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Can Dogs Eat Turkey?

By
Claire Primo, CVT, ACMT, FFCP
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A older woman pulls a turkey out of the oven while a small dog looks on in anticipation.
Thanksgiving turkey fills the house with a tantilizing aroma, and your dog is not immune to it. He may even pick up on the wafting scent before the humans in the house do! Credit: Jodi Jacobson | Getty Images

If you’re planning to share turkey with your dog, consider the way the turkey has been prepared. Avoid table scraps that have been cooked with additional ingredients and deli meat that is full of salt. If you choose to give your dog a taste of Thanksgiving turkey, make it a small bite. (Be careful with the entire Thanksgiving meal, of course, as it could contain some ingredients that are not healthy for your dog.)

Your dog can eat turkey that has been fully baked without additional seasonings. Some ingredients in traditional Thanksgiving baked turkeys may cause gastrointestinal upset like vomiting and diarrhea, or could be toxic to your dog (onions!). When it’s cooked blandly without additional ingredients and fed appropriately most dogs can eat turkey. Many dogs will consider turkey a high-value treat for training.

Dogs Who Should Avoid Turkey

If your dog has any chronic illnesses or problems, ask your veterinarian if your dog can eat turkey. Your veterinarian may advise against it if your dog has a history of:

  • Pancreatitis
  • Gastroenteritis
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Allergies
  • Sensitive stomach

How to Feed Home-Baked Turkey

For sure, certain parts of the traditional turkey should be avoided, including:

  • Bones
  • Seasonings
  • Skin of turkey
  • Fats or broth
  • Salt

Normally Dogs Eat Turkey in Their Dog-Food

Whole turkey is only safe for your dog when consumed without any extra ingredients and as a snack, training treat, or meal topper only. Whole turkey alone though is not a balanced diet. Remember that quality dog food has been properly formulated with additional ingredients to match the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recommended levels of nutrients that ensure your dog is eating a healthy, balanced diet. You can find Whole Dog Journal recommended dry foods and recommended canned foods, many of which include turkey as a protein source.

Do Dogs Have Periods?

By
Dr. Eileen Fatcheric, DVM
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Dog jumpimg over the fence or net. Dog exercise. Spring day

Do female dogs have periods? No, dogs do not have periods. During one stage of the dog’s reproductive cycle there is a bloody vaginal discharge that superficially resembles a period. However, a dog’s heat cycle is not the same as a woman’s menstrual cycle. Dogs experience bloody vaginal discharge at the beginning of their reproductive cycle to increase fertility and prepare for pregnancy during the current cycle. If a woman does not become pregnant during one cycle, the uterine lining is shed at the end of the cycle to prepare a fresh uterine lining for the next reproductive cycle.

Signs of Heat in Dogs

When female dogs have a bloody vaginal discharge, they are considered “in heat” or “in season.” This is not a dog having a period. Signs of heat in female dogs include:

  • Swelling of the vulva
  • Bleeding from the vulva
  • Excessively licking the vulva
  • Possibly, tail tucked down tight

Dogs in heat may seem clingier than usual. Smaller dogs usually have their first heat around 6 to 7 months of age. Larger breeds often start a little later. Dogs usually come into heat twice a year, or every six months or so. The time to breed a dog is about one to three weeks after the bleeding starts (see stages, below).

Dog Heat Cycle Stages

There are four stages to a heat cycle:

  • Proestrus, which is when the bleeding starts, lasts one to three weeks, this is when inexperienced owners may start wondering if dogs have a period.
  • Estrus, which is when the dog is fertile and can be bred, the bleeding may slow or even stop and the female dog will be receptive to male attention, lasts one to three weeks
  • Diestrus, which is not a fertile time, if the dog is not pregnant it’s a quiet time in the cycle
  • Anestrous, which is the rebuilding time for the reproductive tract before the next heat cycle begins, lasts about four months

A dog’s heat cycle stages are not the same thing as a dog having a period. It signals the start of fertility for a female dog, and not the end of the cycle. If you’ve found yourself wondering if dogs have a period because your dog has started bleeding then you’ll need to take some precautions to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.

Avoid Unwanted Puppies

If your female dog goes into heat and you do not want her to get pregnant, keep close tabs on her. Never go outside without her on a leash, and be on the lookout for wandering, unattended male dogs when you do go outside. Watch her closely when she is outside in your fenced yard, too, as male dogs will jump fences to get to a female in heat. Help her keep her perivulvar area clean and dry. It’s OK to use diapers to limit the mess but change them frequently.

If you do not have plans to breed your female dog, consider having her spayed. This is the best way to avoid unwanted pregnancy and to prevent uterine and ovarian problems. And it will make your life a lot  easier, at least twice a year. Note: Dogs do sometimes have false pregnancies.

Treats And Medications that Calm Your Dog

By
Dr. Debra M. Eldredge, DVM
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An anxious mixed breed rescue dog on a blue leash looks guardedly at the camera.
Calming treats and chews may help an anxious dog deal with occasional situations, but a dog who is living constantly stressed and afraid may need a prescription medication and training to help him overcome his lack of confidence. Credit: Alexandra Jursova | Getty Images

Dog calming treats or chews are available over the counter, but for dogs truly dealing with anxiety, a prescription medication is often a better option. Don’t hesitate to discuss this with your veterinarian, because the medications were developed due to a definite need. If your veterinarian agrees and gives you a prescription, be sure that you fill it and use it as prescribed and report back to your veterinarian. Canine anxiety medications may be a good choice for your dog.

