Happy Independence Day!

We’re coming up on the big Independence Day weekend.  For many people that means cookouts, hot dogs, hamburgers — all things dogs love.  It also usually means fireworks.  You know the drill, especially if you have a dog who’s sensitive to loud noises as I do.  My boy Beau becomes a basket case every year at this time.

There are a number of things you can do to help your dog get through the noise from fireworks and the other hazards of a 4th of July celebration:

*It is safer to keep your pet at home during Fourth of July celebrations instead of bringing him to your neighbor’s party. Keep your pet in the house rather than in your yard. He will be a lot happier indoors and not tempted to leap over a fence to find you.

*Dogs can be startled by the loud noise of fireworks.  Once the festivities begin keep your pet in a safe room where he can feel comfortable.  If he is crate-trained put him in his crate covered with a blanket to make him feel secure.

*Block outside sights and sounds by lowering the blinds and turning on the television.  Play soothing music in the background to counteract the cacophony during the “rockets’ red glare.”

*If your pet seems overly anxious, spend some time with your him, speaking soothingly to help them to relax.

*Avoid scraps from the grill. While tempting to our pets, any sudden change to your pet’s diet can cause stomach upset. In addition, certain foods like onions, avocado, grapes and raisins can be toxic.

*Human products can be dangerous to animals.  Avoid spraying your pet with insect repellent and only use special sunscreen that is intended for animal use. Keep your pets away from matches and lighter fluid. They can be extremely irritating to the stomach, lungs and central nervous system if ingested.

*Should your dog get scared, escape and run away, help find him with microchip identification.  Collars and tags can fall off so consider permanent ID with a microchip. Keep contact information current with your recovery service provider.  For more information and to enroll your pet in a 24 hour recovery service visit www.akccar.org.

If your dog is really scared by loud noises you may want to consider asking your vet for something safe to give your dog while fireworks are going off.  I haven’t had to do that for Beau but I do give him some valerian, an herbal remedy, from the drugstore.  It’s often used to help people relax or feel drowsy.  It seems to help Beau.  I have also been told that low doses of melatonin help some dogs.  I have a friend who is trying a D.A.P. diffuser http://www.healthypets.com/dapdogappher.html this year for her German Shepherd.  She has neighbors who enjoy fireworks (she’s also afraid they’re going to burn down her house).  D.A.P. stands for dog appeasing pheromones.  These products work by diffusing pheromones into the air that are supposed to be calming for the the dog.  They’re being used in some animal shelters and places where dogs tend to be anxious.  They have been recommended for dogs who have phobias about fireworks and loud noises.

Remember that if your dog is scared he may act erratically.  If you have an outside door open, even for a moment, he could take off.  It’s best not to leave a frightened dog outside at all when fireworks are going off.  Some dogs will climb fences or escape from backyards when they’re scared.  Make sure that your dog is wearing some kind of good identification this weekend, just in case he does get loose.

***

While we are celebrating the 4th let’s also remember that the United States is home to some wonderful breeds of dogs that originated here.

American Dog Breeds:

An American Foxhound, one of the breeds which originated in the United States.

American Foxhound – One of America’s native breeds, the American Foxhound is also one of our rarest. This tall hound sports a close, hard coat that can be any color. The American Foxhound’s origins date back to the early 1700’s in Virginia and Maryland. George Washington is not only the Father of our country but the father of the American Foxhound. As a master breeder he often referenced his hounds in his journals.

American Eskimo Dog — Contrary to popular belief, the American Eskimo Dog is not descended from working sled dogs. The “Eskie,” as it is nicknamed, originated in the Spitz family of dogs, also known as the Nordic breeds. In the past, it was called the American Spitz. During the 19th century, in this country, Eskie’s were most commonly found in communities with German immigrants. Later in that century, the Eskie became a popular dog for use in traveling circuses throughout the U.S. The AKC first registered this breed in 1995.

American Water Spaniel — The American Water Spaniel is the state dog of Wisconsin. The breed was developed primarily in the Great Lakes region of the United States in the mid 1800s. They were the first breed developed in this country as an all-around hunter that could retrieve from boats. The virtue of this sporting breed — its ability to swiftly, efficiently, and merrily retrieve game — has long been appreciated in the United States. This affectionate and easily trainable sporting breed was first registered with the AKC in 1940.

