Though you can tap a coconut to extract the liquid inside to enjoy with or serve to your dog, most people buy coconut water in stores. It can be a sweet treat for your dog, but check with your vet first if your dog has kidney disease. Photo by ThamKC, Getty Images.
Dogs can have coconut water and they usually enjoy it because of its sweet taste. However, it shouldn’t replace plain water as your dog’s primary source of hydration though it can safely be offered in small amounts or added to food or water. Coconut water can help dogs recover from vigorous exercise, especially in hot weather, and it is said to aid digestion. As with any new food, start slowly and monitor your dog’s response.
There are many brands of coconut water, but plain coconut water that has nothing added is the safest for dogs, as some products contain added sugar, fruit purees, or other ingredients that contribute to weight gain. Check labels to be sure the brand you’re looking at does not contain harmful ingredients like xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.
While figures vary, the average cup (245 grams) of 100% coconut water with nothing added contains about 45 calories, 40 to 65 milligrams (mg) of sodium, 10.4 grams of carbohydrates, 9.6 grams of sugar, 0.5 grams of protein, 24 mg of vitamin C, 400 to 600 mg of potassium, and 0.5 mg of manganese. Magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, and copper are also present in small amounts. Plain coconut water contains zero fat or fiber. Its sodium and potassium are electrolytes, which are minerals that carry an electric charge. They help regulate hydration, maintain pH balance, transmit nerve impulses, and facilitate muscle responses.
If your dog has been diagnosed with kidney disease, consult with your veterinarian before offering coconut water. In some cases, kidney disease depletes potassium so it’s a helpful supplement, but in other cases, coconut water’s extra potassium may be detrimental.
In addition to the water it contains, fresh coconut meat can be a tasty treat for you and your dog to enjoy together. Just be careful when you open the coconut; the husk and shell of the coconut are potential choking hazards. Dogs can also eat dried coconut in small amounts as a treat, but just as with coconut water, check the ingredients for added sugar, which your dog does not need.
A sunrise hike is fun for dogs and owners, but since it’s also a prime mosquito bite time, be sure your dog is on a heartworm preventative. Credit: Justin Paget | Getty Images
Heartworm in dogs is deadly and spread by the bite of a mosquito infected with Dirofilaria immitis, which is a parasitic roundworm that migrates to the heart and lungs. Early on, symptoms of heartworm infection are difficult to notice. As the disease progresses, your dog will find it difficult to breathe, as his lungs and heart struggle against the heartworm invasion to support life.
Symptoms of Heartworm in Dogs
The symptoms seen in a dog with heartworm vary with the stage of disease and the severity of the infection. Early on, your dog may not show any signs of heartworm disease. As the disease progresses, signs related to your dog’s heart and lungs will become apparent and deadly.
Your lively, athletic dog may simply have less “get up and go.”
Next, a mild cough without any nasal or ocular discharge may appear.
The cough is often accompanied by weight loss and a decrease in appetite.
Heart failure progresses and weight loss becomes severe (called cardiac cachexia).
You might notice a distended abdomen as fluid backs up from the stressed heart.
The cough will become more frequent, and exercise intolerance will be more pronounced.
The dog begins to struggle to breathe as the heart and lungs try to get oxygen out to all his tissues.
Rarely, a large number of heartworms will disrupt blood flow within the heart causing a cardiac crisis known as caval syndrome.
Without treatment, your dog will die of heart failure.
Heartworm Treatment
When an infected mosquito bites a dog, it injects an immature heartworm stage called microfilaria into the dog’s bloodstream. The microfilaria eventually develop into mature heartworms (they look like long, white worms) that usually reside in the dog’s heart.
Heartworm can be treated, but damage already done to the heart tends to remain. Treatment is not without risk. Clearly, this is a disease it is best to prevent.
Start prevention following an annual screening test to verify your dog does not have heartworm already. The FDA-approved heartworm preventives are ivermectin, milbemycin oxime, moxidectin, and selamectin. These are all macrocyclic lactones and, as noted by the American Heartworm Society, are effective and safe medications when used as directed. Most of these are given as monthly oral doses. Treatment is recommended year-round.
Note: Some dogs (mainly collies, herding breeds, and mixes with these breeds) react to ivermectin due to a genetic defect known as MDR1. Options without ivermectin are best for those dogs, although the dosage in most monthly preventives is low enough to avoid toxicity.
