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to subscribe: www.whl-dg-jal.m cpygh 2007, blv Mda Gp, LLc THEWHOLEDOGJOURNAL

J 2007

the Whole Dog JournalTMfeatures

A monthly guide to natural dog care and training

also in this issue

2 ed n22 l fm rd24 Pdc d exp rc

3 nw W Cg! Howtoformulateandprepareacomplete andbalancedhome-cookedcaninediet.

10 h hdb Fortifyyourlibrarywithtitlesonholistic healthandhealthcare(conventionaland complementary)fordogs.

12 C d Dg, lg tg Creatingaharmonioushouseholdthat includesdogsandotheranimalstakes morethanluck.Hereshowtokeepthe peacebetweenspecies.

16 Cc tp upd Twopromisingtreatmentsarenewly availableforcaninecancer.

20 rc rdx Rollingrecallsjustkeepcoming... Whatsadogparenttodo?

$5.9

VOLUmE0

NUmbER6

Hcefeece . . .e 10

BFF . . .e 12

CeHe Ec . . .e 3

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2|June 2007 cpygh 2007, blv Mda Gp, LLc to subscribe, cALL (800) 829-9165

eDitors noteeDitors note

Last month, I mentioned that I was goingto attend Petfood Forum, an industryconference held annually in Chicago.As it turned out, it was the perfectplace to be while news was breaking

daily about expanding recalls. All theplayers were there: manufacturers, ingredientsuppliers, testing labs, and pet food companyexecutives. It was an ideal place to be a yon the wall at least, until I gave the talk(Scrutinizing Super-Premium Pet Foods)

that I was invited to present!Given my general anxiety (Ive never

given a talk to a room full of people before),I may not be the best judge of the receptionI received. Its a fact that the room was full;my talk was well-attended. But it seemed tome that the audience, though polite, was alsoawfully quiet, almost grim. Well, the industryis taking its lumps right now, and I mighthave been just laying it on thicker at a timewhen theyd rather not be reminded about theimportance of ingredient quality.

To their credit, I saw nothing but genuine

contrition and concern from industry repsabout the recalls. I also never met or heardanyone at the meeting who appeared to bemore concerned with covering their butts orspinning the news. Instead, I heard many,many discussions about how to change busi-ness as usual in the industry, how to improveingredient testing and tracing, product recalls,and consumer relations. Given the presen-tation I saw given by an industry analyst,indicating that the most robust growth in thepet food market is in the natural, holistic,organic sector, I get the feeling that the pos-tures that I witnessed were authentic.

By nanCy kerns

C-C-C-CagesRepeat after me: Problems bring opportunities.

The Whole doG Journal

(ISSN #1097-5322) is published

monthly by Belvoir Media Group,

LLC, 800 Connecticut Avenue, Nor-

walk, CT 06854-1631. Robert Eng-

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Copyright 2007, Belvoir Media Group, LLC. All rights

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THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL makes every eort toprovide inormation on dog health, care, and treat-ment that is authoritative, reliable, and practical.It is not intended, however, to replace diagnosisor treatment rom a veterinarian or other qualifed

dog proessional. THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL doesnot assume any legal responsibility. Readers shouldalways consult qualifed healthcare providers orspecifc diagnosis and treatment.

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Mission stateMent:WDJs mission is to provide dog guardians with in-depth information on

effective holistic healthcare methods and successful nonviolent training. The methods we discusswill endeavor to do no harm to dogs; we do not advocate perpetrating even minor transgressionsin the name of greater good. We intend our articles to enable readers to immediately apply

training and healthcare techniques to their own dogs with visible and enjoyable success. All topicsshould contribute to improving the dogs health and vitality, and deepening the canine/human

bond. Above all, we wish to contribute information that will enable consumers to make kind,

healthy, and informed decisions about caring for their own dogs.

Im sorry that certain articles that havebeen lurking on the whats ahead box on page 24 have not yet been forthcoming,whereas other unanticipated articles keepcropping up! With their long production leadtimes, monthly magazines are not ideallypositioned to cover breaking news stories likethe pet food recalls, but weve been doingour best to cover these important issues inas timely as matter as possible even if it

has caused some chaos in our lineup. Long-overdue articles on essential fatty acids, puppy classes, and lipomas will appear assoon as possible.

Cooper, the Australian Shepherd whoappears with me in the photo below, died onApril 25 at the age of 13. He was my father-in-laws dog, although in recent months hehad been living with my husband and me inour part-time home in Oroville, as my in-lawswere preparing to sell their house.

Ive provided vacation dog care for Coop

for a decade, and borrowed him frequently forproduct testing and modeling duty he was aperfectmodel and could learn a new trick toperform for the camera within minutes. Be-

sides chewing up a fewdog beds, I cant thinkof anything he everdidwrong. Ill miss hischeery, goofy, sweetface in person and inthe magazine morethan I can say.

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Vry: A homemade diet must i

clude a variety of different foods, not jumeat and grains. Its best to feed mandifferent types of meat (beef, lamb, porchicken, turkey, sh, etc.), as well as othfoods such as organs, eggs, yogurt, anhealthy leftovers.

