Most dogs will eat a few blades when they have the chance. Others are veritable lawnmowers, eating (and often vomiting) whole clumps of grass, to their owners’ dismay.
A reader asks, Why does my dog eat grass? It makes him throw up. I’d like to train him not to do this, but I’m not sure how.
Dogs have been eating grass for so long that one species is called dog grass in their honor. Dog grass or couch grass (Agropyron repens), which is also called quackweed, grows in all but our southernmost states, and it is most commonly found in the upper Midwest.
The worlds most experienced canine herbalist was Juliette de Bairacli Levy, whose Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat was published in 1955. In its sixth edition (1992, Faber & Faber, London), she wrote, ”The favorite dog medicine, also much eaten by cats, is dog grass or couch grass. Of this herb they eat the leaves and the root, which they either vomit up, with much yellow bile fluid, or excrete. It is a cleanser of the bowels and removes worms. When my dogs cannot get couch grass, they will utilize other grasses, but do so with reluctance. Their next choice after couch grass seems to be wild oats.”
Preventing dogs from eating grass is a serious mistake, she warns, noting that dogs bring on deliberate internal cleansing by eating things that help them expel excess bile, mucus, and other impurities.
Feeding clean greens
At the same time, dogs fed grass on a regular basis don’t seem to crave outdoor grass the way they do if grass isn’t part of their diet.
”I know a man who raised barley sprouts commercially for horses,” wrote wheatgrass pioneer Ann Wigmore in Our Precious Pets (National Humane League, 1987). ”He had great success with restoring fertility to impotent studs. A friend thought that if these sprouts were so great with horses, they might also be great with dogs. He fed them to dogs with wonderful success. I would suggest either rye or barley sprouts for dogs and cats. These sprouts should be better for animals than wheat sprouts. They would serve as a good supplement to commercial pet foods.”
To grow rye or barley grass for pets, soak one cup organically grown grain in one quart water for 8 to 10 hours or overnight. Drain the jar and leave it on its side in a warm location, away from direct sunlight. After 24 to 48 hours, a tiny white rootlet will emerge from each grain. If you don’t see this growth, your grain is not viable and should be discarded. Irradiated grain won’t sprout, and neither will grain that has been improperly stored.
To grow grass, spread the sprouting grain on one inch of moist potting soil or top soil in a plastic garden tray. For best results, create a one-inch channel around the soil for drainage.
Cover the tray for two days, then uncover, water it thoroughly and place it in direct sunlight or under grow lights. Water as needed to keep the soil moist.
Begin harvesting the grass with scissors or a sharp knife when it is six to eight inches tall. Cereal grasses keep well in the refrigerator if stored with a damp paper towel in plastic zipper bags from which the air is expelled prior to sealing.
Cut or mince the grass into tiny pieces, or place a small amount in a blender or food processor with other foods.
Begin by feeding a small amount, as little as a fraction of a teaspoon, to be sure your dog will accept the grass. Gradually increase the amount to about one tablespoon per 50 pounds of body weight.
Cereal grasses are rich in chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids. Before fast-acting antibiotics were developed, chlorophyll was the drug of choice for preventing infection, curing ulcers, relieving pain, and treating skin diseases and anemia.
Ann Wigmore described how wheat grass and other cereal grasses improved the health and growth of her guinea pigs, parakeets, turkeys, chickens, dogs, cats, monkey, raccoon, and skunk, and she published letters from people who gave grass to their pets to prevent or treat cataracts, fleas, tumors, excessive shedding, diarrhea, anemia, and other illnesses.
Theres probably no humane way to train a dog not to seek something its body needs, so the best strategy here may be to add grass to your dogs dinner and respect his practice of herbal medicine.
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Are you thinking about getting a new dog, or getting ready to bring home a new puppy? Perfect timing! This is an ideal issue for you, as it contains a lot of information that could get a new dog owner off on the right track, and avoid a lot of costly and upsetting mistakes.
Take, for example, How to Pick a Winner, featuring the suggestions of trainer Sue Sternberg, nationally known for her work with shelter managers and shelter dogs. Her instructions on conducting a temperament evaluation on dogs you are thinking about bringing home from the shelter could easily make the difference between bringing home an emotionally and behaviorally difficult dog and one who is readily able to bond and blend seamlessly with your family.
Training Editor Pat Millers Learning to Be Alone should be required reading for anyone bringing home a new dog or puppy. If people followed her suggestions for the first few days of dog ownership, the incidence of separation anxiety would be vastly reduced.
A Positive Influence, written by positive trainer Mardi Richmond, can help anyone who is thinking about hiring a trainer or joining a training class. As Richmond points out, there are wide-ranging and long-term ramifications of your choice of teachers; choose carefully.
In addition, reading Dr. Jean Hofves analysis of a recently published study of raw food diets will enable you to confidently spar with anyone who cites the study as reason not to feed raw.
And CJ Puotinens article about alternative and complementary treatments for Lyme disease will alert you to the myriad signs of the disease which may recur throughout a dogs life.
And if youre not getting a new dog soon, dont worry. Hang onto this issue anyway, because its a certainty that a dog lover like you will find yourself with another dog sooner or later.
When I opened her crate that morning, Samantha didn’t move. Instead of racing around with a toy in her mouth, our bouncy one-year-old Labrador Retriever stared at us with wide brown eyes, looking frightened. She didn’t object when my husband lifted her, but when he set her down, she stood as though frozen. He carried her outside and held her while she urinated. When he let go, she couldn’t walk.
A few hours later, our vet announced that every joint in her body was inflamed and she had a fever. No wonder our puppy couldn’t move. She hurt all over. Samantha had Lyme disease.
Lyme disease affects thousands of Americans and their dogs and horses each year. Named for Old Lyme, Connecticut, where it was discovered formally identified in the 1970s, Lyme is a regional disease, with 90 percent of its cases in New England and the Middle Atlantic states. The rest come from the upper Mississippi (Wisconsin and nearby states) and parts of California and Oregon. A few dogs and people with Lyme disease live elsewhere, but they are believed to have been infected during travel or, in some cases, by ticks from migrating birds.
Lyme Disease Symptoms in Dogs
Veterinarians in the Northeast know Lyme disease well. “Its symptoms are very noticeable in dogs,” says Beverly Cappel, DVM, in Chestnut Ridge, NY. “They look like they’re coming down with the flu. They ache everywhere, walk hunched over as though stepping on eggshells, limp, have no appetite, and move in slow motion.
Their necks are stiff, their heads ache, they don’t want to look up at the light, and they squint.”
Why is Lyme Disease So Scary?
The microorganism that causes Lyme disease is Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete (pronounced SPY-ro-keet) or spiral-shaped bacterium. Leptospirosis and syphilis are also caused by spirochetes, which are extremely difficult to eradicate because they hide in tendons, muscle tissue, lymph nodes, organs such as the heart and brain, and other parts of the body, where they can remain dormant for years.
In humans, Lyme disease is often accompanied by a red rash that forms concentric circles (a signature bull’s eye rash), splotchy dots, or a wide band. Because its symptoms mimic other illnesses, it is difficult to diagnose. In advanced cases, it can cause vision problems, slowed or irregular heartbeat, facial paralysis, seizures, hearing loss, nerve damage, emotional instability, inflammation of arteries in the brain, and death.
According to Max Appel, DVM, PhD, Professor Emeritus at the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine and one of the nation’s leading authorities on canine Lyme disease, the illness is less ambiguous in dogs. Despite rumors to the contrary, he said in a March 2001 interview, Lyme disease does not cause bladder incontinence in spayed bitches, nor does it manifest in the variety of symptoms common in advanced human cases. “Lyme disease can be fatal in dogs,” he explains, “but its primary symptom is lameness. Dogs can get a rash, but it’s rarely seen. In advanced cases, renal (kidney) failure is the leading cause of death.”
Lyme Disease and the Immune System of Dogs
Dr. Appel’s area of research is the pathogenesis of Lyme disease, the study of how the infection enters the body, moves through the bloodstream, incubates, and causes symptoms. His research group studied hundreds of dogs for more than a decade, defining the illness, conducting vaccination trials, and testing antibiotic treatments.
“We tried four different antibiotics against canine Lyme disease,” he says, “and they seemed to have a good effect on clinical signs. The dogs recovered quite nicely, and there was a reduction in the number of spirochetes in the body. But antibiotics cannot eliminate the spirochetes entirely. They hide and, over time, can build up again and cause a relapse.” One way to trigger a relapse, says Dr. Appel, is by treating the dog with corticosteroids. “These drugs are immune system suppressants,” he explained. “We documented dogs that had been treated with antibiotics and were symptom-free for over a year and a half, but as soon as they were treated with corticosteroids, they went lame with Lyme disease. Steroid drugs are absolutely not a good idea for any dog that has been treated for Lyme disease.”
Injuries, illnesses, and other immune system stresses can also trigger recurrences. A wasp sting reactivated Samantha’s Lyme disease eight months after her first attack. Vaccinations, infections, an abscessed tooth, and even emotional stress can impair the immune system enough to let hidden spirochetes flourish.
Lyme Disease is transmitted to dogs between 24 and 48 hours after the tick bite.
Among medical doctors who treat human Lyme disease, there is much debate about its transmission by vectors other than ticks. The May 2001 edition of Alternative Medicine features a lengthy article on Lyme disease that claims it can be transmitted by fleas, mosquitoes, mites, and human-to-human contact. Dr. Appel disagrees.
