Animal Behavior

by C. Sue Furman, Ph.D.

On Saturday, August 31, 2013 I attended an excellent seminar on animal behavior hosted by the Dorothy H. O'Connor Pet Adoption Center in Victoria, Texas. The seminar was a great opportunity for dog trainers, handlers, owners, and veterinarians to learn from Dr. Lore I. Haug an expert in the field of animal behavior. Dr. Haug has had a passion for animals all her life. A graduate of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Haug is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, a member of the AVMA, Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Dr. Haug worked at the TAMU Animal Behavior Service, and is the founder of Texas Veterinary Behavior Service, a referral service dedicated to diagnosing and treating behavior problems in animals. Her presentation was jam packed with information. Dr. Haug's vivacious manner held everyone's attention while conveying a tremendous amount of valuable material. I think everyone learned much more than anticipated and thoroughly enjoyed themselves in the process. I highly recommend attending a seminar by Dr. Haug if you ever have the opportunity. Check out her schedule on her website at www.texasvetbehavior.com.

---

C. Sue Furman, Ph.D.
c.suefurman@gmail.com
www.HolisticTouchTherapy.com

Evaluating Flexion and Extension in Your Dog

by C. Sue Furman, Ph.D.

Fall is just around the corner, and a dog's activity level often increases with the cooler weather. It is wise to take a few minutes to evaluate your pet's gate to make sure no subtle changes have occurred. That is an easy chore if you understand flexion and extension and how your dog should move.

The muscular system is divided into axial and appendicular parts that correspond to the axial and appendicular skeleton. Muscles of the head, neck, spine and trunk make up the axial muscles while the muscles of the pectoral girdle, front limb, pelvic girdle and hind limb compose the appendicular muscles. One should consider the action of muscles when evaluating the gait of a dog. This is especially true when considering which muscles may be compromised in a dog that is limping.

Skeletal muscles allow the dog to move by changing the angle of one bone to another at a joint. Freely movable joints, synovial joints, exhibit several types of movement including flexion and extension.

Flexion describes the movement of two bones in relation to one another in a manner that decreases the angle at their joint. If a dog bends or flexes his foreleg at the elbow or wrist or the hind limb at the stifle or hock, the angle of the two bones at their joint is decreased (Fig. 1a). The rule of thumb is that muscles that flex a joint are above the joint and on the side that the joint angle is decreased (Fig. 1b).

Figure 1 – (a.) Sand flexes at the elbow (1), the wrist (2), the hock (3) and the knee (4) as handler, Debbie Coggin, moves him around the show ring. (b.) The muscles responsible for flexion are above or proximal to the joint on the side that the joint angle is decreased.

On the other hand, extension increases the angle of two bones at their joint. Therefore, if the forelimb is flexed at the elbow and the dog extends or straightens the leg, the angle of the elbow joint will increase (Fig. 2a). Muscles that extend a joint are usually below the joint and on the side opposite of the joint angle increase (Fig. 2b).

This material is excerpted from Dr. C. Sue Furman's book, Canine Massage for the Athlete in Every Dog©.

Figure 2 – (a) Continuing around the show ring, Sand extends his elbow to maintain an even smooth gait. (b) The extensor muscles that increase the angle of the elbow are located below or distal to the joint on the side opposite that the joint angle is increased.

This information helps evaluate a dog with a limp. Watch him move to determine if he has difficulty flexing or extending a joint in the affected limb. Now you know which muscles may be strained or injured. You can palpate for tenderness to determine if rest or a visit to the veterinarian are indicated. The discomfort of sore achy muscles caused by overexerting or other neuromuscular problems can be soothed by appropriate massage. Regular massage also decreases the risk of injury.

It is not necessary to learn names of all the muscles in a dog's body. It is very helpful to know where muscles responsible for actions like flexion and extension of joints are located. This gives you a great advantage when assessing movement or aberrations of movement in a dog.

---

C. Sue Furman, Ph.D.
c.suefurman@gmail.com
www.HolisticTouchTherapy.com

Note: This article is an excerpt from Canine Massage for the Athlete in Every Dog©, a new book just released by Dr. C. Sue Furman. It also appeared in the May 2013 edition of the Holistic Touch Therapy newsletter.

Petting With a Purpose

by C. Sue Furman, Ph.D.