Most people who feed cooked diealso feed grains or starchy veggies. If yodo, make sure that meat and other animproducts make up at least half the diet, anpreferably more. Remember that dogs dnot require carbohydrates, and they do nsupply as much nutrition to dogs as animproducts do.

Blc vr m: When you fea wide variety of different foods, there no need to make each meal complete anbalanced. Think of how you eat yourseand how you feed your children, providindifferent foods at different meals and odifferent days. Make sure your dog geeverything he needs over a week or twnot at every meal.

By Mary straus

now Wee Cookig!

T

Home-prepared diets for those who eschew raw feeding.

hose of us who feed our dogs a rawdiet that includes bones believe thatthis is the healthiest, most naturaldiet dogs can eat. But not every-one is comfortable feeding such a

diet to their dogs. You may worry aboutbacteria or parasites in raw meat, or aboutfeeding bones, or you may have a dog whodoesnt enjoy or do well on a raw diet.

If you prefer to feed your dog a cookeddiet, or a diet that includes raw meat but

no bones, thats ne. Your dog will still benet from a variety of fresh foods in proper proportions, regardless of howtheyre prepared. For simplicitys sake,these diets are often referred to as cookeddiets, but the meat portion may be fed rawif you choose.

Cooked diets that do not include boneare a little more difcult in terms of makingsure that all of your dogs nutritional needsare met. We can supply the calcium thatbones provide from other sources, but it is

hard to know exactly which other nutrientspresent in fresh bone might be missing ina bone-free homemade diet.

In addition, cooking destroys or reducescertain nutrients, such as vitamins C and Eand taurine. Cooking in water also leachesout minerals, though this can be resolvedby feeding the water the food was cookedin. Light cooking at lower temperatures hasless effect on nutrient value than cookingfoods until they are well done.

While dogs (particularly adult dogs)can survive on a wide variety of diets, thisarticle will give you guidelines for optimalnutrition, to help your dogs live the longest,healthiest lives possible.

rw: bc As discussed in the rst two installments ofthis series (Have Dinner In, April 2007and A Raw Deal, May 2007), the threemost important rules of home-prepareddiets apply to cooked diets, too:

nutritionnutrition

wh c . . .

Remember that at least hal the

diet, and preerably more, should

come rom animal sources.

Always eed a variety o dierent

oods, not the same oods all the

time.

Be sure to include organ meatsand eggs in your homemade diet.

You must add calcium in

appropriate

amounts when

you eed a

homemade diet

that does not

include bone.

M ws w w t ppg t gs mst mtbw mttg w bs, st tzg gs, g ms mts( ), sppmts. Wt tm, gt sts, m gwb vt mb ts mps mst w mt bs.

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|June 2007 cpygh 2007, blv Mda Gp, LLc to subscribe, cALL (800) 829-9165

Clcum: One of the most commonmistakes that people make when feedinga home-cooked diet is the failure to addcalcium. Youmustaddcalciumwhenyoufeedadietthatdoesnotincludebones.

Adult dogs need around 800 to 1,000mg of calcium per pound of food fed. Theyalso require the calcium to be supplied in aproper proportion to phosphorus.

The ideal calcium:phosphorus ratio

in the canine diet is between 1:1 and 2:1.Meat contains a lot of phosphorus, so themore meat a diet contains, the more cal-cium will be required to reach the correctcalcium:phosphorus ratio. Adding 800 to1,000 mg of calcium will provide the cor-rect calcium:phosphorus ratio even for ahigh-meat diet, unless you use a calciumsupplement that also contains phosphorus.In that case, moderately higher amountsof calcium may be needed to balance outthe additional phosphorus contained in thesupplement.

Ground eggshell can be used as a cal-cium supplement. Rinse eggshells and drythem on a counter overnight, or in the oven,then grind them in a clean coffee grinder.One large eggshell provides one teaspoonof ground eggshell, which contains 2,000mg of calcium, so add teaspoon groundeggshell per pound of food fed. Dont useeggshells that havent been ground to pow-der, as they may not be absorbed as well.

You can use other types of calciumsupplements (any form of calcium is ne).Calcium from seaweed, such as Animal

Essentials Natural Calcium, also suppliesother minerals (including magnesium, io-dine, and selenium) that are benecial.

Bone meal is frequently used as a sourceof calcium in diets that dont include rawbone. However, bone meal contains cal-cium andphosphorus. Different brands ofbone meal supplements contain differentamounts of calcium and phosphorus, butthe calcium:phosphorus ratio is always the

same: 2:1. To balance a diet that containslots of phosphorus, then, such as one thatcontains mostly meat, you will need to givean amount of bone meal that will provide1,000 to 1,200 mg calcium per pound offood to keep the ideal calcium:phosphorusratio in the diet correct.

Look for bone meal supplements thatare guaranteed to be free of lead and othercontaminants. You can also use a puried

bone extract called MicrocrystallineHydroxyapatite (MCHA), but most of thesesupplements also contain vitamin D in highamounts, which would notbe appropriateto use (see supplements section further onin the text).