“That’s speculation,” he says. “The agent has been isolated from other vectors, but there is no proof whatsoever that these vectors can transmit the disease. A tick has to feed for 24 to 48 hours before it can transmit any spirochetes. During this time the Lyme disease spirochetes, which live in the mid-gut of the tick, migrate to the tick’s salivary gland. This method of transmission is so specific that even other species of tick, such as the dog tick, have not been shown to transmit Lyme disease even if they carry the spirochete. They can transmit other illnesses, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis, but not Lyme disease.”
Dr. Appel housed dogs infected with Lyme disease with those that did not have the illness, and their prolonged exposure convinced him that Lyme disease is not transmitted from dog to dog by physical contact or exposure to urine or saliva. Although human babies have been born with the infection, in dogs the transmission from pregnant bitch to developing offspring or from infected mother to nursing puppies has not been documented.
Prevent Your Dog from Getting Tick-Borne Illnesses
No matter where you live, ticks can be hazardous to your dog’s health. In addition to Lyme disease, ticks transmit babesia, ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and other infections. Dogs that live where ticks are common should be inspected daily, even if they don’t spend much time outside. Samantha’s first bite occurred not in our tick-infested woods or fields of tall grass, but during her convalescence after being spayed at seven months, when her only outdoor activities were sedate walks along paved sidewalks. The timing of the bite was unfortunate, for a dog recovering from surgery is far more vulnerable than usual to infections of all kinds.
Prompt discovery and removal of ticks is key to preventing transmission of Lyme, says the Centers for Disease Control. “Transmission of B. burgdorferi from an infected tick is unlikely to occur before 36 hours of tick attachment. Daily checks for ticks and their prompt removal will help prevent infection.” However, this takes some dedication, as the ticks that transmit Lyme are incredibly tiny.
A dog in the wrong place at the wrong time can be bit by dozens or even hundreds of ticks. Deer ticks go through three stages of life (larva, nymph, and adult), and feed only once in each of these stages; a blood meal ends each stage.
Larval ticks dine on mice and other small rodents, but nymphs and adults are a threat to dogs. Because they are small and their bites don’t itch, ticks are easily overlooked, especially adult deer ticks and the nymphs of any species. Ticks prefer warm, moist conditions, so double-check under collars and around ears. If you aren’t sure what a lump or bump is, inspect it with a magnifying glass. Warts, similar skin growths, and nipples can feel like feeding ticks.
Tick Removal
Be careful when removing a tick to grasp it with tweezers firmly at the head, as close to the dog’s skin as possible, and slowly pull straight back. Never twist, press, burn, or apply irritating substances like kerosene to an attached tick because doing so can cause the parasite to expel the contents of its digestive tract, creating an unwanted hypodermic effect.
Three-percent hydrogen peroxide, the common disinfectant, is recommended for tick bites because the oxygen it contains destroys the Lyme disease bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide can be liberally poured over bites on light-haired dogs (keep away from eyes and apply directly to the skin) but because it’s a bleach, this method is not recommended for black or dark-haired dogs. Using an eyedropper to apply hydrogen peroxide directly to the bite helps prevent unwanted bleaching.
Aromatherapist Kristen Leigh Bell, whose Aromaleigh company specializes in products for dogs and cats, created a “tick tincture” containing the essential oils of thyme (chemotype thujanol), hyssop (chemotype decumbens), and lavender. While studying with Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt at the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, Bell learned that these oils prevent Lyme disease when applied to tick bites, and she adapted the blend for canine use. “The thyme and hyssop should be the specified chemotypes,” she explains, “because unlike other thyme and hyssop oils, they contain no neurotoxic ketones or harsh and burning phenols. As a result, one can take advantage of their powerful antibacterial and antiviral qualities with very little risk.
“I suggest that dog owners use this blend immediately after removing ticks,” says Bell, “or upon finding a tick bite or other suspicious bite on a dog’s body. It can be applied frequently for a day or two, then daily until the bite heals.” Dog owners can use Aromaleigh’s Canine Tick Tincture or blend their own by combining one tablespoon vegetable base oil (hazelnut, sweet almond, olive, sunflower, jojoba, etc.), six drops thyme (chemotype thujanol), six drops hyssop (chemotype decumbens), and six drops lavender or lavandin essential oil.
“These essential oils are expensive,” Bell warns, “and they are not widely available, but it is important not to substitute less expensive essential oils for use on dogs. The use of essential oils in this manner is not a cure, it’s a preventive, but with daily grooming, careful tick removal, and the application of this blend, many dogs have avoided tick-borne illnesses.”
Bee propolis, sold in health food stores as a cold and flu preventive, is an excellent topical disinfectant and natural antibiotic. Liquid propolis can be applied to bites, cuts, burns, and other injuries with an eyedropper or mixed with small amounts of aloe vera gel to treat larger areas. Reapply frequently for best results, especially on the day of a tick bite and for the next two to three days.
Antibiotics for Lyme Disease
Lyme-infected dogs improve so dramatically on antibiotics that many veterinarians regard their response as a Lyme disease test in itself. If an athletic, healthy dog experiences sudden-onset lameness from inflamed, tender joints, and recovers overnight on antibiotics, it’s probably Lyme disease. “In most cases, you see results in 24 hours,” says Dr. Cappel.
Many veterinarians prescribe antibiotics for two to three weeks, but Dr. Cappel recommends longer treatment. “I find that dogs tend to relapse if you don’t really wipe the bacteria out,” she says, “so I use antibiotics for at least four weeks. I think this does a better job of finding and killing the spirochetes, so the dog is less likely to have a recurrence.”
According to Connecticut veterinarian Mary Wakeman, DVM, “One side effect of antibiotic therapy is actually a sign that the treatment is working. It’s called the Jarish-Herxheimer reaction and it occurs when the body has an inflammatory response to all those dead spirochetes. Its more common name is the ‘die-off’ reaction. Depending on how overwhelmed its system is, a dog can experience one to several days of feeling worse than before.”
More importantly, says Dr. Wakeman, the die-off reaction can affect pregnant bitches, causing miscarriage. “I recommend screening bitches living here in the Northeast with the Lyme Western Blot blood test four to six weeks before they are due in heat,” she says. “to be sure they don’t have Lyme disease.”
Homeopathy for Treating Lyme Disease
Although classical homeopathy does not consider Lyme disease a true illness – like syphilis it is considered a “chronic miasm” caused by an immaterial substance that produces disease by disrupting the vital force – one veterinary homeopath in Connecticut takes a different view. After testing different remedies with limited success, Stephen Tobin, DVM, discovered that Ledum palustre in a 1M potency given three times daily for three days is “about as close as you can get to a specific cure.” According to Dr. Tobin, this method has cured cats, dogs, and horses with recent and established infections, some of which were first treated with antibiotics. In addition, he uses the Lyme disease nosode, a homeopathic preparation of Borrelia burgdorferi 60x as a preventive, giving one dose (one dropperful) daily for one week, then one dose weekly for one month, and one dose every six months indefinitely.
Dr. Tobin says that since he began treating dogs for Lyme disease with homeopathy 10 years ago, he has worked with an estimated 1,000 patients, nearly all with complete success. “There are other homeopathic remedies that treat the symptoms of Lyme disease,” he says, “but I consider Ledum the genus epidemicus for this illness. The 1M strength is not widely sold, but lower strengths are. If your dog develops symptoms, you could try Ledum 30C, and if the symptoms come back, you could order the higher potency. If you spend a lot of time in the woods or have large fields behind your house, Ledum 1M is worth keeping on hand,” he says.
“The nosode is a good investment for dog owners here in the Northeast,” he continues, “for it provides better protection than is generally seen with the vaccine. I don’t claim that the nosode offers 100 percent protection, but it does seem to work in most cases.”
While Dr. Tobin finds that Ledum by itself clears most canine Lyme disease, Dr. Cappel uses the nosode for both prevention and treatment. “I’m convinced that the homeopathics are effective,” she says, “but they take longer to work, and I don’t like to see animals suffer. I give the Lyme disease nosode at the same time as antibiotics, but I continue the nosode for several months. When I had Lyme disease, I used only the nosode for myself because it was my decision, but when my dog had Lyme, I put her on doxycycline and then the nosode.”
As part of her herbal therapy for Lyme disease, Vermont-based master herbalist Hart Brent recommends giving one dose of Ledum 1M as soon as possible after a tick bite, then giving 10 drops of the Lyme disease nosode once per day.
Alternative Lyme Disease Therapies for Dogs
With an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 new cases of human Lyme disease diagnosed annually, it’s not surprising that holistic health practitioners are experimenting with therapies that support or replace conventional treatment, especially because conventional treatment has adverse side effects and is not always effective. Numerous herbal, nutritional, and even aroma-based therapies have helped people with Lyme disease. In fact, because the treatments worked so well, they have been given to Lyme-infected dogs with excellent results.
The following have not been tested in scientifically controlled studies, and they haven’t been tried by the veterinarians I interviewed. However, the information offered by the practitioners interviewed below is compelling. If you are interested in using one of the products described below, ask your holistic veterinarian for help.
