around your children – and still be at risk of biting one of them. It depends on what her specific stressors are. You need to know what her stressors are, and manage her environment carefully.
There are few things quite as disconcerting as having your own dog bite you. I can recall with crystal clarity the time our Scottie nailed me in a classic case of redirected aggression. He had taken an intense dislike to a Labrador Retriever who had entered the room, and when I touched him on his back to try to distract him, he whirled around and redirected his aroused state, and his substantial Scottish Terrier teeth, at my hand.
Despite the horror stories of free-roaming Pitbulls mauling children as they walk to school, the majority of dog bites occur in the owner’s home. The majority of dog bite victims are friends or members of the owner’s family. Sixty-one percent of dog bites occur in the home or a familiar place, and 77 percent of bite victims are family members or friends, according to attorney Kenneth Phillips, who specializes in dog bite cases. A relatively small percentage of bites are inflicted by errant stray dogs. This means that most bites leave a shocked owner feeling betrayed by his loyal canine, and wondering whether he can ever trust his four-footed friend again.
Why Do Dogs Bite?
Why did your sweet dog bite you? All dogs can bite, and given differing circumstances, all dogs will. Although we humans regard any bite as aggression, for dogs, biting is a natural and normal means of canine communication and defense. It’s actually surprising that our dogs don’t bite us more often than they do!
Aggression and bites are generally caused by stress, which can come from a variety of sources. Some dogs have high bite thresholds – it takes a lot of stressors to make them bite. Some have low thresholds – it doesn’t take much to convince them to bite. A dog with a high bite threshold may seem like the best choice around kids. This is often true, but if noisy, active children are very stressful to the dog, even a high-threshold dog might bite them. Conversely, a dog who has a low bite threshold may be a fine child’s companion if children are not one of his stressors, and if he is kept in an environment that is free of the things that are stressors for him.
Pain, fear, anxiety, arousal – any kind of threat to the dog’s well-being can be considered a stressor. A timid dog whose space is trespassed upon will retreat, but if prevented from retreating, will bite out of fear. A mother with pups whose space is trespassed upon may feel threatened by the intrusion, and bite. A resource-guarder bites because he is offended (stressed) by his perception that the human might take a possession. The bite often resolves the situation for the dog and relieves his stress, which is why a dog may bite in one instant and seem fine the next. When the resource-guarder bites, the human (generally) withdraws; with the threat to his food bowl gone, the dog is perfectly calm and happy again. Wounds to the human victim’s skin often heal far more quickly than the breach in the relationship between dog and human. This is unfortunate, because the majority of bites are perfectly justified – from the dog’s point of view – although often misunderstood by the human.
If humans better understood dogs, we would realize it’s about behavior, not trust. Many biting dogs could easily remain in their homes and lead long and happy lives, with a low risk for a second bite, if their owners only understood how to identify and minimize their dogs’ stressors.
What to Do If Your Dog Bites Someone
If your dog bites, you have at least four options:
Manage his behavior to prevent him from ever biting again
Implement a comprehensive behavior modification program
Rehome the dog
Have the dog euthanized
1. Manage his behavior to prevent him from ever having the opportunity to bite again.
While difficult, this is possible. It means greatly restricting his movements so he has no access to humans, other than adult family members. If company comes over, the dog is crated in a closed room. If the grandkids visit, he is crated or sent to a kennel that is equipped to safely handle a biting dog. Even if he adores the grandkids, the fact that he has bitten puts them at unacceptable risk. Unless you are 100 percent confident that you know what his stressors are and can prevent them from occurring during the kids’ visit, you cannot take the chance.
Of course, selecting this option means a reduced quality of life – no more walks in the park, on or off leash; no more rides in the car; and no more spending hours on his own in the fresh air and sunshine in the fenced backyard.
2. Manage his behavior to prevent him from biting while you implement a comprehensive behavior modification program. This requires a serious commitment.
Most owners, however, need the (sometimes costly) help of an experienced, positive behavior counselor or behaviorist to help them succeed. The behavior professional will help identify your dog’s stressors, and set up a program to use desensitization and counter-conditioning to convince him that the things he now perceives as “bad” (stressors) are really “good.” If he changes his perception, they will no longer cause him stress, and they won’t push him over his bite threshold.
