A Useful Tool

When I take my dogs out in the morning it is dark out. When I get home from work it's dark out. It is the season when it seems exercising the dogs is reduced because of the darkness that surrounds us. I found a very useful tool to aid in the darkness and allowing my dogs to exercise. I do allow Scout and Henry to go outside without a leash. I do, however, go with them. We have a large field where they often go and wonder about following the smell of deer and other walks of life. While I am not concerned so much that they will run away, I do like to be able to see where they are.

http://www.ruffwear.com/The-Beacon_4

Henry wearing his beacon. Taking the photo at night creates some nice side effects with a moving subject.

Ruffwear makes a product called the Beacon. I love it! It has 3 settings, a quick flashing, slow flashing and a solid light. In theory you can set each dog to a particular light setting so you know which dog is which. I just put both lights on solid as I don't care for the flashing setting.  Now after work, I come home, put their collars on with the Beacon and we set off for a walk around the field. I can keep tabs on the dogs and they can stretch their legs after a long day. I would highly recommend it to anyone that has a free ranging dog, anyone that walks there dog in the dark on busy roads, or anyone that just wants a little sense of security in the dark.

What's in a food?

All dog foods are created equal.
What is good for one dog must be good for another.
If it costs more, it must be a good quality food.
100% complete and balanced!

Yikes! Look at all the artificial coloring, it holds no nutritional value for our dogs.

These are some of the most common pet food myths that will be touched upon today. Nutrition is such a vast subject and is a topic of great debate and extensive conversation. I will touch on the key components of nutrition as it relates to our dog and get you started on understanding what is on a dog food label.

Extensive research has been done on the diet of wolves, coyotes and foxes. Dogs and wolves are biologically the same. The dog descended from the wolf and shares some of its similarities. For instance, wolves are carnivores. Their primary diet consists largely of meat with minimal fruit and grasses. While our dogs are not wolves, it is still evident that they require large amounts of protein. In fact, it should make up the bulk of their dog food.

When you look at the ingredient list on your dog's food, it is mandatory for the manufacturer to list the ingredients in order of descending weight. That means the first ingredient in the list weighs the most. Because dogs require protein, it is encouraged by many, those who have done extensive research in canine nutrition, that within the first 5 ingredients there be at least 2 protein sources. For instance:

Innova Large Breed Adult (first 5)
Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Barley, Whole Grain Brown Rice

It is pretty evident what Turkey and Chicken are, the birds, no confusing words around it. What about Chicken Meal? What is the meal component? According to the AAFCO, (Association of American Feed Control Officers - they regulate what goes into dog foods), a meal is the protein source free of all moisture content. It is pure protein. When you look at something like turkey or chicken, the bulk of the weight is actually water weight. Similar to humans, aren't we about 70% water weight? While a whole protein source like chicken is good, chicken meal is almost better in the sense that if it is first that weight is all protein not protein and moisture. Now, what about some of the other protein sources. There are some companies that opt to use by-products. Here are some of the definitions food companies need to abide by when selecting their ingredients.

Definitions: 
Meat: is the clean flesh derived from slaughtered mammals and is limited to that part of the striated muscle which is skeletal or that which is found in the tongue, in the diaphragm, in the heart, or in the esophagus; with or without the accompanying and overlying fat and the portions of the skin, sinew, nerve, and blood vessels which normally accompany the flesh. It shall be suitable for use in animal food. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind, it must correspond thereto.

Meat By Product: is the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meats, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes but is not limited to, lungs, spleens, kidneys, brains, livers, blood, bones, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissues, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. it does not include hair, horns, teeth and hoofs. It shall be suitable for use in animals food. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind, it must correspond thereto.

Poultry By-Product - must consist of non-rendered clean parts of the carcasses of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, viscera, free from fecal content and foreign matter except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidable in good factory practice.

Poultry By-Product Meal - consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, intestines, exclusive of feather, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.

Why would a company use by-products? They are often a cheaper substitute for the real thing. There may be some that claim by-products have their place and are very high protein sources. This may be partially true but the "high proteins" are often in a form that a dog can not easily digest, therefore, not getting the appropriate nutrients from it.