Another option is to use a supplementdesigned specically to balance a lim-ited diet, including supplying the properamount of calcium. Wysongs Call of theWild supplement is meant to balance anall-meat diet that does not include bone.Call of the Wild derives some of its value

from whole foods. Balance IT is anothersupplement created to balance a limited,incomplete homemade diet.

One last option is to use a dog food pre-mix to which you add meat, eggs, dairy,and other healthy foods. These pre-mixeswill include calcium and other nutrients tobalance out the fresh foods that you add.(Have Dinner In, WDJ April 2007, hasmore information on pre-mixes.)

If you feed meat with ground bone,there is no need to add calcium. (See ARaw Deal, May 2007, for more informa-

tion about diets containing ground bone.)When you use supplements or pre-mixes designed to balance a limited diet,

you should restrict the amount of liveryou feed to no more than half the amountrecommended below, due to high levelsof vitamin A. Also, do not add cod liveroil (or other source of vitamin D) or kelp(due to the risk of excess iodine, which caninterfere with thyroid function), unless thepre-mix instructs you to do so.

Remember that you should never feedcooked whole bones, unless they have been

cooked into mush in a pressure cookeror by boiling for many hours. (This willonly work with some chicken bones; otherbones remain too hard no matter how longyou cook them, though you can add somevinegar to the water to help leach out someof the calcium into the food.)

You can cook meat-based foods thatcontain ground bone, but this is not ideal.Cooking food that contains a large amountof ground bone can lead to constipationor even impaction. Thats why cookingground-up necks, backs, wings, etc. or

commercial blends that contain ground bone is inadvisable. Either feed thisground food raw, or add in an equal amountof meat (without bone) to lower the per-centage of bone in the mix.

Again, when bones are fed, you dontneed to add calcium to the diet.

tp d, ppWhen feeding a homemade diet, it is es-sential that different types of foods be fedin appropriate proportions. Meat, eggs,dairy, and other animal products should

make up at least half of the diet, and prefer-ably more. The diet needs to include organmeats as well as muscle meat.

cc 1% - 2%

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Lvr and kdy should make up 5to 10 percent of the total diet. Its best tofeed small amounts daily or every otherday, rather than large amounts at one time.Because these organs are so nutrient-dense,use the raw weight to determine the amountto feed.

For example, if you feed a total of 20ounces of food daily, use 1 to 2 ounces ofraw liver/kidney, even though the cooked

weight will be less. If possible, make hr(nutritionally, more of a muscle meat) an-other 5 to 10 percent of the diet, or evenmore, though too much may lead to loosestools in some dogs.

egg are an excellent source of nutri-tion. They can be soft-boiled, hard-boiled,gently scrambled, etc., or fed raw, if yourdog likes them that way. You can feed asmany eggs as you want, as long as you stillfeed lots of variety.

Dry prduc, such as yogurt, ker,and cottage cheese, are well tolerated by

most dogs and offer good nutritional value.Yogurt and ker have the added advantageof providing benecial bacteria (probiot-ics). These products should be added afterthe food is cooked. Goats milk may betolerated by dogs who have problems withcows milk.

Mucl m from a variety of sourcessuch as beef, lamb, pork, chicken, andturkey should make up most of the rest ofthe diet. It can be fed ground or in chunks.You can also feed canned sh, such as jackmackerel, pink salmon, and sardines, once

or twice a week. (There is no need to addcalcium to those meals since the bones areincluded.)

Vgbl are optional, but providemany benets. Leafy greens are amongthe healthiest veggies to feed; other goodveggies include broccoli, cauliower, brus-sels sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, turnips,rutabaga, celery, cucumber, bell peppers,zucchini and other summer squashes, car-rots, and more. Spinach and swiss chardcan be fed in limited amounts.

These veggies provide few calories, soI usually advise adding them on top of the

amount of food you feed, rather than calcu-lating them as a percentage of the diet.

Steaming is the best way to cookvegetables, as it removes fewer nutrientsthan boiling. You can add the water usedto steam or boil veggies to the meal, as itwill contain the minerals that were leachedout during cooking (add leftover meat drip-pings, gravy, soups, sauces, etc., to make asavory broth). Some vegetables may cause

gas if fed to your dog in large portions.Gr, lgum (b), d rchy

vgbl (such as potatoes, sweet po-tatoes and winter squashes) are usuallyincluded in cooked diets, but rememberthat dogs do not require carbohydrates intheir diet, and plants supply incompleteproteins for dogs. If you do feed them, itsbest if theyre a small percentage of thediet, around one quarter or less. At a maxi-mum, carbohydrates should never make upmore than half the diet, with the other halfcoming from animal sources.

Grains that can be fed to dogs includewhite rice, brown rice, oatmeal, barley,amaranth, quinoa, and bulgur. Just as withother foods, feeding a variety of differentgrains and carbs is better than always feed-ing the same kind. Remember that grainscontribute to weight gain and sometimesother health problems. If your dog is over-weight or suffers from allergies, arthritis,seizures, urinary incontinence, IBD, orother digestive disorders, you may want totry feeding a diet without grains or starchycarbs to see if your dog improves.

