Leashes to Litterboxes

Have you ever watched your pet scoot across the floor on his rear end?  Yes it looks a little odd but what your pet is really trying to do is to empty his anal glands.  The anal glands are 2 little sacs located at 4 and 8 o’clock around the anus.  These sacs normally are emptied when your pet has a bowel movement but they can get blocked or abscess.  The reasons for the blockage could be as easy as having diarrhea for a few days, hence they are not expressed, to cancer.  Now if you have ever smelled anal gland material you will remember that scent forever.  When pets have a bowel movement this scent is placed on the feces and that is why "everyone" must smell each other when greeting and when they are in the park checking to see who has been where.

(Anal gland abcess)

If your pet is constantly scooting take him to the vet.  They will examine the anal area, express the sacs if they are full or they will figure out what is causing the blockage.

Tags: dog, cat, pet

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For everyone that lives in the US mark February 27th as a day to get "Rover" the snip snip.  Some vet clinics are offering discounts for the day or month to help promote "responsible pet owners" and to help as Bob Barker always says "control the pet population".  You can visit the Humane Society of the United States or the Doris Day Animal Foundation websites for more information.

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Coprophagia, a pretty long word for what it really means.  According to Wikipedia it is "consumption of feces, from the Greek copros (feces) and phagein (eat). Many animal species have evolved to practice coprophagia; other species do not normally consume feces but may do so under unusual conditions."

Why do some animals do it?  Well some animals like rabbits and guinea pigs have a rather simple digestive system and sometimes the poop they have is not quite finished digesting so they will eat it almost immediately and have it digested again.   Other animals like dogs will eat their poop for other reasons.  Sometimes it is a learned behavior from watching their owners scoop, sometimes it is a boredom thing, sometimes it is done to get attention, sometimes it can be due to a medical condition and other times it is just their way of cleaning up.

Coprophagia is not a behavior that most humans would like their pets to have.  Often it is a behavior that will reduce once a puppy matures but sometimes it has to be dealt with by a little bit of training on the part of the owner. 

Tips to help prevent coprophagia:

1.  Clean up immediately after your pet has defecated.

2.  Make the feces unappealing.  You can try feeding your dog a teaspoon of pineapple, spinach or there is a commercial product available called forbid.  If you have more than one pet in the household it may be necessary to feed all of them one of these items as the "poop eater" may notice that his poop tastes awful but will eat the other’s feces.

3.  If the dog is still fond of feces, try teaching your dog not to touch it using the command ‘Off.’ Put your dog on leash and walk him by some feces. If he shows any interest in it, tell him, ‘No, off.’ If he continues to go for it, then loudly scold him, ‘OFF!!!’ and pull him away from it with a short, sharp tug on the leash. When he stops, praise him. Continue walking and keep returning to different piles of feces over and over, repeating the off procedure until he gets the idea that you disapprove of his dietary interests. Whenever he shows no interest in the feces, be sure to tell him how happy you are through praise and reward.

Just remember when dealing with coprophagia it can sometimes be a normal thing for animals to do and just because we don’t like it and think its disgusting your pet may just be keeping the place clean for you.  No amount of scolding will help deal with the behavior.  Try the above tricks and if they don’t work talk to your veterinarian or staff to get a little more help.

Tags: pet, dog, caged pets, behavior

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Are you just starting to train your puppy to walk on a leash?  Or do you have an overzealous dog that takes you for walks?  Can you let your dog off leash in the park without worrying if "Rover" will come back? 

Leash Training Do’s

-Use treats and praise to keep puppy at your side.

-Keep the leash loose at all times. If you see your puppy starting to pull ahead, abruptly reverse directions so that puppy finds himself suddenly behind or beside you instead of forging in front of you. Don’t wait until the puppy is clear at the other end of the leash, pulling ahead before you take action. The leash should always remain loose except for that one split second it takes when you’re reversing direction. Do not drag your puppy back to your side. Use a quick tug, then immediately release so the leash is slack again. If it doesn’t all happen in 3/10ths of a second, it’s taking too long and your puppy will not learn to walk nicely on leash. Put another way: Instead of correcting your dog after he is already pulling, do not give him the opportunity to pull. If he never pulls, he will never learn to pull. You must correct him BEFORE he pulls!

