The key to successful cat-dog introductions is to expose them to one another gradually under controlled conditions. You want to avoid creating situations where the cat runs away and the dog’s prey-chase instinct is activated. If your dog has previously lived with a cat, and your new cat has previously had positive experiences with dogs, they may progress quickly to tolerating one another. However, if you have an adult dog who has never been socialized to cats, the introduction should be a very gradual process lasting up to 30 days. In either case, train your dog to sit and stay reliably before bringing your new cat home. This may give you somewhat greater control once the introductions have been made. Remember that these steps are progressive, so go on to the next step only when you feel your dog and cat have “mastered” the previous one.

1. On day 1, confine your new cat to his or her own room at first. After a few hours, confine the dog in a fenced-in yard or basement or separate room, and allow the cat to explore the rest of the house. Then put the cat back in his or her own room, so the dog has an opportunity to become familiar with the cat’s scent. Put a baby gate up but leave the door closed.

2. On day 2, crack open the door to the cat’s room a couple inches and allow the dog to sniff and see through the opening for 30 seconds. Reward the dog for appropriate behavior. Repeat this step a couple more times during the day. Continue to give the cat the opportunity to explore the house when the dog is securely confined out of sight.

3. On day 3 and subsequently, increase the “viewing intervals” by short increments until the dog can watch the cat quietly for a few minutes. Reward good behavior.

4. Allow the dog to view the cat with the door completely open, with the baby gate still in place, for a few minutes at a time. If the dog is tolerating the cat, go into another room. Call the dog to you and play a game with him or her. Then ignore both animals (but keep attuned to them!) and engage in some other activity. The dog will start to lose interest in the cat.

5. Eventually work up to leaving the door to the cat’s room open, with the baby gate still up, whenever you are at home. Always close the door when you are not present! Some pet owners will always need to keep the dog and cat separated when they aren’t around to supervise, but others will find that after a couple months’ probation, the dog and cat are OK together by themselves. It’s far better to err on the side of caution, however, to prevent tragedy. Even after your dog and cat are peacefully co-existing, make sure that the cat’s food bowl and litter box are out of the dog’s reach. Keep the cat from approaching the dog when the dog is eating or chewing on a bone.

Friends often joke that you treat your dog or cat as though it were your child. Well, when traveling with your pet in a car, that’s just the thing to do.

Dog Hanging Out Of Window

Never Leave Them Alone

Perhaps the most important animal-travel tip is to never leave your pet alone in a parked car. When the outside temperature is 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the interior of a parked car can reach a sizzling 102 degrees in just 10 minutes and 120 degrees within half an hour, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). And that’s even if you leave the windows cracked an inch or two. Such temperatures put your dog or cat at serious risk of death from hyperthermia.

Even if it’s a perfectly comfortable 70 degrees outside, the inside of a parked car can quickly reach 90 degrees — too hot for your furry friend. ASPCA warns that the dangers are not limited to the warmer months: “In cold weather, a car can act as a refrigerator, holding in the cold and causing an animal to freeze to death,” the organization says on its pet insurance web site.

No Roaming

You see it all the time: a dog sticking his head through a moving car’s rolled-down window. The pooch is obviously having the time of his life, but Fido’s fun can be dangerous to his health. Letting your dog ride this way could damage his inner ear and even expose him to lung infections, ASPCA says. Furthermore, he could be struck by flying debris.

Bottom line: don’t give your dog the freedom to stick his head out of the window or otherwise roam in your car, as a moving dog (or cat) can be thrown violently if you have a wreck or suddenly stop your car. Also, a roaming pet can be a dangerous distraction to a driver. A sudden sniff of your ear or lick of your nose can be all it takes to divert your attention from the road for too long. Approximately 30,000 accidents are caused each year by an unrestrained dog sitting in the front seat, according to the American Automobile Association.    ­

ASPCA recommends that you place your dog (or cat) in a “well-ventilated crate or carrier” that gives your pet just enough room to stand up and turn around. Besides limiting a pet’s movements, crates and carriers also provide protection in the event of a crash. For large dogs, a crate may not be an option; in these instances, restrain your dog with a harness that attaches to the car’s seat belts.
A dog car harness is available at DogCatSupply.com Harnesses can limit your pet’s movements and prevent him from suddenly bolting from the vehicle when you open the car door.

Hitting the Road

When taking a road trip with your pet, make sure you have a gallon of cold water with you to keep your dog or cat sufficiently hydrated, ASCPA urges. And be prepared to make regular stops: the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says you should stop every two to three hours to allow your dog to use the bathroom and get some exercise. AVMA also recommends keeping a familiar blanket or toy by your pet to help it feel more comfortable during the drive.