This doesn’t happen overnight. The longer your dog has practiced his aggression responses, the longer it takes to modify them. The more committed you are to working with him, the more opportunities he will have to reprogram his responses and the faster it will happen. Meanwhile, he must be crated or kenneled while visitors or grandkids are at the house, and not taken for walks, car rides, nor left to his own devices in the backyard.
3. Rehome him with a new owner who is willing and able to do one of the first two.
Rehoming a dog that bites is a long shot. Depending on the circumstances of the bite and the dog’s general nature, some dogs who have bitten may be accepted into training programs for government drug or bomb-sniffing dogs, or as police K9 units. Your average adoption home, however, is no better equipped than you to make the commitment necessary to safely keep a biting dog. Most rescue groups will not accept dogs who have a history of biting, and shelters that do accept them will often euthanize, rather than take the risk (and the liability) of placing them in a new home.
If you rehome him yourself, you risk having the dog fall into the hands of someone who will punish him severely for biting, or otherwise not treat him well. You may even continue to bear some liability, moral if not also legal, should the dog do serious damage to someone at his new home.
There are millions of dogs looking for homes who haven’t bitten anyone. You love your dog and are trying to rehome him. What are your chances of finding someone to adopt him who is willing to take the risk of bringing home a biting dog?
4. Have the dog euthanized.
This is never a happy outcome. Still, you need to think long and hard about this dog’s quality of life. If you can only manage his behavior, will he be happy, or miserable, being shut out of the activities he loves? Can you guarantee that the home you find for him will treat him well? Once a dog bites, will he bite again?
If you can manage and modify, and still maintain your own quality of life as well as his, by all means, that is the best choice. But if not, remember that aggression is caused by stress, and stress is not an enjoyable state of being. If the dog is so stressed that you can’t succeed in managing and modifying his behavior and he is a high risk for biting someone else, he can’t be living a very enjoyable life. Nor can you! As difficult as the decision may be, it is sometimes the right and responsible one for the protection of all of your loved ones, including the dog.
What you should never do is close your eyes and hope and pray that he doesn’t bite again. You are responsible for protecting your family as well as other members of your community. Denial will only result in more bites.
The most dangerous course of action – for the dog and the human – is also the one taken by most uninformed owners of dogs who bite. Many people react to their dog’s bite by physically and sometimes severely punishing the dog into submission. Some dog trainers even recommend this method, to be employed at the dog’s first sign of aggression. A warning growl or snarl is met with a harsh verbal correction and a leash jerk, followed by more serious measures such as hanging or helicoptering if the dog continued to resist. While this method does manage to “whip” some dogs “into shape,” others will escalate their resistance, fighting back until dog, human, or both, are seriously injured or even dead. You should NOT punish a dog for biting.
This method may also teach the dog not to give a warning prior to the bite. It certainly doesn’t do anything to minimize the dog’s stressors. If anything, it increases the stress, since the dog now associates a severe beating along with whatever other negative feelings he has about the stressor.
Let’s say, for example, a dog is not fond of children. A child approaches and the dog growls – his attempt to let us (and the child) know that her presence is stressful to him. We jerk on his leash and tell him to knock it off. He snaps at us in response to the jerk, so we punish him harder, until he stops fighting and submits. The end result is a dog who isn’t any happier about being around small children, who has now learned that it isn’t safe to growl. This dog is now more likely to bite a child next time he sees one, rather than growling to warn her away, since he has learned that his growling makes us unreasonably aggressive. We may have suppressed the growl, but we haven’t helped him feel any better about being around kids!
A growl is a good thing. It tells us that our dog is nearing his bite threshold, and gives us the opportunity to identify and remove the stressor. Snarls and air-snaps are two steps closer to the threshold – our dog’s last-ditch attempts to warn off the stressor before he is forced to commit the ultimate offense: The actual bite.
If your dog growls or snaps frequently, you need to take notice. He is telling you that there are lots of stressors pushing him toward his bite threshold. If you don’t take action, chances are good that he will eventually bite. And if your dog bites a child – then what? Let’s just say dogs who bite tend to have short lifespans.
Dog Bite Classifications
Well-known veterinarian, dog trainer, and behaviorist Ian Dunbar has developed a six-level system of classifying bites, in order to make discussions of dog biting behavior more consistent and understandable. Those levels are:
Level 1 Bite
Harassment, but no skin contact. This is the so-called snap. Don’t kid yourself. A snap is an intended “air bite” from a dog who did not intend to connect. He didn’t just “miss.” It is a lovely warning signal, telling us that we need to identify his stressors and either desensitize him or manage his behavior to avoid exposing him to the things that cause him undue stress.