D-Lenolate olive leaf extract
Some herbal products are effective alternatives to antibiotics and kill pathogens so effectively that they, too, cause a die-off reaction. Les Nachman, Director of Herbal Technology at East Park Research, which manufactures d-Lenolate olive leaf extract, reports that thousands of human patients have successfully treated their Lyme disease with this product alone.
“D-Lenolate is helpful against any pathogenic involvement,” Nachman says, “and it’s safe for dogs and other animals. Its only side effect is the die-off that occurs when it kills viruses, bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and parasites such as pinworms.”
The recommended human dose is two capsules three times a day, but Nachman recommends giving dogs, even large breeds, substantially less. “For a 50-pound dog I’d start with one capsule twice a day,” he says. “If that doesn’t cause significant improvement, you can increase the dose every day until it does. If a dog doesn’t swallow pills readily, hiding the capsules in food works better than mixing the contents with food due to the powder’s bitter taste.”
“Spirochete”
This herbal product, developed by the late Hannah Kroeger at Kroeger Herb Products, contains nettle, yerba santa, goldenrod, monolaurin (a nutritional product that is supposed to coat receptor sites on healthy cell walls so that infectious agents cannot bind with the cell), and organic tobacco. The manufacturer alleges the product to be effective in treating active cases of Lyme, including those that are slow to improve or have complications. The recommended human dosage is two or three capsules twice daily. For dogs, use one capsule per 20 to 25 pounds of body weight daily in divided doses.
Teasel root tinture
Margi Flint is a practicing herbalist in Massachusetts whose clients include Lyme disease patients undergoing antibiotic therapy. “Most of these patients respond very well to small doses of a tincture of teasel root (Dipsacus spp.),” she says. “The other part of their treatment is hyperthermia, which means high heat, from frequent saunas or steam baths. The spirochetes hate heat, and both the tincture and the heat chase them out of hiding to where antibiotics can reach them.” While hyperthermia isn’t part of her protocol for dogs (“It’s just too hot,” she says), Flint recommends massaging three drops of teasel tincture into the ear three times per day.
“Place the drops deep in the ear canal or on the skin of the ear flap,” she explains. “Use three drops in either ear three times a day for four to six weeks, then one drop in the ear three times a day for four to six weeks, then take a month off. Repeat the cycle if symptoms recur after that.” Tom Priester, a practicing herbalist in Bradford, New York, used teasel tincture instead of antibiotics to treat his Australian Blue Heelers when they contracted Lyme disease last year. “I gave it to them by mouth between meals,” he says. “The male responded within 24 hours, and the female took even less time. After one week, I reduced the dose from three drops three times a day to one drop three times a day and continued that for six weeks.”
Propolis, Lomatium, and Waltheria Formulas
In Vermont, master herbalist Hart Brent developed a separate protocol for treating people in three different stages of Lyme disease; the protocols can be used by dogs as well as people.
“I use a Stage I (early Lyme disease) protocol as a preventive, as soon as a dog is bitten,” says Brent. “There is such a time delay between the tick bite and the onset of symptoms in dogs that I consider all dogs that show clinical signs as being in Stage II (disseminated Lyme disease) or Stage III (advanced) when they are first diagnosed.”
In Stage I of Brent’s protocol, the patient takes Propolis Formula (tinctures of propolis resin, echinacea root, red root, and licorice root) for four days, followed by three days of Lomatium Formula (lomatium root, witch hazel, elderberry, and prickly ash). This schedule is repeated as needed, usually for at least a month. For a 60-pound dog, Brent recommends 20 to 40 drops of tincture per dose by mouth or applied to the ear flap’s inner skin, which absorbs them quickly. In all three protocols, her “Spirokete” essential oil blend (peppermint, helichrysum, clove, and myrrh oils) is applied twice daily to the ear skin.
For Stage II/Disseminated Lyme disease, which affects the entire body and its organs, she recommends four days of Lomatium Formula alternate with three days of Waltheria Formula (waltheria root, osha root, American ginseng root, and Artemisia annua). For Stage III/Chronic Lyme disease, which is the most advanced stage of the infection, Brent uses four days of Waltheria Formula alternated with three days of Lomatium Formula.
Essential oils
Aromatherapist Suzanne Catty, of Toronto, Canada, recommends treating canine Lyme disease with antibiotic essential oils such as oregano, winter savory, cinnamon bark, thyme (chemotype thymol), and thyme (chemotype thujanol). “Alone or with prescription antibiotics,” she says, “these essential oils kill many kinds of bacteria, including spirochetes. Combine these oils, as available, and give one drop of the blend every three hours for three days, up to a maximum of six drops per day for a 50- to 75-pound dog. Only organically grown or wildcrafted, therapeutic-quality essential oils should be used in this manner. I recommend putting the drops in capsules containing herbs that support detoxification or combining them with a tincture of milk thistle seed and goldenseal root, which also support the liver.”
Hydrosols
Catty is one of the world’s leading authorities on hydrosols, which are also called flower waters, herb waters, or hydrolats. These byproducts of the steam distillation process contain trace amounts of essential oils, are far more concentrated than herbal teas but gentle and nontoxic, have significant therapeutic benefits, and are ideal for use with pets. She notes that some hydrosols, such as Greenland moss, cleanse and support the liver while repairing damage done by bacteria, making them ideal for dogs recovering from Lyme disease. Hydrosols can be added to food or drinking water, using one tablespoon hydrosol per 25 to 30 pounds of body weight per day.
Green Terrestrial’s Auntie Lyme tea
This commercially prepared tea contains nettle, red clover, comfrey, calendula, peach leaf, strawberry leaf, mint, burdock seed, and milk thistle seed. These liver-tonic ingredients are recommended as an adjunct in treating active cases and as a support for those previously treated for Lyme disease. Brew a medicinal-strength infusion by steeping one tablespoon dry herbs in one cup boiling water; keep in a covered pan until cool. Add it to your dog’s food or drinking water, using one tablespoon strained tea per 10 pounds of body weight per day. Refrigerate leftover tea for up to a week.
Immune-stimulating herbs
Many other herbs help repair the body, improve energy, and help fight infection. The Chinese herb astragalus is a powerful immune system strengthener. Ashwaganda, long used in India’s Ayurvedic medicine, has anti-inflammatory properties and aids recuperation. Dr. Cappel often adds several drops of an echinacea-goldenseal tincture, or a tincture that combines echinacea, goldenseal, and chaparral, to her protocol. “These are all good immune system stimulants,” she explains, “and although none of them are specifically for Lyme disease, I think they make a difference.”
Lyme Disease Vaccination Controversy
Few holistic veterinarians recommend the Lyme disease vaccine, even in dogs that live where Lyme disease is widespread. “Its side effects are so severe,” says Beverly Cappel, DVM, “that I would much rather treat the disease itself. I don’t recommend the vaccine, don’t carry it, and never use it. When it first came out, we treated dogs (that had been vaccinated elsewhere) for seizures, kidney failure, paralysis, stiff neck, and autoimmune bleeding disorders. Some dogs died and some were permanently damaged. Vaccines don’t always work, so a dog that’s supposedly protected may get the disease anyway. The newer vaccine causes fewer side effects, but it still has some. No matter how you look at it, I think the risks of vaccination far outweigh the benefits.”
Even the traditional veterinary medical community has some issues with the Lyme vaccine.
At the University of California at Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (UCD VMTH), the routine vaccination of household dogs for Lyme disease is not recommended. According to the UCD VMTH Vaccination Protocol for Dogs and Cats, “Lyme Disease is not a proven problem in California, therefore, most dogs are at low risk. Moreover, there is no evidence at this time that infection leads to any significant chronic disease problem in dogs or that infected dogs are public health risks. Vaccine reaction problems occur occasionally and may outweigh health benefits. We do not stock Lyme Disease vaccine.”
The Small Animal Vaccination Protocol published by Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital says that the Lyme may be recommended for CSU client animals on an “at risk” basis, but are not a part of the routine Colorado State University protocol for small animals.
Clearly, the Lyme vaccine should not be administered to every dog, and even people who live in areas with a high concentration of the disease should consider how much exposure to ticks their dogs really have before using the Lyme vaccine. We’d suggest that people living in Lyme “danger zones,” whose dogs are frequently outdoors, use all appropriate tick repellents, examine their dogs daily, and discuss the Lyme vaccine with their holistic veterinarians.
Building Your Dog’s Immune System
Finally, I can attest that hands-on therapies that support a dog’s immune system help prevent recurrences. In addition to her early treatment with antibiotics, nutritional supplements, and herbal support therapies, I credit Samantha’s monthly acupuncture treatments and chiropractic adjustments for her athletic, Lyme-free middle age.
CJ Puotinen, a frequent contributor to WDJ, is the author of, The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, and Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats. She lives in New York.
Ask trainer Sue Sternberg where you should get a dog and, without hesitation, she’ll tell you to go to an animal shelter. She should know – as a nationally recognized dog trainer and owner of Rondout Valley Kennels, a boarding kennel, training and behavior center, and private shelter in Accord, New York, she regularly works with shelters across the country, and counsels families who have adopted from them.
In addition, Sternberg has produced several booklets and videotapes about issues specific to shelter dogs and shelter dog adoption. The booklets include Temperament Testing for Dogs in Shelters and A Guide to Choosing your Next Dog from the Shelter; the videos include The Controversial Pit Bull about temperament testing Pit Bulls in shelters, and Training Your Shelter Dog. She also is a frequent and popular speaker at all sorts of dog-related venues.
