NAIA Official Blog

Ever know someone with a reactive or aggressive dog who makes their pet everyone else’s problem? Who are we kidding? Of course this is something you’ve seen or experienced before. Sometimes, the owner denies or minimizes their dog’s behavior (“Don’t be afraid. He’s just playing!”); they may also make excuses for their dog (“He’s being triggered by past traumatic experiences!”), or, in some instances, the owner may even blame the victim(s) (“Why did you let your dog aggravate him!”). The lack of accountability and excuses are all too familiar.

Pets are part of the family, and our protectiveness and desire to paint them in the best possible light comes from a good place. That’s completely understandable. It is also true that our pets may act differently around us than with unfamiliar people, pets, and places. But regardless, the behavior of our pets is our responsibility. At a bare minimum, we have a duty to make sure our pets are under control when dealing with the public and strangers. And not to let smaller pets off the hook (which is a topic for another article), but this responsibility is doubly important when we’re talking about large dogs that can more easily cause grievous injuries to other pets and people.

Hammering home this point is the story of a five-year-old girl in Florida, who endured five hours of surgery after a dog owner allegedly invited the girl to pet her 60lb, recently rescued dog that was “very good with kids.” Yeesh. The dog proceeded to maul the girl twice, as the girl’s mother wrestled with the attacking dog. The owner (who, in at least one recounting of this story, just stood there as the attacks transpired) and dog disappeared as the girl was rushed to the hospital by her mother, but have since been identified. It’s a pretty horrific tale. The images serve as a graphic reminder (consider this your warning) of the harm that occurs when people fail to meet their most basic common sense and responsibility requirements as pet owners.

Resources
★     (Canada) 3 Dogs Attacked A 9-Year-Old Girl In Manitoba & Left Her With ‘Significant Injuries’
★     NAIA: Constructing successful pet friendly ordinances

An exciting new program was unveiled two weeks ago at the Rose City Classic dog show in Portland, Oregon: the testing and grading of respiratory function in brachycephalic dogs. This was launched by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), in conjunction with the Bulldog, French Bull Dog, and Pug Dog Clubs of America, as well as the AKC itself.

If you are subscribed to this blog, you probably already know what a brachycephalic breed of dog is and the health concerns and controversies that swirl around them. What you may not know – what too many people, frankly, don’t know – is that reputable breeders and their breed clubs have been hard at work to address and breed away from health issues associated with shortened snouts when present, and to, ahem, clear the air regarding some of the exaggerations surrounding brachycephalic breeds. This test, the Respiratory Function Grading Scheme (RFGS), provides the public and prospective dog owners with objective proof of that work, and ideally, opens the door for constructive conversations on health testing and issues with purpose-bred animals.

For dogs and their breeders, the RFGS objectively measures and grades brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) using a dog’s rest state and its breathing after exercise. This gives breeders valuable information on their dog’s overall health, provides guidelines for which dogs they should breed, and as a bonus, serves as a reference that sets themselves and their breeding programs apart. While it is true many top breeders were already focused on this issue, this tool offers them the opportunity, through a veterinary assessment, to certify that their dogs have normal respiratory function.

Over time, this can’t help but contribute to the advancement of good health in well-bred brachycephalic dogs both in reality as well as in public consciousness, which would be fantastic. To quote Eddie Dziuk, OFA’s chief operating officer, “There’s no reason a Pug shouldn’t be able to run around and breathe easily.” A majority already can, and with programs like this and smart choices by breeders, even more will be!

Resources
★     Respiratory Function Grading Scheme
★     PHOTOS: See the fabulous floofs of the Rose City Classic Dog Show

It’s officially winter, and the cold is coming on strong in many parts of the country. This year, meteorologists are predicting the coldest Christmas in decades – a chill deep enough to threaten pets, livestock, and wildlife.

For livestock, this means making sure their housing is dry and insulated, that they have plenty of food and water –  and that their water isn’t frozen. With animals that require heat lamps or heaters, care must be taken to make sure to avoid fire hazards, too – make sure the cure isn’t worse than the disease!

When it comes to our pets, care is simultaneously simpler and more complicated – use our eyes, knowledge of our companions, and a healthy dose of common sense. Don’t deny a young and healthy Alaskan Malamute a chance to rollick in the snow for a bit. That’s literally what they are made for! On the other hand, an older, short-haired pet might only be comfortable going outside for a minute or two.

Also, make sure to keep their feet clean and dry (this is especially important if you live where deicers are used). Our pets all have different needs and preferences; being aware of them and employing common sense will go a long way toward keeping them comfortable and safe during this cold snap!

Resources
★     Resources to protect animals during upcoming cold weather
★     Southern US cold snap could have iguanas falling from trees in Florida

April is National Heartworm Awareness month — are your pets up on their preventative treatments?

The Companion Animal Parasite Council’s (CAPC) March report is out with a rather ominous top-10 list: the cities with the highest percentage increase in positive heartworm tests last month.

Portland, Oregon made the top 10. This is important to note, as Portland had no native cases of heartworm prior to the introduction of irresponsible dog rescue operations that relocated dogs from distant states and countries to the Northwest. The idea that living in a “heartworm free” region of the country is all one needs to keep their pets free from this parasite, is alas, no longer a safe bet.

Unfortunately, the current most common standard preventatives for heartworm are controlled poisons with known side-effects (especially ivermectin) and potential ecotoxicity issues, as well, but making sure your pet is protected is far better than the alternative. Are your pets up on theirs?

