Dogs Inside Out

Arthritis and Tumeric

 
 

Tumeric was used as a dye in India for as long as 2500 years ago. It was later used as a spice and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine as early as 250 BC to treat inflammatory diseases. We know turmeric as Indian curry and it contains curcumin.

 

It’s taken us in the west a little longer-over 2000 years-to discover the benefits of this spice. One day sitting in the vet’s office I happened upon a short blurb in a dog magazine about the benefits of tumeric on arthritis. Once I got home additional research revealed a recent study at the University of Arizona College of Medicine on the benefits of tumeric used in traditional Asian medicine. In the U. of AZ study, Dr Janet Funk states that tumeric completely inhibited the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. Her research also suggests help with other inflammatory diseases such as asthma, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. This study will lead to further research on the effects of tumeric on arthritis and other diseases.

 

The current treatments for arthritis are the NSAID’s (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug). Drugs such as Rimadyl, Deramax, Metacam, Zubrin, and Etogesics are often effective in reducing inflammation and pain. But these drugs come with serious side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Gastrointestinal ulcers, perforations, and liver and kidney toxicity can also develop.

 

One of my old dogs with arthritis in his feet can’t tolerate the NSAID’s and I never found the glucosamine/chondroitin recommendations to be very beneficial for him. Acupuncture has real benefit and is effective but we don’t all live near an acupuncturist and charges vary widely; a friend pays $40 a visit where she lives, but in our over-inflated Charlottesville an acupuncture session is $80. When I need to take a dog for up to 6 or 8 weekly visits that becomes expensive, even when I know it helps. 

 

Encouraged by the results of the Arizona study, I decided to try tumeric on Coal, who was increasingly reluctant to go on walks or go up stairs because of the pain. I began giving him tumeric in his food, 1 teaspoon in his breakfast and 1 teaspoon in his dinner. I wasn’t expecting to see a cure but hoped for some improvement. After a week or so I noticed he was willing to take longer walks and walk up the stairs. After a couple of weeks there was marked improvement in his willingness to get around.

 

Give it a try and see if it helps. You can buy tumeric at the Indian Food stores in large bags for a very reasonable price, compared to the spice shelf at the grocery store, or you can find it as tumeric or curcumin at the health food store. Caution—tumeric stains yellow, it was used as a substitute for saffron as a dye, so if you are adding it loose to food rather than in a capsule, it can stain. I’ve seen no side effects and definite improvement in Coal. If you try it let us know what happens! 

References:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061030071152.htm

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2005/11/16/tumeric-and-cur/

Bloat Facts

The Purdue Study recommends you do not feed one large meal a day, but several smaller portioned meals a day, and add meat or canned meat to the dry food. 

Bloat, also called gastric dilation-torsion, or GDV, is a swelling of the stomach from gas, fluid, or both. Bloat is a veterinary emergency; your dog will die if not treated! Certain breeds or families of breeds are prone to bloat which indicates a genetic component as well as linked to a chest depth/width ratio. It is important for you to know the signs of bloat, especially as your dog ages; the risk of bloat increases as the dog gets older. There are things you can do to help prevent bloat. If your dog does bloat, it is imperative you know the signs and get your dog to the vet immediately. It is a mystery to me why veterinarians and breeders do not educate owners as to the health risks in certain breeds (or in mixes that clearly look like certain breeds) prone to bloat. Any dog can bloat, however, at any age.

 

This is not meant to be an in depth discussion about bloat, but a brief synopsis that you can print and keep handy in case (hopefully not) you ever need it.

 

Symptoms:

Symptoms can be subtle. Symptoms can include:

• pacing around continuously, or lying down in odd places, the corner of a room for example, and seeming to be uncomfortable
• salivating, panting, whining (whining is rare in collies)
• acts as if he can’t get comfortable
• acts agitated
• unproductive vomiting or retching
• excessive drooling or foaming
• swelling in abdominal region (this may or may not be noticeable) or the stomach has a hard, tight feeling
• the back can have a slight arch to it and dog has a reluctance to sit or lie down

 

Diagnosis and Treatment:

Examine your dog’s stomach and rib cage so that you understand and have a feel for a normal stomach area before and after eating. If you cannot easily feel the ribs on your dog, or your dog doesn’t have a “waistline” increase your dog’s exercise and put it on a diet!

