HelpingAnimals.com // KP'S DOG BLOG

When a Big Heart Is a Bad Thing

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:17:31 -0500

**Tiffany (center) outlived her DCM prognosis by more than three years.**

A while back, I met a woman on the beach who clued me in to the presence of foxes there—they had managed to survive in spite of a massive assault on their forest habitat by the construction industry. She was able to solve the mystery of the stinky stuff in the sand that Sunny kept rolling in: fox urine! (And just a few days ago, I finally saw one of those gorgeous creatures in the moonlight for about five seconds.) Anyway, I digress. I ran into the same woman again last weekend, but this time she was near tears as she told me that her Springer spaniel had just been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and only had a few months to live. My ears perked up because that rang a bell for me big-time. In the early '90s, I was doing some research on that very topic, and I picked up some useful, even life-saving information that, unfortunately, your average vet will not share with you. However, I was lucky enough to meet the late veterinary cardiologist Eugene Musselman, who confirmed all the information that I had learned on this topic. When dogs get dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), their heart muscle becomes weak and flabby and can no longer pump blood at a sufficient rate. The onset of this disease can be quite sudden. Some dogs even die of it before showing any noticeable symptoms. Sometimes you do get a little bit of warning in the form of a cough, exercise intolerance, and listlessness, but you have very little time to intervene if the disease has already progressed that far. Luckily, only a small number of dogs (about 2 percent) get this disease—mostly cocker spaniels, Springer spaniels, Dobermans, boxers, large-breed dogs such as Great Danes, and a few others. But if your dog gets it, it will break your heart because it's so unexpected and primarily affects middle-aged dogs or even younger. The good news is that dogs with DCM are usually deficient in L-carnitine and taurine and can benefit enormously from supplementation with these amino acids. These amino acids can be given preventively, just to be on the safe side (500 mg L-carnitine and 250 mg taurine per day for a 50-lb. dog), but once your dog has DCM, the dosage is much higher and can be expensive: 1 gram of L-carnitine per 10 lbs. of bodyweight per day and 500 mg of taurine per 10 lbs. of bodyweight per day (both divided into a morning and evening dose). The cheapest is to buy it in loose-powder form online. The point is to flood the blood plasma with these amino acids in an effort to push more of them into the heart muscle, since the deficiency seems to stem from an inability to transport the amino acids from the blood into the heart muscle tissue. While I was doing this research, the middle-aged Springer spaniel of some friends of mine, Tiffany, got the dreaded diagnosis of DCM. She was given less than a year to live. My friends had already endured the sudden death of their large white German shepherd from the same illness. So to avoid additional tragedy, I advised them to give Tiffany 5 grams of L-carnitine and 2.5 grams of taurine per day. Well, the effect was astonishing. Within 24 hours, she was outside chasing squirrels again! And she went on to live for four more active years. For even better results, I recommend adding coenzyme Q10 and the herb hawthorne to the regimen. Coenzyme Q10 is extremely beneficial to both the heart and the liver (as well as the gums). In fact, a friend of my parents was diagnosed with DCM years ago, and he cured it primarily with coenzyme Q10. And I heard that a similar story aired on Dateline once, but I can't claim to have seen it. Hawthorne has been a folk-medicine heart tonic for ages. Expert ethnobotanist James Duke strongly recommends it too. So I conveyed all this information to my beach friend and her husband, and they attempted to memorize it all since none of us had any paper to write on. As we parted, she hugged me and said, "I was praying for a miracle, and I got one!" I fully expect her Springer spaniel to be bounding through the waves for years to come.

True Confessions

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:39:52 -0500

**My lovely Koro suffered because of my ignorant recklessness.**

Sometimes it can really be cathartic to get something off your chest and admit that what you did was wrong. It can also be instructive to others who may be engaging in the same type of behavior without really thinking about it. Maybe they need a swift kick in the pants, and your confession is just the thing to jolt them out of their complacency. I'll start things off. When I adopted my first dog, Koro, in 1980, I knew nothing whatsoever about dog care. I was in college, and puppy Koro was roaming around on a street corner. Someone scooped her up and said that she was going to try to find out where Koro lived, and I said, well, if you can't find out where she lives, bring her to me. It was that casual. One day, when she was 6 months old, a friend said that he was going on an errand and asked if he could take Koro along. Without a thought, I said sure. And out the door they went, with the leash in his hand but not attached to Koro. Moments later, she had been struck by a van. She ran back to my apartment in terror, but the next day it came to light that she had actually broken her back. Literally smashed a vertebra. What followed were two surgeries and, I'm sure, a lot of pain for my innocent little puppy. And then arthritis at age 5 and occasional flare-ups of joint inflammation throughout the remaining 12 years of her life. All because of my ignorant negligence! I'm so sorry, Koro. For the rest of her life, I tried to make it up to her. Thankfully, I discovered holistic medicine a few years later and was able to keep her mostly pain-free and limber through the use of nutritional supplements in spite of the arthritis that resulted from the trauma to her backbone. But I'm still trying to make it up to her. Why do you think I write this dog blog? If you have a confession to make about the way that you treated an animal, please visit PETA's new "I Confess" Web feature, where you can tell the whole world how sorry you are. Why don't you leave us a comment here, too, just for good measure?

