Barking

I get a lot of clients asking me how to get a dog to stop barking.  They just can't understand why the dog barks when he does and why he won't stop.  It can be very frustrating when you have neighbors complaining or the dog wakes the baby up that you just got to sleep.  Believe me I understand!  I had a previous neighbor that would decide he had to put his dog outside at 11:00 at night for about an hour and the little dog would bark his head off and wake me up (on those rare occasions I wasn't on the computer still!).

First off it's important to understand why dogs bark.  Unlike humans the language of canines is made up more of body language than vocalization.  Wolves, the ancestor of the dog, rarely use barks as a form of communication and when they do they tend to be short single utterances.  Many researchers believe that in domesticating the dog we selected help the dog develop a wider range and versatility of barks than their ancestors had. In other words, dogs bark to talk to us!¹

So now that we realize when a dog barks he is trying to tell us humans something we have take the first step.  The next step is to translate that bark into understanding.  There are many different reasons that a dog will bark: alarm, warning that they feel threatened, play, need, and learned barking.  Most clients I talk to don't mind if the dog barks at a stranger or when someone comes to the door, as long as it stops quickly.  The question I get is how to teach the dog that a few simple barks is enough to warn of danger and they should only do it in situations that are really a threat.  How do you convince Fido that Mr. Smith who jogs by every morning or the local stray cat are not real threats and should be ignored?

The first thing to realize is that the dog probably has this problem because we (or a previous owner) encouraged the barking.  When a dog barks too much the common human reaction is to yell at him to stop barking or to go over to the dog and reprimand it.  While it seems like a logical course of action it is in fact rewarding the dog for the barking only making him more likely to do it again especially since the dog most likely starts out by barking an alarm.  When you yell at the dog he thinks you are barking along with him and therefore you are aware of the danger.  If you go to the dog and acknowledge the alarm then again his warning has been heard and it was an effective way to get your attention.

So how do you stop unwanted barking?  First of all I want to address the debarking surgery.  It should only be considered as a very last line of defense before the dog is euthanized.  The surgery isn't always effective and the vocal cords can grow back in time.  It can also lead to anxiety since the dog was barking for a reason and now their ability to communicate the problem has been taken away.  Behavioral modification is much more effective, it just takes time and effort.  You didn't teach the dog to bark continuously overnight so you can't expect him to stop overnight either.

Here are some tips on how to stop unwanted barking.  If you are unable to figure out the reason for barking or are unsuccessful then I strongly advise seeking the advice of a canine behavior expert.

1. Remove the reason for barking.  For example if the dog barks whenever a car drives by, shut the curtains or put him in a room where he can't see out.  If he barks at everybody and everything when out in the back yard, take him out on a leash instead.
2. Ignore the barking.  This is one of the most effective and yet most difficult methods to employ.  Most dogs bark because they want something from you.  Any kind of acknowledgement of their barking, a word, a look a gesture is positive reinforcement.  The hardest part is you have to do it every time.  Until the dog stops barking for even a short moment you MUST ignore him.  Giving in even once will only make him bark longer the next time.  Turn your back and ignore him until he takes a moment to catch his breath between barks and then quickly turn and praise him or give him a treat.
3. Teach him the command for quiet.  This is a very useful command to have.  It should always be given in a soft, relaxed tone of voice.  You want the dog to know there is nothing to be anxious about which is what yelling the command would do.  Clicker training is another useful tool for teaching this command. (There are many sources for direction on how to do this)
4. Desensitize your dog to the stimuli.  Find the trigger that makes your dog bark and slowly introduce your dog to it.  Reward the dog for positive behavior when the stimulus is present, but don't scold him for negative behavior.  Just take him far enough away that he no longer feels the need to bark and then reward him.
5. Train your dog to do something other than bark at a certain stimulus.  If you don't want your dog to bark when the doorbell rings, teach him to come sit by your feet or go lay down in a certain spot.  You train him just like you would train him to sit, you just use the doorbell as the command instead of the verbal word.

 Remember, in any sort of behavior modification there are three rules: be consistent, be consistent, and be consistent!  That means everybody living in the house has to be on the same page or it is doomed to failure.

1. Pongrácz, Péter, Csaba Molnár, and Ádám Miklósi. "Barking in Family Dogs: An Ethological Approach." The Veterinary Journal 183.2 (2010): 141-47.