Setting aside all of the arguments for buying a puppy from a breeder, Sternberg emphatically pronounces that you should adopt a dog from a shelter because, as she says, “it’s the right thing to do. Because there are great dogs in animal shelters, and because dogs in shelters need homes. There is no need to get a puppy from a breeder in order to raise it right – getting your dog at an early age is no guarantee of how he will turn out. Plus, you can find all the great qualities you could ever want in a shelter mixed-breed dog or puppy, or in one of the thousands of purebreds waiting in shelters on any given day.”
Of course, there are plenty of canine train wrecks desperately seeking homes in animal shelters as well – dogs who will cause heartache and trauma for the average dog owner. Sternberg offers tips to help prospective adopters find the diamonds in the rough world of animal sheltering.
Before you visit a shelter
There are a number of steps you need to take before you even set foot inside the shelter door. Doing some pre-visit homework can greatly increase your odds of finding the perfect pup. Here are Sternberg’s suggestions:
• Visit Petfinder on-line, at www.petfinder.org. This web site lists shelters across the country, and can pinpoint the ones in your area starting with those closest to you. You can also search for specific breeds or breed mixes.
Caution: If all dogs on a particular shelter’s website are described the same way (sweet, friendly, loving) then the shelter probably doesn’t know the personalities of their dogs very well, or chooses not to be forthcoming with the information. This would be a good shelter to avoid.
Petfinder is not a complete list of all shelters, so you also need to check your local phone book for others in your area. You should be willing to travel a good distance, as much as three hours or more, to find the right dog at the right shelter.
• Contact the shelters on your list and ask about their return policy. A good shelter will always accept any dog as a return that they have adopted out at any time in his life, for whatever reason the owner may be unable to keep him. You should not expect a refund if you must return your dog, but shelters that refuse to take a dog back after 30 days (or whatever time limit) are not accepting full responsibility for the lives that pass through their hands.
• Ask the shelters about their adoption procedures. You will want to be able to visit with your prospective new family member outside of the kennel. If that is not allowed by a shelter, cross that one off your list.
• Ask the shelters about their criteria for making dogs available for adoption. Good shelters do temperament testing, and do not make dogs available who have a prior history of biting. Some dogs are not appropriate for our human society. A shelter who places all dogs up for adoption and never euthanizes is doing a disservice to potential adopters. Don’t go to such a shelter.
• Sit in on a dog training class (or several). Find a trainer you like, who is kind to dogs and motivates them with treats, toys, and praise. (A selection of trainers from across the country is available from the APDT Trainer Locator at www.apdt.com.) Ask the instructor for good shelter referrals. If there are students in the class with shelter dogs, ask them which shelter they adopted from and what their experiences were. Avoid shelters where others have had negative experiences.
• Talk to the trainer you like about accompanying you to the shelter to select a dog. You should expect to pay a fee for this service, so you may want to arrange to have her visit with you once you find one or more possible adoption candidates.
• When you do start visiting shelters, look beyond a slick exterior. A good shelter is made up by people who care, and the good dogs in their kennels. There are lots of old, rundown, dark and damp shelters that have great dogs and are staffed by wonderful people, and there are others that are just as wretched as they look. There are also bright, pretty, high-tech modern shelters that treat people and animals well, and still others that are all window-dressing, forgetting to treat their human and canine clients with compassion.
• Avoid rigid preconceptions about what kind (age, breed, sex, size, color, coat length) of dog you want. Be prepared to enter the shelter with an open mind. Size, for example, is not a good indicator of energy level or adaptability to a small house – many large dogs are better suited to apartment life than are the typically high-energy but small Jack Russell Terriers.
The shelter visit
Although it’s best to avoid preconceptions about what model of dog you are looking for, Sternberg advises that it is very important to know what to look for behaviorally. “A high level of sociability will contribute more to a dog’s success in a home than any other trait,” Sternberg says. “Overall, be looking for a dog that really likes people and wants to be with them, who is affectionate, congenial, and bonds easily and strongly. These are the dogs who are most fun, and the least worry to live with.”
Stand firm on this behavior criteria as you progress through Sternberg’s 12-step program for adoption success:
1. As you enter the shelter, get a reading on the attitude of staff and volunteers. Are you greeted warmly and treated well? If you are asked to fill out a questionnaire, are the interviewers genuinely interested in who you are and helping you find the right dog, or are you grilled like a criminal? Any concerns about your answers should be used to help educate, not condemn you. If you feel like you are getting the thumbscrews and third-degree, leave. It would be almost impossible to concentrate on your task in an environment like this.
2. When you enter the kennels, make a quick pass through without stopping to schmooze the dogs. Pen and paper in hand, make note of any dogs that stand out for you. Ideally, you might find four or five who do.
3. On your second pass-through, stop and visit with each of the dogs you noted. Put your hand up to the kennel wire or bars. The dog should readily come up to visit you and sniff your hand. Remember, these dogs are socially deprived, and should be seeking your attention. When a candidate sniffs your hand, tell him he’s a good dog, and move your hand back and forth, slowly, several times, about five inches each way. A social dog will follow your hand. Remember, you want a social dog – a well-socialized, outgoing, and friendly dog is the least liable to be aggressive. If the dog jumps at your faces, barks at you, lunges or, alternatively clings to or retreats to the back of the kennel, cross him off your list and move on to the next dog.
4. When you have identified the dogs on your list who are very social, take them out of their kennels one at a time, to a quiet room if possible. (Not all shelters can provide this luxury. Do the best you can – find a relatively quiet corner somewhere.)
Stand with the dog for five minutes, and totally ignore him. The dog should look at you in a warm way, and try to worm his way into your affections – leaning on you, nudging, licking, trying to cuddle. Jumping up is okay if it is done as attention-seeking, not in an attempt to bowl you off your feet as he bounces away from you.
If an employee is with you and the dog is seeking attention from the employee, that’s okay – it just means the dog has already formed a bond with that person. If in five minutes the dog shows little or no interest in you or in other humans who are with you, put him back. He is not a good candidate.
5. If he is very social, pet him slowly and gently down his back. He should stand still and enjoy this, or lean into you, seeking more contact. If he shakes you off after you’ve touched him (“Yuck, people cooties!”) or moves or lunges away from your touch, he’s telling you he doesn’t like being petted, or being around you. This dog is at risk for being aggressive anytime people touch him in a way that offends him. Put him back.
6. If he passes the petting test, ask a shelter staff member if you can feed him a meal – a small bowl of kibble, or a handful of biscuits that you brought with you. You want to test him for resource guarding – another behavior that puts him at high risk for biting. Put a bowl of food or pile of treats on the floor, enough that it will take him about 45 seconds to finish it. Now (BE CAREFUL!) talk to him, then pet him gently on the back. (Do not try to take the food away!) You want him to wag his tail, wag his tail harder, or even stop and look at you as if to say, “Hi! I’m eating right now, I’ll be back with you shortly.” He may even stop eating and prefer to be with you.
However, if he stiffens, blocks you with his body, glares at you, lowers his head into the dish, growls, or tries to move the food away from you, he is a resource guarder, and not a good adoption choice.
7. If he passes the first food test, up the ante. Ask the shelter staff if you can give him a chew hoof, pig ear, rawhide, or some other very valuable object. Again, you want to see if he is cooperative or competitive with this resource. Slowly move toward him and look for any of the guarding signs described in the previous step. If you see them, stop the test. If not, slowly reach for the object from a distance of at least two feet, then jerk your hand back. Repeat this step three times. You are looking for a dog who is relaxed about your approach. If you see any signs of guarding, don’t adopt. Have the staff person retrieve the valuable object and put the dog away.
8. If the dog is still with you, your next step is to pet him all over. He should actively enjoy being petted, perhaps wag his tail, even lick you. He should not mouth you, even gently. If he does, put him away. Mouthiness, even done gently, is a sign of resistance, and may escalate to a bite if someone, such as a child, ignores the sign and keeps on petting or touching.
9. Now take out a toy (that you brought with you for this purpose, or one that the shelter provides, if they prefer) and see if he will play some sort of game with you: fetch, tug-o-war, or chase. Play the game for three to four minutes – enough to get him excited and aroused. Then abruptly stop the play, and put the toy up, preferably on a shelf where he can see it. Take note of how long it takes him to disengage from playing and return to you to settle and socialize, perhaps sit or lie down next to you. Ideally, he will do this within two minutes. If he is still aroused after five minutes, put him away. This is the kind of energy level that the average dog household is not equipped to deal with. (If, on the other hand, you are looking for the next World Frisbee or Agility Champion, he might be a candidate.)
10. Take the dog for a walk on leash, outside if possible. Don’t worry if he pulls, or is very distracted – these are behaviors that are normal for shelter dogs, and can be retrained. Do watch for aggressive behavior toward other dogs or people while he is on leash. If you see any, put him away and cross him off your list.
11. If this dog is still on your list when your walk is done, have a staff person put him back in his kennel, then watch him as other strangers pass by, especially children, big men, and anyone who moves or dresses oddly. Avoid a dog who barks or lunges at anyone who walks by – this is a sign of inadequate socialization. If your dog will be around children, look for a dog who wants to greet passing children first. A dog who will live with children must worship little humans, not just tolerate them.