-Practice now before your pup learns to pull. Since your pup is unable to walk the streets yet, begin teaching him to walk around your house and yard. He should be taught not to pull before hitting the streets.

Leash Training Don’ts

-Do not let your puppy pull you around.

-If you cannot correct the puppy in time, do not reward his pulling by letting him continue on his way. Better to slowly just turn around and go the other way, or stop in your tracks and say, "We are not going one inch further until you stop pulling." Then wait, it may take 30 seconds; it may take 20 minutes. Do not move until your puppy is in control. Now you can start over and give the correction before he starts pulling again. If again you are too late in your correction, start again.

-Do not yank and pull on your puppy’s throat and neck. 

-Never use a choke collar.

The Gentle Leader

This is one item that is awesome for helping with those dogs who tend to take you for a walk.  I used it on my 110 lb rotti and it worked wonders for us.  I also had an elderly client with a great dane who was able to use the system to teach not only how to walk, but for jumping, pulling and barking.  I would highly recommend this to anyone training their dog.

Some Helpful Websites:

Veterinary Partner - how to teach an old dog new tricks

Puppy Chow - leash training a puppy

YouTube - leash training video

ASPCA - leash manners

Do you have any ideas or helpful hints for the other readers?  If so please leave a comment so others may learn.

Tags: puppy, dog, training, YouTube, leash

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Frequently we as humans forget that we have to winterize our pets.  While some pets are better suited than others for living outdoors others are not and should be kept indoors.  There is a common misconception that dogs will be “fine” if left outside. This is not true! All animals need shelter and insulation against cold weather.  Frostbite and hypothermia are possible for our furry friends as well.  Geriatric and young animals are high at risk so special care should be given to them. 

Dog Houses:  If you are going to keep your dog outside you must provide it with an adequate house.  The house should have a heat source, dry bedding and be situated in a place that is protected from the wind.  Bedding could be straw or blankets but be careful if your pet is prone to chewing.  There are many heat sources available at pet supply stores like heated mats or lamps to be used with animals.

Food and Water:  Fresh water should be available at all times.  Heated dishes are great for those really cold climates.  During the cold spells animals will need more food for energy and maintaining body heat.

Foot Care:  Dogs with longer hair may develop ice balls between the pads of their feet causing limping.  Be sure to clip the hair to prevent this from happening or use booties like Muttluks.  If you are walking your pet on sidewalks or roads make sure you wash their feet when you get home with a warm wet cloth as people will have “salted” or “de-iced” their walks.

Anitfreeze:  Antifreeze for vehicles is a sweet substance that many pets will enjoy lapping up but just a few licks can be fatal.  Make sure that any containers are locked up and any spills cleaned up immediately.

Seeking Heat:  Many animals will seek the warmth of a car engine.  Before you start your car take the time to honk the horn or knock on the hood to scare off any animal that has possibly crawled up into your engine the night you brought your vehicle home.

The ASPCA has a good list of things to help winterize your pet.  As well a call to your veterinarian may help give you some pointers.

Tags: dog, pet, winter, healthy pet

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Yes it’s true, dogs can get urinary stones too.  Some can cause major problems like a complete blockage of the urethra while others can be small enough for a dog to pass but cause painful urination. 

Certain breeds of dogs are more prone to getting stones because of their inability to process certain minerals found in diets.  Dalmations are predisposed to having uric acid stones.  These stones are a result of a dalmation’s inability to transform uric acid into allantoin.  The liver is unable to make the transformation leading to an overabundance of uric acid which is then excreted in their urine and the problem is that the stuff just is not that water soluble and uric acid stones form.  The average age of a dalmation is first found to having these stones is about 4.5 years with the risk declining as the dog ages.

How do you know when your dog may have stones?

Look for the following telltale signs:

• Bloody urine
   
• Straining to urinate
   
• Urinating small amounts frequently
   
• Seeing gritty material in the dog’s urine

Uric acid stones may or may not be visible on plain radiographs. Often ultrasound or contrast radiography (use of special urinary dyes to create a “double contrast cystogram”) are needed to see the stones.  These are tests that can be run at your pet’s veterinary clinic as a day procedure.