Our dogs are family members, so knowing CPR, rescue breathing, and other life-saving techniques is important. Credit: Klaus Vedfelt | Getty Images
If your dog is not breathing, knowing what to do and how to do it before you encounter such a situation could truly mean the difference between life and death. Rescue breathing is a critical part of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) for dogs.
Dog owners who know how to perform rescue breathing, or CPR on a small dog versus CPR on a large dog, very well may save their own dog’s life. The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Baker Institute of Animal Health has produced an outstanding graphic that should be on every dog owner’s refrigerator. ProCPR placed an excellent video on how to give CPR to your animal.
What If It Happens at Home?
Can you do it? You have nothing to lose by trying. A study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science showed that mouth-to-nose rescue breathing was better than nothing and certainly worth a try if your dog is not breathing.
Furthermore, the veterinary CPR guidelines (RECOVER Initiative) state, “It is reasonable to recommend mouth-to-snout rescue breathing for dogs and cats with respiratory arrest or with cardiopulmonary arrest in a 30:2 ratio with chest compressions when endotracheal intubation is not available.”
What does this mean? Well, “30:2” means for every 30 chest compressions you give 2 breaths. You should be giving approximately 100 to 120 chest compressions (2 compressions every second) and approximately 10 breaths per minute (1 breath every 6 seconds).
Mouth-to-nose rescue breathing is not perfect. Some of the problems that arise are gas distention of the stomach, regurgitation of stomach contents, and ineffective breaths.
To administer breaths as effectively as possible, extend the head and neck as much as possible and seal the dog’s lips as tightly closed as you can to prevent air from escaping. You must blow with enough sustained vigor to see the dog’s chest rise and fall. This tells you the lungs have expanded.
Note: If the dog is choking, you need to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on your dog to clear the airway.
CPR on Big Dogs
For chest compressions in big dogs, with one hand on top of the other and the dog on his side, push hard on the lower rib cage behind the front legs. You must push hard enough to compress the rib cage to effectively push blood through the heart.
CPR on Small Dogs
For chest compressions in a small dog, it is sometimes better to use your thumbs. With the dog on his side, one hand grabs the dog’s top line, the other hand grabs the lower chest. With your thumbs facing each other and flat against the ribs behind the elbow start compressions, again with enough pressure to compress the rib cage.
Rescue breathing and chest compressions must be continued until either the dog starts breathing on its own or you arrive at the veterinary emergency center and the professionals take over.
If your dog goes into cardiac and/or respiratory arrest at the veterinary clinic, an endotracheal tube will be inserted into the trachea and rescue breathing will be administered using 100% oxygen. This is obviously the ideal situation, and the most effective way to provide rescue breathing during CPR. Performing CPR while you’re on route to the veterinary clinic is critical. Call ahead to be sure they’re open and available.
The incidence of giardia is long associated with dogs drinking water while hiking in wooded areas, but it is common in city dogs as well. Credit: Mikromano | Getty Images
The protozoal parasite giardia in dogs can be a minor nuisance or a royal pain to treat and totally clear. Symptoms of giardia in dogs include diarrhea, maldigestion, and malabsorption. Diarrhea is often intermittent, based on the parasite’s life cycle. Giardia is contagious in dogs as long as giardia cysts remain in the feces. It can be difficult to clear the infection.
Diagnosis of Giardia in Dogs
Stools from dogs with giardia may be soft or watery or appear slightly green. Occasionally, blood or mucus may be noticed. Healthy adult dogs seem to be somewhat naturally resistant, while puppies may fail to thrive.
Diagnosis of giardia is generally by a fresh fecal exam or sending samples off to check for giardia antigens. Due to the intermittent shedding, the diagnosis can be missed, especially by fresh smears only.
Giardia Treatment
There is no FDA-approved treatment for giardia in dogs. Metronidazole and febendazole are often used off-label separately or together.
A dog may need repeated giardia treatments to totally clear the infection as some resistance appears to be developing. Symptomatic treatment for giardia diarrhea includes adding fiber to your dog’s diet until his stools are normal. Follow-up veterinary fecal checks for giardia are critical to ensure you have rid the dog of the giardia parasite.
