Demodex - Warning graphic pictures of wounds

Today I am going to write about Demodectic mange in dogs.  Many people mistake demodex for scabies (Sarcoptic mange), but though clinical signs are similar they are two completely different organisms.  Scabies is contagious to people and other dogs while demodex is not.  All dogs have demodectic mites living on their body.  They are typically well controlled by the dog's immune system and cause no problems.  Sometimes, however, a dog is born with an immune problem and is unable to suppress the mite OR an older dog gets sick and his immune system is suppressed so much that he can no longer prevent multiplication of the mite. 

The mites look like little caterpillars, but can not be seen with the naked eye.  Instead people begin to notice patches of hair loss.  This is because the mites live down in the hair follicle causing the hair to fall out.  The are passed from dog to dog through prolonged contact (typically from mother to pup while they are nursing) and are species specific (meaning people can't get dog demodex).  To diagnose demodectic mange the affected area must be scraped down to the dermis (small amount of bleeding) and looked at under the miscroscope.  Finding a mite in a normal dog is nearly impossible because there are so few present.  Occasionally the mites live deep down (especially on the feet) and a biopsy is necessary to make the diagnosis.

There are two forms of demodex:  localized and generalized.  Localized demodex is classified as up to six small areas of alopecia (hair loss) generally on the face, head, and forelegs.  Generalized demodex is classified as more than six lesion, large affected areas, or involving more than one paw.  Localized demodex is a common puppy ailment that typically resolves on its own with or without treatment.  Treatment may be necessary if there is secondary infection, but often a rotenone based medication called Goodwinol is prescribed more to make the owner feel that they are doing something though it may shorten the time the lesion is visible.

Generalized demodex is a severe and possibly life threatening condition commonly occurring in dogs less than 18 months of age and in older dogs that have a reason for a suppressed immune system. Fortunately with proper treatment the signs can often be controlled or even completely resolved (until the next time the dog's immune system is suppressed). I have recently seen two cases in the last 6 months.  One in a young puppy that was rescued after being abandoned in the middle of winter and another in an elderly dog.

 

Piper is an absolutely sweet, loving Labrador that was adopted by a friend of mine after she was found abandoned.  She was treated when she first got her last January with ivermectin and antibiotics.  I saw Piper in June because she had a sever flare up.  In a matter of a few days she went from looking like a normal dog to one that you would expect to find slinking in alleys and half starved (she was not and this is a common presentation for the disease).  I personally know her owners and they take very good care of her and called me as soon as she started showing signs again.  She also healed very quickly and is still being treated to prevent another outbreak.

The most severe case I have seen in an older dog occurred in a 13 year old Labrador retriever. I was called out to see Thunder,  because in a matter of 1-2 days he suddenly developed severe bleeding wounds.  His owners were afraid that they might have to have him euthanized because he was so miserable. 

Fortunately we were able to make a quick diagnosis of demodectic mange with a secondary staph infection and start treating for both.  In just a few days he started feeling better, was scratching less and acting more normal.  In one month he was already healing very well.   Both his owners and I were estatic at his progress.  We ended up having to treat him with ivermectin for  2 and 1/2 months and his last skin scraping was finally negative!  I unfortunately did not take a picture of him looking normal again.
We looked for the underlying cause of Thunder's outbreak of demodex and were never able to pin point it, but hopefully it was stress or infection induced and won't bother him again. 
A point to note is that if you have a dog with a skin problem I recommend asking your vet to perform a skin scrape to rule out demodex.  Though it is fairly uncommon in adult dogs if left undiagnosed it could cause serious problems, especially since the treatment of skin ailments often involves the use of steroids.  Steroids like prednisone will cause an explosion of the mites and severe worsening of the clinical signs.

Training dogs

OK.  I have been slacking the last two weeks and didn't write a blog.  I apologize for that, I was truly being lazy!  Anyways I am going to talk about proper training techniques for dogs and puppies.  I know there are a lot of people that like watching Caesar Milan and think he is the be all end all with dog training, but I have to disagree on a lot of points.  First of all it helps to understand a little bit about how dogs view the world.

Think of our canine companions as a mix between wolves and toddlers.  They are as intelligent as a 2 year old, but can be a 2 year old with a hunting knife!  Decedents of wolves have been co-habitating with humans for a minimum of 12,000 years and some recent DNA research puts that time frame closer to 135,000 years!  In the beginning dogs helped with protection, hunting, and keeping us warm.  In return we shared scraps and affection. In today's world dogs rely on us for all aspects of their care just like young children do.  They look to us for security and for companionship, yet they are our protectors and our best friends.  It is important to understand how a dog thinks and sees the world in order to help them fit into our mold of an ideal canine companion.