Kaskaskia College asked me to teach a community service canine massage class for pet owners. The class was called "Petting with a Purpose". The college was concerned about having a live dog in a classroom so the students practiced the massage moves on stuffed animals. The college has decided they will allow one of my Irish Wolfhounds to attend the class next time it is offered.

The students were very pleased and gave the class high marks. I was so inspired working with the students who were concerned with helping their own pets that had problems. The inspiration resulted in two new HTT online classes especially designed for folks who want to learn canine massage for their own pets. These new classes, Petting with a Purpose I and Petting with a Purpose II will be available on line in October 2013.

Petting with a Purpose I – is especially designed for those interested in learning massage to add a new level of care for the pet that shares their life. Students learn why the touch of massage is so powerful and how it benefits the health of the eleven organ systems of a dog. Several basic Swedish massage strokes from the passive touch, effleurage, compression, and petrissage categories are taught and their specific beneficial effects are discussed. Students practice each of the strokes on several appropriate areas of a dog. Performed on their pets, the moves will maintain muscle tone and flexibility in a healthy dog and comfort or encourage healing in a dog with an acute or chronic condition. Learn to pet your dog with a purpose. You will both enjoy it and your human-canine bond will become stronger. A certificate of completion is awarded to signify mastery of Petting with a Purpose I material.

Petting with a Purpose II – is a continuation of Petting with a Purpose I. Several new techniques from the friction, percussion and stretch categories are demonstrated and their specific beneficial effects are discussed. When to massage and when not to massage a dog is discussed, and a simple method of record keeping shows how to track the success of massage sessions is taught. Students learn to choreograph a full body massage from their pet's nose to the tip of his tail using the strokes learned in Petting with a Purpose I and II. Pet your dog with a purpose or massage to relax, soothe and comfort pain from chronic conditions. You will both feel better. A certificate of completion is awarded to signify mastery of Petting with a Purpose II material.

Watch www.HolisticTouchTherapy.com for more information and availability of these two new classes.

---

C. Sue Furman, Ph.D.
c.suefurman@gmail.com
www.HolisticTouchTherapy.com

This article originally appeared in the October 2012 edition of the Holistic Touch Therapy Newsletter.

Caring For Your Senior Pet

by Dr. Abby Deuel

Ever heard the age-old sayings that a cat has nine lives and one year in dog years is equivalent to seven years in human terms? There is some merit to thinking about the longevity of your pet. As human life spans have increased in society, so too can our pets' life spans. A little bit of preventative medicine can mean all the difference in the world.

How old is my cat?

A cat becomes senior after nine years of age and geriatric after fourteen years of age. The equivalent in human years is about one cat year for every 5-6 human years. Therefore, if your cat is ten years old, he or she is about 55 years old.

How old is my dog?

Dogs are a little trickier since larger dogs do not live as long as small dogs. For small dogs, senior age is from nine to twelve years and while a large dog is would be considered senior when they are older than six years. The equivalent in human years for every dog year is between 6-8 human years, with the higher numbers applying to bigger dogs. If you have two dogs that are ten years old, the smaller one would be 56-60 years old and the larger one would be 66-78 years old.

Health tips

Based on the guidelines above, it is safe to say that animals age quicker than people. Regardless of how old your pet is in human years, it is a great idea to have them checked out regularly by a veterinarian. Diseases that are more prevalent in senior pets include diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Many older pets also begin to suffer from arthritis and joint stiffness. Weight gain can occur due to decreased exercise, increased calories intake, or an underlying endocrine disease such as hypothyroidism.

Take this simple quiz below to see if your pet is exhibiting signs of aging. If you answer yes to more than two of the questions below, it is probably time to have them seen by a veterinarian.

• Drinking more often than normal?
• Peeing more often?
• Eating patterns changed? (ie. Increased or decreased)
• Hard to get up the stairs?
• Having accidents in the house?
• Changes in haircoat or skin?
• New lumps or bumps seen?
• Less energy?

• Difficulty navigating the house as if confused?
• Scratching or licking a lot?
• Changes in weight? (either increase or decrease)
• Bad breath or difficulty eating?
• Changes in breathing pattern?
• Just not himself/herself?
• Seizures/shaking?