Solving the Seizure Puzzle

Mon, 05 May 2008 18:20:49 -0500

**Theresa: "Ahhh, what a relief! No more pain in the neck!"**

Last week got off to a rocky start but ended on a very high note. At breakfast time, I called little foster Chihuahua Theresa to the kitchen, but she didn't come, which was highly unusual, so I went looking for her. My heart nearly stopped when I saw her: She was lying on her side but with her head up and her mouth half open, staring into space like a zombie. I approached her, called her name, and reached out to my normally hyperactive little lady, and got no response. It was horrifying. I thought she was dying right in front of my very eyes. I scooped her up and ran to my car, repeating over and over again, "You're going to be fine!" and off we went to the vet. The vet did blood work and a chest x-ray, but both were negative. After ruling out a "syncopal episode" (loss of consciousness resulting from insufficient blood flow to the brain), the logical explanation remaining was that she had had a seizure. I learned that many dogs have a single seizure and then never have another one again. So I thought, "Well, that's the case here, I'm sure―a fluke. No worries!" But 12 hours later, when I came back from taking my big dogs out to the beach, I could see that it had happened again because Theresa didn't greet us at the door in her usual excited manner. Instead, she looked very subdued, and the other two Chihuahua girls were licking her and hovering over her as if to protect her. My heart sank. I remembered that back in the mid-90s, my cocker spaniel, Rogan, had had several petit mal seizures, and a holistic veterinarian had figured out that they were being caused by whipworms. We got rid of the whipworms and he never had another seizure again. So the next day, I got a stool sample from Theresa and took it in to the vet to check for every conceivable intestinal parasite, but it was negative. Drat! I began to do some Internet research (I found this site particularly helpful) and learned that there are an awful lot of conditions and environmental factors that can cause seizures. Epilepsy is only one of many, many possible causes. But how to get to the root of the problem? I recalled learning a few years ago that a misaligned neck could cause seizures and that chiropractic could be very useful in that regard. So I set up an appointment with my local veterinary chiropractor at Animal Chiropractic. As soon as Dr. Rowan got his hands on little Theresa's neck, his face registered surprise. He said that the joint between her skull and her first vertebra (C-1) was completely frozen and inflexible. Eureka! He adjusted her neck and loosened it up, and, given the fact that the brain stem runs right through that area, we both felt pretty confident that her seizure days were over. There's no way to prove it, except just to wait and see if she remains seizure-free. She's got another chiropractic appointment next week, but so far, so good. I didn't realize it until after the chiropractic adjustment, but between the time when she had the first seizure and her appointment with Dr. Rowan, her behavior had been off and she had even had an unfamiliar look on her face. Now, however, she's back to her old self, frisky and mischievous as ever! This whole episode got me thinking about all the dogs who have been put on powerful, anti-seizure medication, complete with all their deleterious side effects (especially for the liver), when what they may actually need is a good chiropractic adjustment. I think it would be worth exploring alternatives such as this for any dog having seizures, even one who has been on anti-seizure medication for a long time. Besides, a misaligned vertebra is undoubtedly a royal pain in the neck!

Let's Ban These Medieval Torture Devices

Fri, 02 May 2008 18:17:40 -0500

**What kind of an evil mind would purposely do this to an animal?**

If you look at steel-jaw leghold and Conibear (body-gripping) traps objectively instead of through the filter of "rugged individualism" or "Western frontier tradition" and you have even an ounce of empathy in your soul, you have to wonder what kind of evil mind would purposely set one of these pain-inflicting contraptions, much less invent one. They remind me of something out of a torture museum that I visited once in Europe. Truly, the depth of cruelty that lies in the hearts of some people is absolutely mind-boggling. And as a race, we humans can't seem to rid ourselves of this character flaw. According to an article in The New York Times on Wednesday, called "Montana Dog Owners Find Wild-Animal Traps Put Pets in Harm's Way," Montana issued more than 4,000 trapping licenses last year, so this sadistic mentality is still very much alive and well. That's the thing about these trappers―since they couldn’t care less about inflicting pain, if a "nontarget" animal, like a dog, cat, or bird, is caught in one of their traps―oh, well!―they just call them "trash animals" and throw them away because they can't make money off them. It's not tragic to them―it's more of a nuisance. My view is that catching a beaver or a muskrat or a fox in a trap is just as tragic as catching a dog. The only difference is that hopefully, the dog will have someone who cares enough about him or her to make a fuss about it and do something to try to stop this horror. That's exactly what’s happening in Montana right now. Enough dogs have been killed or maimed in these hideous traps that a group has formed called Footloose Montana to try to get the traps banned. The group is running a heart-wrenching ad campaign, keeping records of people's encounters with traps, distributing graphic images of dogs caught in traps, and generally spreading the word about how pervasive the traps are, where they have been spotted, and how destructive they are. Please join them! You don't have to live in Montana to help. These torturous traps are being set all over our lovely country. Another thing that Footloose Montana is doing is teaching people how to spring Conibear traps, which clamp down on an animal’s body, suffocating him or her. Again and again, we hear terrible stories of people whose dogs got caught in Conibear traps and who couldn't free them in time to save them. The dogs suffocated before they could figure it out. So why don't we all prepare ourselves for this hideous situation, just in case, heaven forbid, it should ever happen to us? Ironically, a hunting enthusiast has posted explicit instructions on his Web site, The Checkcord, describing how to spring a Conibear trap. For that, I'm extremely grateful, and I doubt if I'm the only one. Take a look and follow his advice: "Go to a trapper, borrow a Conibear from him in the summer for a week or two and PRACTICE your technique!!"