Giardia Is Contagious
As long as viable giardia cysts are passed in the stools, your dog will remain contagious to other dogs and to a lesser extent to people. Assume that during the time your dog is being treated, he is contagious.
Clean up poop immediately and consider having any dog or puppy who is infected use a separate area for elimination. It can be worthwhile to check all dogs in the household if you are having trouble clearing an infection as some adults will be asymptomatic carriers.
Reinfection with Giardia
One of the problems with gaining control of a giardia infection is cleaning the environment to prevent reinfection. Bleach and Parvasol can be used to clean bedding and floors. Steam clean carpets. Bathe your dog to remove any fecal material or cysts on his coat.
Unfortunately, giardia cysts can survive outdoors for months in a moist environment. Direct sunlight and dry conditions will kill cysts. It can be difficult to clear giardia from shelters and sites like daycares once it gains a foothold.
Also known as “beaver fever,” giardia in dogs has been associated with dogs drinking water out on hikes in the woods, but it is common in urban dogs as well with municipal water systems taking the blame.
Place the stethoscope on the dog’s lower chest, behind his left elbow, to listen for his heart rate. Credit: AquaArts Studio | Getty Images
Learning your dog’s normal vitals – temperature, pulse, and respiration – is useful for detecting health problems or tracking your dog’s response to medication. It is also good information to provide when calling your veterinarian or an emergency clinic to make an urgent appointment for your dog. And, with the crunch on emergency clinics, the more information you can provide over the phone, the more efficient your veterinary visit will be.
Normal Heart Rate for Dogs
The normal heart rate for dogs is 70 to 120 beats per minute. This is what is called a “resting” heart rate, which is how fast your dog’s heart beats when he is just hanging out. Stress and exercise will both cause the heart to beat faster.
Large dogs tend to have a heart rate on the lower end, while small dogs have a faster resting heart rate. Your dog’s fitness also will impact his resting heart rate. Extremely fit, athletic dogs tend to have a slower resting heart rate. Obesity increases the heart rate and the chance of heart disease in dogs.
You can evaluate the heart rate for dogs a couple of different ways. A stethoscope is fantastic, but you probably don’t have one lying around (you can purchase one for less than $25). Instead, try placing your hand over the lower left side of your dog’s chest just under his left elbow to feel his heartbeat. This may be difficult in chubby dogs. Count the number of beats that you feel in 15 seconds, then multiply that number by 4 to get the beats per minute.
You also can feel your dog’s pulse. The inside of the thigh is a great spot to feel a dog’s pulse, or you may be able to feel it on the back of his carpus (wrist).
The normal dog respiration rate is 15 to 30 breaths per minute. Once again, these number are for a “resting” rate. Exercise and stress can cause your dog to pant more rapidly.
To evaluate your dog’s respiration rate, wait until he settles on his own in a position of his choice. Then watch as his sides expand and contract with each breath. Each in and out counts as one breath. Count the number of breaths he takes in 15 seconds, then multiply that number by 4 to get the breaths per minute.
If your dog is panting, wait until he stops panting to count his respiration rate.
Normal Dog Temperature
The normal dog temperature is 100°F to 102.5°F. Knowing his normal body temperature will help you gauge if he has a fever. The most accurate way to take a dog’s temperature is with a rectal thermometer. I recommend buying a digital thermometer (they are much faster than mercury thermometers, plus safer if broken) and clearly labeling it for dog use only so it isn’t confused with your human thermometer.
Listings for puppies from unscrupulous breeders are a frequent site on Facebook and Craigslist are a frequent site in spite of being prohibited by those platforms. Credit: Manuel Schafer | Getty Images
Dear Craigslist and Facebook,
Please stop helping people sell dogs on your sites. Oh, I know, you say you don’t allow these sales – that these activities are prohibited by your terms of service – but you do absolutely nothing of value to stop them. Backyard breeders wouldn’t be able to succeed without you!
Facebook, when I search your site for “puppies for sale,” I do get a warning page that says, “Are you sure you want to continue? This search may be associated with posts that encourage harmful behavior to animals. Animal abuse and the sale of live animals between private individuals is not allowed on Facebook.”