American Staffordshire Terrier — The American Staffordshire Terrier is considered an “all-American” dog. It has been developed since the early 1800’s and was instrumental in the success of farmers and settlers, and was used for general farm work, hunting wild pigs, bears, and other large game, guarding the homestead, and general companionship. Until the early 19th century, the Bulldog used for bullbaiting in England was more active and longer-legged than the breed as we know it today. It is thought that the cross of this older Bulldog and a game terrier breed created the Staffordshire Terrier. The breed was first registered with the American Kennel Club in 1936.

Boston Terrier – The state dog of Massachusetts, this breed is known as the “American gentleman” because of his calm disposition and formal black and white “tuxedo” markings. Developed in Boston, MA as his name suggests, he is a product of the English Bulldog and a white English Terrier. In 1889, a group of fanciers in Boston began showing the early ancestors of today’s Boston Terrier. The Boston Terrier was first registered by the AKC in 1893.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever – The state dog of Maryland, this true American breed is thought to have originated from two puppies that were rescued from an English shipwreck in 1807 off the coast of Maryland. In the late 1800s, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever was renowned for its ability to retrieve hundreds of waterfowl a day from the icy waters of the Chesapeake. The Chesapeake coat, which is very dense and has an oily texture, allows the dog to easily deal with extreme weather conditions. Its slightly wavy coat sheds profusely in the spring and requires daily brushing. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever was first registered with the AKC in 1878.

Plott — The state dog of North Carolina, powerful and well-muscled, the Plott can bring big game such as bear or boar to bay or tree with its determination, endurance and courage. Today Plotts are also used for coonhunting. The breed’s smooth, glossy coat can be any shade of brindle (a streaked or striped pattern of dark hair imposed on a lighter background), solid black or have a saddle or markings. This breed joins five other Coonhound breeds – Black and Tan Coonhounds, Redbone Coonhounds, American English Coonhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds and Treeing Walker Coonhounds – developed for hunting raccoons throughout early American history. Today, AKC holds competitive Coonhound events in which dogs compete in hunts for titles and prizes. Coonhounds are judged on their abilities to strike, run, and tree wild raccoons. In keeping with AKC coonhound regulations, there is no contact permitted between the hounds and the raccoons.

Other American Breeds include the Australian Shepherd, Cocker Spaniel, and Toy Fox Terrier.

Embarrassing and ugly

Isn’t it amazing how silly our dogs can make us look sometimes?  I just got home from running some errands (pretty new sheets for my bed) and I was getting out of my car.  The dogs were all standing at the back gate.  They were looking happy and excited.  They were wagging their tails and looking at me like, “Hey!  What’d you get us?”  And there I was getting out of the car, singing along with the Eagles, dancing and making faces at the dogs.  I was just trying to entertain them.  And that’s when I saw my elderly neighbor.  She was looking at me like I had landed from Mars.  There’s really nothing you can say.  Or there was nothing I could think of to say.  I grabbed my bags and scurried indoors.

I blame the dogs.  I think they should have warned me that she was standing there.

In other news I’m very excited because my old vet clinic — the one I used when I first moved here — has a new vet.  That means that I will be able to go back to using them.  That’s a good thing since I huffed off from the vets I had been using for the last few months because they wouldn’t give me a prescription so I could buy Heartgard online.  I had to leave the first vet clinic I was using because their small animal vet left and they were only treating large animals (horses, cows).  But now they have a small animal vet again and all is right with the world.  This vet clinic is less than a mile from my house and they have the greatest staff in the world.  I stopped by briefly yesterday to buy some Frontline (saw a flea this week!) and just met the new vet briefly.  He made a good first impression.

Pabst, this year's winner of the World's Ugliest Dog competition.

Catching up on something you may have seen in the news recently, the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest was held last week and — Surprise! — the winner was NOT a Chinese Crested!  It does seem that, year after year, the winner of the Ugliest Dog competition is a Chinese Crested.  I always feel bad for the Crested people because when you see these dogs at dog shows, properly groomed and cared for — the best of the best — they are really beautiful little dogs.  Unfortunately, there seem to be some Cresteds that missed the boat when beauty was being passed out.

But this year’s winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is a Boxer mix named Pabst.

From The Associated Press:

A prominent under-bite, scrunched face and floppy ears are the hallmarks of a winner — of the World’s Ugliest Dog contest, that is.

Pabst, a boxer mix rescued from a shelter by Miles Egstad of Citrus Heights, Calif., won the annual contest June 26 at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Northern California.

It was an upset victory for Pabst, who beat former champion Rascal, a pedigreed Chinese crested. Pabst’s owner took home $1,600 in prize money, pet supplies and a modeling contract with House of Dog.

Miss Ellie, a blind 15-year-old Chinese crested hairless, won this year’s pedigree category.