Mast Cell Tumors

One of the more common types of cancer we seen in dogs (about 20% of all skin tumors)(less common in cats) are mast cell tumors. Mast cells are a part of the normal immune system. They are responsible for the release of histamines durine an allergic reaction but they also play a major role in wound healing and defense against pathogens. They can be found in almost all tissues and in very small numbers in the blood stream.

A mast cell tumor (MCT) is the result of uncontrolled growth of neoplastic mast cells. The most common MCT sites in dogs and cats are skin, the spleen can be a common primary location in the cat and a common site of metastasis in the dog. Mast cell tumors can also be found in the GI tract, though this is rare.

Signs of mast cell cancer can include identification of a skin lesion(mass), an allergic type reaction including redness and hives, swelling, shock, hypotension, vomiting, diarrhea, itching, defective coagulation, and delayed wound healing. GI and colonic ulcers are also a common side effect from MCT.

MCT are known as the "big imitators" because they can look like any other skin tumor. They can be hairy or hairless, pink or black, raised or under the skin, etc. so any skin mass should be examined closely. A raised, pink, hairless mass that seems to itch the pet should be aspirated for cytology as soon as possible.

Diagnosis of MCT can be made by fine needle aspiration(FNA) and cytology, but it is only about 70% accurate due to the delicacy of the cells and chance of getting an adequate sample size. It may be necessary to take a full biopsy and send it out for histopathology. Special stains may be required to make the diagnosis.

MCT's have been reported in dogs less than one year of age but are much more common in older animals. Boston terriers, Boxers, Bull terriers, Dachshunds, English bulldogs, Fox terriers, Labrador retrievers, Pit bull terriers, Staffordshire terriers, and Weimaraners are breeds that are at increased risk for developing MCT.

Grading of a MCT is important to help develop a treatment plan and a prognosis. The most commonly used grading system in the dog is the three-grade Patnaik system. This grading system has excellent correlation with 1500-day survival rates (Grade I = 83%, Grade II = 44%, and Grade III = 6%).

Grade I tumors are much less aggressive and can be surgically excised without further treatment. They rarely metastasize.

Grade II tumors provide the greatest difficulty in determining staging for the dog and on deciding an appropriate treatment course. For Grade II tumors, more involved staging (further testing)may be necessary to determine how aggressive the tumor is likely to be.

Grade III tumors are are invariably aggressive and need to be treated aggressively.

The next important step is to stage the MCT. Staging allows one to find out where else the MCT may be.  MCTs typically metastasize to lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and bone marrow.  Common staging procedures include FNA  of local lymph nodes, abdominal ultrasonography, and possibly splenic and liver aspiration cytology. Sometimes bone marrow aspiration may be done. 

Prognosis for a dog or cat with MCT can be difficult. In addition to the tumor Grade, location of tumor can play a significant role in prognosis.   MCTs of the oral cavity and nail bed have a higher metastatic rate to regional lymph nodes. Masses located on the muzzle and ear tend to be more aggressive. Gastrointestinal tract MCTs have a grave prognosis.

Specific treatment for MCT includes surgical resection with wide margins into healthy tissue.  Margins should be at least 2 cm wide and a 1 cm deep.   For unresectable or Grade III masses, additional treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy are necessary.  Mast cells tend to be very sensitive to radiation and can be used for long-term local control (up to a 90% control for several years).  Chemotherapy should be administered in higher grade tumors or when there is indication of metastasis.  It can be given in conjunction with radiation and surgery.

So the take home lesson is that every mass found on your dog is potentially a MCT especially in those breed's prone to it.   The appearance of a new mass should be monitored for changes and for it's affect on the pet.  Any mass that suddenly appears should be aspirated and evaluated.  Chances are that it probably is a benign growth such as a sebaceous adenoma, but better safe than sorry.

Take our canine personality survey to help us with our research.  We are trying to find a better way to match dogs with the right families fo facilitate "forever homes".  Click the link below to start.  Thank you for your help.  Please tell everyone you know that has a dog to come fill out this questionnaire.  The more data we collect the more accurate it will be.

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Smoking may be hazardous to your pet's health.

There is a lot of talk about how dangerous smoking is for an individual doing the smoking as well as how dangerous it is for the people around the smoker, but not much has been said about our pets.  There aren't that many studies in today's journals about how breathing in second-hand smoke affects our pets, but the few that are suggest it is just as dangerous to them as it is to any person.  I am going to present some of the studies below for your information.  If you smoke in the house with your pets or know someone that does you may want to reconsider your habits, not only for your sake, but for the sake of your pets.