Before embarking on a long trip, you should take some shorter drives around town with your pet to see how he responds, says Dr. Meg Wright, a veterinarian with the Powers Ferry Animal Hospital in Atlanta. “Is he anxious? Does he get car sick?” she says. “These are things you want to find out. In these cases, your vet may be able to prescribe a light sedative.”

By taking the above steps, you can ensure that car travel with your pet is as safe and enjoyable as possible.

Mouthing and nipping are normal puppy behaviors.  Whereas, humans typically initiate physical contact with loved ones or friends via their hands, young dogs will often use their mouths.  Puppies will frequently mouth or nip when they wish to solicit attention or play from littermates or while engaged in play with littermates.  Similarly, puppies will perform mouthing and/or nipping behaviors with human pack members when requesting attention or during play.

However, humans are literally and figuratively more thin-skinned than dogs.  Therefore, especially because deciduous puppy teeth are very sharp, the behavior can be very painful and even mildly injurious to adult owners and children.  Consequently, most pet owners desire that their puppy extinguish mouthing/nipping behavior and instead replace the behavior with an incompatible behavior, such as calmly and quietly sitting, when desirous of attention, affection, or play.

There are a few techniques that may work in accomplishing the initial objective of extinguishing your puppy’s mouthing/nipping behavior:

1. Simply ignore the behavior, even though it may hurt in the interim.
2. Redirect the behavior by gently removing your hand and verbally and physically encouraging your puppy to instead orally interact with a chew item or toy.
3. Walk away from your puppy whenever your puppy begins mouthing.
4. Wear heavy gardening gloves and allow your puppy to mouth, but ignore the behavior (do not provide attention and do not reprimand).  The gloves will eliminate discomfort while you cognitively teach your new pet that mouthing/nipping are unsuccessful methods of accomplishing the puppy’s objectives of obtaining attention or play.
5. Loudly yelp “Ouch” whenever your puppy mouths.  Many puppies will modify their behavior when they observe that it causes pain, rather than results in affection or enjoyable play.  However, some puppies will become excited and energized by your yelp and mouth harder or more frequently.
6. When your puppy mouths/nips, loudly and deeply growl “No” while stiffening, staring at your puppy, and perhaps giving a light “nip” around the scruff with two or three fingers.  This correction method may result in immediate compliance, as the method closely mimics the response a mother dog would likely provide.  However, some puppies may become frightened of you if your response is timed improperly or too harsh.  Moreover, some pups may become combative, whereby they increase the tenacity of their mouthing/nipping behavior.  The success of this method depends on the temperament of the dog and the effectiveness and believability of the owner in administering the communication.   In addition, we never recommend that children implement this method.
7. If your puppy tends to nip your hands, place hot chili paste on your hands, so that the behavior becomes orally uncomfortable for your puppy.  However, please note that some pets may not quickly associate the unpleasant taste with your hands and many will notice the odor of the hot paste and still mouth when your hands are not covered in hot paste.  Furthermore, the method will “sting” you if you have any open wounds on your hands.
8. Incorporate an aversive noise, such as the sound of a shake can (a plastic bottle or can filled with 3 to 7 coins), whenever your puppy mouths.  This method can be highly successful provided you are prepared and consistent- which means every household member needs to be prepared with a shake can and use the can each time the puppy mouths.  However, the method may also have the side effect of making your dog less noise tolerant and more sensitized to unexplained noises, whereby he later exhibits out of context anxiety when hearing an unexplained or unfamiliar noise.
9. Nip back by either pinching his lips or gums or by placing his lip atop his canine tooth and depressing.

The above methods use strategies of redirection, negative punishment, positive punishment, and aversive conditioning to provide multiple options for extinguishing your puppy’s mouthing behavior.  Which method is best depends on the dog and the owner.  Nevertheless, we recommend that you begin by using the least punishing methods (numbers 1 – 4) before employing any methods that incorporate positive punishment or aversive conditioning.  In addition, be prepared, be consistent, and be fair.  Do not upgrade to a harsher method until you have given a gentle method ample time to modify the behavior.

As stated in the second paragraph, to raise the probability of successful behavior modification, we not only need to discourage your puppy’s mouthing/nipping behavior, we also need to concomitantly encourage a replacement oral behavior that satisfies the puppy’s objectives while concurrently pleasing the humans in the household.  There are several methods of accomplishing our second objective.