12. If you still have one or more candidates in the running, ask the shelter staff if you can put them on temporary hold while you make arrangements to return with your kids and spouse (if you have them) and trainer. You may also want to bring your current dog, if you have one, so your trainer can help with the first introduction. Shelter staff may tell you that they can’t put a dog on hold, because if someone else wants to adopt in the meantime and you don’t return for some reason, he might miss out on his best chance for a home. This is reasonable. However, they should be willing to note that you are interested on the dog’s paperwork, and give you a reasonable amount of time to return, so the dog isn’t selected for euthanasia before you can get back with your crew in tow.
When you do return, your trainer will be able to help you make an educated final decision about which of the dogs on your short list is the best choice for a long relationship with your family.
The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) recently published an article written by two veterinarians about homemade and commercially made raw meat-based diets. (A similar article, based on the same data, was published in the AKC Gazette.) The article has been regarded by many proponents of homemade diets as a warning shot fired by the commercial-food -producing community and their traditional veterinary medical footsoldiers over the bow of the raw feeding ship.
The authors – who are both faculty members at prominent veterinary schools – stated that many arguments exist to support both sides of the issue – that, on one side, raw food diets are healthful, and on the other, that raw food diets can put dogs at risk of nutritional imbalances, complications from ingesting raw bones, and bacterial contamination. Further, they suggested that “neither side has provided evidence to prove that their argument is correct.” Generously, they proposed that they would “objectively assess whether raw food diets prepared by typical pet owners are nutritionally balanced and safe.” So far, so good. Some objective, scientifically based research studies about raw diets would benefit everyone.
Inadequate design However, in our opinion, the study the authors designed and set up was woefully inadequate for the purposes they intended – unless the purpose was, as some raw diet proponents suspect, to simply publish an article that was critical of raw diets, without regard for the actual results of the study.
To begin with, the authors performed a single analysis of five different diets, including a single sample of three homemade meals that included raw meats and other foods, and two commercial raw meat-based diets.
The authors suggested that each of the homemade diets was prepared according to a raw-diet expert’s outline – one based on Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diet, one based on Wendy Volhard’s “Natural Diet,” and one based on Kymythy Schultze’s “Ultimate Diet.” The commercial diets included Steve’s Real Food for Dogs (a frozen raw-meat-based food that includes fruits, vegetables, and supplements) and Sojourner’s Farm, a grain-based supplement that is added to fresh raw meat. The authors said they prepared this diet to the manufacturer’s directions.
Poor sampling Before we talk about the analysis itself, a word about the samples tested by the authors.
While the authors proposed that their study would enable them to draw conclusions about the nutritional adequacy and balance of the raw food diets, they knew what the ingredients were in only the two commercial diets. They asked three people they knew who regularly fed a raw-food diet to their dogs to prepare a sample of the diet; however, the authors admit that “Exact recipes of the diets were not provided to us.” Therefore, even though these three samples were taken to be representative of the feeding theories forwarded by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, Wendy Volhard, and Kymythy Schultze, they could not even know whether the owners were preparing the diets correctly, according to instructions given by the originators of the diets.
In fact, it’s fairly clear that the diets were not precisely representative of the raw-food diet experts. For example, the article mentions that all the diets contained “entire breasts or legs of chickens.” However, none of the three homemade diet programs recommend these cuts – Billinghurst and Schultze both recommend chicken wings, necks and backs, which have less meat and more bone, to get the proper calcium/phosphorus balance. Volhard’s basic diet uses beef plus a calcium supplement. All three diets also include occasional feeding of organ meats, but we do not know whether these were included.
Complicating the analysis even more, the samples of homemade diets may have been even less representative of the total diet because of the way they were collected. The person who provided the authors with a sample of a diet based on Kymythy Schultze’s “Ultimate Diet” told Schultze that, for two weeks, every time he fed his dog, he would throw a little bit of whatever he was feeding into a bag in the freezer.
So, if he fed the dog a banana as a snack, he put a chunk of banana in the bag, and if he fed two pounds of meat, a chunk of meat was added. Food items were not added to the bag in proportion to the amount of the item actually being fed to the dog.
Surely the authors must have been aware that a sample collected in this manner could not fairly represent any diet. But because they did not insist that all participants provide them with an exact recipe for their samples, they have no way of knowing whether the samples are prepared according to the diet originator’s directions.
Too many conclusions from too little data The first and most obvious problem is that the authors drew conclusions about complex feeding programs from analyzing a single sample – and one that was not guaranteed to resemble the diet it was supposed to represent. Unfortunately, the next set of problems are even more egregious.
The authors submitted the five samples to a testing laboratory for analysis of various nutrients, such as protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals, as well as contaminants like bacteria. They then compared these results against the standard for commercial dog food, the AAFCO Nutrient Profile. The result? According to the article, “All the diets tested had nutrient deficiencies or excesses that could cause serious health problems when used in a long-term feeding program.”
The authors concluded, “There are clearly nutritional and health risks associated with feeding raw food diets.”
This study, with its accompanying tables indicating the various “nutrient deficiencies and excesses” of the raw diets, published as it was in a peer-reviewed, reputable veterinary publication, undoubtedly convinced many readers (most of them veterinarians) that raw food diets are harmful.
Doing the math Fortunately, the article was also read – closely – by people who refused to accept the tables and text at face value, and actually “did the math” to double-check the authors’ allegations.
Steve Brown, President of Steve’s Real Food for Dogs (the maker of one of the two commercial diets studied by the authors) challenged the figures published in the JAVMA article. Brown has had his diet analyzed by commercial laboratories many times in order to be able to provide a “Guaranteed Analysis” on the label of Steve’s Real Food for Dogs that proved the nutritional completeness of his product; he was convinced that, in at least the case of his food, the authors’ numbers could not be correct.
Brown was subsequently provided with “corrected” data by the authors’ attorneys. Sixty percent of the values were different the second time around. No, there was no new testing done, but all the values were recalculated and the majority – as published in JAVMA – were wrong. In more than a dozen instances, the original values were “off” by a factor of 10 or more – in five instances, the decimal point had been put in the wrong place. For at least seven values, when the initial error was corrected, the food then met those requirements. For the two commercial raw diets, only one value out of 28 stayed the same; the magnitude of the errors ranged from 4 to 91 percent.
In a letter to the editor of JAVMA, one of the authors apologized for their “inadvertent computational errors.” Pressed by Brown and others, JAVMA later published a set of “corrected tables;” Brown has found yet more flaws within these tables.
However, the authors do not seem to be in a frame of mind to let facts get in their way. In the May 15 issue of JAVMA, one of the authors wrote, “Even considering these corrections, nutritional imbalances were present, and the overall reservations about raw food diets expressed in our article remain unchanged.”
Real science One of the major tenets of a “scientific” study is that it must be replicable. Precise methodology should be followed so that other scientists can duplicate the experiment, to see whether the same results occur. However, no one can replicate this data – the authors don’t even know what was in the food! No recipe, not even a list of ingredients, nothing.
Another philosophically vexing problem with this entire issue is the authors’ discernible prejudice. They acknowledge that the arguments in favor of raw food diets are “plausible,” but then seem to spend the rest of the paper trying very hard to prove how terrible such diets are. This is hardly an example of “scientific” thinking, which should be open-minded, unbiased, and rational.
The fact is, no studies have been done to compare the relative healthfulness of raw versus commercial diets – and, conducted in a scientific fashion by a neutral party, this is going to be what it takes to put this controversy to rest.
The tragedy of this flawed study is that the damage has already been done. There are 65,000 veterinarians in the AVMA, and most of them receive this journal. All but about 3,000 of them practice conventional medicine, recommend commercial dog foods, and prescribe commercial therapeutic diets. This article has given them seeming justification for their skepticism about raw food diets. Even if corrections are published, these readers’ opinions have already been influenced. Although JAVMA has printed a series of small corrections and letters to the editor on the topic, without a highly publicized retraction, correction, and/or apology – given about the same space and prominence as the original article – it is unlikely that many will feel it necessary to reconsider their newly solidified positions.
As far as we’re concerned, one of the oddest parts of this whole tale is the report from one participating owner who said that, in all the time he was dealing with the authors, they never once asked him if his dog was healthy. Wouldn’t that be the first question to ask?
-By Jean Hofve, DVM
Dr. Jean Hofve is the Companion Animal Program Coordinator for the Animal Protection Institute, located in Sacramento, California.
Thank goodness, I have never owned a dog with separation anxiety. This complex behavior challenge can be one of the most difficult to live with, and one of the toughest to resolve. The dog who panics when left alone may manifest a range of behaviors that the average owner finds intolerable, including serious household destruction (I’ve heard about dogs who have clawed holes through the walls of their homes, all the way through the outdoor siding), self-injury from biting or clawing at doors or walls, hysterical vocalization (nonstop whining, crying, barking, howling, and/or screaming), and inappropriate defecation and urination – on floors, carpets, beds, and owners’ possessions.
Separation anxiety (SA) stems from a dog’s natural survival instinct to stay in close proximity to the pack. In the wild, a canine who is left alone is more likely to die, either from starvation, since he has no pack to hunt with, or from attack, since he has no pack mates for mutual protection. Given the vital importance of a dog’s canine companions, it speaks volumes about their adaptability as a species that we can condition them to accept being left alone at all! We’re lucky we don’t have far more SA problems than we do, especially in today’s world, where few households have someone at home regularly during the day to keep the dog company.