In the past many training techniques focused on negative reinforcement and fear as a motivator.  This training method hinders the full potential of the canine-human bond.  The dominance based training methods of the past are continually being proven to be inferior to newer training methods.  This goes contrary to how many people think.  Doesn't the alpha wolf dominate the rest of the pack?  Don't the submissive dogs roll on their backs and look away?  The answer is in a very few circumstances they do, but most of the time the alpha leaders (male and female) of the pack are respected and benevolent leaders.  An alpha wolf does not have to bully the pack to assert his dominance.  Instead he leads by taking care of the pack first with confidence and wisdom.  So why then do many trainers still insist that we dominate our dogs?

If we look at our dogs as children in fur coats then the idea of teaching with correction and dominance begin to make even less sense.  Ask any mother of a two year old and they will tell you that redirection is a far more effective method of keeping everyone happy than trying to constantly reprimand them.   I've had many arguments with my husband on this topic when our oldest was in her 1's and 2's and he finally had to agree that a 2 year old just doesn't have the mental capacity to understand a lot of things and it is much easier to substitute or distract than it is to yell and fuss and punish.  Dogs are very similar.

The training methods of behaviorists like Ian Dunbar believe in a more hands-off, reward based system.  This system promotes confidence in the human and the dog as well as building a bond of trust rather than a bond based on fear.  Second these training methods are safe, easy, and fun to use for the average pet owner.  Dominance based methods are much more likely to get someone bit or create a more aggressive and fearful dog. 

How to make a friendly dog:  If you obtain your puppy at 8 weeks of age, it isn't too young to start training.  In fact by doing so at such a young age you are more likely to have a happy, friendly well adjusted canine companion.   The socialization window for dogs ends by about 12 weeks of age.  Begin by introducing your new puppy to at least four new people each day.  Pick people of all different shapes, sizes, ages, gender, etc.  The more people your puppy is exposed to the more people he will be willing to accept as "normal".   Hand feeding your puppy during the socialization exercises will help your puppy to associate strangers with good things.  If your adopt your puppy or dog after a few months of age then you may have to proceed a little slower.  She may already be nervous around new situations.  Make each interaction a positive experience and don't push her beyond her endurance.  Only feed your dog during these social interactions.  This is meal time and she will learn that strangers are a part of this. 

Language of dogs:  Despite the fact that many people believe their dogs completely understand them, this is not the case.  Dogs are capable of learning some of our words, but they are even more capable of reading our body language, odors, and voice tones.  Because of this it seems like they understand us when we talk to them.  When creating command words for dogs it is important to me consistent and use simple words.  Telling a dog to "Stop"  or "No" is much better than "No! No! Buddy don't do that, bad dog!"  Your dog will understand the few words and tone, but nothing in between and the rest may just confuse him.  Pick simple words like "Yes" or "Good" when your dogs does what you want, "Oops"  or "Nay" to mean that your dog didn't quite get it right, and "Stop"  or "No" for a true forbidden activity such as peeing on the carpet, of chewing the baby's toy.  Overuse of the "No" command words makes them less effective, just like with children.  Having the "Oops" command lets the dog know that they didn't do what you wanted, but they aren't in trouble and didn't break any serious rules.  It keeps the tone positive and keeps the dog more willing to continue to try and get it right.

House-Training:  Most dogs can not hold their bladder for six hours until they are at least six months of age.  The first step to successful house training is to introduce your dog to a crate.  Crates are a useful tool and can become your dog's safe haven when he wants to be left alone.  Crates only become cruel when a dog is left in one 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Whenever you are not keeping your eyes directly on the puppy he should be in his crate.  The crate needs to be small enough so the puppy doesn't feel he can eliminate on one side and still sleep on the other.  You need to take your puppy out at LEAST 6 times a day and especially after eating or drinking.  Pick a particular spot outside to use as the "elimination" area.  Take your puppy out on a leash (even if you have a fenced in back yard).  Don't distract your puppy with talk or play.  Bring him to the spot and use a command such as "Go potty".  Praise him profusely when he does go.  Then have some outdoor playtime.  If you immediately bring him back into the house he will be more likely to waste time to avoid having to go directly back into the house. If your puppy has an accident in the house it is YOUR FAULT.  YOU are responsible for watching your puppy and looking for signs that he needs to eliminate.  If you catch him in the act, a firm "No", pick him up and take him immediately outside to the elimination spot.  Praise him if he finishes going.  If you find an accident in the house then just sigh and clean it up.  Rubbing his nose in it teaches the puppy nothing.  If you can't watch the puppy put him in his crate or in a play area where he can't ruin anything if he has an accident.