Over-the Counter Options

If you want to see if it makes any difference, it’s not a bad thing to reach for a calming treat. Calming chews and treats for dogs available in pet stores can help produce a short-term “Zen” for the average dog. Ingredients known to help are L-tryptophan and chamomile (yes, like in turkey or chamomile tea). Interestingly, probiotics have also been shown to help mellow out a dog. L-theanine, valerian root, and hemp (CBD) all have fans who say they help calm a dog.

Solliquin, Pawfy, Purina Calming Care, and Zesty Paws Calming Bites all have their fans, as well as the homeopathic supplement Rescue Remedy. As with any supplement, discuss these with your veterinarian to be sure you don’t interfere with anything your dog is already taking, such as medications or supplements. It is also important to look for products made in the United States and have a National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) seal of approval if possible.

Dog Calming Treats Proof

Most of these products and their ingredients do not have evidence-based medicine behind them. Also, while some ingredients may work for many dogs, other dogs may not respond. That’s also why we recommend you discuss this with your veterinarian.

You should always do a test run on any product before you need it, as in before a known stressful events, just in case your dog does not respond at all or responds in the wrong way. In addition, don’t mix and match supplements without veterinary guidance.

For some dogs, a large and safe chew item such as a treat-filled Kong given while in a crate in a quiet room, works as well or better than any supplement. Even social dogs will benefit from a quiet break from “the action” at times.

Finally, we would be remiss not to recommend behavior training to overcome some anxieties, preferably with the guidance of a force-free/fear-free professional trainer.

How to stop a dog from barking

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Brown and white boxer dog leaning on balcony as if he's looking outside, barking or howling
You need to know why your dog is barking in order to deal with it appropriately. You wouldn’t want to ignore a dog who was barking to alert you to smoke filling the downstairs or a burglar in the garage – though it’s best if you don’t acknowledge a dog who is demand-barking. Photo by Lubo Ivanko, Getty Images

Dogs bark for many reasons, but the overall reason is communication. You may just want to know how to stop your dog from barking, whether she’s barking at people, at you, another dog, sounds, or something else in her world, but the fact is, all that barking is simply your dog trying to communicate. As annoying as it may be, it’s better to understand why she’s barking and address the reason for it, rather than just telling her to be quiet.

Types of Barking

Strategies for modifying barking behavior vary depending on the cause. Here are the most common reasons for canine vocal communications, as well as the most effective strategies for dealing with each:

  • Alarm Barking. The dog who alarm-barks may save you from danger: “The house is on fire!” She’s doing her job – letting you know there’s something to be concerned about.

Alarm barkers can save lives, but sometimes their judgment about what constitutes an alarm-appropriate situation can be a little faulty. Sometimes it’s just someone walking past your house.

To manage alarm-barking, reduce your dog’s exposure to stimuli that can cause arousal. Baby-gate her out of the front room, move furniture away from windows so she can’t jump up and see out, close drapes, or use opaque film on the lower half of the windows to obscure your dog’s view. Outdoors, you can install a privacy fence, attach a solid barrier to your see-through chain-link fencing, or put up an interior fence to block her access to the more stimulating parts of the yard.

You can use counter-conditioning and desensitization to modify alarm barking: Sit with your dog at the window. When someone walks by, let her look, feed a high-value tidbit, let her look again, feed again, until the passerby is out of sight. When you’re not there to feed, prevent access to windows that look out on passersby.

It’s also useful to teach a positive interrupt to stop your dog in mid-bark. (See “The Positive Interrupt,” below.)

THE POSITIVE INTERRUPT

The positive interrupt is a highly reinforced behavior that redirects your dog’s attention to you when she’s doing something inappropriate, like barking. You want your dog’s response to  “Over here!” to be so automatic that she doesn’t stop to think, she just does it, the way your foot automatically hits the brake of your car when you see taillights flash in front of you.

Here’s how to teach it:

  1. Start in a low-distraction environment. Use a phrase such as “Over here!” as your interrupt cue. Say it cheerfully, then immediately feed your dog a very high-value treat, such as a small shred of chicken. Repeat until her eyes light up and hers ears perk when you say it.
  2. Practice in a low-distraction environment. Wait until your dog is engaged in a low-value activity – wandering around the room, sniffing something mildly interesting – then cheerfully say your interrupt cue. Look for an immediate interrupt in the low-value activity, and a dash to you for chicken. If it doesn’t happen, return to Step 1.
  3. Add distractions. In the low-distraction environment, gradually add moderate distractions and practice the interrupt. Slowly move up to major distractions. If you lose the automatic response, return to the previous step.
  4. Practice with real-life distractions. Walk around the block with your dog on leash. Use the interrupt when she’s sniffing a bush. Start with mild to moderate real-life distractions, but if a major distraction presents itself, give it a try!
  5. Use the positive cue to interrupt barking. When your dog automatically turns her attention to you in any environment in response to your cue, you have a valuable tool for interrupting her barking. Practice occasionally with mild distractions to keep the cue “tuned up.” And remember to reinforce her when she stops barking on your request.

Before you use the interrupt, however, investigate why your dog is barking. Perhaps your house really is on fire!

  • Alert Barking. This is a less-aroused communication to tell you there’s something of interest; a hawk perching on the back fence, or Dad’s car pulling in the driveway. You can manage and modify in the same manner as alarm-barking, and use the positive interrupt. This is usually easier because the emotional level is lower.
  • Anxiety Barking. This is a complex and challenging behavior to modify and manage, because true anxiety is a real panic attack – the dog truly cannot control her behavior.