Here are two ingredient lists, one which I would consider a high quality food and the second, one you would get at your grocery store, a place that typically carries the lower quality dog food.



http://blog.barknpurr.com/2012/11/14/brand-profile-orijen/

There is such a difference between these two food. One uses "people" food, whole vegetables and fruits and the other a variety of synthetic flavors and artificial coloring. One is likely to be more expensive than the other but there are other low quality brands out there that are quite costly. Why? They need to make money somewhere for all the marketing and commercials you see. Often the higher quality foods aren't as well known as some of the lower quality foods and this is likely due to the fact that they take the marketing money and put it towards the higher quality ingredients.

Also the cheaper food actually end up costing you more than the higher quality food. What goes in must come out. The cheaper foods have more waste so you need to feed more to actually get your dog a reasonable amount of the nutrients. The higher quality food has less waste within the kibble so you can feed less because more is absorbed. So of the above examples, food A you may only need to feed 3 cups/day and the food B you would have to feed 6 cups/day.

Things to look out for in ingredient lists - vague descriptions. In the bargain brand food listed, it doesn't specific what meat is used for the meat and bone meal or what animal fat is being used. This leaves wiggle room for the company to always be able to shop for the cheapest ingredients while staying "true" to the ingredient list. As noted about, avoid artificial colors, as well as preservatives BHA and BHT, these are known carcinogenic preservatives used in foods, human food too, and in packaging.

It is a continuing debate on what is good for dogs. Your dog may do just fine on a lower quality food but that doesn't mean that is what is best for them. Think of yourself or your child. Just because they survive and can live on McDonalds doesn't mean they should eat it every day forever, does it? Eventually you are going to notice health problems.

The thing with dogs and puppies, are that they are relatively resilient. You may not see problems until they are big problems. For dogs it may be fatty tumors, cancerous tumors, organ failure, or joint problems to name a few. Feeding a higher quality food can help prevent the onset of some of these
problems. Your dog will develop better physically and mentally. Provide your dog with a high quality food and supplement with fresh whole fruits and vegetables and you will add a lot to their commercial dry dog food.

Sensitivities vs. Allergies

Did you know that if your dog has a sensitivity to food one of the first things you should notice is your dog's skin changes? They may become more itchy, they could start shedding more, the coat may dry out and you may see more dandruff or they might develop an odor and a greasy coat. Dogs may develop an ear infection, a rash or discoloration of their coat (usually on lighter dogs).

For the first 2 years of Scout's (my 5 year old yellow lab) life he had chronic, although mild ear infections. He would itch some but not to a degree that would earn any concern. The ear infections I chalked up to the fact that he was a lab and labs always had ear infections. It wasn't until I switched the brand of dog food that it made me question a food sensitivity. What prompted the switch was that the manufacturer of the food I was feeding had sold out to a company that makes everything from cosmetics to shampoos to food. Often in the dog food world, once this happens, the quality of the ingredients start to change. So before that happened I switched foods. It was unintentional the first food I switched Scout to, but it was a high, novel protein (bison, venison), free of rice and full of pro and prebiotics. Within a span of 3 weeks, Scout's ears, untreated with medications, cleared. I had never seen them so clean. While he never had a raging infection he always had that greasy, yeasty debris. It was at this point that I became aware that he had even been itchy. Because when he used to jump up and start scratching his armpits after laying on carpet, I would think, he has little hair there and the fiber of the carpet must irritate him. After switching foods, he hardly ever itched. That it is when the light bulb went off! 

It took many months, close to a year, of trial and errors to narrow down the ingredients which were irritating to him. In the end it came down to Rice and/or Chicken. I am more certain that it is chicken because once it came down to the two, I picked a chicken grain free diet which had about 6 different chicken ingredients within the first 10 listed. At the end of 1 week being on the food, his ears started to get that greasy debris. Scout can still eat things with chicken in it, but just not an overabundance and every day for a month or more. I have no problem with grains in a dogs diet, I find it just as easy to pick foods that are chicken and grain free. Scout who will be 6 in a couple of short months has been ear infection free for 4 years. 