 

Bloat is life threatening, do not wait until you see or feel an enlarged stomach. The vet must take a radiograph to decide if it is bloat, but only surgery can determine the extent of damage to the stomach. Do not let your vet tell you the dog only has a stomachache! Only a radiograph will tell you if there is gas in the stomach. The overall bloat fatality rate approaches 30% for dogs with a dilated, rotated stomach. In contrast, dogs properly treated have a greater than 80% probability of surviving a bloat episode and then leading a normal life.

 

If your dog has bloated, it must have surgery to determine the damage. The vet will perform stomach decompression, and the dog must have a gastropexy to tie the stomach down. If your dog is diagnosed with bloat, do not let the vet send you home. The risks of bloating again are great, 100%. Numerous reports show that gastropexy to prevent gastric rotation should be performed as soon as possible following stomach decompression on all dogs with gastric dilation, whether or not the stomach is thought to be rotated at the time. Re-occurrence rate following gastropexy is less than 5%. Surgery is now recommended immediately if it is determined the dog bloated.

 

If  you think your dog has bloated, rush your dog to a veterinarian who can do emergency surgery. They will do immediate decompression, fluid therapy, and radiographs to rule out GDV.

If the vet recommends delaying surgery, get a second opinion immediately. Delay in surgery will decrease the dog’s chance of surviving. Once your dog has had surgery, he/she must be monitored for several nights. Do not leave your dog at a vet practice that cannot monitor your dog for the first 48 hours after surgery. If you must, take your dog to an emergency clinic for overnight monitoring.

 

Talk to your regular vet about bloat before it becomes an emergency, and what procedures they recommend. That way you will know, if this emergency comes up, where you need to take your dog to properly treat it. Older dogs can and do survive bloat, if they are treated quickly and have surgery--don’t let your vet say your dog is “too old” to survive. I know of one collie who had bloat surgery at age 11 and lived another 3 years. What determines success rate is the degree of damage to the stomach, the extent of shock, and the quickness of diagnosis and surgery, and round the clock follow-up monitoring for several days.

 

Prevention:

            Suggestions for prevention vary and are still debated. This is a combination of

suggestions based on articles, research, and my personal experience/opinion.

            Oil or fat listed in the first four ingredients increases the risk of bloat by almost 2.5 times. Risk is decreased by a higher number of meat-based ingredients included in the first four ingredients. Dr. Larry Glickman recommends picking a dry food with no fat listed among the first four ingredients. The theory is that while protein and carbohydrates move out of the stomach fairly quickly, fat is delayed in the stomach. Other fresh food is recommended, including fresh vegetables.

Suggestions:

*Do not feed on raised food bowls (put the bowl on the floor),

*Feed more than one meal per day, preferably two meals per day, creating smaller amounts per feeding. Risk increases with larger volume of food fed once per day.

*Add fresh meet, and/or canned meet, and vegetables to the dry food,

*Avoid food with added fat/oil listed as one of the first four ingredients, do not add fat or oil to the food,

*Avoid foods preserved with calcium citrate,

*Keep your dog in good body condition (Exercise!), do not allow your dog to get fat, and muscle tone is equally important too,

*Be aware of labeling tricks; ingredients on labels are listed in descending order by weight. For example, if the amount of the first four ingredients weighs the same, the manufacturer can list them in any order they choose. “chicken, oats, corn, rice,” may look like the food has mostly chicken, but the ingredients are actually the same amount by weight.

 

Besides the recommendations above, I personally:

*feed two times a day,

*slightly moisten the food with water,

*add canned or fresh meat to each meal, (canned from a high quality manufacturer)

*restrict strenuous exercise for 30 minutes to an hour after eating,

*fresh water available at all times to the dog,

*provide ample exercise to keep my dogs in condition-especially the older dogs.