Significant anxiety usually requires the intervention of a positive behavior consultant, and often, behavior modification drugs. You will need to consult with a professional behavior counselor and manage the environment to minimize exposure to anxiety-producing conditions while you help your dog learn how to cope. See “Extreme Anxiety in Dogs,” WDJ February 2022.

  • Boredom Barking. The backyard barking dog is often lonely and bored. Boredom barking is usually continuous, with a monotonous quality. This barking is very annoying to neighbors and may elicit a visit from a local animal control officer.

The answer here is relatively easy. Bring the dog inside. Many outdoor barkers are perfectly content to lie quietly around the house all day and sleep peacefully beside your bed at night. If your dog isn’t house-safe, crates, exercise pens, dog walkers, exercise, and doggie daycare can keep her out of trouble until she earns house privileges. Employ environmental enrichment, such as interactive toys (food-stuffed toys and puzzles), to keep her brain engaged and her mouth busy. See “The Best Food-Dispensing Dog Toys,” April 2019, for some of WDJ’s favorites.

  • Demand Barking. A demand barker gets what she wants (usually attention or treats) by making noise. An adorable little grumble can quickly turn into insistent, loud barks. Preempt the development of demand barking by randomly giving your dog attention and treats for being quiet, before she starts barking.

It’s easiest to extinguish demand barking early – as soon as you notice that your dog has learned to do this. The longer a dog has been reinforced, the more persistently she’ll bark when you try to ignore her. However, ignoring is the best answer. No treats, no attention – not even eye contact. The instant the barking starts, utter a cheerful “Oops!” and turn your back. When she’s quiet, say, “Quiet, yes!” and reinforce the quiet behavior by returning your attention to her.

When you’re extinguishing a behavior by ignoring it, your dog may initially increase her “I WANT IT!” behavior. This is called an extinction burst. If you stick it out and wait for the barking to stop, you’re well on your way to making it go away. If you give up and look at her, thinking extinction isn’t working, you’ve reinforced more intense barking, and your dog is likely to get more intense next time. Try to never give in when your dog is exhibiting an extinction burst, but reinforce as quickly as possible when she’s quiet.

  • Frustration Barking. Dogs with a low tolerance for frustration bark persistently when they can’t get what they want. This is an “I WANT IT!” communication similar to demand barking, but directed at the thing she wants, rather than at you.

You can use the positive interrupt and counter conditioning to redirect frustration barking. If you consistently offer high-value treats in the presence of frustration-causing stimuli such as another dog yours wants to greet, your dog will learn to look to you for treats when the other dog is present rather than erupt into frustration barking.

  • Greeting/Excitement Barking. If your dog hails you with hellos when you return home, shift into ignore mode. Stand outside and wait for the cacophony to subside, then enter calmly; no hug-fests or “I missed you!” sessions. Greet your dog when she’s calm and quiet. If she starts to bark again, mark the unwanted behavior with an “Oops!” and ignore her some more.

For high-volume greetings directed toward arriving guests, again, go into calm mode. Loud verbal reprimands just add to chaos. Use your positive interrupt and calmly put your dog in another room – then greet your visitors. Alternatively, use counter-conditioning to get her to anticipate treats rather than barking when visitors arrive.

  • Play Barking. As other dogs – or humans – romp and play, the play-barker runs around cheerleading. If neighbors won’t complain and the other dogs tolerate the behavior, you might just let it be. With children, however, the behavior is not appropriate; for some dogs, excitement can escalate into play biting, so it’s best to remove your dog from the kids’ play area if she’s getting too aroused.

To modify play-barking you can try “negative punishment,” where the dog’s behavior makes the good stuff go away. When the barking starts, use a time-out marker such as “Oops!” and gently remove your dog for one to three minutes; a short leash attached to the collar, just long enough to grab but not so long that it drags, can make this easier. Then release her to play again. As she comes to realize that barking ends the fun, she may get the idea. Or not; this is a pretty strong genetic behavior, especially with herding breeds.

Another tactic is to teach your dog to hold a favorite toy in her mouth; it’s hard to bark with a toy in your mouth!

Be Proactive with Barking Modification

Uncontrolled barking can be frustrating. I know this all too well, with three vocal dogs currently in my family. However, our dogs sometimes have important things to say. One day I was engrossed in writing an article and our dogs were alarm barking ferociously in the backyard. I reluctantly got up to investigate. No, the house wasn’t on fire, but I did find a sick groundhog in the yard.

You want to be able to have some influence over your dog’s voice, but don’t lose sight of the value of her vocal communications; she may be saying something important. If you ignore her, she might do combat with a rabid skunk in the yard, a thief might steal the car out of the garage, or the house might burn down!

Wheelchairs for Disabled Dogs

By
CJ Puotinen
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Happy joyful dog while walking in park. Day in the life of dog with disability.
Whether a dog has lost mobility due to injury or disease, today, there are lightweight devices that can help him be as active as he’s ever been. Most dogs readily accept the wheelchair and quickly learn to navigate the world with their new gear; they seem to realize that having wheels is better than being immobile! Photo by Serhii Ivashchuk, Getty Images

Most of us have seen a dog using a wheelchair to carry his paralyzed or weak back legs. But did you know there are also wheelchairs for dogs who can’t use (or don’t have) front legs? There are even wheelchairs for dogs who can’t walk at all – but with the support of an assistive device to carry most of their weight, are able to get around just fine. Today’s dog wheelchairs enable dogs to walk, run, fetch, and play despite old or new injuries, hip dysplasia, arthritis, leg amputations, degenerative myelopathy, invertebral disc disease, paralysis, or neurological problems that otherwise leave them incapacitated. Thanks to mobility options, dogs who can’t walk on their own don’t have to slow down.