 Chewing:  Puppies and some dogs like to chew.  Their mouths are a very important part of they ability to sense the world around them.  Also young puppies, even up to a year of age are still cutting their teeth and chewing helps to alleviate some of the discomfort.  Teach your puppy which toys are acceptable to chew on by putting part of their daily dry kibble inside a kong treat or other hallow treat.  Place these in the basket or area where his other toys are kept.  When you find him chewing on something that is not allowed make a trade.  Don't just take it away and tell him no.  Tell him "No!" and then give him a toy so you can tell him "Yes!"  If your puppy is chewing on you then you can let out a yelp and freeze for a few seconds.  Your puppy will likely become apologetic.  Forgive him and continue to play, possibly using other toys that he can bite harder on.

There are a lot of excellent resources to help you, help your canine family member fit in well with your family.  Patience, compassion, consistency, and understanding your dog will go a long way.

Diabetes in Cats

I am currently managing several feline patients with diabetes so I thought that would be an appropriate topic to write about this week.  Much of this information can also apply to dogs, but I will focus on the disease in cats. So what is diabetes?  There are technically two types, diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus. Diabetes insipudus is a disease where the animal is unable to concentrate urine and not the topic of today.  I am going to discuss diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease where the body is unable to regulate blood sugar.  First of all it is important to understand how a normal cat regulates their glucose. Glucose is the energy source for all cells in the body.  When a cat eats a meal it is digested in the GI tract and the food broken down into it's basic parts of amino acids, fats, and sugars.  The liver then plays a further role in breaking down fats into usable glucose.  As glucose levels increase in the blood this triggers the pancreas to release insulin.  Insulin is the "key" that opens the cell door to allow glucose in.  Without this key the glucose can not enter the cell and the cell will not get any energy.  It is like being in the middle of the ocean, but not having any water to drink.  Most cat's suffer from Type II diabetes where the body may produce enough insulin, but no longer knows how to use it properly.
Because cats are not pack animals, they will hide illness until they are no longer able to.  This makes early detection difficult, even with the most astute owner.  Diabetes occurs in 1 out of 400 cats, but is becoming more common due to rampant obesity in companion animals.  Neutered male cats are twice as likely to develop diabetes than females, but cats weighing over 15 lbs and over the age of 10 are at  the greatest risk of developing diabetes.  Many experts also believe that a high carbohydrate diet predisposes cats to diabetes.  All dry foods and a majority of canned food contain a much higher percent of carbohydrate than cats need.  Once a cat develops diabetes this definitely plays a role in controlling the disease.
Regular check-ups every six months as well as screening bloodwork can be a very good way to detect the disease early.  The earlier the disease is diagnosed the more easily it is controlled.  Common signs that people first notice in a diabetic cat are increased drinking, increased urination, and weight loss despite a good appetite.  In more advanced stages weakness, wobbly gate, vomiting, anorexia are the common signs.
Diabetes is actually fairly easy to diagnose.  A small drop of blood to check glucose level will rule diabetes out if it is normal.  A blood glucose level above 200 mg/dl is a strong indication that the cat is diabetic.  Stress or a recent meal can falsely elevate glucose so a urinalysis or fructosamine level will need to be done to confirm the diagnosis.
If the diagnosis is made early enough many cats can be controlled by feeding a low carb diet.  Eventually about 70% of cats will need insulin to control the diabetes.  There are oral medications for humans to control diabetes, but most cat owners find it much more difficult to give a cat a pill than an injection.  Also the oral medications tend to be much less effective in controlling the diabetes and may promote further pancreatic cell damage.