Getting rid of the stones:

There are two options to get rid of the stones.  Both options should be discussed with your veterinarian as your dog’s health may warrant one or the other.

Surgery is the first option.  The advantages of surgery are immediate relief and removal of the stones.  The bladder is surgically opened and the stones flushed from the bladder and urethra.  The bladder is then closed, tested for leaks and the pet is usually sent home within a couple of days depending on its ability to urinate and eat.  The disadvantages include anesthesia, costs, the inablilty to remove all of the stones (it is not uncommon to have multiple tiny little stones throughout the urinary tract) and healing time.

Dissolution of the stones is the second option.  First any infection must be controlled as bacterial infections can cause the urine pH to be too basic leading to the formation of a different type of stone called a struvite.  Secondly the dog must be fed a strict diet made by Hill’s Pet Food called u/d diet.  It is only available through your veterinarian.  The dog is then given a medication to dissolve the stones called allopurinol.  After a month of this protocol another round of xrays are done to check for progress in the dissolution of the stones.  The disadvantages of this option are the length of time that takes to dissolve the stones (average time is 3-4 months), the increased incidence of blockage (as the stones get smaller they are more likely to pass into the urethra and get stuck), the protocol may not work and the expense of follow up work like xrays may cost as much as a surgery.

Prevention is key

The diet of the stone-forming Dalmatian is the most important factor in preventing future stones episodes. The goal is to feed a diet low in purines and create an alkaline urine (which is best to keep uric acid in solution). Low salt, low purine diets such as Hill’s u/d or k/d and canned forms of these is best as they contain more water hence dilute urine.  Treats such as whole grain cereals (non yeast containing products), cheese, eggs, fruits can be added to the diet as well.

The inablity of your pet to be able to urinate is an emergency!!!  Take your dog to the vet immediately if this occurs, this goes for any breed of dog or cat!!!

Tags: dalmation, dog, uric acid, anuria

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Did you know that approximately 45% of pets brought to veterinary clinics are overweight?  It’s true.  These are some guidelines that I follow when determining if a pet needs to go on a diet…

1.  Feel your pets rib cage.  You should be able to feel individual ribs.  If not your pet is overweight.

2.  Stand over your pet.  Does it have and hourglass figure?  If not your pet is overweight.

3.  Look at your pet from the side.  Is there a tuck at the abdomen?  If not your pet is overweight.

These are some quick things that you can do to see if your pet is overweight.  Now as for putting your pet on a diet that is another issue.  First switch your pet (slowly over a week or two) to a reduced calorie diet.  Two of my favorites are R/d by Hill’s or Calorie Control by Royal Canin.  Take your pet to your veterinary clinic, talk to the staff there and weigh your pet.  Both of these companies offer pamphlets that help to determine what your pet should be eating to lose weight. 

Some other tips to help lose the weight are exercise, small frequent meals (so your pet feels full all day instead of being a voracious eater at one meal and hungry the rest of the day), feed carrots or low calorie treats and exercise.  Some people ask how can I get my cat to exercise…..sure its easy for the dog people they just have to walk the dog but what about my cat.  I offer the following suggestions……

Put the food bowl up or downstairs so your cat has to do the “stair” workout.  Use enticing toys like laser pointers, feathers on strings or flicking sticks to get your cat to move around.

Just like with humans it is important to lose the weight at a decent rate.  Most will agree that 10% a month in weight loss is a steady rate.  I also encourage people to take their pet into their veterinary clinic once a month to get weighed and talk with the staff with regards to any questions you may have or to adjust the amount of food that your pet will get daily.

Remember, losing weight is never easy for humans or pets but with perseverance and the assistance of a good diet and the help of your veterinary staff you can do it and so can your pet.

Tags: pet, dog, cat, healthy pet, obesity

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Do you or someone you know have epilepsy?  Did you know that dogs can have epilepsy as well.  My parent’s dog (Locksley a cock-a-poo) was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was around 1 year old.  He is now 14 years old, off the medications and doing quite well for himself.  I know how scary seizures can be for owners and the following information may help to inform, give extra tips and hopefully you will share a story about your dog’s problems with epilepsy.

What is a seizure:

 A seizure is the uncontrolled firing of neurons spreading from the brain throughout the body causing convulsions.  Seizures are not always the same and may not be recognized but a typical seizure may go as this:

* Your dog may become agitated, looking for you for help and reassurance as they sense that something is going to happen.