1. If your puppy enjoys chew items and play toys, keep a toy box accessible, so that after he stops mouthing or even better before he starts mouthing, you can offer him a toy in lieu of or before he starts mouthing/nipping your hands.
2. Do not allow any members of the household to place their hands inside the puppy’s mouth during play.  The puppy should only be allowed to have oral contact with toys.
3. To encourage impulse control and calm behavior, offer toys, attention, affection, and/or play to your puppy when he calmly sits and ignore him when he is rambunctious.  You may even provide an extra reward of praise and a treat when he sits quietly and calmly on his own volition, rather than jumps, mouths, or nips.
4. Employ proactive stimulation (walks, outdoor play on grass, obedience training), so that your puppy is preemptively fatigued and would rather rest than use extreme measures to demand your attention when you later prefer quiet indoor time.

In summary, mouthing and nipping are normal, albeit bothersome, puppy behaviors.  Fortunately, by employing a behavior modification strategy that discourages mouthing and encourages a mutually acceptable replacement behavior we can usually extinguish the behavior and create much happier puppy owners.

I. Introduction

There are many potential physiological and psychogenic causes of excessive licking and chewing behavior.  When the licking and/or chewing is focused on the elbows or the paws, which is common, the condition can be medically categorized as a lick granuloma or acral lick dermatitis.  In less severe cases of lower limb licking, the behavior is intermittent and harmless to the coat and skin.  In such cases, treatment is non-essential.  However, in more severe cases, physically the licking and chewing cause temporary or permanent alopecia (hair loss) and problematic secondary dermatic infection and psychologically the behavior becomes obsessive-compulsive, whereby the dog’s attention to the behavior interferes with his/her ability to engage in normal lifestyle activities, such as eating, play, or social interaction.

II. Causes

The first step in treating any behavioral condition is accurately diagnosing the cause.  Although excessive licking and chewing of the paws most frequently has a primarily psychological origin, often enough the behavior has a primarily physiological etiology, where the behavioral condition is secondary to the primary physical cause. Therefore, the first step should be a trip to your veterinarian for a thorough examination.

1) Potential Physiological Causes:

1. Bacterial Infections (Pyodermas
2. Contact Allergies or Irritants
3. Dry Skin (Xeroderma
4. Eczema
5. Flea Allergy Dermatitis
6. Food Allergies
7. Fungal Infections
8. Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s Disease
9. Hypothyroidism
10. Icthyosis
11. Inhalant Allergies or Irritants (Atopy
12. Injury
13. Joint Pain
14. Liver Abnormalities
15. Lupus Erythematosus
16. Mange-
17. Neurological Conditions
18. Obesity
19. Parasites
20. Pharmaceutical contraindications
21. Pruritus (Itching)

As you can see, there are many potential physiological causes of excessive canine licking and chewing.  Therefore, unless the correct diagnosis is salient and quickly obtainable, your veterinarian should perform a thorough examination, not merely a cursory inspection.  Moreover, if your regular veterinarian is unable to diagnose a cause and behavioral solutions fail to achieve optimal results, then you may wish to seek the services of a board diplomated veterinary dermatological and immunological specialist who concentrates on such conditions.

2) Potential Psychogenic Causes:

Although we advise clients to first obtain a veterinary examination before undertaking a behavioral solution, the majority of cases where a dog’s licking or chewing behavior is localized to the paws are primarily psychogenic in origin.  Nevertheless, even when the origin is psychological, compulsive licking or chewing behavior can quickly progress to a stage where there is physical tissue damage and veterinary treatment is required.  Below we list the most common psychogenic origins of excessive licking or chewing of the paws.