Follow the Leader

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:00:01 -0500

**Louie: "You lead and I'll follow!"**

The following is a guest post by that fount of creative ideas, Amanda. I liked Cesar Millan instantly when the Dog Whisperer premiered, because he was the only dog expert willing to state something as painfully obvious as, "Be the pack leader." Unfortunately, I was immediately disappointed with his reliance on choke chains and other methods of punishment. Although I do think his leash corrections (in conjunction with other important tools, such as exercise) have been effective in handling some of his more serious "red-zone" aggression cases, I knew right away that if the show caught on, every idiot with digital cable would be out jerking their poor dogs around by their necks each time a bird or a squirrel caught their attention, all because of a TV show with a gimmick, good editors, and a flimsy disclaimer. Luckily, for those of us who wish to provide our companion animals with the leadership they crave and, yes, require in order to be happy and stable, there is a nonviolent way. What Cesar understands and what those who take their dogs out for walk-and-jerks fail to realize is that if you want to be the pack leader, you actually have to, you know, lead. It seems simple and obvious enough, but there are plenty of people out there who expect to be treated like a pack leader without ever bothering to earn the necessary respect. I'm sure most of this blog's readers are aware that dogs need enrichment and exercise, but are you phoning it in? Fido and Fluffy need your encouragement and undivided attention just as much as they need you to buy them toys and harness them up. Playing alone while you check e-mail or walking the same boring path day in and day out simply isn't good enough. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to be a proactive leader. Here are just a few that I use frequently:

•Next time you offer to take Fluffy for a walk, let her choose the direction that interests her most, or ask her to lead the way home. Don't bark orders like "Let's go!" if she wants to stop and smell the roses—it's her walk, and her love and respect for you will only grow if you encourage her to explore.

•Organize a treasure hunt that will appeal to every dog's inner scavenger. Hide toys or cookies anywhere you like—a sandbox, your backyard, or even the living room, and take Fido to find them. If you're short on time, you can even sprinkle a handful of bread crumbs outside and cheer Fido on as he happily snorts up every last bit.

•Initiate play—wolves within family packs in the wild rarely struggle with one another for dominance. Their often evolving hierarchy is established through play and mock battle. High-ranking animals initiate play with their subordinates, keep the peace, and have a good time while they're at it. If Fluffy brings you a toy and drops it at your feet, you've waited too long. Next time, make sure it's your idea to play, and Fluffy might start to get the idea that you aren't so slow and stupid after all.

•Is Fido an extrovert? Do his eyes light up when you mention a trip to the pet supply store or your best friend's house? Take him more often, and don't be afraid to make a fuss—you'll get all the credit and he'll eagerly anticipate your next bright idea.

•ALWAYS set Fluffy up for success. If you know she gets grouchy when she's tired but take her to the dog park anyway, you are dooming her to failure. Wait until she's feeling a bit more social instead. If she can't stop bouncing off the walls long enough to learn a sit-stay, give her a chance to burn off some of her excess energy before you try. Instead of drilling with various commands, try using games like Hide 'n' Seek to make learning fun.

•Fido should always be able to count on you to have his back. Step in and speak up if you notice that someone (human or nonhuman) is doing something that makes him uncomfortable.

•Pay attention. What does Fluffy enjoy? What does she respond to? Every dog has unique, individual interests. If you find ways to cater to them on your terms, you will become the source of oodles of unimaginable fun. Your BFF should be paying attention to you and following you because she knows that you are the source of all of the wonderful things in her life, not because she has no other choice. Look at the world through your dog's eyes—then take the initiative to show her more of it.

•Take a beginning acting or singing class. What does performance have to do with interacting with your dog? The first thing you will learn from any coach worth his or her salt will be correct posture, movement, breathing, and vocal techniques that will help you to project the confidence you need to be the fun, fearless leader every dog deserves.

Now, take the lead!

I Love These Guys!

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:47:02 -0500

Today I saw a photo of the men of Rescue Ink in an article in New York’s Newsday. Rescue Ink is made up of a bunch of big strong, scary-looking tattooed biker guys but with a twist―they all have a big heart for animals. I don’t know about you, but to me, there is nothing on the planet more appealing than a big strong guy rescuing or caring for a helpless animal. These Long Island-based men are relentless and determined. They’ll do anything to help animals, and their range of good works is expanding. They work with the police to uncover dogfighters, deliver doghouses to dogs without shelter, investigate cruelty cases, and take dogs and cats in for spaying and neutering. They work closely with animal shelters, trying to help alleviate the pervasive and enormous problems of neglect and cruelty to animals. According to their Web site, “We will stop at nothing within the bounds of the law to protect animals at risk. We will intercede without hesitation when we are informed of a situation that needs to be addressed, and we will address it. If we need to convince people to do the right thing ... we can be very convincing …” “Rescue Ink is all about zero tolerance when it comes to animal abuse and neglect. Our ranks are growing every day, as Americans from coast to coast are reaching out to join in our efforts. If you know something we should know, give us a call … NOW!”

