Keeping your dog's weight in check critical to Fido's overall health
By Diana Stoll
Losing weight is one of the most
popular New Year's resolutions for humans, and it may be one of the best resolutions
for dogs, too. Pet obesity is on the rise in the U.S. It is estimated that more
than half of American dogs are overweight, causing a variety of health problems
including arthritis, diabetes, cancer and liver disease. Excess weight also
impacts a dog's quality of life, reducing his energy and mobility.
How do you know if your dog is
overweight? Give him a big hug. You should be able to feel his ribs without a
blanket of fat covering them. Admire his physique. His chest should be wider
than his belly. And the best way is to take a trip to the vet. Veterinarians
should discuss your pet's weight and body condition at every appointment and
keep a history of your dog's weight to monitor trends.
There are many factors that can
affect obesity. Some breeds are more prone to obesity than others, including
basset hounds, boxers, dachshunds, cocker spaniels, and golden and Labrador
retrievers. As older dogs become less active, they are more likely to become
overweight.
Females are more likely than
males to be overweight. Neutering and spaying may also cause weight gain. There
are a few medical reasons dogs gain weight, too; your vet can rule these out.
But the main reasons dogs are
overweight are the same reasons people are overweight. They eat too much, enjoy
too many high-calorie treats and don't get enough exercise.
Once you and your vet have
decided your dog needs to lose weight, she can recommend the best food and how
much of it is appropriate for your dog's individual weight-loss plan.
Whether it is a commercially
available food or a prescription diet, use a measuring cup to dole out the
correct portion instead of estimating by eye. It may not look like much to you
but may be plenty (or more than plenty) for your dog.
Feeding smaller portions more
often is better than one large meal. Put kibble in a Kong, or other
food-dispensing toy, so it takes longer for your dog to eat.
Rethink treats. If treats are
being used for training, choose low-calorie options. Break large treats into
smaller pieces. Try baby carrots or green beans. Whichever treat you decide on,
be sure to include its calories in your dog's total calorie count. Zero-calorie
options include ice cubes and belly rubs.
Exercise is critical to help an
overweight pet lose weight. Find an activity you both enjoy. Walking, swimming
and chasing balls or Frisbees in the backyard are just a few examples. How
about an indoor obstacle course during winter? If your dog is older or has
turned into a couch potato, start slow and build endurance.
Take your dog for regular
weigh-ins at the vet's office to track progress and to adjust his or her diet
as necessary. Stop in for a quick weight check every couple of weeks. Another
benefit to weigh-ins: dogs get used to going to the vet's office without always
having an exam or getting vaccines. Give him one of those rewarding belly rubs
when you get home.
Make sure everyone in the
household is on board. A weight-loss plan won't be successful if someone is
sneaking treats when no one else is looking.
Most importantly, instead of
striving for quick weight loss, focus on slow and steady progress. Your dog's
weight-loss plan may mean a happier and healthier life for both of you.
• Diana Stoll is the Practice
Manager at Red Barn Animal Hospital with locations in Hampshire and Gilberts.
Visit redbarnpetvet.com, or call (847) 683-4788 (Hampshire) or (847) 422-1000
(Gilberts).
The good boys of the great war.
Dogs played a vital part in the
first world war, without them, the whole army could not function.
‘Ratters’;
Small dogs used to keep pests
under control in the trenches.
Sentry dogs;
Dogs kept at military bases or
camps with the job of notifying their masters of unknown presences nearby.
Scout dogs;
Dogs used in the field to scout
out enemies.
Casualty or ‘Mercy’ dogs;
Dogs that scouted out the wounded
on the battlefield. They carried first-aid kits for soldiers to help
themselves. If the soldier was dying, the dog would stay and keep them company
in their last moments.
Messenger dogs;
Dogs used to send messages from
the front to headquarters and back during the war. All messages had to be
physical, since electronic communication was still very unreliable. Dogs were
used instead of humans because they were much faster and less vulnerable to
sniper-fire.
Mascot dogs;
Dogs that emotionally supported
the men trapped in the horrors of the trenches. They reminded them of the
comforts of home and gave them hope. Even Adolf Hitler, who served in Belgium,
kept a dog at his side at all times.
Playing with your dog is good for your heart, study says
by Melissa Scavelli
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Most
pet owners probably already know this, but now a study says playing with your
dog can lead to better heart health.
Dog owners are 31 percent less
likely than those without pets to die from a heart attack or stroke, according
to the American Heart Association.
AHA also said the study showed
the people who live with dogs and have prior heart health issues actually had a
substantial decrease in risk of death.
Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nicole Schlechter visited dogs at Nashville Humane
Association earlier this month to help show that playing with dogs is good for
your heart.