* Your dog starts to tremble, he no longer is aware of his surroundings, and does not respond to stimulation.

* The trembling worsens, your dog stiffens and falls to one side.  His legs will then paddle and convulse.  This stage usually lasts less than a couple of minutes.

* The dog slowly recovers, may pant and seem out of touch for a while.  He may be quiet and tired abd sleep for a long period following the seizure.

Causes of seizures:

There are several causes of seizures in a dog.  For example low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), tumors, low calcium levels (hypocalcemia), liver diseases, toxic exposure (lead poisoning), lyme disease, distemper, head trauma and idiopathic epilepsy.

Diagnosing Epilepsy:

Diagnosing epilepsy is difficult.  First you have to rule out just about everything else.  Your veterinarian will want to perform a physical exam and get a good history of the seizures (if they happen more than once make sure to get the details like when, how long did it last).  The veterinarian will then do a blood screen to rule out other causes like the hypocalcemia.  If the blood screen comes back as being normal then your dog probably has idiopathic epilepsy.

Medications and Therapy:

There are basically 2 drugs used to control epileptic seizures.  Phenobarbitol and potassium bromide.  Once your dog is on these drugs your veterinarian will want to perform regular blood tests to measure the levels of the drug in your pet’s blood stream.  The dosages vary for both medications and you will want to make sure that your dog is safely within limits that are tested for.  Many dogs who are on phenobarbitol will gain weight so make sure that you exercise your dog regularily.

Some homeopathic treatments may also be warranted for controlling your dogs seizures.  Milk thistle, and other herbal remedies have been shown to help with seizures.  Discussing alternative medications with your veterinarian is always warranted.

Once your pet has started medications you must be willing to do the following:

1.  Give the medications regularily.  Your dog will become dependent on the levels of drug in his system at all times to control seizures.  If you miss a treatment do not double the dose the next time.

2.  Never change anything without consulting your veterinarian first.  Do not adjust the dose or stop treatment without first discussing it with your veterinarian.

3.  Have a diary of your pet’s life.  Record such things as when seizures happen, stress level ie.  did you have a dinner party, how long the seizure lasts, when you give medications etc.  When you take your dog to the vet take this diary with you as it is a valuable history.

What to do during a seizure:

- Some dogs are light or sound sensitive during seizure episodes. Try dimming the lights and keeping phones at a distance from the dog.

- Keep old towels or baby diapers handy to catch urine if your dog urinates during seizures.

- Some human epileptics say they have an easier time if the seizure is allowed to run its course. Calling the dog’s name to bring them out of the seizure may not be the best thing for your dog. Try it each way and see which is more comfortable for your particular dog’s seizure.

- Many dogs are confused and even blind right after a seizure. Keep the dog in a safe area where they cannot fall down stairs or hurt themselves.

- Be prepared to transport a dog that cannot stand up and walk, or is even in the middle of a seizure. Hard plastic children’s sleds can be used to carry or drag the dog to the car. A heavy blanket folded can also act as a stretcher. If you are alone with a very heavy/large seizing dog, call the vets office for instructions.

Dogs, just like humans, can live long and healthy lives with epilepsy.  You as an owner must commit to a lifetime of scary episodes like seizures, daily medications and regular trips to the veterinarian.  That commitment will pay off with a lifetime of unconditional love.

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Leptospirosis is a disease of worldwide significance that infects both animals and humans. The scientific name of the infecting organism is Leptospira interrogans sensu lato. While cats can be infected, they rarely show signs of disease. The disease is much more of a problem in dogs, people, and livestock.

Transmission

Leptospirosis is transmitted between animals through contact with infected urine; veneral and placental transfer; bite wounds; or the ingestion of infected tissue.  Indirect transmission occurs through exposure of susceptible animals to contaminated water sources, food, or even bedding. Stagnant  water provides a suitable habitat for Leptospira. As a result, disease outbreaks often increase during periods of flooding. In dry areas infections are more common around water sources.

Freezing greatly reduces the survival of the organism in the environment. This explains why infections are more common in summer and fall and why the infection is more prevalent in temperate areas.

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