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APS Education Outreach and Advocacy
Each Sunday, the latest APS Pet Pointers article is published in the Chapel
Hill Herald. We provide practical information for people who want to live in
harmony with their dogs and cats. For people living beyond Chapel Hill, we
also publish APS Pet Pointers below. Please email any comments or
suggestions for future topics to Heather Brown, Director of Development and
Public Relations, at development@animalprotectionsociety.org. Enjoy!
The Gift of Family
Holiday Hazards
Heartworm Disease in Dogs and Cats
Why Won't My Dog Stop Pulling?
Loving Our Animals
Running With Rover
As the holidays near, and the time for gift giving is upon us, I would like to share my inspiration for the ideal gift. What gift could bring more happiness or a better sense of companionship, responsibility, and belonging to someone than a darling, cuddly baby? Think of it—your friend or relative will be more likely to get out and about to take the little tyke on walks, for play dates, and to preschool. The sense of responsibility toward their new charge will help them feel that their days have more meaning, and will keep them busy and active. The extra exercise they will get taking the little one places will keep them healthy and make them stick to their New Years fitness resolutions.
I hope by now you are giggling, and not deeply offended. Of course I do not condone giving children as gifts—choosing to bring a child into a family is a personal decision that must be made by each family independent of even the most well meaning of grandmothers. The very thought of picking out a child for someone else is ridiculous. Surprisingly, though, giving a cat or dog as a gift is generally accepted.
Please remember that pets are family members. They are not stuffed animals, new toys or stylish furniture. The decision to bring a dog or cat, puppy or kitten home is a decision for each family. The cuddly puppy is a 10-15 year commitment, requiring daily walks, costly veterinary care, and early morning bathroom breaks. The spunky kitten brings home bills for food, litter box maintenance, and boarding costs while his family goes on vacation or away for the holidays.
It’s true that adopting a dog or cat can bring great happiness, a sense of companionship, motivation to exercise, and unconditional love to a home. Animals can help us to live longer, heal faster, and connect to the world around us. But successful animal adoptions require sound commitment from adopters. Please don’t give family members human, canine, or feline as gifts.
If you have decided for yourself that you are ready to add a four legged family member to your home, the holidays may be an excellent time to adopt. Choosing a time when you have a break from a full time job is a good way to be able to spend the first few days at home with your new friend. Helping your new dog or cat establish a routine, and become accustomed to the sights, smells, and sounds of their new home may be easier during vacation time, as long as your holiday is quiet, and you are able to be home to help them adjust.
To meet the dogs and cats waiting for homes at the APS Adoption Center, please visit us Wednesday and Thursday from 11am until 7pm , Friday from 11am until 5pm , or Saturday and Sunday from 12pm until 4pm . You can visit us online or give us a call; we can’t wait to help you make the perfect match.
Ali Johnson is the Dog Training Program Manager for the Animal Protection Society of Orange County (APS). Founded in 1962, APS is the leading animal rights organization for Orange County and surrounding areas, with a mission to build a compassionate community for animals. The 50-acre APS Felicité Latané Animal Sanctuary houses a premier dog training program serving 1,000 dogs and their owners per year, a three-acre dog park with 175 members, a low-cost spay/neuter
clinic providing 2,000 spay/neuter surgeries per year, and the new APS
Animal Adoption Center, which opened in October 2004. The APS Adoption Center
saves and adopts out up to 60 homeless, adoptable dogs and cats per month
from the public animal shelters in Orange, Durham, Chatham, and Caswell
counties, serving as a resource center to help shelters and their
communities increase their adoption rates. APS relies entirely on modest
program fees and donations from the public. It has a network of 4,000
supporters, 1,500 donors, 160 volunteers, and 40 dog training instructors.
For more information about APS, directions to the sanctuary, to volunteer or
make a donation, or to see animals available for adoption, please go to
www.animalprotectionsociety.org or call (919) 304-2300.