Although they’re called wheelchairs, there is nothing chair-like about these devices. Most canine wheelchairs consist of two wheels (though some have four wheels) and a metal frame that supports the dog’s body.

Types of Dog Wheelchairs

No matter what part of the dog lacks strength or ability, there are wheelchairs that can help:

  • Rear-limb wheelchairs. These attach to the dog with a torso or chest harness, and a support bar placed under the abdomen positions the hind legs. If the dog has some hind-leg mobility, being able to touch the ground and move the hind legs aids the dog’s rehabilitation. If not, stirrups can hold the dog’s hind feet up and off the ground. Correctly fitted abdominal support straps or bars help prevent back strain.
  • Forelimb wheelchairs. These take advantage of a dog’s strong hind legs while supporting front legs that are weak, missing, or affected by pain by removing the pressure of the dog’s body weight. Some models include a head rest for added support. (See Eddie’s Wheels Forelimb Wheelchairs.)
  • Full-body support wheelchairs. These four-wheeled devices help dogs whose front and back legs are weak or partially paralyzed, causing them to stumble when they walk. The wheelchairs make it possible for the dog to move forward without falling. (See the Best Friend Mobility Quad Wheelchair.)

Start With a Veterinary Consultation

To learn whether your dog is a good candidate for a wheelchair, consult your veterinarian or a dog mobility assistance specialist, such as a member of the American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians or a graduate of the Canine Rehabilitation Institute.

Some of these experts work directly with companies that make dog wheelchairs and customized mobility carts. They may benefit financially from client purchases, but their assistance can simplify the procedure, improve a wheelchair’s performance, and help resolve problems.

The “towel test” is a simple experiment you can do with your veterinarian or on your own to determine what type of support your dog needs. Place a long towel under your dog’s abdomen and raise your dog’s hips so his feet barely touch the ground. If your dog can move forward using his front legs alone, a rear-support canine wheelchair may work best. If his hind legs are strong but his front legs are weak, he may need a forelimb wheelchair. If your dog stumbles or has trouble moving forward at all, he may need a full-body-support wheelchair.

Checking the FAQs

Most people new to canine wheelchairs want to know:

  • Can my dog still use her hind legs in the wheelchair? Yes, if she can move them, whatever exercise your dog can experience will strengthen her body.
  • Can my dog still pee and poop while using the wheelchair? Yes, dog wheelchairs are designed to accommodate a dog’s need to eliminate.
  • Can the wheelchair go over a curb or stair? Yes, but not long or steep flights of stairs. Installing a ramp can simplify wheeling a few steps up or down.
  • How long will it take for my dog to get used to his wheelchair? That depends on your dog and the device. Motivated dogs usually adapt quickly because learning how to use a wheelchair is so rewarding. Allow your dog to adjust at his own pace.
  • Can my dog sleep in his wheelchair? Can he stay there all day? The answer to both questions is no. Dog wheelchairs are designed to hold dogs upright, in a standing position, and they are not designed for sleeping or resting. Plan to help your dog out of his wheelchair when it’s time for a nap or at the end of an activity period.

Cost of Dog Wheelchairs

Budget dog wheelchairs cost less than $100, and while they work well for temporary use, such as when a dog is recovering from surgery or an injury, they are not built to last.

In contrast, dogs who need mobility support indefinitely need sturdy, high-quality devices. Midrange canine wheelchairs cost between $100 and $300, and the most durable all-terrain wheelchairs cost up to $850 or more. The most sophisticated wheelchairs combine hoists, mobility wheels, and custom features.

POPULAR DOG-WHEELCHAIR MANUFACTURERS

You can find mobility-support devices for dogs on sites like Amazon, but we would strongly suggest buying directly from companies that make their dog wheelchairs. For each of these companies, improving the mobility of impaired dogs is their passion, and they not only provide their customers with detailed information about their products, but also offer encouragement and emotional support to dog owners who have unexpectedly found themselves in the market for one of these devices. And when the product arrives, they can provide phone or emailed help with troubleshooting and adjustment – something you are not going to get from an Amazon reseller.

  • Best Friend Mobility. Offers a wide selection of rear support, front support, and quad support devices.
  • Doggon’ Wheels. Sells new wheelchairs as well as refurbished products (as available). Doggon’ Wheels also accepts used chairs after families don’t need them anymore and makes them available to needy dogs by request.
  • Eddie’s Wheels. Front, rear, and quad support wheelchairs, as well as wheelchairs specially designed for dogs with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) and degenerative myelopathy.
  • K-9 Carts. K-9 Carts makes wheelchairs for dogs – as well as cats and even pet chickens! They also sell a wide variety of other assistive devices for handicapped dogs and offer wheelchair rentals.
  • Walkin’ Pets Dog Wheelchairs. Walkin’ Pets claims to have the biggest selection of mobility products for dogs in the world, including wheelchairs and slings, as well as assistive devices for blind dogs and pets with other disabilities.
Quadriplegic dog walking on the park with its wheelchair
Even dogs who are quadriplegic can benefit from a mobility-assistance device. This is especially helpful for letting the dog eliminate outdoors in a natural manner. Photo by Capuski, Getty Images.