(photos by Noah Berger of The Associated Press)

Miss Ellie, winner in the purebred dog category.

Let’s all remember that beauty is only skin deep.  And, hey!  These dogs won prizes and money.  That’s more than most dogs can say.

Dogs Aiding Wounded GIs

Dogs Aiding Wounded GIs

June 29, 2009

Associated Press

FORT CARSON, Colo. – Army Specialist Cameron Briggs washes down a cocktail of prescription drugs every day for post-traumatic stress disorder and a brain injury he suffered when four roadside bombs rocked his Humvee in Iraq.

Tramadol for pain. Midrin for debilitating headaches. Minipress to suppress nightmares. Klonopin to control anger and anxiety.

His next dose of treatment will come from an unlikely source: a purebred Golden Retriever.

A new Veterans Administration program adopts dogs from animal shelters, trains them and matches them with wounded warriors home from Iraq and Afghanistan to help with their recovery.

For Briggs, his dog will be trained to help him find his wallet, cell phone and keys, which he habitually loses because of cognitive memory loss. The dog also will brace Briggs, who has an ankle injury, so he doesn’t have to use a cane or walker in public.

“I call him my little battle buddy,” the 24-year-old Briggs said as he strapped his old camouflage assault vest onto Harper. It’s modified to store biscuits and toys instead of ammunition. “I most definitely think he’ll help me transfer back to civilian life.”

VA hospitals nationwide are integrating service dogs into treatment plans for disabled vets, said Will Baldwin, a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the VA in Denver. The program was formed after Freedom Service Dogs, a Denver-based nonprofit, recently partnered with the VA.

Training takes up to nine months and costs $23,000. Service Dogs doesn’t charge its clients but relies on private donations and foundation grants.

“The population is growing exponentially down in Fort Carson with the Wounded Warriors program,” said Freedom Service Dogs’ Diane Vertovec, referring to the Army unit that prepares wounded Soldiers for civilian life. “We feel like a dog can help a vet meet physical challenges but, more importantly, can really, really help them overcome a lot of the mental instability that they’re feeling.”

Service Dogs can train 43 dogs per year – a number that doesn’t come close to meeting demand. There are about 450 Soldiers in the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Fort Carson.

David Watson, a 43-year-old Gulf War veteran who lives in Strasburg, about 40 miles east of Denver, gets out of bed every morning with the help of Summer, a trained yellow lab. Watson’s knees were injured in the war, and daily tasks are painful.

Baldwin suggested Watson get a service dog so he also could take better care of his wife, Trish, a Navy veteran who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair.

“The relationship is just one big circle. We just keep helping each other out,” said Watson. “If I can’t roll over or get out of bed, (Summer) will have a little toy that she uses and she’ll pull me up. It’s a tug-of-war game for her.”

“Get shoe, Summer!” Watson commands. Summer drops them at his bedside so he can slip them on without bending.

Summer also helps Watson navigate a world that doesn’t always accommodate his disabilities.

“Uneven ground – she will notice that before I do and she will either nudge me over or step in front of me so I don’t trip,” Watson said.

Key, an 8-month-old mixed black Labrador puppy, is being trained to open and close doors, get food from the fridge, alert bark, pick up keys and other items and brace to provide support.

Key’s biggest service might be to “just snug up to a person in bed, which sometimes is very comforting, especially for someone that might have PTSD,” said head trainer Patti Yoensky. “Just knowing that the dog’s there helps the person feel more confident, feel that they’re not alone.”

At Fort Carson, Briggs hopes that Harper will help him adjust. “I don’t like large crowds of people,” Briggs said, alluding to a PTSD symptom. “I get really fidgety and I just hate it. So anytime a stranger comes into your personal bubble, the dog will always stand between you and the stranger.”

Stephanie Baigent, manager of dog training at Service Dogs, believes that Harper can give Briggs something “unconditional that a lot of us can’t give, because no matter what we hear about Cameron or his experiences, we can’t fully understand.

“Harper doesn’t have to understand. He just loves Cameron because he’s Cameron,” she said.

Half of Americans consider pets family members

The Associated Press and Petside.com published the results of an interesting poll about pets and their owners recently.  The poll focused on how pet owners viewed their pets and asked such questions as whether a pet owner considered a pet as a member of the family, whether they gave their pet a human name, where the pet sleeps, and so on.  All of these questions seemed geared toward determining the nature of the human-pet relationship.

Here are some of the answers:

Which comes closest to the way you feel about how your pet fits into your family?