Holiday Hazards
By Gretchen Decker
gretchen@animalprotectionsociety.org
Some of the common decorations and foods we bring into our homes this time of year are potentially harmful to our pets. Here’s what you need to watch out for to avoid a Christmas Eve trip to the animal ER.
Keep those chocolate stocking stuffers away from your pets. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control Center, as little as 20 ounces of milk chocolate or only two ounces of baking chocolate can cause problems in a 10-pound dog. Symptoms can include gastrointestinal upset—including drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea—hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death in severe cases. No type of chocolate is safe, and the risk is greater the darker the chocolate.
If you like to bake during the holidays, don’t leave raw yeast dough unattended on countertops. The dough can continue to rise once your dog or cat eats some, causing an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract or even a ruptured intestine.
Holly used in wreaths and garlands is moderately toxic, and according to the ASPCA, about 20 berries can cause death in a large dog. The m istletoe found hanging in doorways during the holidays is also toxic, but only if eaten in large quantities. However, ASPCA data show that because most people only have a sprig or two in their homes, pets only eat small quantities and the result is usually mild gastrointestinal irritation.
If you’re beginning to think that no holiday tradition is free of danger to your pets, you might be surprised to learn that poinsettias are not as toxic as rumor has it.
According to the ASPCA, pets usually experience only moderate gastrointestinal tract upset after eating poinsettias. However, the sap from the stems can irritate skin and eyes, so it’s still a good idea to keep these decorations away from your pets. But should your cat or dog take a bite of the red leaves, you don’t need to fear for their lives.
Live Christmas trees are generally safe for pets. But sharp needles can injure your pet’s mouth and the oils and sap from the tree can cause skin irritation, especially around the mouth. If your pet does experience skin irritation, flush the effected area with mild soapy water.
In all the holiday chaos, you might not observe your pet in the act of eating a potentially poisonous substance. General symptoms of poisoning include lethargy or sluggishness, vomiting, lack of appetite, difficulty walking or breathing and seizure. But if you know your pet has gotten into a dangerous substance, don’t wait for symptoms to appear, contact your veterinarian or ASPCA’s 24-hour Emergency Veterinary Poison Hotline at 1-888-426-4435. You may have to pay a consultation fee to use the hotline. If you need to see a veterinarian after hours, on the weekend, or during holidays, call Triangle Pet Emergency in Durham at 919-489-0615.
Gretchen Decker is an animal caregiver and dog training program assistant for the Animal Protection Society of Orange County (APS). Founded in 1962, APS is the leading animal rights organization for Orange County and surrounding areas, with a mission to build a compassionate community for animals. The 50-acre APS Felicité Latané Animal Sanctuary houses a premier dog training program serving 1,000 dogs and their owners per year, a three-acre dog park with 175 members, a low-cost spay/neuter clinic providing 2,000 spay/neuter surgeries per year, and the new APS Animal Adoption Center, which opened in October 2004. The APS Adoption Center saves and adopts out up to 60 homeless, adoptable dogs and cats per month from the public animal shelters in Orange, Durham, Chatham, and Caswell counties, serving as a resource center to help shelters and their communities increase their adoption rates. APS relies entirely on modest program fees and donations from the public. It has a network of 4,000 supporters, 1,500 donors, 160 volunteers, and 40 dog training instructors. For more information about APS, directions to the sanctuary, to volunteer or make a donation, or to see animals available for adoption, please go to www.animalprotectionsociety.org or call (919) 304-2300.
Heartworm Disease in Dogs and Cats
One annoying little mosquito is all it takes to infect your dog or cat with the deadly heartworm parasite. A mosquito carrying the heartworm larvae bites your pet and the larvae is passed through the bite wound and into the body of your dog or cat. The larvae then travel through your pet’s body to the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels where they mature into adult heartworms and begin to produce offspring called microfilariae. The microfilariae then circulate through the bloodstream of your pet. When a mosquito bites an infected dog or cat, the microfilariae pass into the mosquito where they develop into infective larvae and the cycle starts all over again. Microfilariae cannot develop into adult worms without first passing through a mosquito.