If you’re handy with tools or have a friend who is, you can build your dog a custom-fitted wheelchair. Here is a good YouTube video that shows you how to make a dog wheelchair.

Tips for Best Results

Each of the founders of the dog-wheelchair companies listed below have a handicapped dog in their past – a dog whose disability sparked their interest in engineering a device that would preserve the dog’s independence and mobility. Each company took a slightly different design tack and has different opinions about what materials work best. But we found the following tips and suggestions reflected in varying but similar forms on each of their websites:

  • Have a realistic understanding of what a canine wheelchair can and cannot do for your dog. Advice from your veterinarian or a canine rehabilitation therapist can help you decide whether and how to proceed.
  • Consider your own involvement, for your dog will need help getting into and out of a wheelchair, you’ll have to help your dog learn to use it, and you’ll need to be with your dog when she’s out and about.
  • Study different brands and styles to compare their features, warranties, customer support, and reviews. Take your time deciding which model to try. Impulse purchases are not recommended here.
  • Compare features, such as how easily a wheelchair folds for storage, what accessories it features, and how easy it is to adjust for a better fit.
  • Choose a wheelchair that will be the right size, with a frame strong enough to support your dog but not too heavy for your dog to pull. Pay attention to tire size. Small tires aid maneuverability in tight spaces, but large tires are better for navigating rough terrain, which matters if you plan to hike with your dog. Air-filled tires provide a smoother ride but solid rubber tires can’t be punctured.
  • Take accurate measurements. This point can’t be overemphasized because success depends on a comfortable fit. Most wheelchair websites give detailed instructions for measuring your dog.
  • Learn what’s involved in receiving your dog’s wheelchair. Some assembly will be required, and you’ll have directions to follow. Be ready to report any missing hardware or assembly problems, and study manufacturers’ websites to see what support they provide, such as video consultations, phone chats, or other methods of answering questions and improving the wheelchair’s performance.

When is the right time to order a chair?

It’s never too early to learn about dog wheelchairs by visiting websites, watching videos, and reading reports so that if your dog needs assistance, you’ll be able to make informed decisions. If your dog’s mobility problems are likely to increase, most experts suggest investing in a wheelchair sooner rather than later, so that the transition to this mode of transportation is less stressful than if you wait for your dog to be incapacitated.

Are Antlers Safe for Dogs?

By
Dr. Eileen Fatcheric, DVM
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A cute dog chewing on a hard deer antler that can damage its teeth.
The happy look on this dog’s face will disappear when that antler he’s chewing breaks a tooth or splinters and lodges in his esophagus. Do NOT give your dog antler chews! Credit: Hoard11 | Getty Images

The biggest risk to your dog from chewing on antlers is broken teeth. Commercially sold antlers, usually deer or elk, are extremely hard with an unforgiving surface, like a rock or concrete. Would you let your dog chew on rocks or concrete? Of course not!

No veterinary dental specialist will ever sign off on letting your dog chew antlers. Never. Broken teeth are painful for your dog and often lead to infection and tooth root abscesses. Fractured teeth frequently require surgical extraction, subjecting your dog to an expensive and painful procedure for something that is completely preventable.

Antlers Can Splinter

Antlers also pose a risk of cracking or splintering, thereby becoming a choking hazard, esophageal foreign body, or intestinal blockage. There are far better and safer choices for a dog dental chew.

Why Are Antlers Sold as Dog Chews?

Antlers do have some appealing traits that cause people to buy them and, since folks are buying them, manufacturers will produce them.

Antlers are long lasting. Your dog will not go through an antler in one sitting like they might a rawhide or other softer, ingestible chew. And dogs love them! They smell good. They taste good. And they bring out your dog’s inner wild canine. And they are more natural to the dog than, for example, a Nylabone, which appeals to many pet owners.

Safer Choices

Regardless of the positive aspects of antlers, there are plenty of safer choices for your dog to chew. Whether you choose to give your dog antlers to or not depends on the amount of risk you are willing to take. In my professional opinion, they are definitely not worth the risk.

Our Dogs Without Us

By
Nancy Kerns
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Two adorable dogs relaxing on the furniture while guests at the author's house.
Dinah and Daisy: I’m sure these two are much happier with Pam than me – they are used to sleeping with Pam and spending time on a lap – but they weren’t depressed or unhappy at my house.

Last month, my sister-in-law, Leslie, took a 10-day vacation, leaving her little Rat Terrier, Alice, with my sister Pam for the duration. Leslie asked Pam rather than me, because, even though Alice has stayed with me before, this is a long visit, and Pam’s house is better set up for small dogs than my house, with a small-dog dog door to the tightly fenced yard, and dog stairs for the sofa and for the kind-sized bed that Pam shares with all the dogs. No dogs sleep with me, and my fences are adequate for big dogs, but 8-pound dogs could definitely find places to slip out, if they were inclined to do so. Alice would definitely be happier at Pam’s house than mine for 10 days.

Pam called me several times to relate how funny it was that Leslie was so anxious about whether Alice would be OK and how much stuff Leslie brought (food, treats, CBD treats in case she’s anxious, crate, bed, blankie, toys, chews). Leslie also called every few days to make sure all was well and that Alice wasn’t depressed or unhappy.