1. Attention Seeking Behavior- Owners may inadvertently reward dogs with attention whenever they lick or chew, which in turn ironically provokes the dog to lick or chew more frequently in an attempt to seek greater attention.
2. Boredom- Dogs that are bored may begin to lick or chew their paws to provide themselves an activity or to out of habit commence an action that improves their emotional state via a release of dopamine and opioid neurochemicals.
3. Depression- Depressed dogs may begin to lick or chew their paws to create the anti-depressant effects created by the natural release of dopamine and opioid neurochemicals.
4. General Anxiety Disorder- Dogs that are generally anxious may lick or chew their paws to release nervous energy or to obtain a more relaxed emotional state via the release of calming or satisfying neurochemicals.
5. General Understimulation- Excessive confinement, a dull home environment, loneliness, lack of walks, lack of exercise, lack of mental stimulation, a lack of chew or play toys, or a general lack of sensory stimulation may result in depression or anxiety, whereby the dog begins to compensate by licking or chewing its paws.
6. Habit- Paw licking or chewing may commence due to a physical etiology, but remain a behavioral problem after the physical origin is resolved, due to the formation of habitual behavioral patterns.
7. Obsessive-compulsive Behavior- An obsessive-compulsive status occurs when the dog’s incessant licking or chewing interferes with normal lifestyle activities, such as eating, playing, socializing, or sleeping.  In such a case, the dog may be unable or unwilling to cease the behavior without overt extrinsic modes of prevention, interruption, or diversion.
8. Obsessive-compulsive Self-grooming- In some cases the behavior starts as normal self-grooming behavior, but becomes abnormally habitual, excessive, and obsessive-compulsive, especially after the abraded area becomes sensitive, sore, or painful.
9. Separation anxiety- Dogs that are distressed due to separation or isolation may begin to lick or chew their paws to expend nervous energy and create a more relaxed emotional state due to the release of dopamine and opioid neurochemicals.
10. Stimulus-specific anxiety- A dog may begin to lick or chew its paws as a coping mechanism to relieve anxiety, stress, or tension resulting from a specific stimulus that the dog finds aversive, threatening, or unpleasant.
11. Stress- Dogs that become generally stressed due to boredom, understimulation, depression, frequent exposure to an aversive stimulus, or a general anxiety may begin to lick or chew paws as a coping mechanism that both reduces systemic cortisol levels and increases systemic dopamine and opioid neurochemicals.

III. Solutions

The first step in developing a solution plan is to properly diagnose the primary cause of the behavior.  As stated above, we recommend first identifying or ruling out a physiological etiology.  Moreover, even if there is a primarily psychological origin, if the behavior has festered, it is likely that veterinary treatment is required to heal tissue damage that has occurred from the weeks or months of constant licking or chewing- as the behavior is likely to recur if the wound remains untreated.

Conversely, if the behavior initially had a physiological origin and the behavior persisted, a habitual or obsessive-compulsive behavior may develop that remains past the time when the physical injury, disease, or condition is effectively treated.  Consequently, in many cases both physiological and behavioral solutions will be required.

As with many behavioral problems, we prefer to incorporate a trifurcated (3-prong) solution strategy.  The first prong addresses the origin(s), figuring that if the cause of the behavior is effectively addressed the behavior should extinguish soon after.  The second prong is preventive, as we must discontinue access to the behavior for the dog to break a behavioral habit that the dog may perform both consciously and unconsciously.  The third prong is symptomatic.  The symptomatic prong provides interrupters and aversive conditioners that impede the behavior or that create an unpleasant association with the behavior.  The symptomatic prong also provides diverters and positive reinforcement that prompt the acquisition of mutually desirable alternative coping mechanisms that we hope will replace paw licking or chewing as the behavior of choice.

1a) Treating Physiological Origins:

Since this is an abstract and primarily a training and behavioral article, we will not delve into the area of veterinary solutions.  If your dog’s licking/chewing is caused by a physiological origin or if psychogenic licking/chewing results in tissue damage that requires veterinary intervention, please consult directly with your veterinarian regarding the preferred mode of treatment.

1b) Treating Psychogenic Origins:

Depending on the specific psychogenic origin, solutions may include:

1. Modifying owner behavior by encouraging the owner to ignore the dog’s licking and chewing behavior and to instead pay attention to the dog only when he/she is not licking.
2. Proactive stimulation (walks, play, rigorous exercise, and obedience or agility training or some other form of mental stimulation).
3. More quality time with family members.
4. Dog day care.
5. Selecting more enticing chew and play toys.
6. Making the yard more stimulating.
7. Adding shade to the yard.
8. Identifying trigger stimuli or stressors.
9. Removing the stimulus or stressor from the dog’s environment.
10. Removing the dog from the environment containing the stimulus or stressor.
11. Desensitizing the dog to the trigger stimulus or stressor.
12. Controlled flooding drills.
13. Massage.
14. Treating an underlying medical condition that may cause stress or pain.
15. Dietary management.
16. Administering homeopathic anti-anxiety remedies. (Rescue Remedy)
17. Short-term administration of benzodiazepine medication (diazepam/valium, alprazolam/xanax).
18. Long-term administration of tricyclic antidepressants or SSRI psychopharmaceutical medication (e.g., clomipramine/Clomicalm, fluoxetine/Prozac/Reconcile).
19. Administering opioid receptor antagonists (naltrexone) or opioid receptor protagonists (hydrocodone, tramadol).
20. Impulse control training.
21. Leadership training (for the owner).
22. Confidence building exercises.
23. Re-ordering the owner’s departure routine.
24. Desensitizing the dog to key elements of the owner’s departure routine.
25. Modifying the sensory environment (visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile taste) to better relax the dog when isolated.
26. Revising the enclosure environment.
27. Developing a diversionary departure strategy.
28. Implementing random departure behavior modification drills.
29. Videotaping to ascertain which solution alternatives provide therapeutic outcomes.