Fru can be added to the diet in smaamounts. Overripe fruits are easier to d

gest. Dont feed grapes or raisins, whicause kidney damage to some dogs if tomany are eaten. Good fruits to feed incluapples, bananas, papayas, mangoes, beries, and melon.

Remember that you can also incluhlhy lfvr (foods you would eyourself) from your own meals in the dyou feed your dog.

Pg gWhile meals can be prepared individualyou may nd it easier to cook up larbatches at one time, and then divide tfood into meal-sized portions and freezBecause variety is important over time annot necessary at every meal, you can fethe same foods for a week or two, and thswitch to something else when you makthe next batch.

Its best to add most supplements at ttime of feeding, rather than mixing thein ahead of time, since many vitamins another nutrients are affected by freezing

smp D Cd D d sppmRemember that its not necessary to feed a balanced diet every day, as long asthe diet is balanced over time. For example, it would be ne to feed eggs one dayalternating with organ meat the next, rather than feeding both foods every day.Or you might feed just muscle meat one day, with a mix of organ meat, eggs, anddairy the next.

Following are suggested amounts for a 40-pound dog. Adjust as needed foryour individual dog, keeping in mind that, on average, larger dogs will eat less

for their weight, and smaller dogs more.

8 to 12 ounces muscle meat/heart/sh/leftovers (raw or cooked weight) 1 to 2 ounces liver or kidney (raw weight before cooking) 1 to 2 eggs (daily or every other day) 1 to 4 ounces yogurt, ker, or cottage cheese 2 to 8 ounces grains (cooked weight) or veggies (no more than half the diet) 1,000 mg calcium (for example, tsp ground eggshell, or 1 tsp Animal

Essentials Natural Calcium, or 1 tsp NOW bone meal, which has 1,000 mgcalcium per rounded teaspoon).

smpl dly upplm (pl)

2 sh oil capsules (400 to 600 mg combined EPA and DHA)

200 IUs vitamin E (required at least once a week if giving oils) to tsp green blend 500 mg vitamin C (preferably sodium ascorbate or calcium ascorbate, rather

than ascorbic acid) once or twice a day Vitamin B-50 complex once or twice a day Cod liver oil in an amount yielding 100 to 200 IUs vitamin D tsp organic apple cider vinegar mixed with teaspoon raw honey 1 clove fresh crushed garlic 1 to 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

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by exposure to light or air. The probioticsfound in yogurt and ker will also notsurvive the freezing process.

You can add herbs and spices if yourdog likes them, but not onions, which cancause anemia in dogs. The small amountsin leftovers shouldnt be a problem.

am dOne of the rst questions that comes up

when anyone wants to switch to a home-made diet is, how much should I feed?There are guidelines that can help yougure out a starting amount, but rememberthat each dog is an individual. The amountof food needed by each dog will vary con-siderably depending on his activity leveland metabolism, and such factors as theamount of fat in the diet. Keep a close eyeon your dogs weight whenever you switchdiets and adjust the amounts you feed up ordown as needed, increasing or decreasingno more than 10 percent at a time.

Its healthier for dogs of all ages to belean rather than plump. If you have a dogwho is relatively inactive, or tends to gainweight easily, you can reduce the amountof fat in the diet by removing skin and vis-ible fat from poultry, and by feeding leanermeats and low-fat dairy products. For dogsthat need a very low-fat diet due to chronicpancreatitis or fat intolerance, boiling meatwill remove most of the fat.

As a general rule, dogs will eat around2 to 3 percent of their body weight in freshfood daily (use cooked weights for foodsthat are cooked). Large dogs will tend toeat a lower percentage and small dogs ahigher percentage of their body weights.Toy breeds may need as much as 4 to 5percent of their body weight daily, whilegiant breeds might eat as little as 1 per-cent, or even less.

I start with around 2 pounds of fooda day for a 100-pound dog (2 percent oftheir body weight), 1 to 1 pounds of

food for a 50-pound dog (2 to 3 percentof body weight), to of a pound (8 to12 ounces) of food for a 25-pound dog (2to 3 percent of body weight), and 5 to 6 ounces of food for a 10-pound dog (3 to4 percent of body weight). When makingyour calculations, remember that ouncesare not the same as tenths 1.5 pounds isnot 21 ounces (1 pound 5 ounces), it is 24ounces (1.5 x 16).

If you feed two meals a day, divide thetotal amount in half for each meal. If youknow your dog is very active, tends to beon the thin side, or eats more now thanwould be expected for his age and size,then start with higher amounts and feedfattier foods. If you have a couch potato,or a dog who is overweight or gains weighteasily, start with less and feed lower-fatfoods. Again, watch your dogs weightclosely, using a scale if possible, and adjustas needed.

Note that leafy green veggies supply

few calories, so dont count them in whencalculating the amount of food to feed, butadd them on top of the rest of the diet. Ifyou have a dog who is overweight and likesveggies, this is one way to increase theamount of food that she can have withoutcausing weight gain.