Pam’s reports, making fun of Leslie’s concern, were hilarious to me, because Pam hasn’t taken a single vacation without bringing along ALL of her dogs, for decades! I think the last time she went somewhere for even a single night without her dogs was my wedding in 1999. (I banned her dogs from my country wedding weekend, because one of the dogs she had at the time was a bitey, barky, ill-mannered jerk, and I knew she would be nonstop worried about his whereabouts and safety on the unfenced ranch property – with good reason! He was always up to something.)

Pam has somehow convinced herself that her dogs can’t possibly be safe or happy without her – but of course, I am aware that it’s Pam who feels anxious without her constant canine companions. And if Pam’s dogs were easy to travel with, I guess I wouldn’t have any opinions about the fact that she wants them with her – but two of her three dogs are not easy to travel with. Daisy, a 12-year-old Jack Russell-mix, gets really carsick and is also fairly barky. Dinah, a 10-year-old presumed Chihuahua/Dachshund-mix, is anxious 24/7, doesn’t like the car, hides from people she doesn’t know, and barks nonstop anytime Pam gets out of the car without her. (Her third dog, Lucky, a little terrier-mix I picked up as a stray and Pam later adopted from our local shelter, is actually a great little traveling companion.)

When Pam goes anywhere, she stays in hotels that accept dogs, pays the $15 or $20 or $30 PER DOG PER NIGHT fees they all seem to charge now, and eats meals in her room, because she can’t leave the dogs in the hotel room or the car, because they will bark and bark and bark. The whole thing – one carsick dog, one super-anxious dog, three barky dogs, a much higher hotel cost, and no meals in restaurants – just doesn’t seem worth it to me. I’d likely stay home!

So this was high-humor, indeed, that Pam thought Leslie was being anxious and worried about leaving Alice for 10 days. Every time Leslie called to see if Alice was still OK, Pam would call me afterward to make fun of Leslie’s worries, which were largely unfounded. (It was true that Alice is kind of high-strung and that she was a little sad and daunted by being one of four dogs instead of an only dog, and she competed strongly for solo lap-time at Pam’s house, starting a few bitch-squabbles with the other two girl dogs. However, overall she coped just fine.)

But we had a breakthrough: After Leslie got home and reclaimed an overjoyed Alice, Pam called me to say, “I know I was making fun of Leslie, but I also saw that Alice was OK without Leslie. I am thinking maybe I might take a weekend trip without Daisy and Dinah… if you’ll take care of them, and can promise me that nothing will happen to them!”

Yay! I was so glad for this news! I happily promised her the moon. I think I said I would even let her dogs sleep with me if they needed to.

Pam just took a trip to the coast with a friend, and brought just her one good traveler, Lucky. She spent two nights in a hotel and ate in restaurants (with Lucky in the car) and got to walk on the beach and go into art galleries and just generally enjoy herself without three crazy little dogs in tow.

A dog relaxes with a dog sitter during a stay over at her home.
My dog Woody at my sister-in-law’s house. He’s pretty comfy anywhere.

Her dogs were fine at my house. They ate their food (no hunger strikes), slept in their dog beds (didn’t whine to sleep with me), didn’t try to escape, and weren’t mopey. We took walks around my two-acre property and they ate chicken poop from my free-range hens and generally had a good time. I’m sure they’d rather be with Pam than me, but they weren’t depressed or whiny or whatever Pam imagined might happen. And Pam had a nice time, too! She had to admit it was so much easier traveling with just Lucky.

Pam and Leslie aren’t the only people I know who worry a lot about their dogs when they travel. But in my opinion, I don’t think it does dogs any favors to not help them learn to be comfortable in a variety of situations and in different people’s care. If something happened to me, and my dogs had to go live with other people, I don’t want them to be traumatized by my loss and by living with someone else. I know they would be just as happy living with Pam or Leslie, or my friend Leonora or my son… I know they love me and are happy with me, but I’ve also left them in all of those other homes for days and they adjust just fine! And that makes me feel good every time I do have to leave.

What about you? Are you OK with leaving your dogs with other people, and are your dogs OK, too? Or do you worry excessively?

Grieving Our Losses

By
Nancy Kerns
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A beloved senior dog standing by the roadside looking inquisitively at the camera.
Otto in his last spring, when I still thought he might make it to his 16th birthday.

This has been a rough year for me and many of my dog-loving friends; I’ve lost track of how many people I know who have lost one of their beloved canine companions. And every time I see another loss announced in my social media feed, it brings my loss back with a sharp pang. If you’ve lost a dog that you love as much as life itself, you know that pain.

Many of my friends’ dogs, like my darling Otto, were elderly. And while we all know that the death of an old dog is inevitable, and we may have even told our friends that we’re prepared for it, when death comes, our loss isn’t any less painful or easier to accept.

It’s far more shocking when a loss comes out of the blue. Cancer, especially that devil hemangiosarcoma, took several of my friends’ dogs. Often, they seemed as right as rain one day and had a dire prognosis the next.

At least we can talk to our friends and family about our grief – I think it helps. I know our other animal family members grieve, too, though I’m often at a loss as to what we can do for them. My 8-year-old dog Woody was a tiny puppy when he first met Otto; until June, he never knew life without his idol and leader. He’s been visibly depressed, uncharacteristically quiet, for months now. He walks with me to water the oak tree we planted on Otto’s grave; does he understand why Otto is buried there? We thought it would be comforting to have Otto buried on our property, but I have to admit that the very real possibility that Woody knows Otto is underground there haunts me.