The worms living in a dog can get up to twelve inches long and live mainly in the right side of the heart. They cause inflammation of the heart and the major arteries to and from this side of the heart restricting blood flow. This can cause clots in the dog’s lungs and heart failure. It can also lead to kidney or liver failure. An infected dog will die from one or a combination of these problems.
When a cat is infected with heartworms, the worms are generally smaller in size and fewer in number. Cats seem to be more resistant to infection and some cats appear to be able to rid themselves of infection spontaneously. It is assumed that these cats have strong immune systems which are able to fight off the infection. Infected cats can die suddenly without time for diagnosis or proper treatment.
Preventing heartworm disease is safer and more economical than treating the infection. Dogs are the definitive host for the disease and so there are several types of preventatives available. You should discuss with your veterinarian which preventative would work best for your dog and for your situation. You can only purchase heartworm preventative from a veterinarian and it is recommended that your dog be tested for the infection before starting him or her on any preventative program.
While cats can be infected with this parasite it is less common than in dogs. You should discuss with your veterinarian whether heartworm prevention would be a good idea for your cat and what type would be appropriate.
Determining if a dog has heartworms is done with a simple blood test. The most common test looks for female heartworm antigens in the dog’s blood. It takes seven months from the time of infection for the antigens to be found in the dog’s blood so an early infection will not be detected. The results are very accurate and it is recommended the test be performed prior to starting the preventative for dogs older than six months and once a year after that.
There is not a test which is as accurate for determining heartworm infection in cats. A positive antigen test can confirm the presence of heartworms in a cat but a negative result does not mean the cat is not infected. There is another blood test which looks for antibodies in the blood instead of antigens. A positive result from this test means the cat at some point was exposed to heartworms but may not currently be infected. A negative result confirms the absence of heartworms with 50-90% accuracy according to the American Heartworm Association.
There is only one drug approved for treating heartworm infection in dogs and treatment can be expensive. It usually involves hospitalization and tests to determine if a dog is healthy enough to withstand the treatment and how severe the infection is. If your dog tests positive for heartworms your veterinarian will discuss the tests required, the treatment, and any possible side effects with you.
There is no approved drug for treating a cat that is infected. If your veterinarian determines your cat has heartworm disease he or she will discuss your options with you.
Preventing this disease can be as easy as giving your pet a treat. See your veterinarian to get your pet on heartworm preventative and your pet will love you for it.
Why won’t my dog stop pulling???
Before getting a dog, many of us envision the peaceful daily walks we will enjoy with our faithful friend strolling through a park or sauntering down neighborhood streets. Unfortunately, reality often misses the mark, with taut leashes, pulled shoulders, sore backs, and patience stretched to the breaking point.
Happily, there are multiple approaches to this tenacious problem, including positive training and use of no-pull equipment. However, even with stellar training and the best equipment, teaching a dog to walk politely on leash can take a long time. Most dogs, even tiny ones, have a natural gait that is faster than a human saunter. In addition to pulling as a natural state of affairs, many dogs are very, very practiced at pulling, and have used it as an effective technique to get where they want to go. My dog practiced pulling on leash daily for two and a half years before I started trying to change her habits, and had become quite the expert—at times easily spurring me along to a jog before I realized how efficiently she was training me!
Challenges aside, teaching your dog not to pull is worth the effort, and the peaceful daily walks that you envisioned can become a reality. A combination of training and special equipment produces optimum results. The equipment that I recommend to reduce is the Easy Walk harness by Premier, since it appears to be completely comfortable for the dog, while very effective. Easy Walk harnesses are coming soon to our store here at the APS, and can be purchased at Phydeaux, in Carrboro.