1. A study done in 1998 looking back at cases of nasal cancer seen at the University of Colorado concluded that long nosed dogs had a higher chance of nasal cancer and short nosed dogs had a higher rate of lung cancer if they lived in the house of a smoker.  Apparently the long muzzle and nasal passages act as a better filter preventing the second-hand smoke from reaching the lungs.  This may be the reason dogs with long noses get nasal cancer more frequently and brachycephalic (short nosed dogs) are more prone to the lung cancer. 
John S. Reif, Christa Bruns, and Kimberty S. Lower. “Cancer of the Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses and Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke in Pet Dogs.” American Journal of Epidemiology.  1998 Mar 1;147(5):488-92.  

2. In another study done at Colorado State University they found that there is a linear trend in the association between exposure to second-hand smoke and risk of developing lymphoma.  This means that the longer the cat is exposed to second hand smoke the more likely they are to develop cancer (specifically lymphoma).

Elizabeth R. Bertone, Laura A. Snyder, and Antony S. Moore. “Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Risk of Malignant Lymphoma in Pet Cats” American Journal of Epidemiology.  2002 Apr;156(5)

 

3. A study done on Yorkshire Terriers showed that dogs that lived in homes with smokers showed changes in their airway due to the exposure to second-hand smoke.  None of the dogs that lived in homes where no one smoked showed these airway changes.  The importance of this study is to show that breathing in second-hand smoke does have a physiological affect on the dogs breathing it.  This is a first step in determining what the exact effects are.

Marcello Rodrigues Roza; Carlos Alberto Assis Viegas. “The dog as a passive smoker: effects of exposure to environmental cigarette smoke on domestic dogs.”  Nicotine Tob Res. 2007 Nov;9(11):1171-6.

 

4. Chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer may be linked to second-hand smoke.  A preliminary study done in Germany showed that within 12 weeks of exposure to second-hand smoke rats showed morphologic pancreatic damage and inflammation.

Uwe A Wittel¹; Ulrich T Hopt; Surinder K Batra . "Cigarette smoke-induced pancreatic damage: experimental data." Langenbecks Arch Surg. July 2008;393(4):581-8. 62 Refs 

While there is no conclusive evidence as of yet that second-hand smoke is dangerous for your pets, there is evidence that it may be.  It is kind of like knowing that playing in the road could result in getting hit by a car.  If you don't play in the road then there is almost no chance of getting hit.  If you do play in the road then your risk increases.  You may or may not get hit and unlike smoking where the dangers are invisible, you can at least see the car coming most of the time.  Just some food for thought :)

Facts and Fictions about Raw/BARF diets in dogs and cats

My best friend just consulted me about a case where there is a family dispute on what to feed one of the dogs.  The owner believes in feeding a good quality commercial food, but her family members are a huge supporter of the BARF/Raw only diet.  In helping my friend do some research on the subject I decided to write my blog (which I have been neglecting lately) about this.  As we all know you can find just about anything you want on the internet.  I am sure if I tried I could find 50 sites telling me the world was about to be taken over by aliens and that drinking water was hazardous to my health.  I could then turn around and find 50 more sites that completely contradict these and they all will sound very legitimate.  I am endeavoring in this blog to present the scientific known facts and studies about feeding raw diets.  I will say that I am biased more towards commercial diets because I believe in the research that has been put into many of them and while the companies want to make a profit, they would not do so if their foods were the cause of death and destruction like many people claim.

Canis Lupis

Myth: Dogs are Wolves:   Many proponents for the raw diet latch onto the belief that because dogs are descendant from wolves that they are better off eating like a wild wolf would.  In doing so they are throwing out over 100,000 years of evolution where man has selectively bred and adapted the domestic dog to live with us.  The modern dog has been thriving on our left-over, cooked food for all this time and has hence adapted to it.  The dogs that couldn't survive on this diet did not reproduce and died our many millennium ago.  It should also be noted that wild wolves that are kept in zoos live on average at least 50% longer than their wild counterparts and ....drum roll please.....they are fed a commercial dog food!  The AZA Nutrition Advisory Group recommends "to provide a portion of the nutrients through a pelleted, extruded, canned, etc. feed. These products oftentimes are referred to as "nutritionally complete" as they have been formulated by the manufacturer to be nutritionally complete for a particular species. The products are designed to provide all of the required nutrients to the target species and the addition of other foods/feeds can either dilute or complement these products."