They say that the pain of losing someone we loved is the price of all the joy they brought us. Heck, I’ve repeated this to my friends when they’ve suffered a loss; I know it’s as true as the fact that the sun will rise again tomorrow, or that I will love – and lose – another dog or three before I die. The more it hurts is directly proportional to the depth of the bonds we shared, the number of the experiences we had together, and the profundity of the things we learned together. What an honor! What a loss! Hang in there, friends; the love itself never dies.

Sending love and light to Otto, Raven, Lucca, Piper, Abbi, Prince, Sierra, Trixie, Lili, Gordon, Kaiser, Cinder, BlueBell, Buster, Grayson, Cheeru, and all those I can’t remember through my tears – so many good dogs! – and to the people who loved them – who still love them, even if we can’t still see them.

Umbilical Hernias in Puppies

By
Dr. Eileen Fatcheric, DVM
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Beautiful puppy dog lying belly up with a pronounced "outie belly button," showing an umbilical hernia in puppies.
This puppy’s “outie belly button” is an umbilical hernia. Credit: Tigrom | Getty Images

If your puppy has an umbilical hernia, it usually looks a lot like an “outie” puppy belly button. The umbilicus, or belly button, is where the umbilical cord attached to the puppy’s belly while he was in the womb. At birth, the umbilical cord is either broken or cut, and the hole in the puppy’s belly wall closes. When this hole doesn’t close properly it’s called an umbilical hernia. The reason it looks like an “outie” belly button is because fat from inside the abdomen pokes through the hole and creates the little bulge you can see under the skin.

Small Umbilical Hernias

Small umbilical hernias, under a half inch, rarely cause a problem. You can’t expect the hernia to go away, but it does not necessarily have to be repaired. Larger umbilical hernias should be repaired to avoid a situation where abdominal contents more vital than fat, like intestines, sneak out and become entrapped. If this happens, your dog will require emergency abdominal surgery.

Because it’s rare for intestines to get entrapped in puppy umbilical hernias, it’s usually OK to wait and have the hernia repaired when you have your puppy spayed or neutered. This way your puppy only goes under anesthesia once.

Monitor the Pup’s “Belly Button”

The hernia should be closely monitored in the meantime. Look at it and feel it every day. If your puppy’s hernia is “reducible,” meaning you can push the fat back into the abdomen easily, it should stay that way. If a previously reducible hernia is suddenly non-reducible, this could be a sign of trouble and a trip to the vet is warranted.

Signs that something bad, like entrapped intestine, is happening include the hernia area becoming hot, red, firm, larger than it was, and painful to the touch. Your puppy will likely be depressed, vomiting, and having abdominal pain. This is a surgical emergency, so get immediate veterinary help.

Why Is My Dog’s Nose Wet?

By
Kate Basedow, LVT
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A brown nose of Labrador close up. Chocolate Labrador retriever nose. Brown labrador.
A dog’s nose has a cobblestone appearance that helps keep the nose wet and enhances his ability to smell things. If the nose becomes dry, the dog will usually lick it to keep it moist. Credit: Bigtunaonline | Getty Images

Dogs lick their own noses, so the saliva coats the nose and leaves it wet. A wet nose strengthens your dog’s sense of smell, which is one of his most amazing senses. In a few instances, however, a wet nose can indicate something is amiss, such as a runny nose, which could be a symptom of a cold.

Normal Dog Nose

Your dog’s nose is a great asset. Dogs have an incredible sense of smell that they use to find food, identify friends and family, and sniff out anything from favorite toys to missing children to mushrooms in the woods.

Moisture enhances your dog’s sense of smell, which is why dogs tend to lick their noses frequently to keep them moist. The tiny cobblestone appearance of a dog nose also helps with this, as those little cracks trap both moisture and odors.

Your dog’s nose does not have to be wet all the time, though. If he is really active or is sleeping, his nose may be dry. This simply means that he hasn’t licked his nose recently. Whether wet or dry, a nose that has the classic cobblestone surface and is soft to the touch is a healthy nose.

Dog Cold Symptoms

While a damp nose is nothing to worry about, if the nose is so wet it is dripping, there may be something else going on.

If your dog has a runny nose, check out the consistency of the discharge and if he has any other symptoms. A small amount of clear, watery discharge is less concerning than goopy yellow-green discharge or a bloody nose. A runny nose can be caused by viruses, bacterial infection, allergies, a foreign body stuck inside the nasal passages, or nasal cancer.

Common dog “cold” symptoms include:

  • Lethargy
  • Cough
  • Runny or goopy eyes
  • Runny or goopy nose

If your dog has any of these symptoms, call your veterinarian. Keep your pup away from other dogs until he has recovered.

Can I Give My Dog COVID?

By
Dr. Andrea Lee, DVM
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Woman lying sick on sofa with her dog
While science hasn’t proven transmission of COVID with dogs, the CDC recommends caution with all pets when you’re sick with COVID. Credit: ArtistGNDphotography | Getty Images

As winter approaches, a spike in human infectious respiratory illness is anticipated, including COVID-19. Many dog owners worry that if they contract the COVID-19 virus, can they give it to their dogs and how would they know if a dog has COVID. It’s not an easy question to answer, and research is a bit inconclusive and conflicting on some things.

While science has not yet confirmed canine COVID transfers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests caution, saying, “If you are sick with COVID-19 (either suspected or confirmed by a test), you should avoid contact with your pets and other animals, just as you would with people. Contact includes petting, snuggling, kissing, licking, sharing food, and sleeping in the same bed.”  (See sidebar for symptoms.)  Basically, the CDC is suggesting we play it safe.