The fat content of the diet will affectthe amount you feed. Most dogs shouldhave a moderate amount of fat in theirdiet, which means limiting meats thatare really high in fat, such as 75 percentlean ground beef and some ground lamb

and pork products. When feeding poultry(e.g., chicken, turkey, duck), remove vis-ible globs of fat, and maybe some of theskin as well, particularly if your dog isntvery active.

If you nd you need to feed less than

fd ad rc

hp m b t ttg m p ms t gps!

The following foods should be restricted (used sparingly) in a canine diet:

Grlc: benecial in doses up to 1 small clove per 20 pounds of body weight,but can cause anemia if given in larger quantities.

P (h rgulr kd, w p), m, pppr (ll

kd), d ggpl may aggravate arthritis pain, but are otherwise ne to feed.

Grains and starchy veggies may also aggravate arthritis and other forms of inam-mation.

While most foods safe for people are also safe for dogs, there are a few notableexceptions. Here are some foods you should notfeed your dog:

o: can cause a form of anemia. Reaction is dose-dependent and canbuild up over time. Small amounts are not harmful, but theres no reason to feedthem.

Mcdm u: toxic to dogs, even in very small amounts.

Chcl d cff: toxic to dogs.

Xyll, a natural sweetener, is toxic to dogs.

Grp d r: can cause kidney failure in a few dogs forunknown reasons if fed in large amounts; 3 to 6 ounces per 20 lbs ofbody weight is the lowest amount known to have caused toxicity. Manydog owners use grapes and raisins in small amounts as a trainingtreat or snack and have seen no ill effects; others feel the potential fordanger exceeds the value of feeding grapes or raisins. Most important:Do not leave bunches or grapes or boxes of raisins anywhere your dogmight be able to get them. Most cases of grape toxicity occurred whena dog stole a large ration.

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the amounts recommended above to keepyour dog at a healthy weight, try reducingthe amount of fat, so that he can have morefood in order to get the nutrients that heneeds (but dont feed a really low-fat diet,as that will cause your dog to feel hungryall the time).

On the other hand, if you nd your-self having to feed more than would beexpected for your dogs size, you can

increase the amount of fat. Working dogsand those who are very active and havetrouble keeping weight on will benet froma higher-fat diet. Keep in mind that dogs donot have problems with high cholesterol,so that is not a concern if you need to feeda high-fat diet.

Grains and starchy carbs can also affectweight. Dogs who have trouble maintain-ing their weight on a normal amount offood may benet from added carbohy-drates, while reducing them can help thosewho need to lose weight.

Mg wcMost dogs have little problem switching toa home-cooked diet. If your dog is prone todigestive problems, you may want to makethe change gradually. Add just one newingredient at a time and wait a few daysto see how your dog does before addingsomething else new, gradually increasingthe amount of new food and decreasing theamount of the old.

If you add a lot of new ingredients atone time and your dog develops problems,

its harder to tell what the cause might be.If your dog vomits or has diarrhea, returnto his prior diet and make the change morecarefully once his digestive system is backto normal. That may include feeding thenew food separately from the old (at leasta few hours in between meals), and feedingonly one new food at a time, to see if yourdog reacts to any of the new ingredients.

sppmThe choice of whether or not to addsupplements is an individual one. Healthydogs fed a wide variety of fresh foods in

appropriate proportions should have noneed of supplements, though they may still

benet from them. The less variety youfeed, the more necessary supplements be-come. Cooked diets are more likely to needsupplementation, since cooking destroys orreduces some nutrients. Dogs with health

problems may also benet from certainsupplements regardless of their diet.

The most important supplement is sh

body oil (not liver oil), such as salmon oilor EPA oil. This supplies omega-3 fattyacids, which provide a variety of benets

and are hard to nd in any diet, whetherhomemade or commercial. The recom-mended dosage for healthy dogs is around1 gram (1,000 mg) of sh oil per 20 to 30pounds of body weight (dogs with certainhealth problems may benet from higherdoses).

When fed in doses high enough tosupply the recommended amount ofEPAand DHA, sh liver oil would contributetoo much vitamin D. Restrict the amountof sh liver oil you feed your dog so thatit does not contribute more than 100 IUs

of vitamin D daily for a small dog (400IUs daily for a large dog). Do not add codliver oil or other sources of vitamin D toany commercial diet, as most are alreadyhigh in vitamin D.

Note that axseed oil and carmelina oil

are not good choices to replace sh oil, asthe form of omega-3 fatty acids found inplant oils (alpha linolenic acid, orALA)must be converted in the body to the formsthat dogs can utilize (EPA and DHA). Atbest, dogs probably convert 15 percent ofALA to EPA and DHA; at worst, none ofit. Fish, grass-fed meats, and eggs are alsogood sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

Whenever you add oils of any kind, youneed to supplement with vitamin E, or thebody will become depleted of this vitaminover time. Give around 100 IUs to a smalldog (under 25 lbs), 200 IUs to a medium-sized dog (25 to 60 lbs), and 400 IUs to alarge dog (more than 60 lbs), anywherefrom daily to once a week.