Dr. Schlechter said owning a pet
is proven to reduce stress levels while improving emotional support and increases
physical fitness. She has two dogs of her own, Emma and Junior.
George Washington Loved Dogs So Much, He Wrote To A British General About A Dog Mid-Battle
George
Washington showed his loyalty by returning a terrier to it’s rightful
owner–even when the owner was the enemy. After the Battle of Germantown,
Washington found a small terrier running around the battlefield between British
and American lines. It turns out that General Howe’s dog had gotten loose, as
it was identified by it’s collar. Washington’s soldiers suggested that the dog
be kept as a trophy of the British to weaken the morale of the British General
Howe. Instead, Washington took the pup back to his tent where he fed him,
brushed him and cleaned him. He then wrote a letter and attached it to the
dog’s collar. To everyone’s surprise, he ordered a cease fire and had his aide
return the terrier under a flag of truce.
How Often Should You Bathe Your Dog?
FEB 24, 2020
As with most questions in life, the answer to how
often you need to bathe your dog isn't black-and-white — or brindle, for that
matter. Although dogs do groom themselves, which helps hair follicles grow and
supports general skin health, they still need baths to get rid of the grime.
That said, most people actually bathe their dogs more
than necessary. So how often should you bathe your furry friend?
A dog's breed, coat, lifestyle and health all factor
into determining optimal bathing frequency. Obviously, if your dog smells or is
visibly dirty, it's bath time. Some dogs love bath time, and as long as your
dog is healthy and has no special grooming requirements, it is fine to bathe
him or her as often as once a week.
Surprisingly, according to Dr. Jennifer Coates,
veterinary adviser to PetMD, healthy dogs without skin conditions will be fine
with only a bath or two a year, to control "natural doggy odors." And
the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
recommends bathing a dog about once every three months, but there are many
reasons to adjust bathing schedules.
Breed Matters
There are a lot of dog breeds with different types of
coats, so it's a good idea to ask your vet for grooming guidance, including how
often to bathe your dog and what products to use. A dog's skin has a different
pH level than human skin, and it's more sensitive, so avoid using
"people" products on dogs. Although the rule of "more hair, more
baths" is generally accurate, there are exceptions, such as hairless
breeds like the Chinese crested dog, that are high maintenance and need weekly
baths.
Then there are breeds where brushing and combing is
often more important than bathing. A breed with double-coated, thick shedding
hair — like a Shetland sheepdog — is grooming intensive and needs combing and
brushing before, during and after a soaking and moisturizing bath.
Samoyeds, huskies and other arctic breeds need to be
brushed at least once a day during shedding season to avoid knots and
dreadlocks that can cause serious skin conditions if left in their coats. If
these breeds are brushed enough, baths should be kept to a minimum or avoided
altogether, so the natural protective oils aren't stripped from their coats.
Short-coat breeds, like pugs, dalmatians and
greyhounds, typically need fewer baths, and often a good rubdown with a damp
washcloth is enough to remove dirt.
Over-bathing dogs with slightly longer coats — like
Labrador and golden retrievers — can disrupt the seasonal insulation process. A
bath every four to six weeks or less is fine. But frequent — if not daily —
brushing is important. Using an antidandruff shampoo when you do bathe them can
also help keep their skin from drying out.
The Dog's Lifestyle and Health
You also need to consider Fido's health and lifestyle
when determining how often he needs a bath. Dogs who frequent dog parks and
lakes, or those who spend a lot of time outside rolling around in the dirt,
obviously need more baths than indoor dogs who primarily go for daily
leash-walks in the neighborhood.
If your dog snuggles in the bed or has furniture
privileges, you may want to bathe him more, but wiping his paws clean might
also be enough.
Some dogs have skin diseases or allergies and may need
more or less bathing than other dogs. If your dog has a skin condition, bathing
him too often could exacerbate it and cause discomfort, so talk to your
veterinarian and heed their instructions regarding how often to bathe him.
No matter how often a dog is groomed, it's best to
start a regular bathing routine when he's a puppy. Even if the routine is four
times a year or less, a dog who begins baths as a puppy is usually more
cooperative than one who does not — and incorporate routine nail trimmings and
ear cleanings in the puppy routine, as well.
Plus, it'll be harder to try your patience if you
start bathing your dog while he's a puppy and just learning how the world
works, mostly because he'll still be so incredibly cute.