If you search for puppy breeders on Facebook, you may get a pop-up that looks like this…
But the two options from that page are “Continue” or “Learn more” – and if I click on “Continue,” I am served up a variety of pages from which I can shop for puppies! That’s an incredibly useless warning.
… but it’s completely toothless, because if you click “Continue,” you will be served up pages for any number of puppy breeders.
Craigslist, I know that you allow other users to monitor and “flag” posts from breeders, but seriously, that’s a joke. It would take an army of volunteers working around the clock to flag the ads for puppies appearing in the hundreds of local craigslist pages in the U.S. Also, each ad needs to be flagged numerous times before it gets removed; why not just remove the entire “pets” category?!
I’ve seen it mentioned on other forums that the “pets” page on craigslist can be used for good, to help people rehome individual animals. Unfortunately, that’s just not how the page is used by the vast majority of users, despite the fact that everyone who sells puppies now asks for a “rehoming” fee. Give me a break: These pages are a cesspool of ads for breeders, plain and simple.
There are far more ads for puppies for sale on craigslist than ads for individual animals that truly need to be “rehomed.”
Note that I’m not against breeding altogether – but breeders who are truly responsible produce such a small number of puppies that they have long waiting lists of buyers; they don’t have to advertise to find homes for the far-too-many pups they force their females to churn out.
Also, I would guess that almost every dog or puppy who gets sold through craigslist or Facebook ends up reproducing. Most states have legislation requiring that shelters and rescues adopt out only animals who have been spayed or neutered. There is no such requirement for buying a puppy from a breeder someone finds on Facebook or craigslist, and these surgeries are expensive. Also, the people who go puppy shopping through these sites are largely inexperienced owners who don’t know how to responsibly shop for a dog; they probably aren’t aware of how much spay/neuter surgery will cost, or when it should be performed – and don’t know how to prevent their new dog from reproducing in the absence of such surgery!
Are there “good” breeders advertising their wares on Facebook and craigslist? I don’t know anyone who would answer “yes” to this question. These are people who are straight-up using their pets for income. While some have improved their “professionalism” to the extent that they can take decent pictures of their merchandise, many more show puppies growing up in squalid, dirty environments to mothers that look unhealthy and unloved.
This is not how quality breeders house their mothers and puppies, but you’ll see lots of pictures of puppies being raised in squalid conditions like this on craigslist.
And if you need even one more reason to stop the flow of income to craigslist and Facebook breeders, please go visit any “open admission” municipal shelter near you – not a pretty, well-funded “limited admission” shelter, but the kind that is legally required to take in all the unwanted dogs in an area. Ask how many kennels they have (what number of dogs the facility was designed to hold) – and how many they are actually holding. (Hint: It’s gotten really bad in the past few years since covid; every shelter in the country is screaming about too many dogs and not enough adopters, which is what makes these ads for backyard breeders on your sites just that much more galling.)
PLEASE, shelter and rescue workers and volunteers are BEGGING you: Put an end to these ads. Ban these pages. Without free advertising and a ready market for their puppies, people will be forced to slow or stop breeding (after a glut of surrendered puppies and breeding animals end up in the shelter, of course).
PS: If for some reason, you just can’t bring yourself to cut off these loathsome users, here’s another idea: Charge a pretty penny for the ads, and then donate the income to nonprofit spay/neuter providers. If there were free spay/neuter surgery available to anyone who wanted it for the dogs they bought from an ad they saw on Craigslist or Facebook, there would be MANY fewer dogs being given away, abandoned on the streets, and surrendered to shelters.
The author's Lab, Blue Sapphire, ignores humans who appear on TV, but gets very excited when she sees dogs on the screen, especially if the dogs are doing something active. Her owners sometimes turn the TV off or change the channel if dogs appear in a commercial, at least until it’s over! Photo by Stephen S. Nagy
Dogs’ vision is a little different from ours. Their eyes have more rods than cones, so they are more sensitive to motion and have better night vision than humans. Dogs experience colors differently, too. They are more likely to notice the contrast between blue, green, and yellow objects, while red and white are less interesting to them. Despite these differences between dogs’ vision and ours, many dogs watch TV and recognize things that are of interest to them.