Less than three months after an FDA recall of several brands of dry pet food with potentially toxic levels of vitamin D, Hill’s Pet Nutrition is now facing a class action lawsuit claiming hundreds, if not thousands of pets were sickened or even killed after being exposed to toxic levels of Vitamin D in their canned food:

“The lethal nature of Hill’s Specialty Dog Foods has been compounded by Hill’s excessive and unwarranted delay in warning consumers and regulatory agencies of the dangers posed by these products and caused untold numbers of pet owners significant emotional distress and financial loss,” noted the court filing, which detailed the cases of three bereaved dog owners.

“As early as February of 2018, dog owners began to complain that Hill’s Specialty Dog Foods were causing their pets to display symptoms consistent with vitamin D poisoning, such as ‘daily diarrhea, excessive thirst and constant food begging,'” according to the suit.

Hill’s is facing an additional, unrelated lawsuit over the issue of “fake pharmacy” prescription foods, as well.

Production issues and legal actions against companies that make the food your pets eat is obviously something we should all be aware of. We will follow this story and post updates as they occur.

Given the recent spate of dog-food related recalls and lawsuits, you can’t blame your pet for being a little wary…

This January is the seventh annual National Train Your Dog Month… have you been training your dog(s)?

Perhaps you and your pal are wild for weave poles, or maybe you just want a companion who won’t yank your arm off every time you go for a walk? No matter your situation and goals, this is a good time* to remember that there are huge benefits to socializing and training your dogs — for both you and your pets.

It’s not just about teaching good manners. Training is a big part of building a strong, lifelong bond with your dog. How many dogs fitting the “energetic young dog with zero obedience training” profile that have been surrendered to shelters would be spared that experience if their owners had connected with them through training?

*really, it’s pretty much always a good time

It’s hard to find somebody who doesn’t love kittens, and the desire to help a defenseless stray is perfectly natural and noble — but as the following story illustrates, once you bring diseases into the equation, especially ones of the zoonotic (and fatal!) variety, it puts all of your animal and human friends at risk.

Rabid kitten traveled within 3 counties, N.J. health department says

The owner found the kitten in Edison on Nov. 12. The owner grew attached so quickly, that the feline accompanied its new master on errands throughout central New Jersey over the next 11 days.

[…]

There were no signs the kitten was infected with the potentially deadly virus until Nov. 23, when it stopped eating and became fatigued. Paralysis in the back limbs set in the next day.

Stray Kitten

It is hard to read this without feeling a chill. What a close call:

Vet intern spots tick just before paralyzed dog was to be euthanized

Was the dog suffering from Cancer? A spinal fracture? No…

A tick was found lodged behind Ollie’s ear, and Fate thought he may have picked it up on a recent camping trip.

The parasite was discovered just in the nick of time by a veterinary intern.

“He was in the room about to get put to sleep, and it was just pure grace that the people found something and decided to check it out further,” Fate explained.

“They have a neurotoxin in their saliva that prevents nerve transition to the muscles, and that takes time to build up in the body and cause paralysis like what we saw in Ollie,” Stone said.

In less than 10 hours after having the tick removed, Ollie the Collie was up and about — thank goodness. If there has ever been a more powerful reminder of the value of sharp eyes, of a willingness to run through all the possibilities, we’d certainly love to hear it!

Another day, another “Am I bad for getting a dog from a breeder?” self-flagellation…

It has become a very tired conversation, but the answer provided in the link above is reasonable (though some of the numbers are questionable), and there is a wise reminder in the final sentence:

“Having a preference for one kind of dog (or person) is not morally equivalent to being hostile to all others.”

There is truth in this. Are you drawn to a specific breed because you have always loved that breed’s traits? Awesome! Does this mean you are hostile toward shelter dogs? It shouldn’t! Is your best friend a dog of unknown heritage that you bonded with while visiting the local shelter? Great! Does this mean you are hostile toward breeders and deliberately bred dogs? Again, it shouldn’t!

And really, we think this may be the ultimate niche issue: there are so many people out there who own — and love — multiple dogs from different backgrounds and sources without feeling a need to beat themselves up over it. It is a shame that otherwise thoughtful dog lovers are wracked with guilt over a simple matter of choice.

At the end of the day, as long as people are informed, behave ethically, and are able to put the interests of their dogs ahead of their egos, there are no bad choices.

San Jose dogs, owners join DNA studies to help find cures

3,000 Golden Retrievers and their owners are participating in a lifetime study for the Morris Animal Foundation, with the goal of finding out why (and eventually how to prevent) so many of them get cancer. The dogs will be checked on regularly, their owners tracking everywhere they go, everything they eat, taking samples, and dutifully sending in the data.

This is the kind of thing we love to see! And what an inspiring undertaking! This research coupled with breeders sharing their own data can and will lead to great advances in both canine and human health.

Also worth noting, given the current rhetorical climate as it relates to purebred dogs and canine health:

Despite golden retrievers’ high vulnerability to cancer, Anita Oberbauer, a geneticist at UC Davis, has found that purebreds as a whole are not less healthy than mixed breeds.

Oberbauer’s team analyzed over 27,000 dogs through electronic records and compared the frequency of genetic diseases in mutts versus purebred pups. She found that mixed breeds suffered just as much as pure breeds from 13 disorders, including hip dysplasia and cancer. In a follow-up study, the researchers found that increased vulnerability to other diseases did not apply to all purebred dogs but only to certain subgroups.

For example, the fact that golden retrievers are especially vulnerable to cancer does not mean all purebreds are. Because studies tend to focus on purebred dogs rather than mixed breeds, diseases in mutts get less play.

Fascinating and inspiring stuff!