Recommendations

Every veterinarian is different about how often they would like to see a senior pet. At least once a year is the minimum. This would enable a veterinarian to do a thorough physical and ask questions that may highlight changes associated with early signs of a disease. Whereas twenty years ago, there were not as many options for senior pet diseases, we now have a variety of pain relievers, heart disease medications, nutritional options for arthritis/organ dysfunction. In some cases, a check up every six months is recommended to monitor disease issues more closely. For example, if a dog is diagnosed with seizures, they will be put on medication that needs to be monitored regularly to ensure that the treatment of one disease (seizures) does not cause another (liver failure).

Dr. Abby Deuel, Veterinarian Deuel Veterinary Services, P.C. 2047 N Broadway Ave Salem, IL 62881 Phone: 618-548-6755 Fax  : 618-548-6855 deuelveterinaryservices.com

---

This article appeared in the November 2012 issue of the Holistic Touch Therapy Newsletter.

Pomeranian

Victoria Leitner has owned, trained and bred Pomeranians since 1981. Her kennel, Courbette Pomeranians, is well known for the several Poms she has titled in conformation, obedience, rally, agility and tracking... always owner handled. She has always strived to have dogs that are competitive in multiple venues and has obviously been very successful at that. Besides demonstrating that Poms are beautiful and smart, Vicky has confirmed their excellent temperaments with some superb therapy dogs. Her philosophy of breeding is that a dog should be a good and loving pet above all else. Simply put, she believes that dogs are a species that should excel at being "man's best friend."

Victoria Leitner
Courbette Pomeranians

Left to Right: Song, Curtsy, Fin, and Margin

Pomeranian

The Pomeranian is the smallest of the spitz dogs. It has been bred down in size over the past 100 years plus from a 30 pound dog to a 5 pound, toy dog. Its original colors were black, white and wolf sable. Now, the Pom is seen in almost every coat color known in dogdom. Since breeders have manufactured and miniaturized this breed, many genetic and congenital problems are seen. The Pom , as with many toy breeds, have dental abnormalities. The bone structure of the jaw just doesn't support good dentition. As a result, adults lose teeth easily and at a young age. Good dental hygiene is of the utmost importance. Also commonly seen are slipping patellas (knee caps), collapsing tracheas and heart problems. A hairless condition known as Alopecia X or BSD (black skin disease) seems to be on the rise. Its cause is unknown but most breeders believe it to be genetic. The condition itself is not a serious medical problem, as an otherwise healthy Pomeranian can become bald. It is diagnosed as such after all other causes of hairlessness have been tested for and eliminated as the cause.

Owners of Pomeranians and other toy breeds need to be protective guardians in the care of their dogs. Small children and large dogs can unintentionally hurt or maim tiny dogs. Small children should never be allowed to run or carry a toy dog for fear of dropping, smashing or falling on the dog. Poms are, by nature, usually bold, brave and adventuresome. They do not know that they are not big dogs. Pomeranians sometimes have a bad rap as being nippers. This is usually due to being handled too roughly. Pomeranians can be trained rather easily if done intelligently, but they cannot handle physical corrections. They respond well to food and toy rewards. Pomeranians are barkers and can sometimes be difficult to housebreak. A crate or small enclosure is of value to encourage “quiet” and for reducing the possibility for accidents in the house. Weekly or bi weekly brushing is recommended to prevent matting. The Pom generally blows undercoat twice a year and needs methodical combing at that time. Frequent bathing is not recommended if a regular brushing/combing regimen is implemented.

Pomeranian owners should be careful with drug and vaccination protocols. A rule of thumb is to administer only one drug, vaccine, worm/flea medicine, etc. at a time. For example: If a Pom is to be vaccinated for rabies, do not worm or apply flea medication at the same time. It is very easy to overdose a toy dog. Also, a toy dog should be fed at least twice a day, as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is often seen, especially with young puppies. Many people keep honey or Karo syrup on hand to apply to the tongue of a dog that has collapsed due to a hypoglycemic “attack”. If a Pom is to spend much time outside in the summer, do NOT shave or clip its body coat. The belly area only can be shaved for better air circulation, but the double coat protects him/her from the sun.

Pomeranians, like most dogs, enjoy being with their owners and are very loyal companions. They enjoy doing almost any doggie sport or activity imaginable. Since they are so small, they are very portable. Most are very easily trained and are a fairly active breed. Owners need to be diligent in looking out for possible dangerous situations for them however. Sadly many Poms and toy dogs fall victim to predators both canine and others. If basically healthy, Pomeranians live well into their teens. Beware! It is very difficult to own just one!