Recipe for Failure
It’s not enough that dogs are naturally inclined to become anxious when left alone. Many well-intentioned but misguided owners of new dogs inadvertently set the stage for SA by doing all the wrong things when they first bring their new dog home.
For example, lots of families adopt their new dog or puppy at the beginning of the summer, when the kids will be home to spend a lot of time with him. Other new-dog parents may take several days off from work, or at least arrange to bring the dog home on a Friday afternoon so they have the entire weekend to help the new kid settle in. On its face, this is a thoughtful approach to acclimating the dog to his new life. What better way to help him feel comfortable and welcome than to give him a couple of days of your loving company?
It’s true that spending extra time with the newcomer can help smooth the transition for him, but unless you take some important precautions, you could be setting him up for a rude awakening on Monday morning when you go back to work, leaving him alone all day to wonder and worry the pack is ever coming back to rescue him from solitary confinement.
Recipe for Success
The key to SA is to never trigger it in the first place. This is without a doubt one of those behaviors where it is well worth investing in many ounces of prevention, lest you end up spending many beginning with making a wise selection of your new family member.
Dogs adopted from animal shelters seem to have a higher than average incidence of SA. We don’t know whether this is because dogs with SA are more likely to be recycled through shelters by their frustrated owners, or because the stress of shelter life triggers SA in previously unaffected dogs. It’s likely that both explanations play a significant role. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t adopt from a shelter. It means that you need to look for signs of potential SA whatever the source of your new dog, and especially if you adopt from a shelter or rescue group.
Dogs who seem anxious in general are more likely candidates for SA, particularly those who are worried and clingy. Velcro dogs who won’t leave your side in the get-acquainted area, even though they have just met you, can be hard to resist. “She loves me already,” you think to yourself. “How can I possibly leave her here to face the risk of euthanasia?”
Indeed, that kind of instant bond can be very endearing in the moment. It is far less so when you get home from a hard day’s work to find your sofa cushions in shreds, and dog feces and urine smeared across the kitchen, or worse, a note from your landlord informing you that elderly Mr. Jones with a heart condition who lives in the apartment next door called 11 times today to complain that someone was screaming at the top of their lungs in your living room. If you do think that’s your furry soulmate glued to your leg in the get-acquainted room, do a simple test. Place an inexpensive pillow or cushion that you have purchased at Goodwill for this very purpose on the chair or floor, and leave the dog alone in the room for 10 minutes. Wait outside, close enough that you can hear any activity. Ideally, the shelter will have a one-way window into the room, so you can watch her but she can’t see you. Now, take note of what she does.
A certain amount of activity is normal. She might explore the room, playfully chew on the pillows or other dog toys, snuffle at the door, and stand up on her hind legs to look out the window. She might even whine or bark a bit to see if anyone responds. As long as she seems relatively calm, and settles down after several minutes, you’re not looking at SA behavior, despite her instant and endearing connection to you. You will still need to take precautions not to trigger SA once you get her home, but again, that’s easier than undoing an existing condition.
If, however, she charges in a panic from one end of the room to the other, digs frantically at the door, flings herself bodily at the window, shreds the pillow into tiny pieces and proclaims her distress vocally and insistently, you are looking at a serious behavior challenge. If you choose to adopt her anyway, be prepared to enter into a long-term, potentially costly relationship with a good, positive behavior counselor and a doggie daycare facility.
Puppies are less likely to come complete with a fully developed set of SA behaviors, but again, some are more likely candidates than others. Puppies will naturally exhibit some concern at being isolated from their littermates, but the pup who happily visits with you or explores his new environment is a safer bet than the one who shows immediate distress and a single-minded determination to return to his siblings. A conscientious breeder who makes an effort to separate littermates for brief, non-traumatic periods between the ages of six to eight weeks can help set the stage for a puppy who is able to tolerate being left alone when he arrives in his new home.
Pat Miller is a freelance author and a professional dog trainer. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.
So, you’ve decided that you and your dog need professional help. Don’t worry; all relationships can use a helping hand at one point or another. Maybe the two of you have communication issues that need to be dealt with (like your dog doesn’t listen and you wish he would!). Or maybe your bouncing bundle of fur is growing faster and bigger than expected, and you’re desperate for a constructive outlet for all that energy and enthusiasm. You’re sure that training is the answer to your problems – and you are probably right!
But how can you sort through piles of names given to you by well meaning friends, neighbors, your veterinarian, and the folks at the feed store? (We also recommend looking through the Trainer Search at the Association of Pet Dog Trainers web site, found at www.apdt.com. APDT is dedicated to building better trainers through education, promoting dog-friendly methods and encouraging their use.) Getting names is not the problem; figuring out which trainer will be just right for you and your dog is the first step in meeting your training needs. And the following five tips will help!
1. Look for a trainer who offers what you want
That may seem obvious. You want someone to help you train your dog – right? But different trainers have different skills and offer a variety of services. To really narrow down your specific needs and wants, ask yourself:
• Do I want a group class or individual training? Each has its benefits. For someone with a new puppy, a class offers essential opportunities for socialization. Plus, classes are less expensive than individual training. With individual training, however, you’re more likely to get personalized attention and have your specific needs addressed.
• Am I looking for general training or do I need help with a specific problem? If you are dealing with a behavior problem such as barking, separation anxiety or aggression, you may want to look for a trainer or behaviorist with experience in that area.
• Am I primarily looking for short-term training opportunities to help my dog become a happy member of my family, or do I have specific long-term goals such as obedience or agility competition? Some of us look for training classes because we love dog sports and hanging out with people who are as crazy about their dogs as we are.
Take Nancy Layton, for example. Layton, who lives in Aptos, California, with her mixed-breed, Dodger, and her Bearded Collie,Scout, plans to compete with both of her dogs in obedience and agility. “I was working with one trainer that I really liked, but her classes weren’t consistent enough for me,” says Layton who decided to train with a club that offered the structure she needed to prepare for competition.
2. Investigate different training methods
Trainers use a variety of techniques and methods. Most of the techniques do “work” to change behavior, but not all are gentle, kind, and humane. When choosing a trainer, it is essential to understand which training methods are both humane and effective. Positive reinforcement training, for example, works by rewarding what the dog does right. It is an effective, humane, and fun way to train. Dogs can easily (and happily) learn everything from basic manners to masters’ level agility using positive reinforcement techniques.
Positive reinforcement training is becoming more common all the time, making it easier to find good trainers who use reward-based methods. Two of the most popular positive methods are “lure and reward” and “clicker training.” Both use food as the primary reinforcement and both methods are very effective.
We would suggest that you steer away from “traditional” or military based-training methods that use choke or pinch collars. Training can be accomplished without correction-based techniques; force is not necessary to train dogs. In addition, we’d recommend that you run from any trainer that uses inhumane practices such as hitting, kicking, hanging, shocking, or any other action that can cause a dog pain or distress.
When asking a trainer about her training methods, listen carefully to her answer. As positive reinforcement training has become more popular, some trainers who teach using traditional correction-based methods have begun calling themselves “positive” trainers, too. To discover exactly how a trainer works, ask for a detailed explanation of how she would train a basic behavior such as “Sit.” In addition, ask how she would deal with problems like a dog not listening, a dog misbehaving in class, or a dog who displays aggression.
Best of all, ask to sit in on a typical beginner’s class and watch to see whether or not the trainer’s description of his methods actually matches what he practices.
3. Get a feel for the trainer’s people skills, too
A trainer is part teacher, part therapist, and part communications expert, and the right trainer will help you even more than she will help your dog. But let’s face it, most people who become dog trainers do so because they like or even love dogs, not because they are experts at working with people. So how will you know if a trainer who works well with dogs will really be able to teach you?
Again, your best bet is to go and watch a class and observe the students and their dogs. Do they appear to be relaxed and enjoying the experience? Do you understand the trainer’s explanations? Are suggestions offered to students in a way that you feel good about? Are problems handled so that all involved appear satisfied? Or do the students look puzzled or frustrated?
Most important, however, is that the trainer is able to make it clear to you what is working and what isn’t – and what specifically you can do to fix problems. This takes observation skills, communication skills, and diplomacy. Layton notes that feedback she receives must come in a way that feels supportive, not punitive. A good trainer really needs to be able to “positively reinforce” what the person does right, as well as what the dog does right.
4. Check out the trainer’s level of experience
The length of time a trainer has offered professional services doesn’t determine her ability, but it is a gauge that should contribute to your decision. Someone who has less professional training experience but good skills, for example, may be great for a basic training class. In fact, newer trainers often bring to a class enthusiasm, energy, and creativity that a trainer who has taught for a long time may have lost.
However, a less-experienced trainer may not be the best choice for a class that offers specific activities that require overall behavior knowledge and experience. Take off-leash “play time” as an example. During off-leash socialization (even with puppies), a trainer really needs to be skilled at reading canine body language, predicting interactions, and intervening appropriately when necessary. This takes specialized skills. And a trainer without extensive experience and knowledge might not be the best choice for serious problems such as aggression.
How can you assess a trainer’s experience and knowledge? Ask how long she has worked as a professional trainer and how she learned to train. If your dog has a specific behavior problem, ask if she has dealt with this problem before. Remember that a good trainer will acknowledge what she doesn’t know, as well as what she does know.