Integrative Pet Vet: Oral health is critical for quality of life
Dr. Ron Carsten
Oral health is extremely important for everyone
including our pet companions. Since oral health is so critical in animals,
February has been designated National Pet Dental Health month. Oral health
involves all the tissues in the mouth, but the teeth and gums are most commonly
affected. It is estimated that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have oral disease by
the age of 33 years and nearly 100% by 5 years. Periodontal disease is thought
to be the most common inflammatory disease in dogs and the most common health
problem affecting dogs and cats. Oral disease is often a progressive problem
involving calculus build up on the teeth, inflammation and infection in the
gums (gingivitis and periodontitis), swollen and painful gums, gum recession,
tooth root abscesses, and tooth loss. These problems can lead to increased risk
of kidney, heart and liver damage.
Body surfaces like the mouth, intestinal tract and
skin have a layer of microorganisms that form a microbial biome. These microbes
form a complex community through their microbial interactions, and they are
influenced by environmental factors like the types of foods ingested and
secretions like saliva and bile. Since bacteria in the mouth interact with food
to form plaque that sticks to the tooth surface, the composition of the oral
microbial biome has important impacts. Plaque hardens into dental calculus
(tartar) in about 48 hours. It is the plaque and calculus that contains bacteria
and bacterial toxins that trigger immune reactions in the gum tissue. The
sulcus is a shallow fold in the gum tissue where it attaches to the tooth.
Buildup in the sulcus is less visible than buildup on the rest of the tooth but
can be a bigger problem because of the prolonged contact with the gum tissue.
Inflammation and infection triggered by the plaque and
calculus can cause damage to the attachment of the gum tissue to the tooth and
to the attachment of the tooth to the bone of the jaw. These damaging processes
lead to periodontal disease, which includes gingivitis (inflammation of the
gums) and periodontitis (loss of bone and soft tissue around the tooth).
Unfortunately, the damage from periodontal disease is not confined to just loss
of teeth. It can progress into formation of a hole between the mouth and the
nasal cavity, weakening of bone leading to fractures of the jaw, and bone
infection. Bacteria in the mouth can also enter the bloodstream leading to
damaging changes in the kidneys, liver and heart.
One study estimates that in dogs there is a 1.4 times
increased risk of damage to the heart and kidneys, and 1.2 times risk of liver
damage for each square centimeter of periodontal disease burden in the mouth.
This can be even more significant when the entire mouth is involved. Another
study found that the risk of abnormal kidney blood tests increased from 1.6 to
2.7 as the stage of periodontal disease progresses from 1-4.
It is important to recognize that development of
plaque and calculus are inevitable; therefore, efforts to reduce or limit them
are important. Teeth brushing is a valuable approach, but it can be challenging
to implement. It is reported that less that 1% of pets have regular teeth
brushing. Dental chews, dental toys and certain foods are designed to act in a
similar way to brushing. Oral flushes and water additives have also been
developed. Other approaches include attempts to change the chemistry of the
saliva so that the formation of plaque and calculus are reduced. Use of oral probiotics
are also showing promise by improving the microbial biome in a beneficial
manner.
For the typical pet, even with regular teeth brushing,
regular dental cleaning is important. Some dog breeds, especially small breeds
like pugs, Boston terriers, Yorkshire terriers, and Chihuahuas are prone to
oral disease and need more frequent care and cleaning. Supportive supplements
for the mouth include vitamins A and C for the gum tissue. Adrenal support can
be beneficial for modulating inflammation.
If you have questions about your pet companion’s oral
health, contact your veterinarian.
Ron Carsten, DVM, PhD, CVA, CCRT was one of the first
veterinarians in Colorado to use the integrative approach, has lectured widely
to veterinarians, and has been a pioneer in the therapeutic use of food
concentrates to manage clinical problems. He is also the founder of Colorado
Animal Rescue (CARE). In addition to his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, he
holds a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology and is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
and Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist. He practices integrative
veterinary medicine in Glenwood Springs.
The Hope And Hype Of Diabetic Alert Dogs
It's a few minutes before services on a Sunday morning at Bethany United Methodist Church in West Jefferson, N.C. The handbell choir warms up and an acolyte lights candles.
Church member Peggy Lynn Gibson walks in
with her dog, a stout, cream-colored golden retriever named Rocky. The
congregants greet Rocky like an old friend.
"How are you? You're a
sweetheart," one man says to the dog. "And so are you," the man
tells Gibson.
Pastor Dan Money welcomes the congregation
as Rocky, an honorary church member, settles in at Gibson's feet in a pew near
the back.
"We love Rocky, right? And we love
Peggy," Money says from the pulpit on the day NPR visited.
Gibson, a 67-year-old retired nurse, is one
of more than a million Americans with Type 1 diabetes, a difficult-to-manage
autoimmune disease. People with the disease face a constant struggle to control
the amount of sugar in their bloodstream. If it gets too low, it can lead to
seizures, loss of consciousness, or death.