The drawback to using special equipment of any kind is that most dogs will not transfer their new leash walking style from the special equipment to a regular collar. For this reason, it is important to include training as part of our Reduce Pulling Campaign. To train dogs not to pull, we first address the reason that they pull: to get where they want to go. And it works! Many owners get towed all sorts of places they would not have gone if the dog had not been pulling. So the first step is to prevent pulling from being effective for your dog. Simply put, you must stop or change direction every time your dog pulls on leash. Dogs do what works; if it doesn’t work, they will eventually try something else. The trigger that allows the walk to continue after a stop is reconnection with you—any acknowledgement of your existence at the other end of the leash, including glancing or stepping back, is the green light to continue the walk. In the beginning, it may be necessary to stop after each step! This is where you need to call on whatever it is we all have in common with Mother Theresa and Ghandi to supply you with the patience to stick with it!
If you are not able to stop each and every time your dog pulls because you are late for work, too tired, or having a bad day, there is a way to go on a walk without sabotaging all of your hard work. Choose another piece of equipment, and designate it as the “pulling allowed” equipment. For my dogs, I choose a body harness instead of their regular collars if we are going to go jogging and I don’t want to stop each time they pull. For Kenai and Osa, a regular collar means pulling won’t work, and a body harness means I have granted Open Season on pulling! If you usually use a harness, choose a collar or head halter and vice versa. As long as you are consistent, your dog can figure out how to play the game and win.
In addition to providing a consequence for pulling (stopping), you can also provide reinforcement for walking nicely with you—take treats on your next walk and reward your dog for checking in with you during your walk. In fact, any time your dog shows up at your side while you are walking, whether it is in your house, in your yard, or on your walk, tell them how brilliant they are and run to the cookie jar! An accumulated history of rewards when your dog is next to your side will increase the probability of your dog choosing your side as their favorite spot to linger.
While you are working on the Reduce Pulling Campaign, you may need to explore alternative forms of exercise for your dog, since leash walks may become very slow, and may not cover much distance. Other options include tossing the ball, playing hide and seek, or a romp at the dog park. It is especially important for young dogs to have an adequate outlet for their energy, otherwise they may not be physically capable of walking calmly!
Training a dog not to pull is one of the most challenging training goals, and can test anyone’s dedication to having a well-trained dog. Do not despair! You are in the majority of dog owners if you are struggling with leash pulling, and it is possible to change the situation. Consistency is the key. Keep your vision of peaceful daily walks in mind, and stick with it!
If you are interested in learning more about how to help your dog learn not to pull, to come when called, and more, please join us for classes at the APS of Orange County Dog Training Program. Check out our website at www.animalprotectionsociety.org or contact me, Ali Johnson, at dogtraining@animalprotectionsociety.org or (919)304-2300 ext. 233. I look forward to meeting you and your dog!
At the Animal Protection Society of Orange County (APS), people ask us all the time how we can do our work day after day. The simple answer is because we love the animals. The complicated answer has to do with our belief that animals are like us and as such deserve to be treated with dignity. The best pet pointer we can give and especially as we enter the holidays is, assume that your dog or cat is capable of as much love as you are and your treatment and training of your pet will follow from that.
Over the past ten years or so, the number of homeless dogs and cats nationwide has been steadily decreasing from around fifteen million per year to six million per year. There are many reasons for this—public education, better understanding of animal behavior and better dog training based on that understanding, the rise in the number of rescue groups, strong partnerships between public animal shelters and nonprofits like ours, even the advent of Animal Planet—but the main reason, I think, is because scientific research has begun to prove what animal lovers have always known all along, that animals are sentient, and we’ve begun to accept this collectively.
No, it’s not true that dogs’ and cats’ fur keeps them warm outside in the freezing cold. No, it’s not true that dogs tied up in back yards with no human contact don’t feel lonely. No, it’s not true that it’s somehow good for animals to have too many babies. Once you allow yourself to see dogs and cats as beings who feel as much pain as you do both physically and emotionally, it becomes more difficult to stand back and observe all the casual cruelty and neglect toward animals all around you and do nothing about it. At APS, we are proud to be part of a wider movement to change the way people perceive and interact with dogs and cats. Our goal is to eventually abolish cruelty and neglect altogether.