 

 

Sources:

http://personal.uncc.edu/jvanoate/k9/bloatfaq.htm

Risk factors for bloat by Amy Nesselrodt DVM, Collie Expressions Magazine 8/06

http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/bloat.htm

Playing Dead

This is great! Can your dog play dead?

Do Probiotics work? part 2

Did you know?

• Antibiotics kill bad bacteria but also kill the good bacteria
• Diarrhea can be caused by parasites or from viral and bacterial infections
• Seven high quality (human) studies support the use of probiotics
• The effects of probiotics are short lived; give them throughout antibiotic use
• Probiotic products vary widely in dose and quality
• Recommended doses of 5 billion colony forming units-CFU-per day for children and 10 billion CFU for adults (human doses)
• Most probiotics fall into two categories: Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium
• Probiotics come in different genera, species and strains of the same species
• Probiotics are dose specific—different probiotics are effective at different levels.

 

In a study of acute diarrhea in children a number of products composed of different probiotics showed that only Lactobacillus rhamnosius GG effectively reduced the duration of the diarrhea.

 Probiotics considered safe are:

Lactobacillus

Bifidobacterium

Saccharomyces

Streptococcus thermophilus

 

If you decide to use probiotics with a diseased or immuno compromised animal consult a veterinarian beforehand. Some human studies have shown adverse effects of probiotics on certain diseases and immuno compromised humans. However, it indirectly affects the immune system, if not directly, because as Purina’s website states; the GI system contains 70% of the immune system.

Articles about probiotics recommend that if manufactures make claims about their probiotics there should be studies/research to support these claims. But in searching the internet, I found it somewhat daunting to access the research. 

When you shop for a probiotics read the label! it should:

-disclose genus, species and strain (this info should help relate back to research that documents the effects)

-list number of live organisms in each dose

-list an expiration date

-levels are typically called CFU’s

-include storage information and contact info

 

Unlike earlier probiotics on the market, not all probiotics must be refrigerated now. New technology makes it possible to store them at room temperature according to label instructions.  Dried and stored properly, probiotics will activate when inside the moist intestinal system.

 

I have heard from some that one particular brand really worked while another person said they were getting no results. So it sounds like if one doesn’t work, try another, because one does not have a positive effect does not mean another will not. The function of a probiotics can be strain specific.

A google search came up with dozens and dozens of probiotics for dogs.

A few brands I’m familiar with…

Purina Fortiflora     It is Enteroccus faecium and claims to promote intestinal health. Purina says it's sold exclusively through veterinarians, but it is also listed on Amazon.com for a cheaper price.

Culturelle is an over the counter probiotic also recommended by vets. It is Lactobacillus GG      www.culturelle.com

I use a CVS brand I use as a supplement in their evening meal that seems to have a beneficial effect and is cheaper than the two listed above. I see lots of brands sold at the dog shows, too. Do you use something? Would you share your results and brand? 

Dog Appreciation Day

Dog Appreciation Day!

Do we have one? We should!

This is an article about special dogs and special kids and how a dog can make all the difference. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/health/06pets.html

 

I think dogs like Chad help autistic kids like Milo begin to relate because,

like all of us, they want everyone to know what a great dog they have

and how much they love them.

 

Let’s all do something with our dogs this week-today-heck, right now!

Take them for a walk, give them some play time one-on-one with you,

teach them a trick, take them to an obedience class. It will remind us how

much we love our dogs and appreciate them and the interaction will be a benefit to both of us.

 

What is your relationship to your pets? Our dogs affect our emotions; make us

laugh or cry, they help us live longer, they can affect our relationships with other

humans. Pretty amazing.

Below is a picture of 11 year old Sherman owned and loved by Rosemary George. He survived a traumatic event a few months before this picture was taken. Our dogs can also teach us so much-like it's good to be alive and every day is a gift! 