Most importantly, trust your instincts. If the trainer “feels” like a good match, she probably is. On the other hand, if you do not have full confidence in a trainer’s ability to help you and your dog, you will be less likely to follow her prescribed plan of action and less likely to have success.
5. Cost and convenience count
While it can be said that you get what you pay for, it is equally true that for most of us a training class needs to be both affordable and convenient. A single class can get you started, but many people need or want advanced training opportunities. And the simple fact is, if you can’t afford the classes, you’re not likely to stick with it!
Changing personality?
After you’ve done your research and found a trainer to help you solve your canine relationship problems, all you have to do is get busy and train, right?
Right – but stay alert to apparent “shifts” in your trainer’s training philosophy or methods. If at any time you and your dog seem to frustrate the trainer, or knock up against the limits of her abilities to solve her student’s problems in a positive fashion, you may want to consider taking a break from training and reconsider your choice.
Less experienced trainers (or those who are, deep down, less committed to positive methods) may not have learned to cope with every type of canine behavior issue or with every dog “personality” positively. While it would be ideal if the trainer was the one who recognized his inability to deal with a given situation and gave you a recommendation for another trainer, it’s fairly rare that this happens. If your trainer begins to use punitive methods, citing your dog’s extraordinary “stubbornness,” “disrespect,” or any other trait as justification for force-based methods, politely excuse yourself from the class, and look for a new trainer. Believe me, there are positive trainers who can deal your dog – no matter how rowdy – without resorting to violence.
If your own commitment to positive methods needs reinforcement, I suggest you read Don’t Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor and Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. Both of these internationally renowned trainers, leaders in the modern dog training field, bolster the argument for positive training by describing how dogs think and learn. Dogs can and do learn to perform specific behaviors in order to avoid punishment, of course, but they are pleasure-seekers by nature. It’s far more effective, both of the authors conclude, to inspire the dog to figure out what behaviors will result in pleasurable rewards. This not only produces a dog who is motivated to do “the right thing,” but also preserves an affectionate, trusting relationship with his handler.
With good luck, good training, and lots of hard work, you’ll soon be over the rowdy dog blues and on to a fulfilling and happy relationship with your canine pal.
It’s unfortunate that The Iams Company was not given the opportunity to provide relevant background information and a scientific point of view prior to the publication of “Iams vs. Nutro: A Dog Food Labeling War,” in the May 2001 issue. Here are the facts.
For more than 50 years, the Iams Company has manufactured premium pet food, and our company mission is to enhance the well-being of dogs and cats by providing world-class quality foods.
The feeding guidelines for Iams Dog Foods are based on: (1) extensive experience making, testing, and selling our premium products; (2) the professional judgement of Iams veterinarians and research nutritionists; (3) the collective judgement of independent experts at universities throughout the U.S.; and (4) direct feedback from Iams Customer Service representatives who respond daily to consumer questions about feeding. If dogs were having problems from underfeeding of Iams products, we would be the first to know.
Veterinarians, pet owners, and statistics from across the country tell us that obesity is a serious nutritional problem for dogs, which can lead to a variety of ailments. Proper feeding management plays a key role in helping dogs maintain a healthy weight, and The Iams Company creates feeding guidelines with the dogs’ well-being in mind. These guidelines are carefully designed to help dog owners feed the right amount of food to achieve the best outcome.
Two years ago, we began updating our feeding guidelines for Eukanuba and Iams Dog Foods – lowering the amount of food we recommend dogs be fed each day. Feedback from pet owners, veterinarians, and breeders over the past two years has reinforced the fact that we made the right decision.
Why would a pet food company recommend consumers to feed less of its food? Iams made that recommendation with the health of its consumers’ pets in mind. The allegation that Iams reduced the recommended feeding quantities to lower the cost of feeding is false. The vast majority of Iams’ advertising involves building consumer awareness and brand recognition. We focus on educating pet owners about the nutritional benefits of feeding Iams and Eukanuba products. The cost or value message has never been the focus of our advertising.
While the misinformation about feeding guidelines is unfortunate, it’s not surprising given that Iams’ recent growth and success in the pet food industry has affected our competitors. Today, Iams’ is investing more in research and development, manufacturing, selling and marketing our premium quality products than ever before.
Ultimately, pets and their owners are the real winners as it relates to our feeding guidelines. We take our business very seriously and we will continue to take appropriate steps to protect our reputation as a world leader in dog and cat nutrition.
We appreciate this opportunity to set the record straight, and we encourage any pet owners who have questions about Iams and Eukanuba products to contact Iams Customer Service at (800) 863-4267.
-Daniel Carey, DVM Director of Technical Communications Research and Development The Iams Company, Dayton, OH
We read with great interest your article “Iams vs. Nutro.” We feel compelled to point out a few things relevant to the last sentence in your article, which states, “It seems that opportunities for corporate profits will always prevail over the needs of consumers and the health of their animals.” This may apply to Iams, but not to Nutro and other competitors who should not be painted with the same brush. Nutro’s objective was and remains to ensure that consumers are provided with accurate information with which to make informed purchasing decisions. We do not expect you to believe it simply because we say so, but ask you to consider the following:
1. When Nutro discovered and confirmed the misrepresentations being made on the Iams label and in related advertising (and confirmed the unhealthful weight loss suffered by dogs fed off the Iams label), Nutro did not seek a competitive advantage by going to the marketplace with this information. Instead, Nutro went to Iams and appealed to Iams privately to correct its statements to the benefit of consumers and their animals.
2. Kal Kan, another competitor, filed a similar lawsuit concerning Iams’ false and misleading feeding instructions.
3. A consumer class action was also filed in California seeking to vindicate harm to consumers that resulted from Iams’ false statements.
Nutro’s conduct, Kal Kan’s conduct, and the consumer class action in California all have as their central objective ensuring that consumers receive accurate information. That is far different from Iams’ conduct, which clearly evidences support for your concern that “opportunities for corporate profit will always prevail over the needs of consumers and the health of their animals.”
-Jerold I. Sicherman President, Nutro Products, Inc. City of Industry, CA
Interesting, isn’t it? We’ll keep readers posted on developments in this conflict.
Not very many dog owners look forward to bathing their dogs, and most dogs are even less enthusiastic about the ritual than their owners. However, having the right equipment can make the task less burdensome for human and canine participants alike.
There are a number of accessories on the market that claim to make your bathing chore less onerous. These include tools to help you get your dog wet, tools to get her dry, and tools to hold her in place while you do all the stuff in-between. WDJ decided to see which claims really hold water when the suds meet the fur.
We were looking for products that made some aspect of bathing much easier, while being reasonably priced and made well enough to hold up to extended use.
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In every issue, Whole Dog Journal encourages its readers to “consult a holistic veterinarian.” But how do concerned dog owners find a holistic practitioner, and how do they assess that candidate’s qualifications? The answer to the first question is easy: You find a holistic veterinarian by contacting the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. The answer to the next question is difficult; my complete answer could fill an entire issue! But with just a few pages to speak my piece, I’ll give you my pared-down opinion on how to evaluate a practitioner’s ability to practice quality holistic medicine.
I think there are several parameters that make up a good holistic practitioner, with the emphasis on holistic because I think holistic medical practice is entirely different from a typical western medicine approach. Following is a list of the qualities that I think are important when it comes to evaluating the quality of any holistic practitioner, veterinary or otherwise. Education Most important is the quality and quantity of a practitioner’s education – that is, actual hours spent in the classroom or in dedicated, directed study. For most methods, educators would consider a study program that offers from 10 to 50 classroom hours as mere exposure to the method. Practitioners who think they can gain competency by taking a weekend course and/or by spending a weekend reading a book are deluding themselves and their clients. In my opinion, entry-level competency in some methods can be achieved only with a minimum of 100-200 contact hours, as long as the classroom time includes several dozen hours of instructor-supervised, hands-on professional activities performed in an actual practice environment. To reach an in-depth understanding of the basics of most of the alternative medicine methods requires a two- to three-year full-time study program. In most states, this two- to three-year study program is the depth of study that a licensed acupuncturist (L. Ac.) must obtain to receive a license to practice; it is also the amount of time required for most master’s degree, graduate-level programs. We grant the doctor’s degree – Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Medical Doctor (MD), Oriental Medical Doctor (OMD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), Naturopathic Physician (ND), etc. – only after the candidate has completed three to four years of undergraduate study and satisfied the requirements of an intensive full-time study program (usually four to six years) directed toward one particular healing method. Remember that these are doctorates in the medicine they represent; they do not necessarily cover anything other than their own specialty. Experience In theory, the more time a practitioner spends actually practicing his craft, the more proficient he will become. However, this assumes that a practitioner will continue to learn and grow and experience new methods and ways of doing things each and every year that she practices. Personally, I had to work with hundreds of animals using homeopathic remedies, acupuncture treatments, and herbal prescriptions before I had a good feel for how my patients should respond to those treatments. In the meantime, though, I think I helped a lot of animals get better – even if I didn’t feel very competent. Interplay between education and experience I can offer my own experience as a testament to the importance of both “hours of education” and “years of experience.” Years ago, I enrolled in one of the courses that train animal practitioners in chiropractic techniques. As a matter of fact, the course I took is the most extensive of all the courses of its type, 150-200 hours long, and is offered by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. I may never develop the palpation and adjusting skills of a good chiropractor (who will complete 1,000 to 2,000-plus hours of hands-on, clinical-practice training), but I began to feel reasonably comfortable with the sense that my fingers were palpating the animal’s true problem only after I’d been working with animals for about two years – that is, after I’d spent about 1,000 hours doing hands-on chiropractic adjustments on hundreds of animals. And it took at least that long before I felt I was able to do the adjustments in the way they were taught. So, in my opinion, as a matter of consumer awareness, you should check to see if your practitioner has received a minimum number of in-depth study hours of the method(s) he uses, and an adequate amount of time spent using the methods in his practice – on animals. Results Much more important than either education or time in the practice are the actual results a practitioner generates with her methods. In ancient tribal systems, the “pay” for the medicine wo/man depended on the results he or she produced. But in a tiny tribal society, everyone in the tribe could see those results firsthand! Today, we have no way to evaluate and record a practitioner’s results, good or bad.