Since many of the treatments listed above are too complex to include in detail within the scope of this article, we highly recommend consulting a CPT behavior modification expert when designing a treatment program for a dog exhibiting excessive licking/chewing behavior.  The CPT professional will diagnose the behavioral origin(s), formulate the solution plan, and properly instruct you how to implement the plan, so that the probability of extinguishing the behavior is maximized.

2) Preventive Methods:

Regardless of the primary origin, prevention is imperative in accomplishing a successful behavior modification outcome.  Without preventing access to the licking/chewing behavior, the habit will continue and we will not have the opportunity to totally eradicate all primary or secondary behavioral causes or to encourage the dog to successfully adopt a replacement behavior.  There are several preventive alternatives.

1. Elizabethan Collar
2. Neck Donut
3. Booties
4. Bandaging

3) Symptomatic Methods:

Symptomatic methods attempt to make the paw licking/chewing behavior less palatable to the dog while concurrently encouraging the adoption of a replacement oral behavior.  There are several types of symptomatic methods relevant to paw licking/chewing, including active diverters, passive diverters, interrupters/punishers, aversive conditioners, and positive reinforcers.

1. a) Active Diverters- Active diverters include tug ropes, Kongs, tennis balls, soccer balls and games of chase with the owner.  Active diverters occupy the dog mentally and physically, so that he/she does not have the opportunity to engage in licking/chewing behavior. To prevent inadvertent conditioning that may cause licking/chewing to become an attention seeking behavior, rather than prompting the dog to play after he is licking/chewing, preempt the dog by diverting him to play before he starts licking/chewing his paws.

1. b) Passive Diverters- Passive diverters include antlers, sterilized bones, Kongs, nylabones, gumabones, pressed rawhide, and Buster cubes that the dog can chew on his own.  In some cases (bones, kongs, Buster cubes) you can also place food inside the toy to occupy the dog.  To encourage use of the passive diverter as a replacement behavior, praise your dog when you see him chewing with or playing with the selected diverter.

1. c) Interrupters/Punishers- Interrupters are intended to prompt the dog to cease the licking/chewing behavior when you catch him in the act and to punish him, which by definition means that he will become less likely to repeat the behavior in the future.  Interrupters include shouting “No”, spraying a squirt gun, and/or blowing an air horn.  Of the three, we usually prefer the air horn. Nevertheless, despite the potential advantages of including interrupters/punishers in the overall behavior modification program, since anxiety is often a contributing cause of licking/chewing behavior, we prefer emphasizing preventive methods and/or passive aversive conditioners over interrupters/punishers that may inadvertently increase the dog’s general anxiety due to environmental stress arising from impending owner punishment or aversive noise.

1. d) Aversive Conditioners- Aversive conditioners passively punish the dog, so that the dog finds the licking/chewing behavior unpleasant and reduces the frequency of the behavior into the future.  Bitrix spray, Bitter Yuck spray, Bitter Lime gel, and Bitter Apple gel are often effective aversive conditioners, especially when applied atop a bootie or bandage and used in combination with an Elizabethan collar, a neck donut, or active supervision.

1. e) Positive Reinforcers- Positive reinforcement is intended to reward the dog for performing a desirable replacement behavior, so that he/she is more likely to repeat the replacement behavior in the future, rather than continue to lick/chew his/her paws as a source of relaxation, pleasure, anxiety relief, or pain relief.  Consequently, when you observe your dog independently selecting a passive or active diverter for oral stimulation, praise lavishly and even consider treating him.

© Copyright Mark Spivak and Comprehensive Pet Therapy, Inc., September 2010, All rights reserved.

Please note that the above article is written principally for informational purposes.

A call to Veterinary Specialty Hospital (VSH) in Sorrento Valley resulted in a mad dash to the emergency room and four days in the intensive-care unit for Zoey, who was lucky to have survived the accident. Poisonous also to cats and children — but especially attractive to dogs — sago palms are responsible for a 70 percent mortality rate or greater in dogs that ingest it, primarily because of liver damage.