My Pet is part of my household but not part of my family 13

My pet is part of the family, but not as much as the

people in the household 36

My pet is just as much a part of the family as any other

person in the household 50

What is/are your pet’s name? CODED INTO HUMAN NAMES AND NON-HUMAN

NAMES

Human name(s) 49

(Human names only 25)

(Multiple pets, human & non-human names 24)

Non-human name(s) only 46

Where does your pet sleep?  Does your pet sleep…

In your bed 30

In its own bed or cage 33

Outdoors 13

Have you ever bought an outfit for your pet, or not?

Yes 19

No 81

Please say whether you have ever done any of the following.  How about…

Included your pet in a family portrait 35

Included your pet in your holiday card 33

Taken a pet on vacation with you 42

Taken a pet to work 17

Taken a pet somewhere it isn’t allowed, like a hotel or

store 16

Other questions included whether people thought their pet had their own sense of style (43 percent said yes).  Only 27 percent of people celebrate their pet’s birthday or Gotcha day (surprisingly low, I thought).

I know some people who are very ecstatic about these answers.  They seem to believe that they offer some kind of proof of what wonderful people we are because we do all of these nice, cute things with our pets and, in some cases, treat them more like people than animals.  I’m not so sure.  So, our dogs live in the house and sleep on our beds.  They go on vacation with us.  Half the population can still distinguish between a pet and a human family member.  Maybe I’m crazy or just an insensitive person, but I think that’s a good thing.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love my dogs!  I really, really love my dogs.  I would do anything for them.  But I like to think that if I were married or had kids that I would have my priorities straight enough to know that I should put human family members first.  I think you can see that with other people in the poll results:

The survey reveals that single people of both genders, but especially single women (66%), were likely to say that their pet is a full member of the family. Only 46 percent of married women shared the same viewpoint. In comparison, 52 percent of single men said so, compared to 43 percent of married men.

I think that when you have a family it often gives you a different perspective on pets, and that’s the way it should be.  Of course, every person I know is crazy about dogs but I think they’re a special group because they’re dog people.  They go to shows, they do agility and obedience training.  They do field work.  They’ve made dogs the center of their lives.  I don’t think they’re typical of most people whether single or married.

So, where would you fall in this poll?  How would you answer these questions?  Is your dog a full-fledged member of the family?

AKC ACE Awards

Happy Friday, everyone!  I hope temps are cool where you are.  We had a terrible tragedy in the dog world a few days ago where someone unfortunately left several dogs in their van overnight in a garage.  I’m sure the person thought that they had taken precautions to keep the dogs cool but, very sadly, all but one of the dogs died from heat stroke by the next morning.  I won’t spend time talking about the person.  I just want to say that heat stroke can happen very quickly — much more quickly than most of us realize.  Even if you use air conditioning in your vehicle, your dogs can become overheated if the AC fails.  Accidents can always happen.  Even with the windows down in a vehicle, air may not circulate.  Temperatures can quickly heat up to dangerous levels.  Please take care with your dogs and don’t leave them in your vehicle this time of year, even at night.  Remember that heatstroke from being in an enclosed vehicle is 100 percent preventable.  It’s up to you, so don’t put your dog in that position.

In a little happier news today, the AKC is looking for canine heroes.  Each year the AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE)  chooses dogs from all different walks of life to honor for some exemplary act:

Awards for Canine Exellence

The AKC Humane Fund honors the human-canine bond and wishes to express appreciation for the time-honored way in which dogs contribute meaningfully to our lives in so many ways. To this end, we created the AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE).

To be recognized, the dog must be AKC-registered or an AKC recognized breed and have performed an exemplary act, large or small, that has significantly benefited a community or individual.

Awards are given in five categories:

• Law Enforcement

• Search and Rescue

• Therapy

• Service

• Exemplary Companion Dog

The honorees will receive:

• A cash reward of $1000

• An engraved sterling-silver collar medallion, presented at the AKC/Eukanuba national Championship

• Their names engraved on a plaque on permanent display at the American Kennel Club Library in New York City

Click here for nomination forms.

Anyone can nominate a dog. The owner of the dog is permitted to submit the nomination for his/her own dog. All submissions for The AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence for the year 2009 must include the following:

• A non-returnable, clear, color photograph of the dog – no scans please.

• A 500-word-or-less description of how the dog has demonstrated excellence.

• Dog’s call name, registered name if applicable, breed, age and sex.

• Owner’s/Nominator’s name(s), address and phone number. E-mail address if available.