Now, absolutely no one (contrary to what you’ll hear from some practitioners) and absolutely no single form of therapy will be able to cure all the diseases presented to them. Whenever I hear some braggart claim a 100 percent cure rate for anything, I know that he is “burying,” literally or figuratively, all of his failures. I suppose it’s just human nature: when we do have a failure, we tend to do our best to forget it, that is, “bury” it in our own minds. Oftentimes a practitioner will remember a failed case as an instance where the client did not comply with all the instructions demanded. Or the practitioner will complain that this case was “let go” too long before it was brought in for treatment. No practitioner, alternative, western, or otherwise, keeps an unbiased database of ALL the patients he/she has treated, along with an honest appraisal of the results. Consequently, clients have to rely on the practitioners’ accuracy and honesty when they assess their own results. (I’ve found that many practitioners, when asked what their cure rate is for a particular type of disease, will answer, “Oh, I cure about 70 percent of those.” This 70 percent figure has become so prevalent in our medical mythology, whenever I hear it, I know it’s bogus!) Interestingly, some practitioners seem to have a knack for treating one particular form of disease while they have problems with other diseases. For example, most of my colleagues claim great successes when treating various forms of epilepsy; I really struggle to have any luck treating any form of this disease, no matter what method I try. On the other hand, for whatever reason, I’ve had several successes when treating thyroid problems, whereas many of my holistic colleagues struggle with thyroid imbalances and often end up using western medicine’s drugs. Keep in mind that some holistic practitioners are willing to take on much more challenging cases than are others. The more challenging the case, of course, the lower the success rate. Now, onto the stuff that’s even more difficult to quantify! Environment of the practice Every practice has its own internal environment, its feel as you walk in the door. In a western medicine practice, we generally look for efficiency and sterility: white-wall cleanliness, quick answers, and one-step cures. In many ways a holistic practice will be almost the opposite of this, although I’d still expect the place to be clean and as odor-free as an animal environment can be. A holistic practice should have the feel that you and your critter’s comfort are an important part of the healing process. There should be a feel of unrushed competency, and you should be able to sense a calming and healing chi as you enter. Practitioner’s ability to educate True holistic healing comes when you take charge of your own health, the health of your family and extended family, and the health of your family of animals. Certainly you may need to rely on the advice and treatments of a qualified holistic practitioner, but ultimately you will be responsible for your own health and the health of those closest to you. With this in mind, the best holistic practitioner will be an educator; doctor comes from the Latin, docere: “to teach.” Educator-practitioners will help you learn the right ways to enhance health, and they will apply best-learning methods so that it is easy for you to learn. Realize that no matter the health problem you are addressing in a holistic manner, in order to truly cure it, you will need to change something – perhaps your family’s diet, your exercise regime, the amount of stress in the household, and/or something else. Whatever the change required, it will be helpful if your holistic practitioner can facilitate that change – act as a coach, if you will. A good holistic practitioner should offer “continuing education” for all his clients. Continuing education should be in the form of basic written materials, a bibliography of important study materials, feedback on treatments and results, and hands-on, experientially-oriented training sessions. In contrast, if, when you ask a question, your practitioner grunts and goes on about his treatment business, fire the schmuck and find someone who is willing to be a true doctor/teacher. Ability to refer In a holistic practice it is imperative that the practitioner have access to several methods of treatment. I am not saying that every practitioner must use all the various alternative medicines. A quick look at the hours required to become proficient in any one method tells us that a practitioner probably has only the time to learn one or two methods really well. But holistic practitioners should have a basic understanding for how a variety of methodologies work. AND, they should know other practitioners they can (and do) refer to whenever one particular method might have an advantage over another. I see far too many alternative practitioners who are firmly convinced that their method (whatever the method happens to be – acupuncture, for example, or homeopathy or chiropractic) is the ONLY way to approach a problem. I think these one-way practitioners tend to get bogged down with the necessity of proving that their method works, and their patients ultimately suffer from this lack of a broad-based perspective on healing methods. Furthermore (as I said in “Building a Foundation of Health,” March 2001), I firmly believe that the most commonly used alternative medicines (acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, and herbs) are merely “nudgers and tweakers” when it comes to long-term, in-depth healing. All healing methods require a base of supportive care that includes attention given to lifestyle, relationship, and nutrition. A true holistic practitioner will have at least a basic knowledge of how these can interact with healing, as well as having the skills to use one or more of the alternative medicines. Continuing education There is absolutely no way a practitioner can keep up with the constant changes that occur in medicine, especially the alternative medicines, without a consistent program of quality continuing education. In addition, all practitioners need a periodic assessment of their knowledge and skills to assure these haven’t deteriorated. Practitioners who engage in an annual course of rigorous continuing education are demonstrating their passion, their positive lifestyle, and their ability to charge enough to sustain a level of competency as a practitioner. Your holistic practitioner should be proud to tell you of his/her continuing education program, and as a consumer, you have every right to know if your practitioner is staying current. Practitioner passion To my way of thinking, passion is born from an inner germination of the seeds of love, intention, satisfaction, and creative force. The entry-level guiding light for all practitioners who work on animals is their passionate love for the animals, their intention to make them well and keep them healthy. People who are led by their passions have an energetic glow – an inner light, often expressed as an expanded and healthy outer aura. While none of these outer and inner signs of passion can be measured by scientific means, they can be easily felt and sensed by anyone open to them. Use your sense of awareness (best accessed with an open heart) to feel how much energy your alternative practitioner has. And remember you are evaluating inner energetics – not personal charisma, bedside manner, nor the practitioner’s apparent love for your dog. Practitioner compassion To me, compassion is such an obvious quality of any person who works with animals, it is hardly worth mentioning. Animals are compassion personified, and animals have an innate ability to bring out our own “Inner Compassionate.” But don’t confuse compassion with bedside manner. Professional compassion is the ability to sympathize with the animal’s condition, the inclination to give aid or support. It has to do with honoring the animal, and treating him and his condition with respect. Practitioner health This is simple: Find a practitioner who maintains her own health – if for no other reason, so she’ll still be around to help you a few years from now! Practicing holistic medicine can be extremely demanding and stressful, and for a practitioner to maintain sustainability she/he will need to recharge on a continuing basis. Rechargers for the professional include: continuing education, alternative medicine meetings, learning new methods and techniques, personal chi exercises (tai chi, chi gong, yoga, aikido, and other martial arts), and living a healthy, holistic lifestyle. A question you should ask of all your holistic practitioners is: “Doc, what are you doing for yourself?” In addition to a periodic recharge, all holistic practitioners need to walk their talk, so to speak. Your practitioner should be involved in healthy relationships, must not smoke or have other detrimental lifestyle habits, should be in relatively good physical condition, and should practice what she preaches regarding good nutrition and supplements. In addition, the person who works on your animals should know (and use) several alternative medicine practitioners who work on humans. Finally, a practitioner who expects to stay around for more than a few years will have developed a fee structure that allows her to live a healthy lifestyle. Again, I could write reams about the importance of charging fees that are adequate to sustain the practitioner, but let this suffice: Professionals charge fees for services rendered and goods delivered. Since holistic veterinarians actually frown on vaccines, steroids, and antibiotics, they typically generate very little (if any) income from these sources. And, although there are exceptions to this rule, most holistic practitioners don’t have much of an inventory to sell – their true inventory is their cache of information they have stored in their heads, and their overhead lies in the cost of their specialized schooling. Holistic medicine will almost certainly appear at first glance to be more expensive than the typical visit to a western medicine practitioner. However, I like to think (although I’m not absolutely certain) that the overall fees will be less, over the lifetime of the animal. This, I am sure of: Pets that are living a holistic lifestyle will be healthier over their lifetime. Eye of the beholder Having said all this, let me add that a practitioner’s quality is really in the eye of the beholder. One client may want only a compassionate holistic practitioner who seems to love her dog as much as she does; another may be primarily concerned that the evils of western medicine not be practiced on his dog; a third may be interested in results only, no matter what kind of medicine that requires; and another patient’s wishes may be for a truly holistic approach that supports inner and natural healing of the entire family’s body/mind/heart/spirit/soul. In other words, your expectations and goals are really the first criterion you use to evaluate a holistic practitioner. The ultimate question, then, is: “Did you get what you wanted from your practitioner?” -By Randy Kidd Author Randy Kidd has a DVM degree from Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in Pathology/Clinical Pathology from Kansas State University. He is a past president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, and author of Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Dog Care and Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Cat Care, published by Storey Books (800-441-5700 or www.storeybooks.com). Dr. Kidd and his wife live on a farm in Kansas.
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?”
