Animals Unfolded

Dogs have long been used to work alongside humans, and one of the oldest ways is in herding sheep.  In order for the effort to be successful, there are two simple concepts that are in place. Sheep, by their nature as a prey species, employ what is called the " selfish herd theory ": putting something — in this case, other members of the herd — between themselves and a threat, thusly making every effort to move toward the center of the group.  Herding dogs capitalize on the "selfish herd theory" to bring the sheep together and manipulate them to be where they want. With a joint effort on the part of researchers from Swansea University, Uppasala University, University of London and University of Cambridge were eager to learn how dogs bred for this purpose get the cooperation of the sheep, but their interest went a little further than that. The researchers are hoping that the knowledge gleaned from the study might be able to facilitate new ways that ...

As someone who cares for other people's pets on a daily basis, I can tell you that my smartphone is an invaluable tool and I am never without it. I can stay in touch with my clients easily, make last-minute changes to my schedule on the fly — or even check the ever-changing weather forecast. It is an essential tool in the direct care of my charges. One example is simple but helps me stay on track: if I have a suddenly finicky eater (whether it is behavioral or health related, many pets tend to eat a bit less when their people are away), I can take a photo of their feeding bowl in the evening to see how much food they might have consumed overnight. When I can return early in the morning, I can look in their bowl and compare. Caring for pets effectively is all in the details, whether you are a pet owner, a veterinarian or a caregiver. Any change that one sees with their pet is important, but there is one that can cause considerable concern: skin masses. Some are benign, other...

A new study reveals that obesity in humans and canines share similarities, including one that's unexpected. In the latest issue of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, an abstract fleshes out the study. 14 beagles were included — seven of them fed a commercial food to increase their weight (which happened, they gained about 11 lbs. each), while seven other beagles were fed a restricted amount of the same food to maintain their optimal weight. After six months, researchers tested the fecal samples of all of the dogs. Those who were at an optimal weight had higher amounts of desirable microbes called Firmicutes in the gut, while dogs in the other group harbored more Proteobacteria, a less-favorable Gram-negative bacteria. The obese dogs also had a less diverse level of intestinal microflora than their thin counterparts, which is also been demonstrated in humans. It's thought that Proteobacteria may lead to an increase in lipopolysaccharides (which form a prot...

It's not surprising that those who share lives with pets by and large, aren't opposed to spending money when it's related to their animal companion. When it comes to toys, food, enrichment, training for the family, paying up has increased tremendously. This holds true for the health and comfort of pets, too, and anyone who has a pet with a medical condition or issues related to aging can attest to the added costs of medications, equipment and supplies. My pooch, Gretchen — a St. Bernard/Shepherd mix — is 15 years of age and falls into the latter category. Over the past few months, there have been changes with her health that one would expect, so tweaking medication regimens, adding therapies and using products to help with her mobility has been an ongoing part of the process. While most of these things have been relatively affordable, others have been quite costly (though the benefit has far surpassed the money that has been spent; more on that at a later time) and bein...

There is one scenario that presents itself regularly in my daily adventures with dogs, and it can vary anywhere between being benign, disgusting or downright dangerous: I need to retrieve an item from the animals's possession — their mouth, more precisely — and typically in fast order. I could be on a walk with a charge and they discover a dead animal, a prescription pill enveloped in a yummy treat could inadvertently drops on the floor as I am preparing to dole it out to another pet in the family, or I might to need to get a prized chew toy away from a furry pal before they devour it whole. Ideally, a pet has been taught to "leave it" — one of the most valuable skills that a dog can have in their repertoire in my opinion —but quite honestly, the item that they have in their mouth might be of really high value to them, they might not be as reliable as we would like in giving it up (especially if there is another dog close by). In any case, grabbing the item might p...

During the cold or soggy months I joke that I feel like a kindergarten teacher because I spend much of my time bent over putting on dog booties or drying off wet paws, or putting on or removing a charge's fleece jackets. I get a few laughs from saying that, but in truth it can be a very dangerous situation for me: my face is level to a dog's body, and more easily within reach of my charge's teeth. You get the picture. The fact is, just like you, I spend a lot of time in physical contact with the dogs in my care all year whether it's putting on a collar, harness or leash, checking them over for ticks or burrs after an adventure or tending to a minor (or goodness forbid) a more serious injury. Though I am confident that my charges by and large are behaviorally safe around their bonded humans (including myself), there are times that my touching them might become uncomfortable for some reason — or be downright painful, and as you know, canines often try to hide their...

No one likes to hear negative things about their dog's behavior, not to mention their own when it comes to engaging with their pet. When our pets behave in a way that is less-than-ideal in a social setting (namely with other dogs), it usually doesn't slip through our radar to some degree, though we hope that it has in the eyes of others. Some social offenses are negligible, even funny. Others are, well, quite telling with regard to how our ongoing training is going. But let's face it: some of us share life with dogs that just never get the hang of navigating some social situations, so it's understood that we need to pick our battles, right? Picking our battles is something we can easily do when in the midst of other folks and their dogs, too. I find that just as with everything else, there's no shortage of opinions when it comes to how a canine should behave or how their said human ought to handle a situation, and often it doesn't seem to matter how muc...

The act of walking a dog is as unpredictable as most anything that I can think of. I have charges in my care that are effortless on leash no matter what we encounter on an adventure, while others can be reactive if they even see another dog. That said, there are plenty of dogs that fall somewhere in between when it comes to being able to handle themselves when out and about. Then of course, there are other dogs that are allowed to make an unwelcome approach. Try as I might, I realize that there are things that are out of my control . Nonetheless, I have the responsibility to ensure that not only my clients, but everyone else, stay safe. I employ a considerable amount of mindfulness when it has comes to choosing the gear that I use when walking a dog, no matter the breed or age. What I find works best for me and my canine pals is their flat or martingale collar that includes their identification tag, an Easy Walker harness, a long lead (more on that is available by clicking h...