Level 2 Bite
Tooth contact on skin but no puncture.This is from a dog who wanted to bite but didn’t break skin, and a warning that this dog is serious. It’s a very good idea to remove the dog’s stressors at this point, before he graduates to the next level.
Level 3 Bite
Skin punctures, one to four holes from a single bite (all punctures shallower than the length of the canine tooth).
Level 4 Bite
One to four holes, deep black bruising with punctures deeper than the length of the canine (which means the dog bit and clamped down) or slashes in both directions from the puncture (the dog bit and shook his head).
Level 5 Bite
Multiple-bite attack with deep punctures, or multiple attack incident.
Level 6 Bite
Killed victim and/or consumed flesh.
Can a Dog Who Bites Be Rehabilitated? Dog Biting Can Usually Be Improved
The good news is that relatively few dogs are beyond help. If you make a commitment to helping your dog feel more comfortable with the world, there’s a good chance you will succeed. You will understand why he has bitten in the past, and be able to avoid his stressors while you work to convince him that what are now stressors for him are actually good things.
Like my own encounter with my Scottie’s capable canines, you will realize that the bite wasn’t personal, but simply the end result of a chain of events that were beyond your dog’s control. What a proud day for you both, when you can take him out in public with confidence, knowing that he is as safe as any dog can be in the face of the unknown elements of the real world.
Four Steps to Modify Aggressive Dog Behavior
Aggression is a classically conditioned response. Your dog does not generally take a seat and ponder whether he is going to bite the next time you try to clip his nails or remove him from the bed. When a stressor occurs, it triggers an involuntary reaction – the dog’s brain screams, “Nail clipping – BAD!” and the dog bites. If you want the dog to stop from biting when you clip his nails, you have to change his brain’s reaction to “Nail clipping – GOOD!” See how disciplining a dog for biting is counterproductive yet?
You will use food, a very powerful positive reinforcer, to change the way your dog’s brain responds to a stressor, using “desensitization and counter-conditioning” (D&CC). Here is one possible program for a dog who bites during nail trimming, as an example. You can change the steps to fit any situation that typically causes your dog to bite.
NOTE: Because the risks associated with a failed program for aggression are high, I strongly recommend that you work with a competent positive behavior professional to implement a D&CC program. The following program is not intended to take the place of professional guidance.
1. Write down every step of the process.
Record every single step you normally take for nail trimming, (or whatever situation your dog has problems with). Your list may look something like this:
a.) Set the nail clippers on the coffee table
b.) Grab dog
c.) Drag dog to coffee table; keep stranglehold of dog’s collar
d.) Grip dog in unbreakable headlock
e.) Pick up clippers
f.) Pick up dog’s right front paw with the left hand while maintaining headlock
g.) Move clippers toward paw
h.) Touch paw with clippers
i.) Clip first nail
j.) Clip second nail, etc., all the way through all the dog’s nails.
2. Determine how to separate different elements of this procedure into separate goals for Desensitization and Counter-conditioning.
Separate goals might look like this:
a.) Develop positive association with clippers
b.) Teach dog to sit quietly and accept paws being held
c.) Convince dog to allow nail clipping
3. Create a mini-D&CC program for each separate element.
Work on each program separately but concurrently so you can put them all together later.
a.) Positive association with clippers. Purchase several nail clippers. Leave them around the house next to his dinner bowl, on the coffee table, etc. Carry them in your hand as you go about your daily routine. Feed the dog treats while you are holding the clippers. Teach him to touch the clippers with his nose for a high-value reward. (This training technique is called targeting.) Pet him with the clippers in your hand and feed him treats.
b.) Teach your dog to accept paw-holding. Have dog sit quietly with you. Touch him at a point that does not elicit tension – perhaps the top of his head. Feed him a high-value treat. Repeat several times, giving him a treat each time, then move your hand slightly down his neck and feed him a treat.
Repeat this process, giving him treats all the while, very gradually moving down to his elbow, his knee, his paw. It may take several sessions just to get to his elbow. If at any time you elicit signs of aggression – a growl, snarl, or snap – you have moved too quickly. An ideal D&CC program never elicits the behavior you are trying to eliminate. Continue this gradual process until you can lift each paw and hold it longer and longer without resistance.
c.) Convince the dog to allow nail clipping. Your dog now thinks that nail clippers are GOOD and paw holding is GOOD. You must now convince him that the actual clipping is GOOD as well.