What do dogs like to watch on TV? There are lots of things on TV that we watch and dogs ignore, but most dogs recognize and will pay attention to other animals on the screen. For some dogs, this attention will be momentary and be limited to animals – especially dogs – who are running, barking, or engaged in activity, but other dogs will watch any animal doing anything on TV. If a program or commercial features high-pitched sounds, whistles, squeaky toys, or barks, it’s more likely to trigger a response.
Why do some dogs watch TV and others don’t? Young dogs, dogs with little TV experience, or dogs with strong prey drives may act as though animals on television are there in the same room with them, perhaps behind the TV, while some dogs realize right away that the images aren’t real. The fact that televised animals don’t smell like anything probably makes them less interesting, as dogs depend as much on their amazing sense of smell as their vision.
Your dog may have already demonstrated that televised animals are fascinating, but if that hasn’t happened yet, pay attention when pet food ads, commercials featuring dogs, or nature programs come on. If their colors are mostly blues, greens, or yellows, the action should capture your dog’s attention. Look for focusing eyes, alert expressions, changes in posture, head tilts, tail wags, or expressive sounds like growls, barks, or whines. You’ll be able to see whether your dog is interested, enjoying herself, uncomfortable, or indifferent.
Should you leave the TV on for your dog?
That depends on your dog and the programs. Some veterinarians discourage the practice because they have seen dogs who have injured themselves while chasing something on the screen or dogs who have been frightened, confused, or stressed by sights and sounds. Action movies may interest dogs because of their motion, but dogs are less likely to enjoy explosions, fireworks, arguments, or gunfire. Make it easy for your dog to stay or leave the TV area while you’re away. Behavioral experts remind dog owners that televisions can’t substitute for human companionship, but familiar sights and sounds may help dogs relax or entertain themselves during the day.
There is even a TV channel for dogs. As the DogTV website explains, “We’ve worked with experts like Professor Nicholas Dodman at Tufts University, Niwako Ogata of Purdue University, and organizations like the Center for Canine Behavior Studies to learn from their observations.” The channel’s colors and high number of frames per second coordinate with canine vision, and its offerings range from stress-reducing scenes of dogs relaxing to dogs enjoying more stimulating activities, such as surfing at the beach.
Dogs like to sniff, and if they manage to breathe in some debris, a dog nosebleed could results. Credit: Mint Images | Getty Images
Nosebleeds in a dog have many possible causes, just as they do in people. Some nosebleeds are simple: A dog nosebleed on one side is often due to trauma, such as the dog running into something, even if the trauma involved both sides. Other nosebleeds are complex: A nosebleed accompanied by difficulty breathing or heavy breathing may indicate cancer.
Nosebleed One Side
If your dog has had trauma such as from running into something, he may end up with a nosebleed, which may be a one-sided nosebleed. Obviously, when there is trauma and damage, like a swollen muzzle, an injured eye, possibly a bloody mouth, or missing tooth, you should contact your veterinarian. Otherwise, most dog nosebleeds can be handled with cold compresses or an ice pack on the top of the muzzle. Note: The medical term for a nosebleed is epistaxis.
Heavy Nosebleed
If there is a heavy nosebleed, there are a couple of most likely possibilities. The first is a foreign body. Your dog may have been sniffing heavily and snorted up a pill or some plant material or another irritant. The irritation may damage small blood vessels and lead to a bleed.
Some dogs will then sneeze this out, but your dog may require sedation to remove the offending material. If you live in foxtail country, you definitely want a thorough exam and removal.
An intense sneezing fit can cause a minor nosebleed. This is generally both nostrils and stops fairly quickly without any care. A nasal polyp can cause sneezing.
One-Sided Nosebleed With Heavy Breathing
The major concern with a nosebleed on one side is nasal cancer that has not spread to the full nose yet. Sometimes you can spot a growth from just looking at your dog’s nose or you might see a swollen area on the muzzle. That area may or may not be painful. Often these dogs will have some labored or heavy breathing (since only one side of their nose is functional) along with their nosebleed. Caught early, nasal cancers can sometimes be successfully treated with surgery and/or radiation.
Nosebleed Emergency in Dogs
A somewhat unusual cause of nosebleeds in dogs is a clotting disorder. A simple sneeze can lead to a heavy bleed in these cases since the clotting factors are low in number or already used up. This type of nosebleed usually will not stop with simple first-aid, such as the cold compresses, and should be considered an emergency. Treatment for the primary cause of the clotting problems is essential.