Diets that are low in carbs, meaning less than 7% carbs, are difficult to find.  Purina DM canned is the only prescription diet that is available that has <7% carbs.  Janet& Binky'sCat Food Nutritional Information Page is a good resource for over the counter diets that are low carb.  You can't go by what the guaranteed analysis of a can says because they count water content so I recommend picking something off the list or calling the company and asking what percent of carbs are in the food on a dry matter basis.  Water intake is also a critical component to feline health, especially in sick cats.  For the last 10-15 years veterinarians have been preaching how important it is to feed your cat dry food for dental health, when in fact there are only a very few dry foods that actually do any cleaning of their teeth.  Dry foods are very high in carbs and low in water content.  We are now seeing other health issues such as renal disease, urinary tract disease, and diabetes that may be due to these dry diets.  So should all cats be fed canned food?  I honestly don't know, but more and more research is coming out to support the belief that they should.
OK back to the subject of diabetes.  Switching your cat to a low carb diet is a very important part of managing diabetes.  If your cat is already on insulin it is VERY important to note that he may suddenly no longer require as much insulin or any at all once switched.  Many cats can go into an insulin seizure or coma from getting the same dose of insulin they have been getting for months or years once switched to a low carb diet.  Careful glucose monitoring is critical to prevent this.  If your cat is newly diagnosed then many vets will start them on a low carb diet before insulin is started to see if the disease can be managed that way.  Regular insulin checks and close monitoring of water intake and urinary output are necessary to be able to quickly realize when diet control are no longer adequate and insulin will be needed.
Insulin therapy is often instantly rejected by many clients as an option.  People fear to give their cat injections once or twice a day and are afraid they will stress out or hurt their cat too much.  In fact I find it much easier to give a cat a subcutaneous injection than to pop pills down their throat.  With proper instruction most people can learn to administer these tiny injections.  Especially of done while the cat is eating or relaxed they often don't even seem to notice the shot.  Don't reject insulin therapy out of hand.  Worst case scenario is you try it and you can't do it.  Don't euthanize your diabetic cat without at least giving it an honest try.
Monitoring a diabetic is very important.  Once you are good at giving your cat insulin injections, learning how to prick their ear for a small blood sample to check glucose levels is an easy step.  This is the best way to monitor glucose.  A glucose curve is a very important test to see how your cat's body responds to the insulin injections.  This is a test where blood glucose levels are checked every 2 hours for a 12-16 hour period.  Taking your cat to the vet hospital to stay the day for this test is unlikely to give very accurate results due to the stress involved.  Being able to perform this test at home give a much better indication of the true effectiveness of the treatment.
Diabetes is a manageable disease that does not have to shorten your cat's life expectancy or overtly affect his quality of life.  Diabetes left untreated is a completely different story.  Uncontrolled high blood glucose levels lead to repeated urinary tract infections, kidney damage, neurological effects (weakness, dementia, seizures, coma), cataracts (more common in dogs), liver damage, dehydration, infection, and eventually death.

New Pet

I have people ask me almost on a daily basis about getting a new pet.  I will try and offer a few pearls of wisdom (or at least my opinions) about where and how to get a new pet. 
First of all the decision to bring another living creature into your household should not be made lightly.  There are so many people that walk into a pet store "just to look" and walk out the proud owner of a new puppy or kitten.  A very large percentage of those puppies and kittens, ofter turning into not so cute dogs and cats end up in the local shelter. 

• My first piece of advice is to NEVER make a purchase on an impulse.  

Go home and talk it over with your family.  Look at your budget, can you afford the first year of veterinary bills, food, training, grooming, etc.?  Think about how a new puppy or kitten will change your daily schedule and lifestyle (if you haven't already).  Do some research about the breed and whether or not the personality is a good fit for yours.  Then if after a few days you still think it is the right decision go back and make the not-so-impulsive buy.

• My second piece of advice is to research where the puppy/kitten in coming from.  

There has been a lot in the news lately about puppy mills and the horrible conditions that the animals are housed in.  What hasn't been in the news is any information about all those backyard breeders.  In my opinion the only valid reason for breeding a dog or a cat is to improve that specific breed.  In order to do this properly you need to have both a sire and a dam with excellent confirmation, temperament, and health.  Since dogs and cats can both start producing litters as early as 10 months of age (sometimes even earlier) it can be very difficult to determine if they are genetically free of the "bad" genes.  A responsible breeder will usually not breed until the animal has gone through at least one heat cycle (usually 2) and has been tested for the known problems that specific breed is known for.  In many cases this means not breeding them until the animal is 2 years old. 
Another thing a good breeder will do is only breed every other heat cycle.  Pregnancy is hard on the body (as any woman with children can attest too!) and back-to-back pregnancies lead to many potential problems.  Most "good" breeders are not breeding for a living.  Yes they would like to make some money, or at least recoup their expenses for the litter (which if done right can be upwards of a few hundred dollars a puppy/kitten), but they have another income source that pays the bills.  There are some exceptions to this, but in general it is true that breeders that are in it for a living are eventually more concerned with paying the bills and less concerned with the quality of dog/cat they are producing.  This is not to say you can't get lucky and get a good dog or cat this way, but it will truly be a crap shoot.

• The cheapest cost for a new dog or cat is usually the purchase price.
• You get what you pay for.