Minerals are tricky to supplement, as

they can be dangerous at excessive leveor if they are not balanced properly wiother minerals. For example, zinc binwith copper, so if you give a supplemethat includes zinc but not copper in propproportions (10:1), eventually this can leato a copper deciency.

Minerals are most safely supplementin whole food form. Green blends thcontain foods such as kelp, spirulina, Iri

moss, fenugreek seed, and alfalfa are excellent source of trace minerals. (Nothat it is important not to give too muckelp, as it is high in iodine and too muccan suppress the thyroid.) Its best to givkelp in very small amounts teaspooor less for a large dog.

Organic apple cider vinegar, nutritionor brewers yeast, and dark molasses alsupply trace minerals. Other fresh foosupplements that may provide benefinclude raw honey, ginger (especialgood for digestion), and fresh crushe

garlic (no more than 1 small clove per 2 pounds of body weight daily; more ccause anemia).

You may want to add prbc, espcially if your dog is stressed or ill, has betreated with antibiotics, or has had diarhea. Supplements with multiple strains

benecial bacteria are preferable to plaacidophilus. Digestive enzymes are alhelpful for some dogs with gastrointestinproblems.

Ppp

The nutritional requirements of puppivary from those of adults, and deciecies (or excesses) are more likely to cauharm. Puppies need more protein, facalcium, and phosphorus than adult dodo, but too much calcium can lead serious orthopedic problems. This is epecially true for young (prior to pubertylarge-breed puppies. These increaseneeds continue as long as your puppy growing, and are highest during perioof peak growth.

The exact amount of calcium that pupies require is a matter of endless deba

among nutritionists. Ill outline the moprominent recommendations, and suggean approach that should result in yohome-prepared diet falling into the middof these ranges.

The 2006 National Research Counc(NRC) guidelines recommend that puppireceive 3 grams (3,000 mg) of calciu per 1,000 kcals, which is four times recommended amount for adult dogs. T

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minimum requirement was changed to2,000 mg/1,000 kcals from its 1985 mini-mum of 1,600 mg/1,000 kcals.

The nutrient guidelines published by the Association of American FeedControl Ofcials (AAFCO) express therecommended amount in a different way,suggesting that puppy diets include be-tween 1.0 and 2.5 percent calcium on adry matter (DM) basis.

Some nutritional research suggests thatlarge-breed puppies have optimal skeletaldevelopment and mineralization when feda diet that contains between 0.8 and 1.0percent calcium (DM), as long as the dietuses high biological value protein (fromanimal products) that provides 420 kcalsper 100 grams of food. The percentage ofcalcium needed increases when caloricdensity is increased (higher-fat diets), sothat the total amount of calcium per calo-rie remains the same. The percentage ofcalcium needed also increases when more

grains are fed, since the phytates in grainsbind calcium.

Studies have shown that skeletalabnormalities and lameness can resultin large-breed puppies fed more than2.6 percent calcium (DM), or more than6,500 mg calcium per 1,000 kcals. Mini-mum amounts are less well-dened, butproblems may occur when diets contain

phorus than adult dogs, I suggest usingbone meal for a calcium source, rather thana calcium-only supplement. (Again, bonemeal contains calcium and phosphorus ina ratio of 2:1.)

If your dogs diet provides calcium inamounts that fall at the low end of the rang-es suggested by experts, its advisable tosupplement the diet with vitamin D, whichenhances calcium uptake. (Dont use cal-

cium supplements that contain vitamin D,though, as the amounts will be too high). Ifyou want to do your own calculations, youcan analyze the diet youre feeding usinga nutrition analyzer (see Resources for aHomemade Diet, next page).

Remember that if you feed a dietthat includes ground bone in appropriateamounts, there is no need to add additionalcalcium or phosphorus, as bone supplies both minerals in the right proportions.(Isnt nature wonderful?)

Puppies also require more protein

than adult dogs. Remember that there isno danger in feeding high-protein dietsto puppies. The best thing you can do forlarge- and giant-breed puppies is to keepthem lean and slow-growing by limitingthe total amount fed, not by limiting thepercentage of protein in the diet.

Most puppies will do well on a dietthat has a moderately high amount of fat.

less than 0.6 percent calcium (DM). Theamount of vitamin D in the diet will alsohave an effect, since it increases the ab-sorption of calcium. Small-breed puppiescan tolerate a much wider range of calciumthan large-breed puppies without develop-ing problems.

Heres my suggestion: If you addan amount of bone meal that providesbetween 1,000 and 2,000 mg of calcium

per pound of food fed (not counting anylow-calorie veggies), this should provideadequate but not excessive calcium. If youcook the meat, use the cooked weight todetermine how much calcium to add.

The higher amount of calcium in thatrange (2,000 mg per pound of food) willmeet both NRC and AAFCO guidelines,providing between 2,000 and 4,000 mg ofcalcium/1,000 kcals and 1.6 to 2.0 percentcalcium DM based on the diet recommen-dations Ive given.