Every dog owner should learn what ticks look like and how to carefully remove them. If you grab tweezers, you need to be very careful to get the tick’s entire body, including the head. That’s why tick-removal tools are a better choice. Credit: Aitor Diago | Getty Images
Tick paralysis is a very frightening (and potentially fatal) problem seen in dogs. The cause is the injection of a neurotoxin into the bloodstream of your dog by a feeding female tick. The ticks involved in North America are common tick species – Dermacentor and Ixodes. Luckily, most ticks do not carry this neurotoxin.
Tick paralysis starts five to nine days after the tick attaches and feeds. If the ticks transmitting the neurotoxin are not removed, your dog will eventually die due to respiratory failure.
Signs of Tick Paralysis
Weakness starting in rear legs and moving forward
Eventual paralysis in all four legs
Respiration becomes affected when the muscles of the chest are affected
Rarely are the muscles of the head involved
Your dog’s pain sensation are not affected, which can differentiate this from other paralytic conditions in dogs, along with the rapid spread up your dog’s body.
Treatment
Treatment is simple but must be complete and immediate. The longer you wait, your dog’s recovery can be months, if at all.
Get immediate veterinary help. All ticks must be carefully removed from your dog ASAP. Once that is done, there is no more neurotoxin being injected into your dog. Most dogs show full recovery in hours. It’s almost miraculous! I have treated one dog for tick paralysis, a Yorkie on Long Island. I looked like a true heroine when I pulled a fat tick off this collapsed dog and, within an hour, she was up and pretty much back to normal.
However, studies show many dogs do become seriously ill or die, so take tick paralysis in dogs very seriously.
Tick Control
No one can predict which ticks might have this deadly neurotoxin, which means you need to practice excellent tick control. Oral and topical monthly preventives are excellent but not all of them do a rapid kill or prevent a quick bite and feed. The best preventives currently for repelling ticks and preventing attachment are K9 Advantix II, Vectra 3D, and Seresto.
Even with the best preventives, it pays to do a careful tick search on your dog after hiking in fields and woods. A lint roller will catch many ticks (even small nymphs) before they attach to the skin. Running a blow dryer over long coated dogs can help you to find any wandering ticks in that long hair.
Socializing your puppy is important for his development, but it’s up to you to ensure his interactions are all positive and safe. Credit: Hilary Kladke | Getty Images
Socializing puppies is a buzzword phrase that has a lot of merit. If you have a new puppy, hopefully, your puppy stays with his mom until at least 8 weeks of age or older. Many breeders now keep pups until 10 weeks old or so. It’s even better if your pup has littermates because these early interactions set the stage for many behaviors and function as puppy’s first classroom. Play fights with littermates help pups learn bite inhibition, and moms often reinforce that, too.
Some families are fortunate to have a dog who wants to be an “aunt” or “uncle.” These dogs seem to genuinely enjoy interacting with puppies. They play with, engage, and as needed, discipline their young charges. This might happen before you bring your pup home, or you might have a dog yourself who takes on this role.
Once home, you need to let your puppy settle in. Be careful with children and your new puppy. Resist the urge to invite all your friends and their dogs over to meet the new kid on the block. Let your pup have a week or so to adjust, then choose your exposures carefully.
Puppy Shots Before Socializing
Your pup should be started on his vaccination schedule designed to protect him as his maternal immunity wears off. That doesn’t mean he can’t meet people and dogs until he has all his shots, but I do suggest he have at least one set of parvo/distemper. He does not have to have finished his whole series.
Be selective about your socializing puppies. Choose dogs you know are healthy, well cared for, and who enjoy puppies. A friend’s puppy of about the same age/size is usually ideal.
Monitor Puppy Socializing
Don’t add your pup into a group of puppies that are established friends or littermates unless you are there and observant. You will need to advocate for your pup. Sometimes a puppy is happiest sitting on your lap and observing. Don’t let him be bullied, but don’t push him into something he isn’t ready for either. If he’s hesitant and would rather stay with you, listen to him.
Until fully vaccinated, a puppy is best off avoiding places where lots of dogs of unknown health hang out, like dog parks. Visit the yards of friends who have healthy, vaccinated pets. Go for walks with your puppy and vary the places you go. A puppy foundation class is a great idea, but stick to classes where vaccinations are verified.