Do Probiotics work?

Probiotics are live microorganisms found in foods or supplements that help balance intestinal bacteria. There are a lot of claims about the benefits of probiotics—that they aid digestion, help with diarrhea, including as a side-effect of taking antibiotics, boosts the immune system, and reduces colds.

Studies are showing some very encouraging signs that these claims are true. And if it can help us, it can also benefit our dogs.

Dogs that are prone to bouts of diarrhea, senior dogs, dogs who travel to shows or events, dogs on antibiotics prone to stomach upset, or if you want to aid digestion and boost the immune system can all benefit from taking probiotics.

Just as there are many different kinds of antibiotics to treat different and specific infections, so there are also specific bacteria that target certain health issues. In human studies Lactobacillus in different strains reduces diarrhea, for example, Lactobacillus GG (LGG) is in the over the counter supplement Culturelle, and L. casei DN 114 001 in the Dannon yogurt products.  In a study of day care children these two strains actually reduced the incidence of illness in the children.

Studies prove that some strains of probiotics reduce diarrhea, including diarrhea associated with taking antibiotics. Whether they boost the immune system is still debatable, but as author Parker-Pope states, the intestinal tract is important to our immune system and probiotics not only aid digestion but also create a barrier within the intestines.

I’ve found some more fascinating information on probiotics that I will post soon, including how to decide which probiotics are effective, how much you actually have to give to have positive benefits, and much more. Stay tuned! 

 

Resources:

Probiotics: Looking Under the Yogurt Label by Tara Parker-Pope

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/health/29well.html?em

Discovering What Dogs Know

There's still surprisingly little research on an animal that has lived with us so closely for over 15,000 years. A new book by Alexandra Horowitz titled "Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know" adds to our knowledge. Finally, someone who will tell us what is going on inside that brain! Well, maybe. To quote the article--"As a psychologist with a Ph.D. in cognitive science, as well as an ardent dogophile, Horowitz aims 'to take an informed imaginative leap inside of a dog--to see what it is like to be a dog; what the world is like from the dog's point of view." 

 Here's a link to the book review--I'm adding it to my reading list.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/books/review/Schine-t.html?em

Senior Dogs

Years ago I was sitting in the veterinarian’s office with my Collie Maya, when the exam room door opened and an elderly couple came into the main area. The woman cradled a thick pile of baby blankets in her arms as though she held a precious cargo within. Slowly she peeled back the layers and revealed a bony, bleary-eyed Chihuahua.

“Look,” she directed the motionless, incased form, “there’s a Collie!” She lowered her bundle and as I watched, the ancient dog lifted its head out of the wrappings and with obvious effort turned in our general direction. I don’t think I’d ever seen anything look that old.

“She’s 22 years old,” the woman said, part brag and part concern. “We’re not exactly sure, we got her when she was a couple of years old.”

Even give or take a year, I was still impressed and silently wondered if 22 years was a record. “We’re worried about her,” she added, “she’s not doing well.”

I nodded in amazement while the ancient head wobbled in effort to keep upright. Finally the old dog gave up, sank back into the blankets with visible relief, and the couple walked out.

Long after they left questions lingered in my mind. How in the world did that dog even hear? Or, after all those years, was there an unspoken communication between them? Surely the Chihuahua’s cloudy eyes could barely discern us in the waiting room, perhaps she smelled us. Or was she simply doing her job as she had always done; trying to please her devoted owners as they requested, by looking at the Collie.

 

The other day walking into the vet’s office I noticed a sign on the glass door announcing September is Senior Month. It recalled the memory of that brief introduction to a very senior dog. Guinness world record of the oldest living dog is Chanel at 21. She died on August 28, 2009. The oldest dog on record, Bluey, was an Australian Cattle Dog who died in 1939 at 29 years 8 months.