A good reputable breeder is going to charge premium costs for their puppies or kittens.  When they have a limited supply and they are putting in lots of time and money in genetic testing and showing/competing they can demand a higher price.  If you won't pay the $2000 for the dog then someone else surely will because they have the BMW of the dog world.  A back-yard breeder is going for quantity sales.  They want the puppies gone as soon as possible (sometimes even before the legal 8weeks old) and they want to sell lots of puppies.  The backyard breeder's puppies may be cheaper on the outset, but when the dog develops epilepsy, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, lymphoma at 4 years old you will count the purchase price as a drop in the bucket to what you will spend in dollars and heartache.  Getting your dog or cat from a good source does not guarantee they will be healthy and live longer than average, but it dramatically increases the chances.  Most good breeders are also willing to take back a dog that you can no longer take care of. (As an aside a lot of back-yard-breeders are average people who just wanted to experience the "joy" of letting their dog or cat have a litter.  They may think they could make a little bit of money and recoup the cost of buying their dog, but you need to find out where they got both the male and the female and do some genetic snooping on your own about the bloodlines to be sure you will get as healthy a dog as possible.)

• You do not "rescue" a dog or cat from a pet store!

I have heard so many people tell me they bought a puppy or kitten from a pet store because they had to rescue it from the horrible conditions it was kept in.  In truth all they are doing is giving the owner of the pet store more money and a new vacant cage to put another animal in.  This in turn tells the puppy mills and other unscrupulous breeders to produce more puppies and kittens to sell.  If you truly feel that a pet store's conditions are unsanitary, unsafe, or inhumane for the animals kept there then call Animal Control or the Department of Health.  Do NOT purchase the animal.  You are only supporting the horrible conditions when you do this.

• A designer mutt is just an expensive mutt.

I want to apologize to all of those out there with your Peekapoos and Puggles because I know your specific pet is the best one you have ever had.  I just want to talk in general about the practice of breeding two different breeds together and then selling the offspring as designer animals.  The last time I checked two different breeds mixed equals a mutt.  This is just the latest gimmick to get people to buy more puppies.  There is no benefit to buying a mixed puppy from two purebred parents because those parents probably weren't the best examples of their breed anyways.  If you really want a mixed breed puppy, go to the shelter and look for one with the characteristics you want or even look in the paper for "Free to good home" puppies or kittens.

• Know what you are getting yourself into!

You may love the look of a German Shepherd, but how much do you mind sweeping up 5 pound hairballs on a daily basis.  You may think chihuahuas are absolutely adorable, but are you going to be terribly upset when it can't go on a 5k run with you?  And don't forget Labradors are the greatest family dog ever, but did you know that is because they have more energy than three 2 year olds?  Do a little soul searching and really try to decide what you are looking for in a dog or cat. 
What can you afford food and medication wise?  If you have a tight budget then you probably can't afford heartworm prevention and food for a great dane. 
What can you afford for health issues?  Can you drop $2500 (or more) in a second when your Corgi herniates a disc and needs emergency back surgery or heart medications and repeat testing when your Doberman develops dilated cardiomyopathy? 
What can your lifestyle handle?  Do you run several miles a day and want a companion to go with you?  If so you want an active dog that likes to get up and go.  Are you a couch potato?  Then get a dog that is content to sit at your feet and won't chew a hole through the wall from excess energy.
Where do you live or are you going to live?  Thick coated dogs like the St. Bernard and Husky don't do well in hot climates and thin skinned/haird dogs like the greyhound and chihuahua are lest tolerant of very cold weather.  How much square footage do you have for the dog or cat to roam?  How tolerant are your neighbors going to be to running feet or barking?  Do you have stairs to climb and when your pet develops arthritis are you going to be able to carry them down the stairs to go outside?
Do you have children or are you going to have children?  Some dogs are much more tolerant to having hair and ears pulled than others.  Do you have other pets?  Some dogs, such as greyhounds, have high prey drive and may kill a cat without a second though.  Or bird dogs like Pointers may think your parrot is there for practice.
Well I seem to have rambled on with lots of questions to ask yourself before getting a pet.  It basically all comes down to "know what you are getting yourself into."  Plan for a 10-20 year commitment and try and think of all the possible scenarios that you may have to face over the life of the pet and you will be much better prepared and a much happier pet owner.  If you aren't totally set on a puppy, but want a specific breed check out breed rescues and adopt an adult dog.  If you aren't dead set on a specific breed (or even if you are since 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred) then please check out the shelter or rescue groups.  About 4 million cats and dogs are euthanized yearly so even if you don't adopt then at least have your pet spayed or neutered.