Slow Puppy Socialization
Remember that not all dogs are social butterflies. Your goal is a dog who is tolerant of other dogs. Your dog doesn’t need doggy friends and, in fact, may prefer to just hang with you, and that’s just fine.
A torn ACL or CCL can happen to any dog, but the odds are in your dog’s favor if you keep him trim and active. Hint: Chasing balls is a canine favorite pastime. Credit: dageldog | Getty Images
ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury is the most common cause of hindlimb lameness in a dog. The injury may involve partial tearing of the ligament or complete rupture. The ACL is a ligament in the dog’s knee (also called his stifle) that stabilizes the knee during movement.
A dog with an ACL injury may present as chronic, intermittent lameness or as an acute, severe lameness. Note: Technically, in dogs, the appropriate term for this ligament is CCL (cranial cruciate ligament), but because humans are so used to the term “ACL” veterinarians often use CCL and ACL interchangeably.
Signs of an Acute Torn ACL
The most common cause for acute ACL rupture in an otherwise sound dog is trauma. This usually happens in young, athletic, large-breed dogs during exercise or play.
The signs of an acute ACL rupture are quite classic. Usually, the dog is running and playing and suddenly gives a yelp and becomes completely non-weight bearing on a hind leg. The dog often continues to move around but will hike up or hang the affected limb and run on three legs.
After 24 hours or so, most of these dogs start touching their toes to the ground when walking, Many dogs will bear at least some weight intermittently after 48 to 72 hours or so. With an acute ACL injury, there will be no doubt that the dog has suffered a serious, sudden injury.
Chronic Torn ACL
The chronic form of a torn ACL is usually due to the degeneration of the ligament over time. This may have a conformational and/or genetic component but is always exacerbated by obesity. A chronically degenerate ligament with partial tearing may suddenly rupture at any time, presenting as acute on chronic disease.
Signs of chronic ACL injury include intermittent hindlimb lameness that may temporarily resolve with rest and anti-inflammatory medication. It is most common in overweight dogs, as the excess weight puts added stress on the ligaments. It frequently affects both hind limbs, so the dog may have alternating hindlimb lameness or be simultaneously lame on both.
These dogs may have thigh muscle atrophy, decreased range of motion in their knees, pain on full extension of the knee, difficulty rising, and “sloppy sits,” as it is usually not possible for them to comfortably sit squarely on both hind limbs.
Diagnosis and Treatment
If you think your dog may be suffering from an ACL injury, whether acute or chronic, see your veterinarian as soon as possible for diagnosis confirmation and treatment options. ACL injuries frequently lead to arthritis, which is a chronic, painful, debilitating disease with no cure. The sooner medical attention is sought for ACL injury in dogs, the better the outcome.
Once the level of nutrients needed for health were agreed upon, manufacturers could use the least costly ingredients to provide those nutrients listed. Meat by-products – such as fat, organ meats, rice meal, and bone – are readily available and cheap. They can provide the bulk of the essential nutrients in the profile. When meat by-products are mixed with grain by-products such as cornmeal, corn gluten, wheat gluten, pearled barley, and rice meal, a few extra nutrients, fiber, and volume are gained at a low cost. The goal is to keep the cost down but not to dilute the needed amounts of healthy protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals too much in the recipe. Grain by-products provide a cheap source of energy and fiber and bring the cost of the food way down. That’s why the carbohydrate percentage is much higher today than it was in the ancestral diet.
So if grain is good for us, why wouldn’t grain by-products be good for our pets? After all, the proto-dog certainly developed the ability to better digest carbohydrates, and our domesticated predators that evolved to eat protein and fat have tolerated the higher amounts of carbohydrates we have served them.
However, today’s dog faces high incidences of obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Could these issues be due to more calories, higher fat content, and more carbs in today’s diets? With all the variables, it may be impossible to scientifically prove that the ingredients in today’s commercial dog food cause harm, but my experience has been that when dogs are fed moister, higher-protein, and higher-fat choices, many look and feel much better.
To learn more about feeding your dog a complete diet for a happier, healthier, and longer life, purchase The Dog Diet Answer Book from Whole Dog Journal.
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?”