PETA was so impressed with them that we actually gave them our “Compassionate Action Award.” New York City residents who suspect cases of animal abuse, find abandoned animals, or have an animal they can no longer care for are urged to call the Rescue Ink hotline at 631-737-2834. Anyone interested in volunteering to help further Rescue Ink's lifesaving work can fill out a sign-up form on the group's Web site, Rescue Ink.org. I wish every city had a Rescue Ink branch!

Switzerland Rules!

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:24:40 -0500

**Precious: "If only I could move to Switzerland!"**

Just when I thought that Sweden was the best place on the planet to live if you're a dog (read all about it here), along comes Switzerland with the most amazing new dog-friendly law. This is really a dream come true. According to the Tribune de Genève, a Swiss paper with an English-language section, in an article called "Bern Leashes Animal Owners" anyone wishing to have a dog after September 2008 will have to take a course on dog care and pass a test! The law also includes provisions for other animals. Guinea pigs and parakeets will have to be housed in pairs or larger groups in order to provide them with the companionship that they need, and farmers who have a specified number of animals such as chickens, sheep, pigs, and horses will have to take a course in caring for them too. Am I dreaming? I hope not. I have long said that adopting an animal should be a privilege on a par with driving a car, for which you have to take a test and obey all related laws, at the very least. This dog-care test would probably screen out people with anger-management issues and plain incompetence, but it would also bring up to speed people who mean well but simply don't know how ignorant they are about dogs and their care. Take my neighbor, for example. I know he loves his dogs (well, in his own way), but he's a big drinker and, when he's hung over in his kitchen and his dogs are outside barking, his method for making them be quiet is to throw a lit firecracker out the window. Or my other neighbors who thought that they just had to take their dog to the vet one time, right after adopting him, and then no more, ever again. (I'm not making this up.) Another neighbor tied up his dog with a rope that was long enough for the dog to jump the fence, which, of course, put him in danger of strangling himself. One of my neighbors in my former neighborhood insisted on bathing her dog every single time he came into the house because she had white furniture, which of course caused the dog to develop an extreme aversion to indoor living. I've seen dogs provided with no shelter whatsoever, dogs forced to wear extremely heavy collars, and dogs with the tips of their ears bitten off by flies. I've seen dogs whose collars were embedded into their necks because the owners didn't realize that puppies grow, while collars do not. There is no end to the ignorance out there surrounding our dear, vulnerable canine friends. Sometimes that ignorance causes even more pain and suffering than blatant cruelty does. So this law is desperately needed and sets a wonderful precedent for countries all over the world. The United States should be next in line to pass a law like this. No one should ever be allowed to adopt a dog on a whim. It should only be permitted if undertaken in all seriousness after due consideration and study―otherwise, it shouldn't be allowed at all. This would go a long, long way toward preventing cruelty, neglect, and stupid, tragic mistakes that hurt dogs.

When Will They Ever Learn?

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:17:40 -0500

**Countless purebred puppies come from places like this.**

There is this thing called "cosmic justice," a.k.a. "karma": When you perform an action that harms another, you will reap harm in return. So if you support the canine overpopulation crisis by buying a purebred dog from a breeder or a pet store instead of going to your local animal shelter or breed rescue group to adopt a dog, karma might come back to bite you with a gigantic vet bill. This seems to be happening a lot. Basically, people are spending big bucks (in the thousands!) to purchase purebred puppies from breeders and pet stores (read: puppy mills), only to discover that they got a "lemon" with a congenital defect such as bad knees or hips, which ends up costing even more to correct than the original purchase price. I would say, "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!" if it weren't for (a) the pain and suffering that these inbred puppies have to endure because of their poor health and the surgeries to correct it, including operations like triple pelvic osteotomies, which involve purposely breaking the pelvis, (b) the pain and suffering endured by the shelter puppies who lost their chance to be adopted because of the existence of these purebreds, and (c) the greasing of breeders' greedy palms through these unholy sales, which enables them to continue their dirty work. On Sunday, April 20, the Los Angeles Times published an article about California's "Puppy Lemon Law" (what an offensive concept!), which seems to be getting quite the workout. Californians who discover that their purebred puppy is "defective" (i.e., has a congenital defect) within one year of purchase have the option of returning the little cutie back to the pet store or breeder for a full refund of the purchase price, plus vet bills. But who, other than the most heartless of the heartless, could do that―especially if children are in the equation? So the only option is to bite the bullet and pay those vet bills. But if you live in California, the Puppy Lemon Law will allow you to get reimbursed for your expenses. However, if you live in California but you sent away for a purebred puppy from a breeder in another state, you get nada. Dare I say, "Serves you right!"? What are people THINKING who place orders for puppies from far away (or who buy puppies, period, for that matter)? I'll tell you what they're thinking. They're thinking (albeit perhaps subconsciously), "I couldn't care less about the welfare of living beings―I just want a cute purebred trophy puppy to show off to everyone I meet so that I will look cool and everyone will envy me." I just have one question: Who is going to compensate all those "defective" puppies for all their pain and suffering?