Caring for a Senior Pet

Fortunately our pets are living longer lives.  The downside to this is that we are now having to deal with how to care for our senior pets.  It is something that veterinary medicine is not yet prepared to deal with and we are having to extrapolate a lot of things from human medicine.  In our field we are typically about 10 years behind human medicine in many things.

First of all let me say that old age is NOT a disease. Old age just means you are more likely to have a medical condition such as organ deficiency, degenerative changes, or cancer.  The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends that senior pets have a physical exam twice a year.  This equates to a senior citizen going to the doctor once a year.  Senior pets are more likely to have kidney failure, diabetes, liver cirrhosis, arthritis, thyroid disease, and cancer to name a few.

So besides regular vet visits what can you do to make your senior pet's life more comfortable?  The first thing is to make sure your pet isn't carrying around any extra weight.  The average cat should weigh about 10 pounds.  When Fluffy weighs in at 12 pounds you may think "It's only 2 pounds, that's nothing." when in fact it is equivalent to an average person carrying an extra 30 pounds.  Encourage your senior pet to continue moving around and stay active.  Not only will this help keep the weight off, but will help keep stiffening joints more flexible and keep blood flowing.    The next thing you can do is feed your pet a good quality food and limit how much you feed.  A few extra kibbles each day can add up quickly.  Our perception about what is a lot is usually not very accurate.  Many cats only need 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of food a day.  Pour that into a bowl and most people think they are starving their cat to death!  Most pet foods quantity recommendation is based on a very active, intact, or even growing pet.  Your senior Labrador that spends the day lounging on the couch only needs about 50-75% of the calories recommended on the bag.
It is very difficult to tell if your pet is overweight just by looking at them, especially if they have long hair or a thick undercoat.  You will have to put your hands on them to really determine how much extra weight they are carrying.  Purina has a great weight chart for cats and dogs with illustrations to help you "score" your pet.  If your pet is too fat or too thin then an adjustment in their calorie intake is required.  Especially if your pet is too thin some lab work should also be performed to determine if there is a more serious cause.

One study showed that 95% of cats over the age of 10 years old have radiographic evidence of arthritis.  There are no specific statistics in dogs that I could find, but I am sure it is similar in smaller dogs and probably occurs earlier in large dogs.  The signs of early arthritis are often over looked.  Your pet may start laying in a different position, get up a little slower, take an extra second before deciding to jump, chase the ball a few less times than normal.  Most people don't notice signs of arthritis until their pet is in obvious pain which they show by limping, difficulty getting up or down, no longer jumping up, etc.  I don't think I have ever met a pet that cried because of arthritis pain.  Most animals won't vocalize because of chronic pain.  If your pet is limping, he is in pain.
Ways you can help your pet be more comfortable with arthritic pain are vast.  Simple things like adding a stool or stairs to help them get up onto your bed.  Give them a pet bed with extra padding.  Raise your big dog's food and water bowl to shoulder level so they don't have to bend down to eat.  Put your cat's food on the floor instead of the counter.  Give your cat a more shallow litter-box so they don't have to step over a big lip.  Do physical therapy in the form of stretches with your pet.  Make sure your pet has a warm place to sleep when it gets cool to decrease stiffening of their joints.  These are all simple things that can be done. 
Talk to your veterinarian about joint supplements such as glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, MSM, and EPA.  Adding vitamins such as Vitamin E and C and fish oils may also be beneficial.  Make sure you talk to your vet before starting your pet on any supplement.  Just because it is not a medicine doesn't mean that it is harmless and there are some medical conditions that could be made worse by giving certain supplements. There are also diets out there that have research backing their effectiveness in easing arthritic symptoms such as Purina JM and Hill's j/d. 
Many older pets begin to suffer from hearing loss as well as changes in vision.  If you think your pet is not hearing as well as before then consider getting a whistle or teaching them to respond to a loud clap if they don't seem to be able to hear you calling them.  Put a nightlight in the hallway so your pet can get around easier in the dark.

Bathroom habits are also something that starts to change as a pet gets older.  Dogs that potty trained in one day start having accidents in the house and cats start finding places outside the litter-box.  When this happens there is usually an underlying medical reason.  It is important to make a note of details such as:  Is it urine or feces or both?  Is it large amounts or small?  Are they awake or sleeping when it occurs?  Does it happen in the same spot every time or is it random?  Is there anything abnormal about the urine such as color, smell, etc?  Are the feces normal and formed or are they soft/diarrhea?  Knowing these things will help your vet better pinpoint what may be the underlying cause and treat appropriately.  Sometimes there is not a physiological reason for this to be occurring.  Dogs and cats are both known to develop cognitive dysfunction which is similar in signs to Alzheimer's disease in humans and like humans there is no cure but there are treatments that may help.
Hopefully these are a few tips that you can use to help your senior pet.  If you have any questions or want me to elaborate on any specific issue let me know and I will be happy to do so!
Thanks to Candace for the topic suggestion.