Fact: Raw diets can be dangerous to human health:  Human infection with salmonella through the dog is a much higher risk when fed raw diet. According to Weese et al.(1), 

"This preliminary study found that 30% of stool samples from dogs fed homemade BARF diets contained various Salmonella serovars, whereas none of the samples from dogs fed commercial dry diets contained Salmonella spp. ...and 80% of BARF food samples cultured positive for Salmonella spp." 

According to Joffe et. al (2)

Abstract: "Twenty-five commercial raw diets for dogs and cats were evaluated bacteriologically. Coliforms were present in all diets, ranging from 3.5 × 10³ to 9.4 × 10⁶ CFU/g (mean 8.9 × 10⁵; standard deviation 1.9 × 10⁶). Escherichia coli was identified in 15/25 (64%) diets; however, E. coli O157 was not detected. Salmonella spp. were detected in 5/25 (20%) diets; 1 each of beef-, lamb-, quail-, chicken-, and ostrich-based diets. Sporeforming bacteria were identified from 4/25 (16%) samples on direct culture and 25/25 (100%) samples using enrichment culture. Clostridium perfringens was identified in 5/25 (20%) samples. A toxigenic strain of C. difficile was isolated from one turkeybased food. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 1/25 (4%) diets. Campylobacter spp. were not isolated from any of the diets."

This means that even though you are careful to wash you hands after preparing the dog's dinner, the dog could infect you, your child, or your aged parents with Salmonella.  I've had Salmonella once (got it from saving a soft shelled turtle from the middle of the road) and I can tell you I wanted to die, I didn't but if I had not been young and healthy I very well could have. 

Dipping the meat in boiling water for 3-5 minutes will at least kill off many of the surface bacteria and may help to decrease the chance of infection, but that requires cooking at least part of the food.

Myth: Raw diets are better for a dog or cat's teeth than commercial diets: There have been several studies done looking at skulls of wild dogs and cats and comparing the dental health with our commercially fed companion animals.   One thing raw diets have in favor is that they seem to decrease the amount of calculus present on the teeth, they do not however prevent the development of periodontal disease.  In fact, seeing a mouth filled with clean looking teeth may prevent the animal from receiving adequate dental care and predispose them to the loss of more teeth than would be necessary. 

According to Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition a study done on wild dog skulls in Africa showed 

"Signs of teeth wearing was seen in 83% of teeth, and 48% of skulls had fractured teeth....evidence of periodontitis in 41%.","..., the wild dog on a "natural" diet is affected by dental disease at similar rates to domesticated dogs, and surprisingly, the "natural" diet does not protect against dental disease. This is despite the efficacy of preventing the formation of calculus."

Another study showed(4) in a study of feral cats on Marion Island, the skulls of 301 cats that had been trapped and killed were examined. Evidence of periodontitis was found in 61.8% of cats and 14.8% of teeth which is similar to what we see in our pet felines.

The act or regular chewing is more effective in prevention of gingivitis and calculus so adding good chew toys such as Greenies, raw hide, etc. are the most effective method (second only to regular daily teeth brushing) of preventing dental disease.  Also note that dogs fed raw diets with bones, or dogs given bones to chew on are more likely to break their teeth which will then require dental care.

Myth: Raw diets are more natural and therefore better. This is a point that in my opinion is mixed.  A good, nutritionally balanced, home-cooked diet made with organic human-grade food is probably better and more nutritious than commercial foods.  Just like eating fresh fruit is better than eating canned for us.  This being said, it is very difficult to feed a truly balanced diet.  To properly feed a home-prepared diet you should consult a veterinary nutritionist.  It will be a lot more involved than just going to the grocery store and getting a package of chicken thighs and a liver and heart or two.  It will require careful measuring of numerous ingredients and strict adherence to the recipe to prevent your pet from malnutrition.  The next difficult part is to get your pet to eat every component of his diet.  Like a kid they will pick out the parts they like and leave the less delicious pieces in their bowl.  Blending it all together isn't an option because part of the benefit of a raw diet is feeding it in it's natural state.

Malnutrition may take years to become apparent so don't assume after a few months since nothing bad has happened, nothing will.  In today's day and age, many vet's are not used to seeing dietary induced diseases anymore and getting an accurate diagnosis on your pet may be difficult if that is what is wrong with it.  Why would a modern vet expect to see diseases related to zinc, vitamin a, or taurine deficiency when they are almost non-existent because of today's well-balanced commercial foods.