Now, Wakabayashi’s mission is to educate people about the dangers of sago palms. (Debbie Wakabayashi is the owner of Salmon Paws animal treats.)

For cats, lilies of many varieties lead toxic plant lists, said Dr. Monica Clare, DVM, an emergency/critical-care specialist at VSH. For those whose cats enjoy eating plants, she advises keeping lilies away because they cause kidney failure and death.

Many other plants are also poisonous to cats and dogs.

Life-saving treatment may be available with a quick trip to the veterinary ER, as happened with Zoey.

Clare said other leading toxic substances for pets include:

• products made with sugar replacement Xylitol, such as sugar-free gum and candy

• snail bait

• (dogs) grapes, raisins and chocolate, which potentially can cause kidney failure

• (cats) antifreeze, which can also cause

kidney failure

• a wide range of human medications which pets play with and ingest.

Clare recommends that pet owners visit the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ poison control center website and familiarize themselves with their lists of toxic household and garden products and plants.

“The quicker they act, the better the prognosis,” Clare said.

If a pet owner suspects their pet has eaten something toxic, Clare recommends calling the ASPCA poison control center at (888) 426-4435, the Pet Poison Helpline at (800) 213-6680 or the VSH at (858) 875-7500 for an opinion about toxicity.

For information about pet poisoning and lists of toxic and non-toxic plants, visit www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/ or www.petpoisonhelpline.com/

Halloween can be a very busy and active night with the door bell ringing, kids running around in costumes, and candy everywhere!  To keep the celebration ghoulishly fun and safe for your WHOLE family, please remember that this night may be very frightening to your dog, cat or other pets, so in your efforts to prepare all the decorations and treats, please take a few minutes to set up a room or special and secure space for your pet during trick-or-treating hours. Have food, water, a special toy or two, their best bully stick, and a litter box if needed all set up.

Also, you may have spotted the perfect Halloween costume for your furry loved one, but keep in mind that just because the costume is cute doesn’t mean that they will enjoy wearing it! Try the costume on with your pet in advance and see how they react. If they don’t seem to like it or it’s too hot for them, it’s better not to force them to wear it.

If you are a cat owner and you let your cat roam freely outside on a regular basis, remember that this can be a risky time of year for cats. Around Halloween time, experts advise you to keep your favorite feline inside for a few days and nights to avoid any risk. While they may whine a bit because they are used to going outside, they’ll be safer in the house where you can keep an eye on them.

To keep your pets healthy and happy and ensure that the Halloween festivities are enjoyed by all, here are a few Halloween tips:

• Remind your friends and kids to keep all candy (especially chocolate) away from the dog. Chocolate should be avoided, as it can cause stomach irritation or if ingested in a large enough quantity, ultimately can be fatal due to a caffeine derivative (theobromine), which dogs cannot digest.  Also, if your dog or cat ingests a candy wrapper, the plastic or waxy paper can get stuck in your pet’s digestive tract and make them ill or it can even prove fatal.  The best practice is to avoid candy or human treats all together, and provide your pet with a natural pet treat.
• When you place a lit candle inside Peter Pumpkin or Jack O. Lantern, be especially careful if you have larger breeds of dogs that can accidentally knock over a coffee table or similar with their tails when they get excited.  Not only could your pet start a fire, but they could severely burn themselves in the process.
• If you are going to put your dog or cat in a costume, remember to make sure they are well-ventilated and don’t cause the pet to get too hot.  Your pet’s body temperature will already be slightly higher with the excitement of the holiday festivities around them, so make sure they’re properly hydrated and always avoid any kind of mask or head piece that would impair ventilation.

Wet Dog

When experiencing the “lazy, hazy crazy days of summer,” your outdoor thermometer will regularly peak past the scorching 80-degree mark.  In the southwestern and southeastern states, even hotter 90-degree weather may make the outdoors appear like an oven.  On comparatively temperate days, the air may still remain muggy, thick, and uncomfortable.  More hindering, on extreme days, you may consider the outdoor air as completely unbearable.

In addition, the weather may become less predictable.  Several days a week, thunderstorms may abound or appear quickly and suddenly, then mysteriously vanish.

Certainly, the summer months present some perplexing problems for dog owners.  When owners prefer air conditioning to outdoor time, they often neglect their dogs’ exercise needs.  And the owners may not be the only members of the household preferring to remain indoors.  Many dogs despise extreme outdoor heat, the sound of thunder, and/or the sensation of rain.  Moreover, outdoor heat poses many health risks for both dogs and owners, not to mention the potential of a deadly summer lightning strike.