Send nominations to:

Ronald N. Rella – ACE Awards 2009

The AKC Humane Fund

260 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor

New York, NY 10016

The deadline for applications is June 30, 2009.

Maybe someone reading here on GreytInspirations will apply and we’ll have an ACE Award winner!

Here are a couple of the 2008 ACE Award winners:

American Kennel Club Awards for Canine Excellence 2008 Recipients

Exemplary Companion

Annie, a Doberman Pinscher

owned by Donna Rock of Lacombe, Louisiana

Annie is an 8-year-old Doberman Pinscher, who has comforted her owner Donna Rock through loss, given her hope, and provides the assistance necessary to help her achieve her goals. Born without arms, Donna originally purchased Annie to be her companion and to train for obedience competition. The two developed such an exceptional bond that Annie became Donna’s service dog, assisting her with everyday activities. Together, they have excelled at the higher levels of obedience competition, where verbal commands are not allowed and the dog must respond to signals. The duo has earned numerous Obedience and Agility titles, including the prestigious Obedience Trial Championship (OTCH) and the crown jewel in Agility, the Master Agility Championship (MACH). Their teamwork, skill and performance inspire those at ringside to understand the true purpose of the competition.

In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit, Donna lost her home, belongings, and even her place of work. Donna, who is employed by the USDA, was temporarily reassigned to work in Washington, DC. Through it all, Annie was there for her owner, helping her in the subways, on escalators and navigating through large crowds of people. Annie has loyally remained at Donna’s side, giving not just physical, but emotional support as well. Their amazing bond is the key to their success, not just in Obedience and Agility competition, but also in their day-to-day challenges.

Law Enforcement

Lex, a German Shepherd Dog

owned by Jerome and Rachel Lee of Quitman, Mississippi

Lex, a 7-year-old German Shepherd Dog, is a retired military dog who served in Iraq with young Marine Corporal Dustin Jerome Lee. Cpl. Lee was a renowned dog handler due to his extraordinary ability to work an explosives detection dog and narcotics detection dog simultaneously. Under the skilled guidance of Cpl. Lee, Lex dutifully searched for roadside bombs to keep the roads safe and open for American troops in Iraq. Tragically, Cpl. Lee was killed in a mortar attack in Falluja in early 2007. As he lay bleeding, Lex, although injured himself, was at his partner’s side to comfort him. Their bond was so strong, the loyalty so deep, that medics had to drag Lex away so they could attend to Cpl. Lee. He succumbed a short time later and Lex was reassigned to the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Georgia.

Cpl. Lee’s parents, Jerome and Rachel, who knew about the special relationship that existed between their son and Lex, petitioned to adopt the dog. North Carolina Congressman, Walter Jones, heard about the Lee’s request, and led a successful campaign to retire Lex, so that he could finally have a home with the Lees.

Since his retirement, Lex has been awarded a Commemorative Purple Heart. His desire to serve continues. The Lee’s bring Lex to VA hospitals and retirement homes to offer solace to the veterans who have so honorably served their country.

Take Your Dog To Work Day

Here’s a heads up about a very important day later this week.  Friday, June 26 is Take Your Dog To Work Day!  That’s right.  It’s the annual day when it’s just fine to put a coat and tie on your dog (or a dress and heels) and take your dog with you to let him or her see what you do to earn the money to buy their dog food.  Okay, just kidding about the work clothes, but it really is Take Your Dog To Work Day.

Pet Sitters International established the day back in 1999.  According to the Take Your Dog To Work Day web site, the day was created to honor our dogs and to encourage dog adoptions.  The event tries to help employers experience the value of pets in the workplace.

Pet Sitters International hopes that businesses, employers, animal shelters, and pet care professionals will all help promote the event.  You can find out more about the event by visiting the Take Your Dog To Work web site and seeing how you can help shelters in your area.

According to the American Pet Products Association, one-fifth of employers nationwide allow pets in the workplace.  The same survey, conducted in 2006, revealed the following facts:

*   55 million Americans believe having pets in the workplace leads to

a more creative environment.

*   53 million believe having pets in the workplace decreases

absenteeism.

*   50 million believe having pets in the workplace helps co-workers

get along better.

*   38 million believe having pets in the workplace creates a more

productive environment; and

*   46 million people who bring their pets to the workplace work longer

hours.

If you plan to participate in Take Your Dog To Work you should be considerate of your fellow employees.  Take the following things into account in your office (courtesy of the Take Your Dog To Work tool kit and the Rules for Success:

Do an office check:  Check with management  and co-workers to see if anyone is allergic, afraid of or opposed to you bringing your dog to work for this one special day.