How to add (quality) years to your dog's life:

First and foremost, if your dog is overweight, put it on a diet now! The older our dogs get the harder it is to deal with excess weight. The same principles apply to our dogs as to us; diet, exercise, eat well. I've seen skinny people with obese dogs, I don't understand that. I've had owners tell me their dog isn't overweight, their vet said so. Guess what, vets don't tell us our dogs are fat because they are afraid of alienating the client. Senior food might be the solution short term, but I've heard many say senior food is so full of grain to lower protein and caloric content, that it isn't as good as adult formulas. I don't know, I'll try to find out more about that. 

I have the opposite problem with my 12 year old dog, Banner. He has lost all the muscle mass in his rear and he is skin and bones. We struggle to get him to eat enough to put meat on his pathetic frame. I try to get as many calories in him as I can, but have to be careful not to upset his stomach. He gets a specially formulated senior diet mixed with doggy junk food. The ingredients are awful--sugar, dies, chemicals, but I am desperate to entice Banner to eat, so I'll trade some junk for calories. The truth is, our seniors require extra TLC but they are worth it! More to follow.....

The Co$t$ of Owning a Dog

Recent events in our home are a stark reminder of how much our pets cost. A trip to the emergency vet or surgery can quickly add up to thousands of dollars. CJ suddenly became seriously ill and an overnight at the emergency vet, including one x-ray, IV fluids, antibiotics, and blood work cost $650. Follow-up treatment at our regular vet was an additional $550.

 

The initial cost of purchasing a dog might seem high but it will pale compared to what your dog will cost you over its lifetime! Premium, designer type dog foods now retail for close to $50 for a 33-pound bag. If you have a large dog that could average $25 a week! Most of us with multiple pets aren’t going to spend nearly that much, but will still try to find the best food for the price. Dog food prices have risen dramatically over the last five years or so due in part to fuel costs. Other expenses for our pets include toys, treats, collars, leashes, beds, crates, grooming, boarding or pet sitting, and training classes. If you participate in performance events or show your dogs there is the cost of classes, equipment, and travel. Cha ching!!

 

Veterinary expenses have grown along with all the other costs. The AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Assoc.) says we spend about $356 per dog each year. A routine office visit can range from $35 to $55 but if you need diagnostic testing it can quickly go from $1,000 to as high as $5,000. The APPMA estimates the average cost of surgical care is $574 for a dog. Remember, this is just an average;  one fee in a major metropolitan area can be very different from what a rural southern practice charges. Americans spent $23.2 billion just on veterinary care for dogs and cats in 2006, according to the ASPCA.

 

While we expect our pets to be healthy and live a long time, it’s our responsibility if something goes wrong. It’s not an overstatement to say that caring for a dog today is an expensive proposition, and shouldn’t be taken on unless we are prepared to face the financial costs.

The table below provides the estimated average yearly cost of owning a cat or a dog according to the 2005-2006 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey:

 

Expense	Dog	Cat
Surgical Vet Visits	$574	$337
Food	$241	$185
Kennel Boarding	$202	$119
Routine Veterinary Care	$211	$179
Grooming	$107	$24
Vitamins	$123	$3
Treats	$68	$43
Toys	$45	$29
Average Yearly Cost	$1,571	$919
Ten-Year Average Cost	$15,710	$9,190

 

The numbers above are nearly five years old now, I bet the estimates are increasing yearly!

 

Pet insurance might make sense for some folks. Investigate the terms very carefully. I know one person who swore by it when her Great Dane became ill, but it doesn’t seem a viable option for those of us who own multiple pets. In 2008 we Americans spent $43.2 billion on our pets according to the APPMA. That’s a sobering figure. We love our dogs, but we need to remember that they are a huge financial responsibility, too. I’ve got a follow up to this coming up soon on some research that was done on pet owners and their dogs.

 

Reference: The Economics of Pet Ownership

by James E. McWhinney

Does Your Dog Bite?

 From the Pink Panther Strikes Again:

Clouseau: Does your dog bite?
Hotel Clerk: No.
Clouseau: (bowing down to pet the dog) Nice doggie.
(Dog barks and bites Clouseau in the hand)
Clouseau: I thought you said your dog did not bite!
Hotel Clerk: That is not my dog.