The ABC's of Reading Pet Food Labels

I'm going to expand some on my last blog.  I have recently gotten into reading labels a lot for my family's nutritional health and since I consider my cat part of the family I have to learn to read pet food labels too.  I will do this over several blogs since it can be dry reading!

It is amazing how little information is required to be on the label of a bag or can of pet food.  According to the FDA, proper identification of product, net quantity statement, manufacturer's name and address, and proper listing of ingredients are the only requirements for a bag/can of pet food.  Many states have also adopted the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) regulations which are more specific.  I will focus on AAFCO regulations since most diets will follow these.

The name of a food is a very important factor in most consumer's decision to buy a food.  To prevent companies from misleading the consumer about what is in a food there are a few definitions imposed on them. 

• A product can only be labeled "Beef for dogs"  or "Salmon for cats" if the meat product makes up 95% of the total weight of ingredients (not counting added water).  These foods are typically canned food. This definitions only applies to animal based products in the diet.
• The "dinner" rule means that if a food is labeled a dinner (or entree, platter, nuggets, formula, etc.) such as "Classic turkey dinner", it must contain at least 25% by weight of the named ingredient.  In this case turkey.  This means if your pet does not like a certain ingredient then a "dinner" flavor needs to be more closely analyzed.  A look at the ingredient list may find that it contains a significant amount of the unwanted meat.
• Combined dinner rule: I a food is labeled "Turkey and Rice Dinner" then the combined ingredients must equal 25% by weight of the total diet.  The first ingredient listed must be present in greater quantity than the second and the second ingredient must make up at least 3% by weight of the total ingredients.
• The "with" rule means that the named ingredient must make up at least 3% by weight of the diet.  So a canned cat food with a pretty picture of a beautiful salmon that is labeled "Gourmet Classic with Salmon" is only guaranteed to contain 3% salmon by weight.  The main ingredient could be anything else.
• The "flavor" rule simply means that the food must must contain an amount sufficient to be able to be detected.  A "Beef flavored dog food" does not need to actually contain any real beef.  Beef digest (materials treated with heat, enzymes and/or acids to form concentrated natural flavors) or beef stock can be what is added to provide the flavor.

Claims by Pet Food Companies...True or False?

Recently there seems to be a lot of people running towards the expensive "all natural"  or "grain free" diets so I decided to do some research to help clarify their claims and what they really mean.  Unfortunately in the pet food industry it is very easy to make all sorts of misleading claims about a product.   Advertising is done to get you to buy a product and the more facts you have, the better you can interpret if a product really is "the best." It ultimately comes down to the fact that 95% of dogs and cats will do fine on almost any food available on the market and most people are spending the extra money because it is a food "that you can feel good about giving your beloved four-legged family member." as seen by this quote from one pet food company.  I personally still recommend brands such and Purina, Royal Canin,  and Hills that have not only been "formulated" to meet your pet's nutritional needs, but have gone through rigorous testing and food trials to ensure that what goes in your pet's mouth will actually provide good nutrition and not just pass through. 

Here are some common statements that I have cut and pasted from different pet food web sites.

"modern science proves that your dog or cat still share the DNA of the wolf or wild cat. *****  offers your pet a diet dictated by his genes. It provides your pet with the kind of natural, balanced diet that he could find "in the wild."  We all love to think of fido as a tame wolf, but he is not.  Yes, genetically he is very similar to his wolf ancestor, but he is still not a wolf.  If you can change one single amino acid in a gene and cause a dog to have a long versus short muzzle, then what kind of dramatic changes can be made by changing many different genes.  Domesticated dogs are genetically different enough from wolves (Canis lupus) that they are classified as a whole separate species, Canis familiaris. We have bred dogs for thousands of years to the point that they no longer even communicate with each other the same way that wolves do.  Domesticated dogs have adapted to interact with us, play with us, work with us, and, yes, even eat with us.

"supplemented with fruits and vegetables"  The definition of supplement is:  "Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole."  It amazes me how in the first sentence a pet food will claim that their product gives your pet what they would get in the wild and then in the second sentence makes a claim like this.  While wolves in the wild have been known to occasionally eat vegetables, it is not a very common occurrence.  When you open the bag and there is a whole bison waiting for your pet to chow down on, then they can claim that.  It is also a fact that almost ALL pet foods are supplemented with fruits and vegetables to meet the nutritional needs of dogs and cats.