Puppy-proof your work space:  Remove poisonous plants, hide electrical cords and wires and secure toxic items such as correction fluid, permanent markers, etc.  Any office items in question should be placed out of  your dog’s reach.

Bathe and groom your dog before his office debut:  Be sure his shots are up-to-date.  If your dog appears sick, don’t bring him to the office.  Dogs that are aggressive or overly shy should not accompany you to work.  Instead, consider bringing a favorite picture of your pooch.

Prepare a doggie bag:  Include food, treats, bowls, toys, leash, paper towels, clean-up bags and pet-safe disinfectant (just in case).  If you are routinely in and out of your work space, consider bringing a portable  kennel for your dog’s comfort and your peace of mind.

Plan your pet’s feeding times carefully:  Be sure to choose an appropriate area for your dog to relieve himself afterward.

Avoid forcing co-workers to interact with your dog.

Dog lovers will make themselves known.  To avoid pet accidents, monitor the amount of treats your pet is being given.  Remember that chocolate, candy and  other people food should not be shared with dogs.

Have an exit strategy:  Although most dogs enjoy Take Your Dog To Work Day, your pet may not.  Should your dog become overly boisterous, agitated or withdrawn, consider taking him or her home.  Most companies allow for this on Take Your Dog To Work Day.  Do not leave your dog alone in your vehicle while at work.

Dogs Detect Diabetes

Have you ever noticed a dog nagging somebody?  Or maybe your dog nags you?  I don’t mean begging for treats or wanting you to throw his ball for him.  I mean a dog that keeps sniffing a place on your body, or who seems to act like there’s something wrong with you.

Well, there have been stories for years about dogs who, somehow, are able to alert their owners to impending seizures.  Some dogs have been able to detect cancer.  And now dogs in Britain are being trained to warn their diabetic owners when their blood sugar levels are about to take a dangerous dip.

A recent study conducted by researchers at Queen’s University, Belfast, found that 65% of 212 people with insulin-dependent diabetes reported their pets reacting to a hypoglycemic episode by whining, barking, licking or some other display.

According to a story this week:

At the Cancer and Bio-Detection Dogs research center in Aylesbury, southern England, animal trainers are taking advantage of this information by utilizing the dog’s skills to assist their owners.

So far, the charity has 17 rescue dogs at various levels of training that will be partnered with diabetic owners, including many children.

“Dogs have been trained to detect certain odors down to parts per trillion, so we are talking tiny, tiny amounts. Their world is really very different to ours,” Chief Executive Claire Guest told Reuters TV.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr John Hunt founded the center five years ago. His desire was to examine the strange stories reported about dogs showing a nagging curiosity to parts of their owner’s body that later proved to be cancerous.

Around the time Dr. Hunt was looking into the bizarre cases, researchers at nearby Amersham Hospital were finding the first real evidence that dogs could identify bladder cancer by detecting chemicals found in urine.

They began looking into diabetes after the case of Paul Jackson, who told Guest and her team that his dog Tinker alerts him when his sugar levels get too low and he is in danger of collapsing.

“It’s generally licking my face, panting beside me. It depends how far I have gone before he realizes,” Jackson said.

Tinker has now been trained by the Aylesbury center and is a fully qualified Diabetic Hypo-Alert dog. He even has a red jacket to announce himself as a working assistance animal.

The center will continue working to perfect dogs’ ability in noting signs of cancer. Guest admits that while it would be favorable to have a disease screening dog in every doctor’s office, it is not very practical.

However, she does hope that the research leads to inventions such as an electric nose that can mimic that of a dog.

“At the moment electronic noses are not as advanced as the dogs’, they are about 15 years behind. But the work that we are doing and what we are finding out will help scientists advance quickly so that they can use electronic noses to do the same thing,” she said.

I doubt that an electronic nose will ever be as sensitive or as committed to an owner as a dog.  It’s amazing that dogs are able to detect the smallest changes in the way we smell and our other biological changes when we experience illness or stress.  Who knows what signals they pick up on that we are just now beginning to decipher?

Hot Spots?

Happy soggy Friday to you!  I don’t know about where you live, but here in Tennessee it seems like it’s rained almost every day for weeks. Earlier this week we had day after day of storms.  One day was nothing but thunder and lightning all day long.  My poor dog Beau was beside himself.  He’s the one who’s scared of thunder and loud noises.  I’ve written about our mutual problem before.  I don’t like loud noises much myself, but I think the problem we share is that we can both feel these storms approaching. There’s a palpable drop in pressure when these big thunder boomers roll in.  As soon as I feel the pressure drop, there’s Beau coming to sit next to me.  That makes me think that he feels it, too.  But, all things considered, I think he got through the storms very well.  I had to get down in the floor with him and hold him for a little while one morning when the thunder and lightning were so bad they made the house shake, but otherwise he’s managed very well.

