Care

Like many of the people who use non-traditional treatment modalities for their dogs, Richard Beaton and Sue Kelly never planned on calling anyone but their regular veterinarian when their dog Titan first hurt his back. And if Titan, a purebred American Cocker (also known as Bryant’s Triumphant Escapade CDX,JH,SH,WDX,CGC,TT), wasn’t in the midst of an obedience career when he began having gait problems associated with his injury, his owners may have been content with heeding their regular veterinarian’s advice for treating Titan.

In the early days of my holistic practice, I tried, like you, to tell people that they had to feed their dogs raw meat. I found, like you, that the idea scared some people so much they would leave my practice. I agree that a raw meat diet is the healthiest for many dogs, though there are always exceptions; dogs are individuals, after all, just like humans. But now, I’m more gentle and flexible about my diet recommendations, and I try to take a gradual approach with people.

a dog trainer and animal behavior specialist from Beverly Hills

For Star, an eight-year-old Springer Spaniel cross, life hasn't always been easy. But thanks to treatments by Pedro Rivera, DVM, of The Healing Oasis Veterinary Hospital in Stutevant, Wisconsin, Star's life glimmers again. In addition to traditional veterinary medicine, Dr. Rivera often treats his animal clients with chiropractic, homeopathic and Chinese remedies, and glandular therapy.

Dogs that compete in field trials, agility or herding competitions or those that play fly-ball or Frisbee automatically come to mind as canine athletes. Then there are seeing-eye dogs, rescue dogs, police dogs, drug dogs, and a host of others whose work is just as athletically challenging. It is easy to understand how these top performance animals might benefit from massage. The fact is, however, that even our four-legged friends who aspire to perfect their skills as couch potatoes are athletes in their own right.

In September 1998, our female Bernese Mountain Dog, Annie, became lame with painfully swollen and inflamed joints that were noticeably warm to the touch. She was just over four years old at the time. The sudden initial onset of symptoms occurred about three weeks after her annual vaccinations and a three-year rabies vaccine. We took her to the vet, of course, who conducted tests and more tests. A thorough blood work-up showed unusual and elevated antibody levels. All tests for Lyme disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis were negative.

We have two female dogs: a five year old Newfoundland and a two-year-old Shih Tzu. They are rivals. They both like to chew on rawhide bones, even if I give them the exact same kind. As soon as the Newf gets up off of her “place” the Shih Tzu goes and steals her bone. Then the Newf wants the Shih Tzu’s bone! This occurs even if the Shih Tzu has a very small bone. Another annoying behavior is that the Shih Tzu barks in a very threatening way whenever the Newf barks to be let back in the house. The Newf goes outside frequently to enjoy the air, so this is very annoying. We would like the Newf to be the Alpha dog. What can we do to keep her position?

I was so excited to read your article concerning urinary incontinence in the spayed female. For the first time in many years of owning spayed females, I have a Labrador who at four years of age had symptoms of this problem. Not wanting to use hormone replacement therapy, I looked for an herbal combination containing the best herbs for menopause in women. I have been using “Women’s Menocaps” from Wise Woman Herbals for over a year now, two capsules a day. They contain dong quai, burdock, black cohosh, motherwort and licorice.

Let's get one thing straight: A dog's gotta chew what a dog's gotta chew. Dogs chew to exercise their jaws, to clean their teeth and gums, and to relieve boredom. It's a completely instinctive and healthful activity. Once upon a time, dogs chewed happily on bones that were left over from our meals. However, this age-old practice has slowly changed as humans have come to rely (largely) on processed foods. Today, few home kitchens provide a steady supply of bones to the household dog. As our eating habits changed, so have our perceptions of food safety.

Chiropractic is one of the most effective, dramatic, and embattled health care modalities currently available to dog owners. The many amazed dog owners whose limping, stiff, sore dogs had to be lifted in and out of the car on the way to the chiropractor’s office, and who were surprised to see their dogs leap unaided into the car to return home after a chiropractic adjustment, can attest to the therapy’s effectiveness and drama. But, in trying to relate the story of their dog’s miraculous recovery at the hands of a chiropractor, many people learn how controversial the therapy is, especially to the uninitiated.

With temperatures in the 90s and 100s in recent weeks, Whole Dog Journal decided it was a perfect time to test products designed to keep canines cool during the dog days of summer. We found a number of products that utilize the same technology: polymer crystals that absorb several times their weight in water, then release the water over a period of several days. The evaporation of the water creates the cooling effect.

So, you're leaving town for a few days. What ARE you going to do with Fido? Experts agree that the best situation for your dog's health and happiness would be to have someone stay in your home, maintaining the dog's regular diet and exercise, and preserving his comfort and sense of security, but this is not always possible. And while we know people who haven't taken a dog-less vacation for the life of their dogs, we think this is a little extreme.