Mean Greenies

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:33:51 -0500

**"Eddie, listen. My name is Eddie too. From one Eddie to another—you've been brainwashed! The EWG doesn't care about dogs. Get out of there before they start experimenting on you!"**

No, I'm not referring to those ubiquitous green chew treats for dogs, although I've had a problem with them in the past too. I'm referring to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the organization that put out the report on environmental toxins in dogs and cats last week. It was all over the news. Our animal companions are getting contaminated by many household chemicals, such as flame retardants in furniture and perfluorinated chemicals in stain-resistant coatings. This is definitely a matter of concern and makes me want to advise everyone with animals to shop for furniture at thrift stores, where older items will be less likely to be covered with such poisonous coatings. However, there is more to this story—much more. The EWG's cutesy e-mail message on this topic is supposedly authored by a dog named Eddie. He says, "Did you know that the humans' government doesn't make companies test our toys, furniture, or even our food for safety? That's why I'm launching Pets for the Environment with the help of Environmental Working Group." Poor Eddie must not realize that when the EWG says "test," the group is talking about conducting mean, nasty, painful experiments on dogs and other animals, like rabbits and guinea pigs—the same species that share so many homes in America. Yes, the EWG is one of the biggest promoters of animal experiments in the United States. According to Jane Houlihan of the EWG, the results of the group's latest study are of concern because "there's a 20-year body of scientific literature showing that pets can be sentinels for human problems." Hmmm, so we should only care about this because it's a sign that humans might also be accumulating chemicals in our bodies—not because we love our animals and don't want them to be poisoned, especially since most of them are so much smaller than us and have such short life spans? That doesn't sound like someone who cares about animals at all. I guess Eddie's real job is just to make the EWG seem animal-friendly. That's a hard sell, though, once you've seen the EWG's true colors. PETA first wrote to the EWG in March 2001 because of its involvement in chemical-testing issues and its calls for increased testing on animals. High-ranking officials in the organization did meet with PETA representatives to discuss the issues and committed to reconsidering the EWG's position on animal testing. But unfortunately, since that time, the EWG has become more and more involved in calling for animal-based toxicity testing and less and less responsive to animal protection concerns. For example, the EWG is the driving force behind the "Campaign for Safe Cosmetics." This campaign calls on cosmetics manufacturers to test their products for effects such as cancer-causing potential, hormone disruption, skin allergy, genetic and nervous system toxicity, and birth defects—which, if conducted according to standard protocols, could spell suffering and death for hundreds of thousands of animals in laboratories. The EWG's report Skin Deep claims that such innocuous substances as salt, aloe vera gel, and chamomile are "unstudied chemicals" that should be tested, as well as substances such as phosphoric acid! The EWG is also trying to enact legislation, misleadingly named the "Kids Safe Act," that will result in another massive animal-testing program. This plan will require chemicals to be tested using the most animal-intensive studies known under the guise of protecting children. PETA and other animal and health protection groups went to the EWG with a proposal to alter the wording of the bill to include the development and use of non-animal methods. After much work and compromise on the part of the animal groups, the EWG inexplicably pulled out of the discussions. PETA and others have repeatedly explained to EWG officials that simply calling for more animal tests will do nothing to protect public health or the environment. The animal tests currently used are based on science that is decades old. Not only are they expensive and time-consuming, they also give ambiguous results with questionable relevance to human health. Non-animal tests that are based on our current understanding of biology can give much more reliable and relevant results. We have explained repeatedly that a switch to a modern, non-animal-based scheme, as was proposed in July 2007 by the National Academy of Sciences, is critical. Our attempts to encourage the EWG to adopt this approach have been rebuffed. Unfortunately, if the EWG's current approach is successful, it will not protect public health and will result in immense animal suffering. It's time to embrace effective non-animal tests and stop deliberately poisoning dogs in laboratory experiments with the false excuse that it will somehow protect dogs who are lucky enough to be called "pets." If you'd like to share your opinion with the EWG, please write to: Ken Cook, President Environmental Working Group 1436 U St. N.W., Ste. 100 Washington, DC 20009 202-667-6982 202-232-2592 (fax) ken@ewg.org For more information on the EWG and for points that you can include in your letter, click here.

Turn That Negative Into a Positive!

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:30:08 -0500

The following is a guest post by my esteemed colleague Amanda.