My yard is so damp and soaked right now that the ground squished when I went out to check on the bird feeder last night.  Mowing grass is not a possibility right now.  Luckily it’s not too high.  Unfortunately these conditions — damp wet grass, high humidity — can cause some dogs to develop hot spots.  They are sometimes call “moist eczema” or “pyotraumatic dermatitis.” I’ll have to watch Beau to see if he develops one.  He’s had them before.  If you don’t know about hot spots you should consider yourself lucky.  Hot spots are sudden skin irritations that can flare up seemingly overnight, often on a dog’s legs or stomach — areas that may come in contact with wet grass or other irritants.

Hot spots are usually distinct from other skin irritations because they tend to be circular and the hair is simply gone from the affected patch of skin.  These patches appear very suddenly.  There is also some speculation that the dog’s diet may be involved in producing a hot patch.  Diets that are very high in protein seem to be implicated.  Hot spots can also occur if your dog has mats.  The mats can trap moisture close to your dog’s skin.  Some dogs seem to be more prone to developing hot spots than others.  With my dogs, Beau is the only one who’s ever developed a hot spot, but he’s developed them on several occasions.

If your dog has a hot spot there are a few things that you can do to clear it up:

1.  Trim or shave the hair around the affected area

2.  Wash the area with an antiseptic.  Many dog people like to use original Listerine mouthwash.

3.  Dust the area with a good medicated powder such as Gold Bond Powder.

You will need to keep treating the area.  Your dog may keep bothering it.  He may lick at it or chew himself so be prepared to wash the area again and reapply the medicated powder.  Hot spots usually clear up in just a couple of days if you can get your dog to leave them alone.

If your dog won’t leave the area alone or if the area isn’t healing then you should pay a visit to your vet.  The hot spot could become infected if it doesn’t heal properly.

Hot spots have a tendency to occur just when you most want your dog to look nice — right before a dog show or when you want to show him off to family and friends.

As health and skin problems go, hot spots are usually a small problem but anything that causes your dog discomfort needs care.  With these soggy days and (sometimes) high grass outside, pay attention to your dog’s skin.

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

A friend of mine was asking some questions about Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome earlier this week.  If you haven’t heard of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, it’s often thought of as senility in older dogs.  It can be hard to describe since the symptoms are, understandably, a little different than they are in humans, but it’s one of those things where you often recognize them when you encounter them.

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction does occur in older dogs but not all old dogs get these symptoms.  Many older dogs continue just fine until the end of their days without any impairments.  CDS is sometimes difficult to diagnose because some of the symptoms can be confused with the general ailments associated with aging.  A dog may lose some of his hearing and his eyesight may decline as he ages.  This may lead him to have some difficulties in the home but he won’t have the same kind of difficulties that are caused by CDS.  Or, a dog my feel some pain from arthritis that makes it hard for him to get around very well but, again, this isn’t something that is caused by CDS though it could lead to some overlapping symptoms.

With Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome a dog may exhibit some of the following symptoms:

Disorientation — wandering aimlessly, getting lost even in the house, getting “stuck” in rooms or behind furniture.

Change in activity and/or sleep behavior — the dog may sleep heavily during the day and wander the house during the night.

Change in Housetraining skills — a previously well-housetrained dog may forget his housetraining and begin having accidents in the house.  The dog may go outside and do nothing then come indoors and have an accident.

Change in interaction with family members — the dog may walk away from being petted; may no longer be interested in petting or play; may seem lost in his own world.

A few years ago, after my dog Jasper turned ten years old, he began showing signs of some of these changes.  He would walk into a room and stand staring at the wall.  He acted like he didn’t know what to do then.  He would just stand there until somebody moved him.  Or, he would start barking for someone to find him.  Sometimes he would become “lost” behind a chair or sofa.  We would have to go get him because he literally couldn’t find his way out to the rest of the house again.

Now, a little later my dog Sami began showing some signs of aging.  She would bark at night when she was in the living room and the lights were out.  However, her situation was very different.  We realized that she was having some eyesight problems.  There was nothing wrong with her cognitive abilities.  She simply couldn’t see her way through the house in the dark with her declining eyesight without some help.  She also had trouble stepping over other dogs and walking down the back steps on the deck to go outside at night.  So, it’s not always easy to generalize when it comes to the changes in an older dog.  You should watch them very carefully and avoid jumping to conclusions.  Not all changes are indications of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome.  Some changes are signs of normal aging.