Nevertheless, despite the risks and inconveniences of summer, you should not neglect your dog’s exercise needs.  Exercise is an important component of canine weight reduction and weight maintenance strategies.  Furthermore, exercise is often an important component of canine behavior modification or behavior maintenance strategies.

The Risks of Not Exercising:

Researchers document that at least 40% of the US domestic dog population is overweight (defined as more than 10% above “ideal weight”) and that as many as 25% of dogs may be obese (defined as more than 30% above “ideal weight”).  Furthermore, extra weight also carries extra health risks and can foment behavioral problems. 

Overweight dogs are usually unhealthy and unhappy and are more likely to exhibit behavioral problems.

From a physical standpoint, overweight dogs are more prone to:

      •     diabetes mellitus,

      •     liver complications,

      •     digestive disorders (including constipation and flatulence),

      •     congestive heart failure,

      •     reduced immune system response,

      •     skin infections,

      •     chronic orthopedic pain,

      •     respiratory difficulties,

      •     heat stroke,

      •     general discomfort, and

      •     fatigue. 

From a behavioral standpoint, overweight dogs are more prone to:

      •     lethargy,

      •     boredom,

      •     irritability,

      •     stubbornness,

      •     depression,

      •     anxiety,

      •     obsessive-compulsive behavior,

      •     destructive behavior, and

      •     aggressive episodes.

Thus, dog owners have a quandary.  Should they avoid exercising their dogs in the summer to minimize the probability of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, knowing that the consequence may be the development of physical and psychological issues?  Or should they exercise their dogs over the summer to reduce the risks of the aforementioned health and behavioral problems, while instead assuming the risk of a greater probability of heat-related complications?  The answer is that owners should include a program of summer exercise, but simultaneously incorporate several procedural and safety rules that maximize benefit while minimizing heat-related risks.

Considerations When Designing a Summer Exercise Plan:

First, if your dog is overweight or obese, before undertaking an exercise program, we recommend that you take your dog to your veterinarian to determine whether a physical etiology (such as hypothyroidism or adrenal abnormalities) could be at cause.  If your vet diagnoses that an illness or condition is behind your dog’s weight gain, have your vet commence an appropriate treatment plan.  However, if your veterinarian finds that there is no endocrine, digestive, or other medical origin for your dog’s excess weight- and the reason behind the corpulence is simply too much food intake and too little caloric expenditure- then ask your vet to help design a weight reduction diet for your dog.  In addition, ask your vet to determine whether your dog’s joints and general health can immediately withstand the rigors of an exercise program. 

Consider a veterinary visit before starting an exercise program for your pet, especially if your pet is overweight, obese, ill, injured, or of senior age.

If your dog is overweight or obese, in addition to a veteterinary visit and changing to a prescription or non-prescription lite or senior diet, we recommend withholding or reducing treats and eliminating all table food.  Lastly, with your veterinarian’s guidance, begin an exercise program appropriate to your dog’s health and temperament and your lifestyle.

On the other hand, if your dog is within a proper weight range, has no orthopedic issues, and appears generally healthy, then you may wish to forsake a veterinary visit before commencing a summer exercise program.  Yet, don’t haphazardly start the program.  When constructing your dog’s exercise plan, apply the following recommendations and protocols.

There is an old maxim, “A tired dog is a happy dog and belongs to a happy owner.”  If your dog is overweight, an exercise program will provide multiple health and behavioral benefits.  Likewise, if your dog is within ideal weight and exuberant, exercise will help prevent the occurrence of problematic behaviors such as chewing, jumping, bolting and obsessive-compulsive disorders or will help reduce the severity and/or frequency of such behaviors.  Moreover, you will enhance bonding with your dog and your pet will become more content and cooperative.

Nevertheless, when structuring a summer exercise program, consider:

      •     the outdoor surface or environment where you will exercise,

      •     the time of day,

      •     the temperature,

      •     the overall weather conditions,

      •     your dog’s endurance level,

      •     your dog’s age,

      •     your dog’s somatic structure,

      •     your dog’s immediate and chronic health, and

      •     your dog’s exercise experiences. 

We will discuss the preceding safety considerations in more detail after discussing some general rules regarding exercise structure.

Optimally, your dog’s exercise program should be both regular and rigorous.  Regular means about the same time each day.  Dogs have a marvelous internal clocking mechanism.  If you exercise your dog each day at 7 PM, he is likely to patiently await the standard time.  However, if you fluctuate times, he is more likely to become anxious, demanding, irritable, or obstreperous. 