**Lucky and Louie: Follow the Leader**

I didn't know much about dogs when my beagle/terrier mix, Louie, came to live with me. I read a lot of books, some about dogs in general and some about hounds and terriers specifically. I found the breed-specific books terribly frustrating—they were full of things that Louie couldn't be allowed to do and offered no positive alternatives. I learned that terriers "can't" be trusted around small animals, so I socialized Louie with small animals whenever I had the chance―and to this day, she treats little critters with the utmost respect. According to the hound books I read, beagles kept as companions can never be allowed off leash because of their propensity for following their noses, wherever they may lead. I found this incredibly unfair: Humans have manipulated dog breeds for centuries, even millennia, to exploit certain qualities, but with more and more people keeping dogs as companions, the need for a scent hound to track successfully is almost entirely diminished, while unfortunately for the dogs, their desire to do so is not. So I came up with several ways to provide Louie with activities that would stimulate her and meet her needs to track and find safely, including hiding toys and tasty treats around the house and games of hide 'n' seek. I also solicited the help of friends, asking them to take a walk so that Louie and I could follow and track them. She loved the games, and she loved the inevitable reward when she found what she was looking for, whether it was a cookie or a friend. Although my intention was always just to make Louie happy, her skills came in handy one cold winter evening when my grandparents' beloved dog, Lucky, went missing. I volunteered her as soon as I heard the tearful news. "Louie will find her," I said, and then kicked myself. What was I thinking? Lucky had already been gone for several hours, and Louie's tracking experience was limited to headstarts of only a few minutes. But it was better than doing nothing, so I grabbed an extra leash and some cookies and said, "Let’s go find Lucky!" I’m proud to report that Louie picked up Lucky's trail immediately and didn’t make a single wrong turn. Lucky was warm and safe back at home in less than 20 minutes. That was three years ago, and Louie has been successfully tracking lost animals ever since. She has even alerted me to several maimed birds and tiny lost kittens, animals I was able to help but never would have known were in trouble if not for her. Whether we are working against the clock to find an animal in danger or just practicing, our teamwork has helped to forge a wonderful bond, and my little houndie who "couldn't" be allowed to do off-lead work is wonderfully focused and attentive―with or without a leash. My grandma always told me, "Can't never could." Life may be full of negatives, but that means it's also full of opportunities to turn them into positives. Dogs who constantly excavate the back yard or herd guests are begging for something constructive to do, and they rely on you to give it to them. Your ability to provide your dog friend with the stimulation, purpose, and fulfillment he or she craves are only limited by your imagination, so start dreaming!

'First, Do No Harm'

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:23:21 -0500

**Shandy and Darby got puppy distemper and parvo vaccinations and then only rabies vaccinations every three years for the rest of their lives.**

I realized recently that although I've been writing this blog since September, I've never really touched on the subject of vaccinations and overvaccination. I've been leery and skeptical of vaccinations for dogs since the mid-'80s. The more I read about them, the more harmful they seemed. They are definitely not harmless, as many vets would have you believe. They can cause anaphylactic shock shortly after the injection for one thing, and they can cause long-term problems with auto-immune disorders, cancer, and a whole range of chronic health problems. So it's best to keep them to a minimum. Homeopathic veterinarian Dr. Charles Loops explains:

Vaccinosis is a disease syndrome caused by a weakness that is precipitated by vaccination. It is becoming rampant in the dog and cat population. Examples of vaccinosis include autoimmune diseases, such as irritable bowel disorders, lupus and pemphigus; hypothyroidism in dogs; eosinophilic skin disorders, hyperthyroidism and asthma in cats; and chronic skin disease or allergic dermatitis in dogs and cats.

These diseases are identified as vaccine-related conditions for two reasons. 1.) The onset of the symptoms is associated with the date of vaccination in many cases. Usually, two weeks to one month following a vaccination, symptoms such as skin problems, diarrhea or asthma ensue. 2.) Homeopathic remedies that are effective on vaccine-related problems are often the same remedies needed in these diseases, and the patient’s response to these remedies can be dramatic and curative. Some of the more common vaccinosis remedies used are Thuja occidentalis, silicea, sulphur, malandrinum, mezureum and lyssin.

I remember a few years ago, two of my former colleagues took their healthy, relatively young cats to the vet for vaccinations right around the same time. One of the cats died right afterwards in the vet's parking lot, but they rushed her back inside and were able to revive her. The other cat was given an intraocular vaccination and was dead within the week after first going blind. Sometimes it's not the vaccine itself that causes all the trouble, it's the other chemicals mixed in with it, such as the adjuvant, a compound added to the vaccine to intensify the immune response. Anyway, these two tragedies made a big impression on me. However, the rabies vaccine is required by law. You don't want to mess around with that, because the health department can come down very hard on you and your dog if your dog isn't up-to-date and gets into trouble, either by biting someone or being bitten by a wild animal. In a case like that, depending on where you live you might be faced with a "Sophie's Choice": Either euthanize your dog or put him or her into total quarantine for six months without any human contact. Of course, the latter is a fate much worse than death, so I hope no one ever chooses that for their dog if they find themselves in that terribly heart-wrenching position. In most parts of the United States, you can get a waiver to avoid the rabies shot if your dog is ill or very old or has shown adverse reactions in the past, but you will still suffer the wrath of the health department if your dog gets into trouble by biting or being bitten, so you really have to weigh that and decide whether the risk is worth it. The good news is that when it's time for your dog to have a rabies shot, if you seek out a homeopathic veterinarian ahead of time (even just for a phone consultation) who can prescribe some homeopathic lyssin for your dog to be taken right after the injection, you should be able to counteract the side effects of the rabies vaccine. Here's a directory of holistic veterinarians, some of whom are homeopaths. The other good news is that the distemper and parvovirus vaccinations are completely at your discretion. It's a good idea to make sure that puppies get them, but that immunity tends to last for years and those are primarily puppy illnesses anyway, so after age 1, you can stop all vaccines other than rabies. The vaccine producers are coming out with more and more of them―for everything from Lyme disease to giardiasis. Just remember that each vaccination has the potential to cause anaphylactic shock or to wreak havoc on your dog's immune system. So proceed with caution, especially for diseases that are rare or easily treatable. And even with the distemper and parvovirus vaccinations, it's best to give them a week apart (ask your vet for monovalent, or single, vaccines). They're less troublesome to a dog's immune system. It's also best to avoid giving them when anything else stressful is happening, such as spaying, neutering, grooming, etc. In the latest weekly newspaper column by Dr. Michael Fox, the famous holistic veterinarian and author, he responded to a question by a woman whose cat had gone into cardiac arrest while being groomed right after getting a rabies shot, "In my opinion, no traumatic procedure … should be done on an animal that has just been vaccinated." One other thing: If you're really uncomfortable with abandoning the whole yearly shots scene, there is a harmless way of making sure that your dog is still protected. You can get a "titer test." This is a blood test that indicates your dog's level of "humoral" immunity, which is mediated by antibodies. There is another type of immunity (cell-mediated) that won't show up, so a negative reading doesn't necessarily mean that your dog isn't protected, but a positive reading always means that your dog is protected. It's odd how this whole "annual shots" tradition evolved. Did you know that it has never been proved or even claimed that dogs must be vaccinated every year in order to maintain immunity? It's just a custom that's completely without foundation. After all, we don't go get ourselves vaccinated every year! Of course, it's a good idea to go see your vet at least once a year for other reasons―heartworm tests, fecal exams, overall health exams―but the yearly shots are completely unnecessary. And if your vet is pushy about it, don't let him or her pressure you into getting them. Remember: "First, do no harm." You don't have to be a vet to adhere to that.