You may have noticed that I keep calling it sensitivities verses allergies. The difference between a sensitivity verses an allergy is that with allergies they are acute reactions; swelling, can't breath, overall, severe issues that need attending. Think of people who are allergic to bee stings and need immediate assistance. Sensitivities are an intolerance. They can occur anywhere 2-72 hours post exposure, like after eating something. According to Dr. Jean Dodds, Veterinarian and one of the foremost experts in pet healthcare, onset of sensitivities occur between 6 months to 4 years for most animals. Largest complaints when it comes to sensitivities, itching, otitis externa (ear infections), and seborrhea (dry skin flakes like dandruff ). 

There are definitely other reasons dogs can itch. Food sensitivity actually falls third in the list of many things. Number 1 = Flea bites, Number 2 = atopy, or inhalant allergy, and then Number 3 = food sensitivity. 

If you think your dog has an intolerance to something in particular, like food, it is important to give the trial 4-6 weeks if not 6-8 weeks of eliminating that particular ingredient. Then if there is no improvement you can try eliminating more ingredients. There are a number of companies out there that offer a limited ingredient formula which is often one protein source and one grain which is extremely helpful when doing food trials.

 

Bug Bites and Bee Stings

There comes a time every year where insects are a nuisance to everyone, even our dogs. Spring offers us pesky black flies (their bites are the little red rings we find on our dogs bellies), Summer through fall brings the mosquitoes, horseflies, spiders, wasps, bees etc.  Just like people, some dogs are more sensitive to the bite of one of these insects than others. It might result in just a puffy face or it could turn into a serious situation that needs medical assistance. I personally, working at the vet the last 5 years, haven't seen any cases where a bug bite resulted in trouble breathing but have definitely seen some very puffy faces come through the door.

So what do you do if your dog's face starts swelling? You can give them a benadryl dose. It typically is 1 mg/lb. Benadryl comes in 25mg capsules. Say your dog weighs 75lbs, one dose for them would be 3 tablets of benadryl.  If your dog is 80lbs it would likely still be a 3 tablet dose. When in doubt, you should always contact your vet to get the correct dose for your dog. They will tell you how often you can give the benadryl if the swelling hasn't  gone down after the first dose. There isn't much for side effects with giving benadryl other than may result in tiredness. I do, however, have one of my labs who vomits every time I have given him benadryl. I know this because of trial and error. Sometimes I give him a dose if he has been bit by a horsefly while other times I do not. After the bug bite, he only vomits if benadryl is involved. Henry, my other lab, has no side effects when taking benadryl.
If your dog isn't exhibiting signs of discomfort or irritation from the bites the swelling will often subside on its own. In the picture above of Henry, he was bitten by 3 horseflies at once around his eye while he was swimming. I couldn't swat them off nor could he. The flies had a feast. His face started out swelling just around the eye and then after a couple hours spread down the left side of his muzzle and jowls. His lip was about 3x as thick as as his normal side and the corners of his mouth were almost the size of golf balls. I gave him one dose of benadryl, 2 tablets, he was 60lbs when it happened, and come morning it had decreased in size. I could have given him more but because the swelling was going down on its own and he wasn't showing any signs of discomfort, I let nature take care of the rest. When I returned from work his face was back to normal. The biggest thing is if you are ever unsure, or your dog has trouble breathing, contact your veterinarian immediately!

Argh, Ticks!

Ticks are the spring time and fall time pests! I always do a thorough check but I will tell you that even with two yellow labs and the short coats they have, it is impossible to find every tick. Sometimes two hours later, there is one crawling on their head, and this is after I have checked them over. So during the heavy tick seasons I use Frontline plus to help with the ones I miss and attach to my dog.

Today, though, I want to tell you of a quick handy way to snag the stray ticks. When you see one crawling along on your dog reach for the tape. It is a quick and permanent way to ensnare those ticks without the worry of dropping them or having them cling to the toilet as you try and flush them. The adhesive on the tape keeps the tick in place. When folded over onto itself, tape creates a permanent trap and can then just be tossed in the trash. A little bit more eco-friendly then flushing the toilet to try and rid yourself of the tiny tick.