Rigorous means high intensity.  In today’s lifestyle, we don’t always have an abundance of quantity time; thus, we want to best take advantage of quality time.  Walks are beneficial for sensory stimulation.  However, intense exercise in combination with walks will provide additional physical and behavioral benefits and productively tire your dog more quickly.

Exercise Choices:

What are examples of intense exercise and what type of exercise should you choose?  Examples of rigorous exercise include:

      •     running,

      •     bicycling,

      •     roller blading,

      •     retrieving, and

      •     swimming. 

When choosing a form of exercise, you should select an exercise mode(s) that is:

      •     safe for you and your pet,

      •     available within your schedule and geographic limitations, and

      •     enjoyable to your dog.

For instance if your dog can’t sit still or walk on a leash without pulling, roller blading may be dangerous, especially when conducted amidst cars on a public roadway.  Swimming is an outstanding, no impact form of exercise, but becomes impractical if there is no lake or dog pool within 30 minutes of your house.  On the other hand, even if you have a pool in your backyard, swimming is not a good choice if your dog is afraid of the water.

Even an ordinarily safe activity like running can be dangerous if your dog is untrained, overly energetic, excitable, or aggressive.  Therefore, obedience training may need to be a prerequisite to many exercise programs.

Safety Considerations:

Surface:

Be careful when exercising your dog on asphalt or concrete.  Concrete can scour pads.  Asphalt can burn pads, especially during the midday sun.  Moreover, hard surfaces can create chronic joint injuries and pain.  Therefore, grass or trails are usually superior to man-made surfaces.

Time of Day , Temperature, and Weather:

During the summer months, to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which are potentially deadly and can occur quickly due the dog’s reduced ability to perspire and cool in comparison to the body regulation ability of a human, commence exercise either early in the morning or during the evening.  On inordinately hot days, you may wish to exercise even earlier or later than normal, reduce the intensity or duration of the exercise, change the form of exercise, or abandon outside exercise and instead run your dog on a treadmill that day.  Similarly, during thunderstorms, especially those that contain abundant lightning, you may wish to consider indoor retrieving or running your dog on a treadmill in lieu of outdoor activities.

Endurance and Experiences:

Evaluate your dog’s conditioning and observations from past exercise experiences to determine how much rigorous activity your dog physically and psychologically can withstand, especially on very hot days.  In addition, consider the pace and intervals of your exercise.  Humans typically are better able than dogs to run long distances at a constant fast pace.  Dogs naturally run better and more safely in an interval manner, where they sprint, then rest, then sprint again.  If you notice how dogs run when off-leash, you will see that they tend to run in an interval manner.

Age:

With a small breed dog less than nine months of age, a medium or large breed dog less than one year of age, or a giant breed less than 18 months of age, limit the intensity of exercise and limit exercise to soft surfaces as epiphyseal plates (growth plates) on long bones have not completely formed.  Similarly, senior dogs may develop joint pain from arthritis or swelling if exercised at the same levels as a middle-aged dog. 

Body/Somatic Structure:

In addition to obesity, there are other body-type factors that affect the construction of a well-designed canine exercise program.  Brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds, such as Boston Terriers, Boxers, Bulldogs, and Pugs, often have less endurance, especially in hot weather, than dogs with longer muzzles, such as Collies or German Shepherds.  Moreover, they are more likely to dangerously overheat.  Dark colored dogs may overheat more quickly than light colored dogs.  Similarly, thick-coated or long-coated dogs may overheat more quickly than thin or short-coated dogs.

Brachycephalic breeds usually have less endurance and are more prone to overheating.

Health

To reduce the probability of bloat (also called stomach torsion), an often fatal condition, do not exercise your dog until two hours after feeding and do not feed your dog until one hour after exercise.  Moreover, if your dog is limping, has diarrhea, has temporary anorexia, or other signs of injury or illness, eliminate or reduce activity until the condition is resolved.

Summary:

Now that you know what to do, let’s get moving!

Most brands add high levels of sugar to their chicken treats for dogs and cats.

We do not engage in this practice.  Please note the following:
1. Dogs like sugar but it is not good for them.
2. Sugar gives the product a brighter shiny appearance.
3. It takes 4 pounds of dehydrated chicken to make 1 pound of our

Chicken and Sweet Potato Wrappers

treats.  Sugar is very inexpensive and many brands add over 20% to their
product.  This cuts their cost significantly and defeats the original
intent of offering these high quality wholesome treats.

- As the old adage goes, if it looks to good to be true it probably is.