Let's Defeat 'Big Black Dog Syndrome'

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:50:19 -0500

I've just recently become aware of "big black dog syndrome"―it was all over the media last week. I had no idea. What a shame! Apparently, big black dogs who are turned in to animal shelters are doomed, usually ending up euthanized simply because they are big and black. To read more about this unfortunate syndrome, go to blackpearldogs.com. Meanwhile, check out the photos and loving comments about the beautiful big black dogs living with my coworkers. Anyone would be lucky to share their life with a dog like this!


"Pepper really is the best dog in the world. He loves everyone he meets, every dog he meets, and is always up for playing."	"To me, it doesn't matter what color my best bud, Maguire, is, as he charms me every day with his laid-back nature, sweet disposition, ability to overcome adversity, and goofy faces—not to mention his adorably cute floppy ear."

"McKay is always attentive when I am sad and tries to make me laugh when I act frustrated."	"Roman will accept a treat from the hand of a toddler whom he has never met; he is the gentlest dog I have ever known."

“Bo is a wonderful, fun-loving dog with a great personality. Recently, he and I moved in with two cats who love to play with him.”	"Killian's the happiest dog I've ever met—he loves to cuddle, play, and lick everyone he meets on the face—and in turn makes everyone around him smile and laugh as well."

The next time you're ready to adopt a dog, do consider rescuing a big black dog. Size and color are unrelated to temperament, of course, and if you rescue a big black dog, maybe someone else will adopt the small nonblack dog you didn't rescue. Of course, the real solution to "big black dog syndrome" is―you guessed it!―spaying and neutering so that there won't be any unwanted dogs of any size or color anywhere.

The Scavengers

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:03:15 -0500

**Gotta find every last morsel!**

My coworker Amanda passed along yet another brilliant dog-training technique to me. I didn't realize this, but most dogs really enjoy scavenging for food. So sometimes it's fun, instead of simply handing over a treat as a reward, to toss some treats into the grass and let the dogs search for them. This exercise is ideal for my multidog household because it’s more efficient and the rewards can be delivered much more quickly. So now, while I'm outside cleaning up the back yard, I'll pause to address a whole group of dogs―usually Dexter and the three Chihuahuas (Sunny sometimes joins in, but Rowdy is kind of above all that silliness). I gesture and tell them in a serious tone, "Stay," back up 20 feet or so, make them hold the stay for a respectable length of time (maybe 20 seconds), and then gleefully call out, "Come!" As quick as a flash, they all come tearing over to me while I toss treats into the grass for them to search out. They look like they love it! And they spend a lot of time at it, really making 100 percent sure that every morsel is totally gone. I even do it indoors. It's a big hit wherever I do it. With waistlines in mind, it's best to use the smallest possible treats available―even cat treats will work―and if you do this very often, you might have to cut back a bit on meal size. Obviously, you wouldn't want to do this in a multidog household if any of the dogs are food-aggressive. Dexter used to be pretty food aggressive. In fact, on Rowdy's first day in our household, I was offering everyone a treat, when suddenly Dexter attacked him―bit him on the paw―which Rowdy has taken a long time to forget. I even took to separating them with a doggie gate during mealtimes, just to be on the safe side. Then along came little foster Chihuahua Joey. That little guy gave Dexter a taste of his own medicine. Of course I corrected him, but from that day forward, Dexter started to improve. It got to the point where Rowdy became comfortable accepting treats in Dexter's presence, and Dexter never made another aggressive move again. Today, he scavenges peacefully alongside the three little Chihuahua girls with no sign of trouble. It's a beautiful sight.