Founded in 1962, APS is the leading animal rights organization for Orange County and surrounding areas, with a mission to build a compassionate community for animals. The 50-acre APS Felicité Latané Animal Sanctuary houses a premier dog training program serving 1,000 dogs and their owners per year, a three-acre dog park with 175 members, a low-cost spay/neuter clinic providing 2,000 spay/neuter surgeries per year, and the new APS Animal Adoption Center which opened in October 2004. During its first year of operation from July 2004 to August 2005, the adoption center saved and adopted out 558 homeless dogs and cats from the public animal shelters in Orange, Durham, Chatham, and Caswell counties. Overall, APS serves as a resource center to help local shelters and their communities reduce animal euthanasia and increase their animal adoption rates. APS is a nonprofit organization and relies entirely on modest program fees and donations from the public. It has a network of 4,000 supporters who read the APS newsletter Critter Chronicle, 1,500 donors, 160 volunteers, and 40 dog training instructors, and its website is visited 7,000 times per month. For more information about APS and directions to the sanctuary, please go to www.animalprotectionsociety.org. To schedule a tour of the sanctuary, please email Heather Brown at development@animalprotectionsociety.org.
Kay Flaminio
Executive Director
Running with Rover
By Gretchen Decker
gretchen@animalprotectionsociety.org
Now that the days have turned cool and crisp in the Triangle, running is once again enjoyable. If you’re looking for a partner who will never let you down and always be happy to go on a jog at whatever time of day, you might want to try running with your dog.
To run at a smooth and steady pace and to avoid getting your arm pulled out of the socket, you and your dog need to have a solid foundation in loose-leash walking. To avoid unwanted starts and stops, I’ve taught my dog to respond to a simple command—“watch.” When he sees another dog or finds something nice and smelly on the ground, I ask him to “watch.” When he looks at me, I give him a treat. The first step was luring him to look at my eyes by holding a piece of hot dog in front of his nose, and then slowly bring it up to my eyes. We’re at the point where when he sees another dog, instead of pulling in that direction, he looks at me in anticipation of a tasty treat. To keep my hands free while running, I stash my treats in an old purse—a fanny pack or something similar would also work.
When you’re ready to try jogging, have your veterinarian check your dog out for possible problems with his heart, lungs, joints, and so on. Remember to start your dog off slow. Just as it took you a while to build up to 3 miles, it will take your dog a while too. Warm up with a 10 minute walk, jog for 10 minutes, then cool down with a 10 minute walk. Gradually increase the time spent jogging in each training session. Be sure and give your dog a day off between runs so that he can recover.
Always remember that your new running partner can’t talk. If your dog is slowing down his pace and seems to be struggling, this could be a sign that he’s overheating and needs a break. During longer runs, be sure and plan your route to include water breaks. You can carry a separate water bottle for your dog or a collapsible water bowl.
Check your dog’s footpads for scrapes and cuts. Dogs have a high tolerance for pain and will keep on running despite injuries. The best running surfaces for dogs (and you) are grass and dirt trails. But if this isn’t possible and your dog’s pads aren’t holding up, leather booties are available as well as a spray called Pad Guard.
Whether you’re running on sidewalks or in the woods, keep your buddy on leash. This is required by law. If you don’t want to grip a leash, hands-free leashes that you wear around your waist like a belt are also available. If you’re running in the dark, consider getting a reflective collar for your dog and a reflective vest for yourself
The distance that you and your dog work up to depends on the type of dog you have and the conditions you’re running in. In general, the best runners for our climate have short light hair, weigh 50 to 70 pounds, and have legs that are in proportion to the rest of their bodies. Lab, hound, and retriever mixes make great runners. Sled dogs run for days in the Iditarod but because dogs don’t sweat, those thick coats can cause problems in North Carolina. Avoid those with thick long hair. Also, Dogs with shortened noses, like bulldogs and boxers, are more likely to overheat. Some breeds such as labs and German shepherds are more likely to develop hip and joint problems. Mixes often avoid inherited conditions such as hip displasia.
If you don’t have a dog for a running partner already, check out the adult dogs waiting for adoption at the Animal Protection Society of Orange County (www.animalprotectionsociety.org). The perfect running partner might be waiting there for you.
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