Do this gradually. Hold the clippers in one hand while you repeat the paw desensitization step (step 3b) with the other, to show him that paw touching in the presence of clippers is also good. Be generous with your high-value treats. Then use the hand with the clipper to repeat step 3b until he is happy about having you touch his paws with the clipper. Continue by closing the clippers near his toenail, then against his toenail, then by actually clipping the very tip off one nail.
4. NOW STOP!
If he handled this well, it is tempting to go on to the next nail, but it is important that you stop here. One nail clipped without resistance is a huge success. Don’t spoil it by pushing him into feeling stressed, and undoing your work.
Repeat the process the next day, and if all goes well, clip the next nail. The third day, if he still does well, try clipping the next two nails. Eventually, when he is comfortable with the whole process, you can sit down and clip all his nails in one session, without risk of being bitten.
To minimize your dog’s other stressors, make a complete list of all you can identify, then create and apply a program such as the one above to desensitize and counter condition him to each. There may be some stressors for which this is impossible, but remember that the more stressors you desensitize him to, the more likely it is that he will spend the rest of his life bite-free.
A dog’s eyes, like those of its human companions, change with age. The passage of time and the progression of certain illnesses increase the risk of canine cataracts, glaucoma, and other vision-related problems.
Fortunately, not all age-related vision changes are serious, and some that are serious can be prevented and even reversed. By being aware of the eye conditions that are common in aging dogs, we can do much to help our canine companions see well throughout their lives.
Canine Cataracts
Cataracts make the lens of the eye opaque or cloudy, which gradually reduces vision to the point of blindness. In their early stages, cataracts cause blurring and distortion of vision, but they are invisible to the naked eye. By the time most owners notice them, cataracts involve more than 60 percent of the dog’s eye. Cataracts often accompany other illnesses, such as diabetes and hypothyroidism (low thyroid function).
Surgery performed by a veterinary ophthalmologist is the only treatment considered effective in conventional veterinary medicine – and is indicated only in cases where the cataracts are not a result of a secondary disease such as diabetes.
Lenticular sclerosis, also called nuclear sclerosis, is very different from cataracts, though the two are often confused. “Lenticular sclerosis is a normal age-related change in the canine eye,” explains Jeff Wayman, DVM, of Belton, Missouri. “As the dog ages, the interior portion of the lens becomes harder and more compact, producing an indistinct greyish-blue haze. Your veterinarian can easily distinguish cataracts from lenticular sclerosis with an ophthalmoscope.”
Some veterinarians believe that lenticular sclerosis does not interfere with vision at all, while others say it causes slight blurring and interferes with depth perception. “This would be more of a problem if dogs had to read or if they were strongly dependent on central vision,” says Mike Richards, DVM, at www.vetinfo.com, “but they don’t read and they don’t lose the ability to see movement, which is more of a peripheral vision ability. Most dogs with lenticular sclerosis will continue to see well enough to get around for the remainder of their lives.”
Glaucoma in Dogs
One of the most common causes of vision loss in dogs, glaucoma is caused by a buildup of fluid in the aqueous humor of the eye, which results in increased pressure. Several factors can interfere with the normal drainage of fluid from the eye, including structural problems with its filtration (known as primary glaucoma) or mechanical problems caused by a displaced lens or the accumulation of blood and other debris in the eye (secondary glaucoma).
Glaucoma can be chronic, in which the illness’s gradual progression may result in tunnel vision, or acute. Acute glaucoma is a medical emergency requiring veterinary attention. A common symptom of acute glaucoma is the sudden development of a red, painful eye. The pain, which may not be obvious at first, can manifest as lethargy, a loss of appetite, or excessive sleeping.
If this condition goes untreated for 48 hours, it may be impossible to save the eye’s sight, and when one eye has succumbed to glaucoma, the other usually follows. While dogs of any breed can develop glaucoma, those most associated with primary glaucoma are Northern breeds such as the Norwegian Elkhound, Siberian Husky, Malamute, and Samoyed, as well as the Bouvier de Flandres, Basset Hound, Chow, Cocker Spaniel, Shar Pei, Poodle, and Shih Tzu.
Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) damages the retina and optic nerve, resulting in partial to complete vision loss. “Early recognition of glaucoma is vital if vision is to be preserved in the eye,” says Dr. Wayman. “In my opinion, most glaucoma cases should be managed by a board-certified ophthalmologist if possible.” Conventional treatment includes drug therapy and surgery, including the removal of eyes blinded by glaucoma, as this disease can cause severe pain.