    There are a lot of reasons to teach our dogs to inhibit their mouthing or biting. Young children and older folks have thinner skins and easily bruise or get a skin break. If we teach our dogs to inhibit their bite, then there is less risk of an accident, including an unintentional or non-aggressive one.

 

I start with puppies in the whelping box to teach them their teeth are sharp. As soon as they  begin to use their needlelike little teeth on my hands, but not to the point of breaking skin, I say “OW!” I don’t move my hand until the puppy removes his mouth from my hand, once the mouth is off my hand I praise the pup in a low-key tone of voice so he doesn’t start right in again. He usually has a surprised look on his face, like what a namby-pamby you are!

 

If he persists in the mouthing or biting, I get up and walk away. Or I’ll let him know I am unhappy that he hurt me with my tone of voice. For example, “You hurt me and I’m not going to play with you.” I don’t want to frighten the puppy, but I want to act similarly to what a littermate would do--yelp in pain or leave if things get too rough. 

 

If you are having problems with your puppy biting, teach the puppy that he does not get what he wants as long as his mouth is on you:

1) If the puppy is grabbing for the treat, take your hand away and offer the treat again. If the puppy reaches for or grabs the treat, remove your hand. Repeat this as many times as necessary until the puppy realizes that grabbing for the treat gets him nowhere. If the puppy calmly sits still and does not grab for the treat, click (if you are doing clicker training) and give him the treat.

2) If you are petting your puppy and he is mouthing or biting you while you are petting, stop the petting! You are telling the puppy that it is OK to bite or mouth while being petted, because you continue to pet! Take your hand away quickly and try again, every time the puppy attempts to mouth or bite you, remove your hand. When the puppy calmly accepts petting, click and treat, and pet your pal!

3) If your puppy bites you or the leash while putting the leash on, apply copious amounts of Bitter Apple and click and treat for calmly sitting and allowing you to put the lead on. Remove your hand every time the puppy grabs for the leash or your hand.

           

"OFF" Command

Teach “OFF” as a command just like you would  Sit or Come. “Off” can mean; off of couch, no jumping up (instead of using the word “down” which means lie down), no grabbing hands or clothes in play.

         Step 1) Give the puppy a piece of food “for free” and say “take it” while giving him the food.

            Step 2) Hold a treat in your hand so the puppy can smell and lick it, but is unable to eat it. (You will probably need to fold your fingers in and tuck your thumb in too).  When the pup voluntarily stops mouthing/licking your hand, either by stopping or looking away, click, praise and give the treat with “take it.” Timing of the praise with the moment the dog looks away or stops is important; it should be instantaneous.  Do this 6 times, (it may take some patience for the puppy to give up and stop trying to get the treat), each time praise when the puppy stops on its own and immediately give the treat with “take it”.

            Step 3) While the dog is mouthing your hand, tell it “Off” in a low tone of voice. Wait until the puppy stops mouthing, then immediately click, praise while it is off, and give treat. Puppies that really “get it” might sit and wait, which is wonderful. Or they even might start to wander away. That’s OK, still praise them and give them the treat.

            Step 4) Increase the time that the puppy is “Off” from 2 seconds, then 5, up to 7 seconds.

            Step 5) Use “take it” when giving food. You may have to be firm when saying “Off,” the degree of firmness depends on the individual puppy.

 

    If you are having difficulty with this exercise because the puppy is biting too hard, hold food enclosed in your right hand so that the puppy cannot eat it, but spray the outside of your fingers with Grannick’s Bitter Apple. When you are giving a treat with the “take it” command, use your left hand that has not been sprayed. Once your dog understands the OFF command with your hand you can generalize to clothes, furniture, etc. If your puppy is uninterested in the treat, you’ll need to find a treat good enough to entice the pup, but not so great that it really bites your hand. Or do this exercise before a meal so that the puppy is a little bit hungry.