And Rocky was there to help. He's a
diabetic alert dog specially trained to smell dangerous changes in someone's
blood sugar and alert them with a paw or a nudge before it becomes a medical
emergency, and he was a gift from the church community. A chili lunch, a silent
auction, even a concert by local musicians all helped with his $15,000 price
tag.
Back at her home just outside West
Jefferson's picture postcard downtown, Gibson talked about why she sought
canine help.
"In these senior years, it became
harder to recognize whether my blood sugar was going too high or whether it was
going too low. That was partly what prompted me to look into getting a diabetic
alert service dog," she says.
But while Gibson obviously loves Rocky, he
doesn't provide the service she and her neighbors paid for. Unfortunately, that
may be par for the course. The diabetic alert dog industry is unstandardized
and largely unregulated. And the science on a dog's ability to reliably sniff
out blood sugar changes is, at best, inconclusive.
Hope and hype
Gibson says she was influenced by the
online marketing campaign of Diabetic Alert Dogs of America, the Nevada company
that sold Rocky.
"They have their stories on there
about the dogs they've trained and the people they've placed them with. And,
you know, it [seemed] sound to me," Gibson says.
If you research diabetic alert dogs, you'll
find a lot of hope for their role in managing Type 1 diabetes. And you'll find
a fair amount of hype.
Television news stories about the dogs
often uncritically accept their abilities, using words like
"incredible" and "amazing." In fundraising campaigns,
would-be alert dog owners position them as critical solutions to their disease.
NPR reviewed nearly 500 active GoFundMe
campaigns that mention "diabetic alert dog." More than a third used
phrases like "lifesaver" or "lifesaving."
Dog training companies make similar claims.
Several of them have faced lawsuits or complaints recently from consumers who
bought diabetic alert dogs that they say don't work.
In Texas, a group of more than a dozen dog
buyers sued a trainer for fraud and won a judgment for $800,000. In Virginia,
the attorney general sued a service dog vendor after customer complaints about
its dogs, which were marketed as "backed by science" and "100
percent effective."
The Virginia attorney general claimed that
the company, Service Dogs By Warren Retrievers, deceived consumers about the
animals' abilities and cost, in many cases simply selling "a $25,000
pet." Company lawyer Glen Franklin Koontz tells NPR his client denies the
allegations and calls the lawsuit "baseless." He stands by the
"backed by science" claim and adds: "A fully trained dog is 100
percent effective."
The reason it might take a lawsuit to fight
back against perceived or actual shortcomings in an alert dog is that trainers
and dogs generally aren't required by any authority or regulator to perform to
any particular standards.
While Rocky was marketed as a
"certified" alert dog, the certification came only from the company
that sold the dog. Soon after Gibson got Rocky, it was clear to her that he
wasn't cut out to be a service dog in public, especially in the windy high
country of North Carolina.
Gibson says Rocky is easily frightened by
common noises such as umbrellas opening and motorcycles passing, and can't work
as an alert dog while he's scared.
"The first day that I had him out on
my own, the wind blew up. He got so scared that he couldn't run fast enough to
try to hide," Gibson says. "It was just pure fear."
That was in April 2017, right after she had
to sign a series of disclaimers as a condition of getting the dog. One document
said Rocky "met her expectations as a diabetic alert dog," even
though she had only two days' experience with him.
Another document said Rocky has a
"free will" and wasn't guaranteed to do what Gibson and her community
paid $15,000 for: alert her to blood sugar changes.
"I answered everything because I was
so excited that he was there and I was positive," Gibson says. "I was
hoping everything was going to be wonderful and then after the dust settled,
everything wasn't wonderful."
One paper she signed said Rocky wasn't
guaranteed to "perform any specific action at any specific time."
The sweeping disclaimer might sound at odds
with an expensive purchase that people trust with their lives. But research on
alert dogs suggests it might also be a reality check about the abilities of
diabetic alert dogs in general.
What the science says
University of Virginia psychologist Linda
Gonder-Frederick tracked the performance of 14 diabetic alert dogs in a 2017
study. Before the study, their owners believed the dogs would prove more
accurate than their glucose monitor devices. That didn't happen.
"Overall, they really were not that
reliable or accurate," she says.
Of 14 dogs in the study, only three
performed better than statistical chance. That's similar to what an Oregon
researcher reported in 2016. The dogs in that study detected low blood sugar
events 36% of the time. They also had false positives. Only 12% of the dogs'
alerts happened during actual low blood sugar events.
Gonder-Frederick says some dog owners
overestimate their beloved dogs' talents, perhaps as they would a favored
grandchild.