Retinal Degeneration
Most common in Collies, Irish Setters, Miniature Poodles, Labrador Retrievers, and Cocker Spaniels, inherited retinal degeneration or PRA results in vision loss, usually starting with night blindness or difficulty seeing in low-light situations. Sudden acquired retinal degeneration (SARD) can occur in any breed and is believed to result from metabolic disorders such as Cushing’s disease. There is no conventional veterinary treatment for blindness caused by retinal degeneration.
Prevention of Eye Problems
Although injuries can be a factor, holistic veterinarians believe that the leading cause of cataracts, glaucoma, retinal degeneration, and other vision problems is inadequate nutrition.
In his book, Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, holistic veterinarian Richard Pitcairn notes that cataracts frequently accompany immune disorders and chronic diseases such as diabetes. “Many dogs with chronic skin allergies, hip dysplasia, and ear problems will develop cataracts as they get older,” he says. Removing the lens surgically may help, he explains, but unless underlying conditions such as diet are addressed, the eye will never be healthy.
Research on humans has shown that glutathione may help prevent cataract formation and correct damage from free radicals. Some studies have shown that many lenses affected by cataracts contain only 20 percent of the glutathione found in healthy lenses. Glutathione is composed of three amino acids, cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid. Natural sources include eggs, broccoli, avocados, and garlic, and glutathione is sold as a nutritional supplement.
Wendell O. Belfield, DVM, a pioneer of nutritional therapy for pets, cites human studies that show vitamin C improves the vision of elderly patients suffering from cataracts. He describes one veterinarian who successfully treated hundreds of dogs with cataracts and related eye conditions using injected and oral vitamin E and selenium.
In addition, the famous vitamin E researcher Dr. Wilfrid Shute told Dr. Belfield how he treated a champion Doberman Pinscher that stopped siring and went blind with cataracts at age seven. After a few weeks of taking 300 International Units (IUs) of vitamin E daily, the dog sired several litters of puppies and, within three months, his cataracts cleared up.
Another veterinarian mentioned by Dr. Belfield successfully treated canine cataracts with 20,000 IUs of vitamin A daily for 10 weeks. “There are many different types and causes involved with cataracts,” he concluded. “My opinion is that a good diet and supplementation program will contribute to preventing them and may, as the above cases show, eliminate them should they occur.”
It is so difficult to treat glaucoma in dogs that prevention is crucial. Some veterinarians recommend vitamin C and/or the mineral selenium because deficiencies of both have been found in human glaucoma patients. Vitamin C was found to lower intra- ocular pressure in many studies, even in patients who did not respond to prescription drugs.
Cod liver oil has dramatically lowered intraocular pressure in rabbits, humans, and other animals, and oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as flax seed oil, also help lower pressure. Bioflavonoids such as grapeseed extract and the herb bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) help prevent glaucoma by maintaining healthy collagen in the eyes. The herbs gotu kola (Centella asiatica) and ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) may help lower pressure by increasing circulation in and around the eyes, while coleus (Coleus forskohlii) relaxes smooth muscles in the eye and helps lower pressure. For best results, consult an herbalist or holistic veterinarian to determine the best preparations and doses for dogs at serious risk of glaucoma.
Advocates of natural feeding plans claim that dogs raised on well-balanced raw food rarely develop retinal degeneration or PRA.
The same vitamins, herbs, and supplements that help prevent glaucoma and cataracts can prevent or slow the progression of retinal atrophy. Bilberry, which British World War II pilots used to improve their night vision, is especially appropriate. Because there are strong links between the eyes and the liver, many holistic veterinarians use herbs and supplements to support liver function while treating PRA. The herbs milk thistle seed (Silybum marianum) and dandelion leaf or root (Taraxacum officinale) help tone and repair the liver, as do supplements containing liver.
Acupuncture is an important support therapy for dogs with vision problems. It corrects energy imbalances throughout the body, stimulates self-repair, and strengthens individual organs, including the eyes and liver. Acupressure and massage are also helpful.
With a lifetime of good vision as their reward, any improvements we can make in our dogs’ food, supplements, and support therapies are investments worth making.
CJ Puotinen, a frequent contributor to WDJ, is the author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats, and several books about human health including Natural Relief from Aches and Pains.
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?”