The whole culture of sharing life with our pets has changed significantly it seems from past decades. More people do consider their pets to be one of the family, to be included in all that goes on, in and out of the home. In the past, I've written about the topic of the caveats of sharing our beds with pets, and it was not without considerable backlash. The responses – whether they were in the form of posts or emails countering the idea that doing so might be unwise in some cases — were numerous and at times scathing. I often find myself saying, "don't shoot the messenger!" when it comes to topics like this, and the passion that people feel about them is understandable – and telling. People want to be close to their pets not just emotionally, but physically. This mindset benefits humans and the animals alike, but recent research indicates that in two areas of home life, pets might be contributing to some contention. Sleep is fleeting We all suffer fro...

It used to happen without fail: whenever I arrived to see one rather large Labrador retriever at his home for a pet sitting visit, within the first few minutes he'd run, leap up, grab ahold of me and well, for lack of a better word, hump me. Typically this sort of thing doesn't faze me too much, as I encounter all sorts of things on a given day. In this case, it's been a problem because it happens with regularity but more importantly he's a big dog -- weighing in at around 90 pounds -- and it's not fun to be pummeled by that much force. In fact, the first time that it happened, I wasn't expecting it and I face-planted into the snow. That's not something that anyone wants or needs to happen! For this particular dog, (I'll call him Sam) it's not only the notion of my being injured upon the initial contact that's a possibility, but once when he's engaged in this behavior, it can be a challenge to get him to stop (especially if I'm not e...

There's a neighborhood I walk a client in on occasion that boasts many homes with canine family members, and by and large, it's pleasurable and safe to walk in for both me and my charge, a young dachshund. There is one house that I avoid walking directly past without fail and for good reason: a potentially dangerous situation looms every time. Upon passing the home, I witness a sight that I see often on my travels (just one reason that I don't walk distracted by my phone or otherwise), and it always gives me pause. An adult German shepherd inside the home, gustily plants their body atop the back of the couch that is situated in front of a single-pane picture window, growling, vocalizing, clearly not able to control them self at the mere sight of my client and I making our way down the sidewalk. A less-out-of-control golden retriever always joins in within seconds and most definitely seems to follow the lead of their housemate. Unfortunately the location of my clien...

Let's face it: some dogs are more "enthusiastic" than others when it comes to mealtime. Seldom do I ever hear that people have a difficult time getting their dogs to eat. In my line of work, I see that is a very good thing because it helps me gauge how a pet is doing in the absence of their humans. A good appetite means that they're feeling comfortable with what's happening. For some dogs, nothing slows them down when it comes to eating their meals. Surely many of you can relate — you know, the dog that gobbles up their food like they've not eaten in days. For this reason, mealtime can pose a real problem for some families, especially if it involves having multiple dogs in the house. This was the case in my own household for years, and having tried different approaches to help mitigate the issues associated with my dog's habit of inhaling their food – with the risk of a life-threatening condition called bloat being one – I realized some things. ...

'Are there any specific issues that I need to be aware of with regard to your pet?', is a question that I ask with regard to any new-to-me animal that will be in my care. One of the most common replies elicits a giggle or two on my part, and a word of reassurance which usually sets an embarrassed pet owner at ease. 'Well... they have really bad gas. I hope that's not a problem.' I'm definitely no stranger to the effluvious side of caring for pets. Flatulence in dogs is common. In some dogs, it seems to be more odorous than others. In any case, gas can occur for a lot of reasons which are mostly simple and harmless. Gas occurs either when an excessive amount of air is swallowed due to being a brachycephalic dog (as in the case of bulldogs or pugs), having a respiratory condition or in those dogs that gulp down their food – but gas is most commonly produced in the intestine. In the latter case, stomach contents, which are acidic, meet the more alkaline small inte...

Flickr photo by 23am Dogs learn valuable skills throughout their lifetimes. Some of these learned skills are the result of experiential learning through interaction with other animals, while others are learned by living amongst humans. In the latter case, that's a combination of the simple day-to-day exchanges that we have (picking up on cues that we silently give; this is part of socialization), as well as the more obvious training that we initiate. Training is important for a lot of reasons: it designates clear limits and boundaries, expectations and offers an enhanced way for dog and human to establish communication in this very human world. Think of it this way: we as the responsible humans understand all-too-well the unpredictability that daily life can bring, and it's up to us to teach and reinforce specific, simple commands that are incorporated into training to help them navigate any situation that might avail itself. Likely, the most valuable command — ...

See these? ---------------------------------> That's right. Grapes are bad for dogs. Raisins, too. Grapes can cause kidney failure, even death . That's not to say that it happens in every case, as physiologically every dog is different. Specific breeds are susceptible to kidney dysfunction, however and are more easily affected. If you want to give treats, stick to dog cookies and biscuits!

Many clients over the years have had dogs who have had mobility issues due to age, post-surgical recovery, illnesses like Degenerative Myleopathy or injuries. It's hard, needless to say, but pups still need to get around, right? It's sad to watch dogs struggle with trying to walk or balance, and it's physically challenging for their caregivers to assist them with traditional assistive methods like a sheet sling. One very cool assistive device that has always made life easier in these cases is the Bottoms Up dog harness. A neoprene padded leash, it fits around and under the back legs to offer stability and safe mobility around the yard, on walks... even up and down the stairs. Additionally, this device keeps you from stooping over, saving your back! Available in two sizes, 12-125lbs and 125-185 lbs., the Bottoms Up can be purchased online and even some vets retail them. Easy to put on and remove, this pet sitter loves this product.