The lower amount (1,000 mg per pound

of food) will provide between 0.8 and 1.0percent calcium, which some feel is mostappropriate for large breed puppies. Thisis lower thanNRC and AAFCO minimums,

but not low enough to cause deciencies.Remember, you need to add more calciumper pound of food fed if you use a high-fator high-grain diet.

Because puppies also need more phos-

Christie Keith of San Francisco, California, has raised Scottish

Deerhound puppies using Dr. Richard Pitcairns Growth DietC (see Home-Prepared Diet Resources, next page), withcertain modications.

Keith had one dog with severe grain allergies. She con-sulted with Dr. Pitcairn about the advisability of modifyinghis diet plan so she could use vegetables in place of the grainsin the recipe, and he agreed that this was ne. Keith later sub-stantially reduced the volume of carbohydrates as well, using1 cup of sweet potatoes, for example, instead of 3 cups ofgrains, but continued to add the same amount of supplementsspecied in the recipe.

I replaced the grains with a lesser volume of a combinationof cooked and raw veggies, especially sweet potatoes, saysKeith. I think its better that way. I have raised three litterson this substituted recipe with no problems.

Keith follows Pitcairns supplement suggestions, givingbone meal, nutritional yeast, cod liver oil, vitamin E, iron, andHealthy Powder according to the guidelines given, but says, Ileave the C out of the Healthy Powder and supplement directlywith Ester-C or sodium ascorbate powder. She also substitutessh body oil for the vegetable oils in the recipe.

Ive had good results using this recipe for my puppiesand nursing moms, says Keith, but I am always open to

new information and wouldnt hesitate to modify this diet

if I learned something new.

Christie keiths version ofDr. riCharD PitCairns GroWth Diet C 1 cup sweet potatoes, cooked

2 cups (1 lb) bee chuck, chicken or turkey with skin, or lamb

1 or 2 eggs (optional)

1 cup low-at cottage cheese or yogurt

2,400 mgs o calcium (rom bone meal)

2 Tbsp Healthy Powder (recipe given below)

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

2 fsh oil gelcaps (or tsp liquid fsh oil)

2 tsp cod liver oil

400 IUs vitamin E (poke capsule with pin and squeeze

contents onto ood)

10 mgs iron (optional but I would use it)

1,000 mgs taurine (open capsule and sprinkle it over ood;

also optional)

Dr. PitCairns reCiPe for healthy PoWDer(keeP r efriGerateD) 2 cups nutritional yeast

1 cup lecithin granules

1/4 cup kelp or alala powder

9 grams (9,000 mg) calcium (used to balance out the

phosphorus in the Healthy Powder)

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Puppies need more fat than adult dogs,but too much can lead to rapid growth(if they get too many calories), or limitnutrition (if you have to feed less than thenormal amount to control growth). If youhave a very active puppy who eats morethan would be expected for his age andsize, then you can increase the amount offat in his diet. Dont feed a low-fat diet toa puppy.

Figuring out how much to feed a puppywill depend on the pups age as well as cur-rent weight and anticipated adult weight.Puppies eat much more for their weightthan adult dogs do, and young puppieseat more for their weight than older pup-pies do. Thats one of the reasons why itsimportant to feed younger puppies three tofour meals a day.

The amount fed to puppies shouldgradually increase from a little over halfof the appropriate adult serving (when the

naTS ntt ass Ts SstmSelect NATS ver 2.0 and enter the oods youre using in the diet to determine the numbero calories youre eeding. nat.crgq.com

Dr. Pitcairns Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, by Richard Pitcairn, DVMThe 1995 edition contains his Growth Diet C or puppies; the newer 2005 edition does not.(Dr. Pitcairn comments: In the prior editions we had two classes o recipes, (one) or grow-ing animals and (one) or adults. It became easier to just up the protein levels o the adultrecipes and to make the recipes suitable or both groups.) Check your library or hal.comto fnd the older edition.

CalCiuM sourCesam essts nt cmMade and sold by Animal Essentials. animalessentials.com, (888) 463-7748

noW B M PwMade by NOW Foods. nowoods.com, (888) 669-3663

Wsgs c t WMade and sold by Wysong; also available at many pet supply stores. This supplement ismeant to balance an all-meat diet. wysong.net, (800) 748-0188

B iTMade and sold by DVM Consulting. This supplement is meant to balance a l imited, incompletediet. balanceit.com, (888) 346-6362 or (530) 756-3862 outside the U.S.

Green BlenDsa Sstms G! Tt ht aMade and sold by Aunt Jenis, auntjeni.com, (301) 702-0123.

am essts og G attv hb BMade and sold by Animal Essentials, animalessentials.com, (888) 463-7748.