Toe Nail Trims Part 2

Click, click, click, you are suddenly aware of the sound coming from your dog as he makes his way across the room to you. Trimming your pet’s toe nails should be a regular occurrence whether done by you or by a professional. It is not uncommon to see dogs with adverse reactions to having their feet handled let alone having their nails trimmed. Here are some things you can do to help condition your dog to accept, if not like having their nails trimmed. Don't forget to check out Dr. Sophia Yin's video at the end.

1. Food is a very big motivator for our dogs. If your dog really doesn’t like having his feet handled start by conditioning your dog to like it. To do this, use a really yummy, high value treat such as cheese, pieces of pepperoni, chicken, hot dogs or a commercially made product called freeze dried liver. As you touch your dog’s foot, feed him a piece of the treat. When you let go of his foot the treats stop. Your dog will associate having his feet handled makes good things happen, such as a yummy treat. As your dog becomes more comfortable with his foot being held gradually adjust how you hold it. Count each toe, play with the nail, apply slight pressure all the while feeding treats.

2. Once your dog is accustomed to their feet being handled, we want to introduce the clippers. If your dog runs when the clippers come out we need to use conditioning to get a tail wag from the dog when he sees them instead of fear. When we condition our dog to the clippers we will not be clipping the nails initially. Bring the clippers out and leave them sitting on the floor with yummy treats sprinkled around them. As your dog eats the treats he will realize that the sight of the clippers equals good things. Progress to picking up the clippers and holding them while treating your dog. We are looking for a relaxed dog. When your dog is feeling comfortable and relaxed start touching the feet with the clippers while treating.

3. When your dog has become conditioned enough that you are ready to clip the toe nails, only aim to do 1 toenail. If the day allows, you can clip a toe nail every few hours, or do one nail a day, gradually working your way up to 2 nails, 1 foot and maybe all 4 feet done on the same day. Remember to treat with high value treats so that your dog still associates toe nail trims as a good thing. If you have a helping hand it can be useful to have one person feeding the dog while the other person focuses on the nails.

If you can’t trim your dog’s nails yourself and it is something you would like to do, I would suggest you start with conditioning. In between your conditioning sessions have a professional trim the nails so that they do not grow too long. Nails that are too long displace the toes and disrupt the proper placement of their feet.

Here is a Dr. Sophia Yin using this technique and able to do it quite quickly with this particular dog. Remember every dog is different and the speed of which you condition them will vary.

How does your dog like his pedicures?

Nail Trimmings Part 1

When it comes to nail trims I have had to use two different approaches with each of my dogs. With Scout, since puppyhood, I was always able to clip the toe nail and then deliver a treat. I did have to start out with help having someone continually feed him while I trimmed but then progressed to clipping and treating after each nail without help. Over time, as he became accustomed to our routine, I could trim the nails on all four feet and he would receive one reward at the end. Sometimes, just to make sure he still enjoys his pedicures, he will be rewarded after each foot, or on a toe that may have been too close to the quick.

With Henry, we have had to establish a wait cue. I place a high value treat out in front of him where he can not reach it. I ask him to wait. While he waits I trim one toe nail and then he is released so that he may go snag his treat. He waits, the toenail is trimmed, his reward is he is free to get up and get his treat. Then we repeat. When we first started working on this we had to do some conditioning and when it came to clipping I would aim for 1 toenail only. It was frustrating that he wasn’t as easy to do as Scout but it was more beneficial taking it slow with him then forcing him to accept it. If I had tried to fight Henry to trim toenails I am sure he would have ended up bleeding because of the squirming and fighting he would have been quicked. He is only 9 months old at this point, and we are now able to do all four feet in one sitting with high rate of reinforcement. Eventually, we will be able to get to the point where he will receive one reward for trimming all four feet, but it is a process, and I am in no hurry. If he needs a lot of treats to trim his toenails I’ll give it to him, because it is worth being able to do it myself.