What We Know About Canine COVID

There’s a lot scientifically unknown about dogs and COVID, including that we do not know for certain that ALL dogs exposed to the virus get ill from COVID-19. Most do not appear to be sick. If the dog does get ill, it is rare, mild, and self-limiting. Side note: Cats and ferrets are different in that they can show signs of illness.

COVID Symptoms in Pets

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention lists these symptoms as possible in pets sick with the virus that causes COVID-19:

  1. Fever
  2. Coughing
  3. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  4. Lethargy
  5. Sneezing
  6. Runny nose
  7. Vomiting
  8. Diarrhea

We do know that dogs develop neutralizing antibodies to COVID-19. This means that the canine immune system can recognize a COVID-19 virus as foreign and can mount an antibody response to fight the virus. While there are some diagnostic laboratories set up for COVID testing in animals with known exposure, since it is unlikely for dogs to infect people, this might not be necessary.

Dogs are thought not to shed the virus for a prolonged period, even if they test positive for antibodies to the virus. Research indicates that there is a narrow window of time in which samples can be taken for accurate testing, with confirmation of infection coming from serologic antibody testing. This makes the likelihood that dogs could transmit COVID-19 to a person low.

Care should still be taken handling the pets of infected owners because their coat could still contain infective viral particles shed by the owners, though the risk is much smaller than interacting with the actual sick owner. If a healthy person needs to handle the pet of a currently infected owner, handwashing afterward is a sensible precaution.

Laboratory Data

The serologic antibody testing in dogs has shown rates of infection of greater than 40% in infected households (Stevanovic 2021, Hamer 2021, Bienzle et al 2022). Testing of random populations of dogs show a low rate of antibody detected (0.2% to 3.4%). The random population could include leftover canine blood samples submitted to the lab for other testing. It is not likely to exclude dogs from households with a history of infection (Ito et al 2021, Patterson 2020, Smith 2021).

There is no vaccination for dogs against the COVID-19 virus. Since most dogs who are exposed do not get sick, it is unlikely that a canine vaccine will be developed.

As a final note, we do know that scent dogs can detect the virus in humans and have been considered for screening.

No Comment: High Profile Dog Biting Incidents Bring Baseless Speculation

By
Nancy Kerns
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German shepherd dog with aggressive expression.
Even direct witnesses to a dog-bite incident will have different memories of what happened, and theories as to the cause. None of them may accurate! Photo by Nick Measures, Getty Images

In recent weeks, there have been (at least) three very high-profile events involving dog bites, causing much discussion and commentary from dog-training and behavior experts, and many concerned (and opinionated) dog owners. Each case made me cringe – not because of what happened, because such incidents happen much more often than they make the news – but because of all the Monday-morning dog-training quarterbacking that goes on after each one.

The best-known event concerned Commander, the 2-year-old German Shepherd Dog belonging to the President of the United States Joe Biden and the First Lady, his wife, Jill Biden. On September 26, CNN reported that Commander had bitten a U.S. Secret Service agent at the White House. Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request, it was also learned that Commander had 10 previous bites already on his record when the most recent occurred.

In August, a widely shared social media post by a veterinary technician described an event in which a canine patient attacked the technician and the veterinarian she worked for in Hephzibah, Georgia, as they were about to examine the dog. The veterinarian suffered the most severe bites, with wounds to one hand and one leg that kept her from working for more than a month.

More recently, there was the case of a Border Collie who veered off course in the middle of an agility competition and attacked the judge, who was standing in the middle of the show ring. To the horror of the owner as well as the many competitors watching and waiting for their turn to compete, the Border Collie bit the judge several times deeply in the legs and hands.

Each of these incidents sparked dozens of opinion pieces and essays about should have been done and what should still be done with the bitey dogs. I’ve seen pieces online criticizing the dogs’ training, the equipment that was on the dog at the time of attack, and the wisdom of the mere presence of the dog in the environment where the attack took place. In most of these commentaries, the writer (or speaker, in the case of widely shared videos and podcasts) presumed to know what caused the attack, or what could have – should have – done to prevent it. Most of these commentaries were from people who heard or read about the attack, but some were from people who witnessed the attack (the agility competition had many witnesses).

Whenever there is a high-profile dog-bite case, many dog trainers and journalists see the event as an opportunity to educate the public about dog aggression, dog body language, dog training, dog selection, and so on. And I appreciate the impulse; sometimes, people are the most teachable when there has been a crisis that captures their attention and concern.

But here’s the problem with this tactic: While it may be helpful to try to educate people about dog behavior in general terms, using a newsworthy event as an example, no one who comments about an event like this can possibly discuss the cause or potential prevention of that incident with any certainty. You can ask multiple witnesses to an event – like the one with the Border Collie – and every single person will report having seen something different. People bring their own experience and biases to these reports; they can’t help it. Few, if any, of the Monday Morning dog-training quarterbacks will focus on the same issues: the dog’s stress, its health status, breed or breeding, handling, diet, gear, training methods, environment, reproductive status, performance calendar – you name it! People will have opinions about what the owner did wrong, the breeder did wrong, or about the breed itself. And none of what they say may be accurate.

The only people who can reliably explain what led to the event, and what should be done to prevent another one, are experienced, educated behavior professionals – preferably veterinary behaviorists, or a trainer who has a good rapport with a behavior-savvy veterinarian – who are engaged to study the dog and work with his or her owner. These cases may be complex and multifactorial – or they might be very simple! But only people who actually know and have examined the dog and have interviewed the owner, should attempt to offer explanations or advice regarding that dog.

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