"People might notice and remember when
the dog is accurate much more easily than they would notice or remember when
the dog was not accurate," she says. "You find a person who believes
very strongly in their dog, when in fact maybe the dog's right half the
time."
The psychological process at work, she
says, is a kind of confirmation bias.
Her research also contradicted what some
believe — or hope — is true: That the dogs can be a good safety net for those
who worry about blood sugar dropping as they sleep. Some parents have turned to
the dogs to safeguard their children during the night.
"The accuracy just plummeted during
the night. Dogs have to sleep too. Obviously, a dog cannot work 24/7,"
Gonder-Frederick says.
There's not too much other research, but
what does exist isn't more encouraging. A study published in 2015 and a 2019
British study did find good performance but involved possible conflicts of
interest. Both studies were co-written by the dogs' trainers or suppliers.
Authors of both articles tell NPR the arrangements did not amount to conflicts
and didn't bias the studies.
A trainer's guarantee
Edwin Peeples, who co-owns Diabetic Alert
Dogs of America, says he has trained nearly 700 dogs and more than 9 out of 10
of his clients are satisfied.
He says issues like Gibson's — where a dog
can't perform well in public — represent the toughest part of training an alert
dog, and that he does his best to train the dog to work in the owner's
environment. And for dogs that don't work out, Peeples says he has a training
guarantee.
"They can bring that dog to my
doorstep right here in Las Vegas," Peeples says. "Our response will
be: I will do my absolute best to try to fix it, and if I can't, you get a
brand-new dog."
But Jessica Moye, an Ohio mom with Type 1
diabetes, had a long-running dispute with Peeples and now helps run a Facebook
group dedicated to complaints about Peeples' company. She says the replacement
dog guarantee can mean little when there's a child involved.
Jessica Moye spent $11,000 on Hachi,
who Moye says has not been reliable as a diabetic alert dog.
Maddie McGarvey for NPR "The child
bonds with the dog, and then they have to choose whether or not to send the dog
back and start over again, looking for that lifesaving alert," Moye says.
"Or if they just let their child go on with life with this dog, regardless
of the fact that it isn't working for them."
Moye got her dog, Hachi, in 2016 and paid
Peeples' company $11,000 for him. Hachi was supposed to paw her if her blood
sugar was out of range.
"Hachi was never a reliable alerter.
If I got into his face and asked for the paw, sure, he would give me his
paw," Moye says. "But there was never any link to the scent of my
breath and whether my blood sugar was high or whether my blood sugar was
low."
A book from Diabetic Alert Dogs of America
sits in the home of Jessica Moye, who purchased her dog Hachi from the company.
Maddie McGarvey for NPR
When Peeples agreed to refund some of her
money, it was conditioned on her signing a nondisclosure agreement barring her
from discussing the company with others. He says he required the agreement
because he didn't want it publicly known that he was providing a refund. She
refused to sign, leaving several thousand dollars on the table.
Now, through the Facebook group, Moye says
she's heard from dozens of Peeples' clients. Some have struggled with dogs that
are too aggressive or have other problems. Some are happy.
A happy paradox
While researchers have found little
evidence that dogs can reliably sniff out blood sugar changes, they have
encountered a kind of paradox: People who get alert dogs tend to do better with
their diabetes.
"They may just be more engaged with
their diabetes," says Gonder-Frederick, the researcher. "They may be
checking their blood glucose much more often than they used to. The dog is sort
of a pleasant reminder of diabetes."
Jessica Moye spends time with Hachi
in her yard outside Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 30. Moye helps run a Facebook group
dedicated to complaints about the company Diabetic Alert Dogs of America.
Maddie McGarvey for NPR
Sitting at her kitchen table with Rocky at
her feet, Gibson says the dog has helped her feel less alone with her disease.
That's despite the fact that, she says, he
doesn't work well when he's scared from a thunderstorm or some other noise, and
doesn't alert her to blood-sugar changes at the rate she says the vendor
promised - 80 percent of the time. Also, she complains that he was trained to
alert her by jumping on her, and she says he's more than half her weight.
Still, Gibson says: "There will be
just times that he'll come and put his head on my leg and just look up at me, —
as if he understands in some way what I'm going through. He's always there for
me."
But, she says, "I felt sorry that
Rocky as an animal was chosen to do a job he wasn't equipped to do. That's not
fair to the animal. Neither is it fair to me as the recipient of a $15,000
specially trained dog that isn't capable of doing his job."
She says she plans to try to retrain Rocky
herself, and despite his "guarantee," she has no plans to send him
back.
Huo Jingnan and Cat Schuknecht contributed
to this story.
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