Lady Rose

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:38:42 -0500

The following is a guest post by my colleague Eva.

**Gone but not forgotten**

I lost Lady Rose my first summer back from college. Once the kind of dog who would do a frantic tap dance on the hardwood floor of our kitchen when my parents would come home from work, old age had turned Lady Rose into a perpetual napper. Around age 12, Lady really began to show her age. First to go was her hearing, then her sight, then finally her organs began to shut down. I hoped she would die peacefully on her bed by the window—her favorite place to sit in our house because it allowed for undisturbed people-watching. The thought that bothered me most was that she would live through terrible pain and discomfort. None of us wanted this for her, so we watched, knowing that we had to be there to help make the end as painless as possible. I know I had considered euthanasia. I know I ran the scenario through my head. Would I want to be with her in the little room when they gave her the injection? Would I hold her paw in my hand or just watch? I didn't know the answers, but I was confident that I wanted to be there for her as much as possible. I thought of the times when I had stayed home sick from school and she would make her rounds through the house, checking in on me in my room and then walking away as if to say, "Still in bed? Good. My work here is done." I never considered that I wouldn't be there when she died, but that ended up being the way things went. It was on a July afternoon after coming back from my summer job that I found out that Lady Rose was gone. My dad had a miserable look in his eyes as he told me: "Oh, Eva, I'm so sorry. Lady Rose died today." My parents had wanted to wait for me before they took her to the veterinarian. She had been hacking and breathing in shallow shudders all morning before she finally began coughing up blood. When they took her to the vet, they were told that she was in a lot of pain and that the right thing to do would be to put her down. My dad was in the room with her when she died, and I know that had to have meant a lot to her. After he was done telling me what had happened, I lay down and cried beside my parents on their bed for an hour, thinking in my head the same thought over and over again: My poor baby, I never wanted you to be in pain. Initially I felt guilty, thinking we should have had her put down sooner, but these days I feel that we did everything we could. We didn't want to make the decision and think for one minute that we had decided to put her down because she was inconveniencing us with her old age. We hoped she would help us make the decision, and in a way, I think she did. Four years later, I still have her dog tag on my keychain. Four years later, her ashes are still sitting in a jar in my parents' house, waiting for us to take her back up to the Sierra Nevadas to toss her ashes on her favorite hiking trail. I've also thought about retiring the dog tag and keeping it in a box somewhere with other mementos from my childhood. I'll do those things eventually, but for now I like knowing that she's still a part of me wherever I go.

A Great Idea

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:58:18 -0500

**Py: "Thanks for the snack, but could you please turn off that ear-piercing screeching?"**

I've always felt secure in the knowledge that if I were to have a fire at my house, my dogs would all be able to run out the doggie door and into the back yard to safety. Then, recently, there was an article in the local paper about dryer fires and how common they are, even if you dispose of the lint that builds up in the filter after each drying cycle. My dryer is located just in front of my back door, so that if it were to catch on fire, the dogs' path to the doggie door would effectively be blocked. This struck terror into my heart until a friend of mine said, "Well, just don't leave the dryer running when you leave the house." To which I breathed a sigh of relief. But, my relief was short-lived. Next up, my friend and colleague Bob (who recently wrote about his dog, Py, and how much she likes walking in the rain) sent me this message:

I have always been relieved by the idea that if my house caught fire while Py was here that she could get out through the dog door. However, the few times that the smoke detector has gone off while I was cooking, or when I test it, Py runs under the bed to her "den" where she feels safest, and probably the least safe place in a fire!

Oh, my God! He was right! I bet my dogs would do the same thing! But, fortunately, Bob had given this some thought and he had some ideas for how to address this problem ahead of time and prevent calamity:

I've thought of testing the alarm, then quickly giving her a favorite treat in the back yard until she associates the two. Or hiding a treat, then testing the alarm and leading her to it until she thinks that the alarm means that a treat has magically appeared in the backyard. … Any thoughts? Is this typical behavior for animals caught in a fire―to hide in some safe place?

Indeed it is typical behavior, and I don't know why it didn't occur to me sooner. It's definitely something that we should all think about. For those of you with doggie doors, take heart: Bob tried out his second idea on Py, and it seemed to work like a charm. A few repetitions of that, and Py will probably respond in a manner that keeps her out of harm's way if the smoke detector goes off when Bob's not home:

I just had my first chance to try my new smoke alarm strategy―I'm baking dog biscuits, which always sets it off. Py looked alarmed and headed for under the bed, so I started saying, "Outside. Outside. Barky Outside." The "Barky" got her. [He's referring to Mr. Barky's dog biscuits.] She immediately ran outside where she got some kibble scattered around a bit, so she stayed out for a while. I think she would stay outside if the alarm kept going off rather than go past it to get to the bedroom.

This is such a fabulous idea! I recommend it to all who have doggie doors, and I'm going to try it out myself as soon as the soggy weather lets up (the Chihuahuas hate to get their feet wet). For those of you without doggie doors, here's the scoop on dryer fires―how they start and how to prevent them―from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and from The Laundry Alternative Inc., a company that sells washer and dryer alternatives.