As an aside it is also very expensive to feed a balanced home-cooked diet.

Myth: Cooking destroys all the best nutrients:   

Raw diet supporters like to claim that cooking destroys nutrients, so processed foods must be nutrient deficient. It is true that some nutrients are destroyed by cooking, but the relationship between temperature and cooking time and the final level of these nutrients in the food is well established, and commercial foods are supplemented to account for this and extensively tested in vitro and in vivo to ensure adequate nutrient levels. Other nutrients, particularly carbohydrates, are made more available by cooking.^22,23 And cooking destroys many parasites and bacterial organisms responsible for serious foodborne illness.(5)

Challenge: As will all alternative medicine there is a lot of anecdotal evidence supporting how effective it is and you get many people that are staunch supporters of the theory.  Its like saying that lighting a candle every morning prevents you from getting the measles.  Just because you have never been exposed to them you think lighting the candle is the effective therapy.  You can't prove it until you actually do a scientific experiment to prove it.

If a therapy is truly effective it will become mainstream.  Contrary to popular belief, the majority of doctors and  veterinarians are in the profession to heal and 99.9% of us are not the "the pockets" of the major food and drug companies.  Popular alternative treatments that have become common are the use of Fish oils, glucosamine, acupuncture, SAMe, etc.  These treatments are becoming common and in 20 years, if they truly do what they are purported to do, will be considered modern medicine because they are commonly used, have been studied, and they work.  Commercial pet foods are successful because they work and are affordable.  I believe they have significantly aided in increasing our pet's lifespans by eliminating nutritional deficiencies and many infectious and parasitic diseases our pets faced only 50 years ago.  Are they perfect...of course not!  That is why companies like Purina, Walthem, Hill's, etc. spend millions every year doing research to improve their diets.  

My challenge is this.  For those out there that are strong believers in the raw or BARF diet.  Do a study and prove it.  Get a colony of 300+ dogs and cats and feed them your raw diet.  Make sure you do regular fecal, urine, and blood testing to check for good health.  Don't forget you have to do this for several generations.  Then you can at least say that the diet is healthy.  If you want to say it is better than commercial diets you need another couple of hundred animals that you feed a commercial food to, kept in the same environment and show that your diet provides better overall health and longevity to that one particular diet.  Once you have proved that you can do it for all the other commercial diets that are out there.  Prove your theory that it is better and I will gladly start recommending feeding a raw diet. Until then I will have to stick with the proven science behind the commercial fed pet foods since I know they are safe and effective.

1. Daniel J. Joffe and Daniel P. Schlesinger "Preliminary assessment of the risk of Salmonella infection in dogs fed raw chicken diets" , Can Vet J. 2002 June; 43(6): 441–442.   
2. J. Scott Weese, Joyce Rousseau, and L. Arroyo, "Bacteriological evaluation of commercial canine and feline raw diets."  Can Vet J. 2005 June; 46(6): 513–516. 
3. Andrea J. Fascetti, Sean J. Delaney. Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition: West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. 
4. Verstraete, F.J.M.et al. "The Dental Pathology of Feral Cats on Marion Island, Part II: Periodontitis, External Odontoclastic Resorption Lesions and Mandibular Thickening." J. Comp, Path. 1996 Vol. 115, 283-297.
5. Science Based Medicine: Brennen McKenzie MA, VMD. Raw Meat and Bone Diets for Dogs: It’s Enough to Make You BARF.  June 11, 2010
   

Bone infection or cancer?

OK the pictures in this post are not for the faint of heart.  This is a case of a very sweet dog that had something go horribly wrong with one of her toes.  Her owner contacted us shortly before Christmas because her toenail looked infected.  In the two weeks from when her owner called and we saw her the toe had swollen to double it's normal size.  We started treating her for a bad infection and the toe continued to get worse. 