"All natural" Only a few pet foods today are "artificial" in that they use BHA or BHT as preservatives. Otherwise, food is food. And to be nitpicky, no pet food is "all-natural" if there are added vitamins and minerals (which 99% of pet foods use). So when pet stores say "we only recommend and sell all-natural pet foods" they're lying.  Not to mention rattlesnake venom is all natural, but I seriously doubt many people would claim it is good for you!

"A grain-free formula for all life stages with sweet potatoes and peas..."   I will take this statement in two parts.  The first part is the "all life stages" comment.  The last time I checked the nutrient requirements for a baby or a nursing mother are different than the nutritional requirements for a senior citizen.  A food that is formulated for "all life stages" meets the requirements for the most demanding phases of life.  This is good if you are a growing puppy or a lactating queen, but it may contain too much of something if you are a senior dog that sits on the couch all day.
The second part of this statement is the "grain-free".  Grain free is the most recent fad in the pet food industry.  Back in the 1960's there was the big hype to feed dogs and cats all meat based food.  Then we started seeing dogs and cats with massive and fatal nutrient deficiencies.  In the 1970's research really began to try and create dog and cat foods that are balanced and meet all their nutritional needs.  Now at least pet food companies seem to be smart enough to not promote all meat diets, instead they are getting their ingredients from novel sources.  Instead of using corn or wheat they are using "sweet potatoes and peas."  There is nothing inherently better in sweet potatoes or peas than in another carbohydrate source.  They all have variations in their mineral and vitamin content, but that will be corrected by adding vitamins anyways.  It is theorized that maybe 1% (or less) of the pet population is gluten intolerant (extrapolated from the human population statistics).  Should grocery stores stop carrying gluten containing products because 1 out of 100 people that shop there can't eat them?  Why should we stop feeding our pets corn or wheat because 1 in 100 may have a problem with it?

"Corn, wheat and soy have been linked to allergic reactions in some dogs" If it contains protein you can be allergic to it.  Food allergies in dogs and cats develop over time to something they eat regularly.  Because corn, wheat and soy are common ingredients in pet foods we see more animals with allergies to them.  In fact we see more allergies to beef and chicken than we do to corn and wheat because these are the common meats used.  When companies started making lamb based products it was the big thing because there were no reactions to it because no animals had been exposed to it.  In about 10 years time if these new pet foods maintain their popularity we will start to see more and more dogs and cats allergic to peas and sweet potatoes!  I'm not saying these foods are bad, just that this statement is very misleading.

This brings me to a quick aside for those who want to feed their pets a raw meat diet.  All I can say is that you need to be careful about bacterial contamination and make sure you feed the entire animal.  Going on the theory that you want your pet to eat what it's wild cousins do, remember a wolf does not just cut out a steak and eat it.  Most wild predators go for the belly first to get at the tasty, nutrient rich organs inside and then go for a flank steak.  A dog or cat will protein starve to death on a complete all meat diet.

"many of the well-known pet food brands contain ingredients like chicken by-product meal or poultry by-product meal, corn, wheat, soy or artificial preservatives"  For some reason "by-product" has a very bad reputation.  The definition of by-product is "Secondary products produced in addition to the principal product" (page 355, AAFCO 2011 - chapter six - official feed terms).  This means if you have a factory that produces leather then the prime rib would be considered a by-product because it is a secondary product. 
The legal definition of meat by-products is "the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat (which is basically muscle), derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does NOT include hair, horns, teeth, and hooves."  (page 369, AAFCO 2011) There is large nutritional value in organ meat and bone.

"poultry by-product meal"  Consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poulty, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of feathers." (page 369, AAFCO 2011): The definition of rendering is a "cooking and separating process in which conditions such as time and temperature, with or without pressure, are sufficient to remove water, kill pathogenic microorganisms, and separate fats and oils from other components.” In other words the parts are cooked so that fat can be separated out and the crude protein is left behind.  It usually results in a higher density of protein than meat alone.

Hopefully this will give you some information to help see through the smoke and mirrors that pet food companies try to use to convince us to buy their foods.  Remember the bottom line for any company is the all mighty dollar and there are good and bad points to all of them.  Most of the time when something costs more money it is a better product, but not always.  A company will charge as much as they think they can and still be able to sell their product.  The better the advertising is the more product they can sell at high costs.  Don't believe everything you hear and see, just know that the majority of the good quality foods will provide good nutrition to your pet, you may just pay a little more or a little less depending on the success of their advertising campaign!