Currently my dog Taylor is showing some increased agitation toward Blue.  He really can’t stand to have Blue near him.  He will wake up out of a nap just to bark at Blue across the room.  But I can’t tell if this is an indication of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction — which can include increased aggression toward other dogs and people — or if it’s simply jealousy or old dog crankiness.  Taylor seems normal in every other way.  He doesn’t seem to be having any other CDS problems or any health problems (knock on wood).  He barks for his food everyday.  He demands to be petted the same as always.  He even still plays at nearly 13 years old.  He just has this dislike of Blue.  It’s too bad, too.  He liked him a lot when Blue was a puppy.  Now, Taylor has never liked other boys very much.  He has pushed Beau around ever since Beau was born.  So it’s possible that this is just Taylor being Taylor, but it’s something that I need to watch to see if it does become a Canine Cognitive Dysfunction problem.

If you suspect that your dog does have a problem related to Canine Cognitive Dysfunction there are some things that you can do.  First, you can make your home a little more old dog-friendly.  You can remove obstacles where your old dog tends to go so he won’t run into them.  You can use baby gates to keep your old dog in parts of the house where he won’t hurt himself.  You can restrict him to parts of the house where clean-up is easy if he has an accident.

You should also take your old dog to the vet so he or she can help with a diagnosis.  If the vet agrees that your dog has Canine Cognitive Dysfunction then Anipryl is the medication of choice to treat CDS.  Many dogs respond very positively to Anipryl and it can restore them to themselves.  Your dog may need to take the drug for the rest of his life but the results are very worthwhile.

Dogs aren’t vegans

There are plenty of people who know more about dogs than I do.  All I can do as a pet owner is study and keep up with the best possible health and diet information for my dogs.  However, I have had dogs since I was a kid.  I’ve been breeding and showing English Setters since 1987.  In that time there is one thing that I have learned without a doubt:  dogs like meat.  You wouldn’t think that this bit of news was a revelation to most people, would you?  And yet, there are some people who, for various reasons (mostly philosophical) try to feed dogs a vegetarian or even vegan diet.  All I can say is that I pity their dogs.

One hot topic of discussion on some dog e-mail lists recently has been a food called Humane Choice promoted by the Humane Society of the United States.  I’d like to draw your attention to the list of ingredients starting from the first ingredient — the ingredients are listed by weight before processing:

Organic ground canola seed, organic brown rice, organic soybean meal, organic buckwheat, organic flaxseed, organic sunflower seed, organic millet, organic carrots, organic beets, organic broccoli, organic sunflower oil, organic canola oil, organic peas…

Organic ingredients are just great, but consider what those ingredients actually are.  Consider what you are — and aren’t feeding your dog with a food like this one.  Dogs have a much easier time digesting animal protein than vegetable matter.  When you feed your dog a food that contains large amounts of vegetable matter, like corn or wheat or like the ingredients in this food, your dog can’t digest it as well as he digests meat protein.  He’s a carnivore, biologically speaking, and his system functions more efficiently when he is digesting animal sources of protein — meat, eggs, fish.  When you feed your dog vegetable products he passes a large percentage of them through his system without getting as much nutritional benefit from them as from better protein sources.  (More vegetable matter also means that you have more dog poop to clean up.)

The truth is that dogs don’t actually need vegetables in their diet.  They get virtually everything that they need, nutritionally speaking, from meat, bones and good sources of nutrients.  If you want to add veggies to your dog’s diet you should puree raw vegetables or steam them since dogs can’t really process whole raw vegetables — though they like them as snacks.  That’s why if you want your dog to lose weight people often suggest that you add green beans or carrots to their diet.  Dogs like to eat them and they help them feel full but they really contain few calories for a dog.

If you’d like more information about what to feed your dog I recommend the DogAware site.  It’s the best site I know, bar none, about feeding your dog no matter what your feeding preference is.  The emphasis is on good nutrition, whether you feed a commercial dog food, raw, homecooked or some combination.

Keep in mind that most canine nutritional experts recommend feeding fewer grains, not more, so a food like Humane Choice is a non-starter.  It’s all grains and seeds.  It has no sources of animal protein.  Vegan diets for dogs just don’t make nutritional sense, regardless of the owner’s personal preferences.

For more information on choosing a good dog food you can read The Whole Dog Journal’s article “How To Choose Dog Food.”