Our next step was to get some radiographs of her toe and chest (to check for metastasis of possible cancer) to see what was going on under the skin.  The radiograph pictured is of her affected foot looking down on it.  You can see the circular swelling of the affected toe.  Look closely at the other toes.  You can see what a normal toe looks like with three phalanyx and the nail visible.  Compare that with the affected toe and you can see the nail and part of that phalanx no longer exists.  You can also see a periosteal reaction (inflammation of the periosteum, the outer lining of the bone) seen as a white fuzzy outline around the bone of that toe.  On first glance this appears to be a cancer of the bone, but there is a good chance that this may just be a serious infection of the bone.  She could have stepped on something or chewed on her toe creating an open sore that was then susceptible to bacteria.    Since conservative treatment with antibiotics did not help we are now at a point where the toe needs to come off. 

We scheduled surgery and in the few days between the x-rays and the surgery she managed to chew a large hole in the side of her toe.  There was also evidence of gangrene starting to set in. 
In the picture you can see where her toenail would have been and now there is just a large hole.  The hole on the side of her toe is from her chewing on her foot.  Amazingly with a toe like this she remained very sweet and loving and allowed us to do whatever was necessary to help her.

Surgery was performed and the toe was sent out for a culture and for histopath.  We will see her for a bandage change on Monday and are still waiting on results of her tests.  She is on some heavy duty antibiotics and pain meds for now and is actually starting to put weight back on her foot (which is bandaged) again.  I'll let you know what we find.  Keep your fingers crossed and say some prayers for her that she is now on the road to recovery!

Is turkey bad for our pets?

Well the holiday season is almost upon us and Anne had the question "Is it true that turkey is not healthy for our dogs?"  So I decided to write this blog about just that.

Anne your question is a complex one.  Because the answer is both yes and no.  Turkey is not bad for dogs that are used to eating it, especially when it is an ingredient in a balanced dog food.  There is nothing toxic or dangerous in turkey meat for our dogs.  The problem comes when our pets who are used to eating a well balanced, set ratio of fat, protein and carbohydrates, suddenly get a high fat treat.  Think about how you would feel if you ate a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, and lean meat and then suddenly you went to McDonalds and got a Big Mac.  My guess is that you would not be feeling so hot for the rest of the day or even for several days.  That is the best case scenario for a dog that gets a high fat treat: a little belly ache, some gas, and diarrhea.

Turkey (or other fattening scraps like butter, gravy, etc.) become dangerous when they cause the pancreas to kick into high gear.  Eighty to ninety percent of all pancreatitis cases in humans are found in alcoholics or people with gallstones.  It is not a disease most people need to worry about.  That is not the case in dogs and cats.  They are much more sensitive to a sudden changes in fat intake. 

When your pet eats a meal several things happen.  Before the first bite of food is taken salivary secretions increase.  This then triggers the stomach to start producing more acid chyme (pronounced kime) which is responsible for the acidic environment of the stomach which allows the dog and cat to eat dead and decaying things with high bacterial contamination and not get sick.  The increase in chyme stimulates the duodenum (first part of the small intestines) to produce secretin which then causes the pancreas to produce its digestive enzymes.  These enzymes are responsible for the breakdown of fats and proteins. OK enough digestive physiology!

Because the digestive enzymes the pancreas produces will break down fats and proteins they are capable of digesting the pancreas and other internal organs as well.  There are protective measures in place to prevent this and under normal circumstance they are very effective.  The theory is that with a sudden high fat meal the pancreas over secretes enzymes to the point that the safety mechanisms are overcome.  (I always picture the I Love Lucy episode in the candy factory where the conveyor belt is put on super fast speed and she can't keep up). These enzymes then start to digest the pancreas itself causing more inflammation, unregulated production of more enzymes, and hence more damage.  A single high fat meal could be fatal for a dog or cat.  Once the enzymes damage the pancreas enough they can start to leak into the rest of the body and eventually general organ failure, DIC, and death can follow.  While many cases of pancreatitis are successfully treated, there is no guaranteed cure.  A dog or cat may stay in the hospital in intensive care for weeks (and thousands to tens of thousands of dollars), appear to be getting better, only to suddenly die from organ failure.

I know many people will think "but I've fed my dog table scraps at Thanksgiving for years and never had a problem."  All I can say to them is they were lucky.  I know many people that didn't wear a seat belt as a child and they are here to tell about it, but I know of at least three people who died because they weren't, the same theory applies.  I can also name many people that did feed their dog Thanksgiving scraps only to lose their beloved pet from severe acute pancreatitis or have to spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to get them through the illness.  So next time your dog looks up at you with those pleading soulful eyes while you are eating Thanksgiving dinner, think long and hard about what is best for him.  Hand him a raw carrot or green bean or even have some dog treats at the table instead.