---

This article originally appeared in the January, 2013 edition of the Holistic Touch Therapy Newsletter.

Recommended by Allie

Hi. My name is Allie Lewis. I'm a red lab (as you can see by my picture below - pretty cute, don't you agree?). I was born outside of Kansas City almost 2 years ago and now I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Here is a letter I wrote to my Aunt Nancy after she recently showed me how much she loves me. If you want to show your favorite canine how much you love him or her, visit the author's web site.

Dear Aunt Nancy,

Thank you for the very cool book! I can really use a massage after all the fetching I've been doing. Dove season opens in 2 weeks so this will be great!

Love,
Allie

Allie Lewis

Obesity in the Pet

Dr. Abby Deuel, Veterinarian

According to the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), 35% of pets are tipping the scales at such high numbers that they are considered obese. Unfortunately, an overweight pet puts them at risk for heart problems, diabetes, breathing difficulty, and mobility issues. It is a matter of life and death for some pets to lose the extra pounds. In fact, according to VIN, overweight pets live 2.5 years shorter than their normal weight counterparts.

Body Condition Score

While many breeds have ideal weight ranges, we are seeing more and more variation within a breed. Therefore, the actual number of pounds that your animal weighs is not a specific way to determine if they are overweight. The actual weight of the pet in pounds can help monitor progress when putting your pet on a diet. For overall health, however, we use body condition score (BCS). This is a 5 point scale, where 3 is ideal, 1 is vastly underweight, and 5 is obese. The parameters for determining the Royal Canin BCS include:

• Very thin - Ribs, spine, and pelvic bones easily visible; Loss of muscle mass; No palpable fat on chest
• Ideal - Ribs, spine, not visible but palpable; Obvious waist behind the ribs (seen as an hourglass figure from the top); Little abdominal fat (cats), little palpable rib fat (dogs)
• Markedly obese - Massive fat deposits on chest, spine, abdomen (cats), and base of tail (dogs); Obviously distended abdomen

Health Issues

Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints of an animal. It is painful and will decrease your pet's quality of life. It stands to reason that the more weight there is on a joint, the more it will hurt, the less they will be active, and the more weight they will gain. It becomes a vicious circle that is best prevented.

Respiratory compromise can result from the inability of an animal to take a long, deep breath. This can occur because fat tends to deposit in the chest and around the ribs, resulting in a competition between fat and space for the lungs and trachea.

The heart is a vital organ that can become overworked if it is trying to pump blood against the effects of obesity. This can lead to an enlarged heart, which can then lead to congestive heart failure.

Diabetes is a treatable but complicated disease that can alter your pet's life span and quality of life. It is the result of insulin resistance which means that the body's sugar levels can increase to dangerous levels.

Hepatic lipidosis is a disease that can occur in an obese animal that does not eat for several days to a week. The body starts to break down their energy store which causes the liver to shut down. The initial reason why the animal does not eat well can be any number of conditions unrelated to obesity.

Prevention

The best way to prevent and treat obesity includes good diet and exercise. Not all pet foods are created equal. Those that contain mainly grain are incredibly fattening. Corn is what the agricultural industry uses to put weight onto pigs and it works very well to do the same in dogs and cats. Inspect your pet's bag of food. If the first ingredient is corn, wheat, oats, or barley, it can easily make your pet gain weight. There are special foods that are specifically designed for weight loss or maintenance. Be sure to have a nutritional consult with your veterinarian.

The portion you feed your pet is important. The bag's recommendation is just that: a recommendation. The pet food company wants you to feed more so you will buy more food. If you're not sure how much to feed your pet, consult with your veterinarian.

There are some diseases like Cushing's and thyroid disorders which result in an animal's inability to lose weight. If you are trying to get your pet to lose weight and nothing seems to be changing, it may be time to have them checked out by a veterinarian.

Dr. Abby Deuel, Veterinarian Deuel Veterinary Services, P.C. 2047 N Broadway Ave Salem, IL 62881 Phone: 618-548-6755 Fax  : 618-548-6855 deuelveterinaryservices.com

---

This article originally appeared in the February 2013 Holistic Touch Therapy Newsletter.