Bts G BMade and sold by B-Naturals, b-naturals.com, (866) 368-2728

S G Sm PwMade by Solid Gold. solidgoldhealth.com, (800) 364-4863

See the authors Web page (dogaware.com/dogeeding.html) or more inormation on booksabout home-eeding and supplements.

rc hmmd D

puppy is very young) to close to the adultration (for older puppies). Heres what thatwould translate into based on percentageof current weight:1/4 grw: 4.5 to 6.5 percent of currentbody weight (55 percent of adult diet)

1/2 grw: 3.5 to 5.25 percent of current body weight (88 percent of adult diet)

3/4 grw: 2.75 to 4 percent of currentbody weight (100+ percent of adult diet)

Fully grw: 2 to 3 percent of their bodyweight daily (100 percent of adult diet)

Small-breed puppies reach their adultweights more quickly than large breedsdo. A small-breed puppy will eat as muchas an adult by the time shes around threemonths old. A large-breed puppy will eat as

much as an adult by the time shes aroun5 months old. In both cases, theyll eatlittle over half that amount at 8 weeks age. Small breeds will eat a higher percenage of their body weight daily than wlarger breeds.

Keep in mind that the appetite of pupies is notoriously varied they eat mowhen theyre in a growth spurt and lewhen theyre dealing with hormones an

teething so its important to pay attentioto the individual dog and adjust as needeIts best for puppies to be lean, not chubbespecially the large breeds; keeping thelean will decrease the likelihood of hdysplasia and other orthopedic problemdeveloping. Adjust the amount of food needed to keep your puppy at the propweight, with ribs easily felt and not coered in fat.

t wdFeeding a cooked diet takes time and m

cost more than feeding packaged foo(though its possible to keep costs dow by shopping sales and ethnic markeand buying food in bulk), but the rewarare many. Dogs fed properly preparhomemade meals are usually healthier thdogs on commercial kibbled or canndiets, and you may nd your vet bills areduced. There is much joy in watchinour dogs eat fresh, healthy meals we haprepared ourselves, knowing the quality the ingredients and the value they providas well as the obvious enjoyment our do

get from their food.Carol Morgan of Mauldin, SouCarolina, expressed the feeling vewell. I home cook for my two dogboth Australian Shepherds, says Mogan. Six-year-old Rowdy gets 10percent home-cooked, and eight-yeaold Tillie gets kibble supplemented wihome-cooked. Both dogs also get somraw fruits. Getting started was a very bundertaking; I spent a lot of time on tInternet and reading books while designintheir diets. When my vet next saw my dogshe called everyone into the ofce to s

them because of the obvious improvemein their health. I will never go back to 10percent commercial dog food again.

MaryStrausdoesresearchoncaninhealthandnutritiontopicsasanavoc

tion.SheistheowneroftheDogAwar

comwebsite.ShelivesintheSanFrancis

BayAreawithherdogPiglet,a15-yeaoldChineseShar-Pei.

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By nanCy kerns

hea hadbooks

H

Fortify your library with titles on canine holistic health and healthcare.

aving a solid library, or atleast a shelf or two full ofgood books, is a great hedgeagainst making uninformeddecisions about your dogs

health. Of course, a trip to yourveterinarian is your first line of

defense when something isobviously wrong with your

dog. But we suggest hitting thebooks for information before and

after vet visits.A good health handbook can help

you interpret what your vet tells you,give you ideas for further questions to

ask, bolster your argument for a differenttype of treatment, and give you a list ofinvaluable home healthcare practices you

can put into place to speed your dogsrecovery or better yet, prevent problemsin the rst place.

One challenge is nding health-orientedtexts that are not dogmatic in their insistenceon conventional medical approaches tothe exclusion (if not derision) of all else.Ive seen complementary and alternativeapproaches succeed where conventionalmedicine has failed too many times tothrow the puppy out with the bathwater.

The books highlighted here take a trulyholistic, inclusive approach to healthcare.

I have several $300 veterinary text-books on my ofce shelves for referenceand fact-checking articles, but its amazinghow frequently I nd the answers I amlooking for in the following books!

ProDuCt revieWProDuCt revieW

a tsbs vbm vt bs.

Caring For Your Dog, b B g,dVM. 2002, dk Pbsg, i. 448 pgs.

Only conventional medical approachesare discussed in this book, but its themost complete, well-researched, andwell-illustrated general dog health bookIve seen. Hundreds of color photos andmedical illustrations help owners visualizethe conditions and anatomy discussed.Amazingly, Dr. Fogle is refreshingly nothostile to home-prepared diets.

And no kidney stone goes unturned!The book contains at least a bitof helpfulinformation about every medical conditionIve ever needed to look up.

The Complete Holistic Dog Book, b Jagtt kt Smms, dVM. 2003,cst ats. 372 pgs.

This book succinctly and convincingly

describes the benets (and basics) of ahealthy lifestyle and holistic healthcare fordogs. Healthy diets and complementarymodalities (acupuncture, chiropractic,homeopathy, and herbal medicine) aredescribed and indications for their best useare suggested. The section on the holisticmedical chest will be useful to ownerswho are new to providing safe, effectivehome treatments for their dogs.

The Pet Lovers Guide to Natural Healingfor Cats & Dogs, b Bb g, BVS.2006, esv i. 628 pgs.

The design of this book is a little odd, butonce you get past this supercial aspect,youll discover a wealth of suggestionson conventional and complementary treat-ments for numerous health conditions.Home-prepared diets and supplementsare discussed in depth, and overall, Dr.Fougres treatment philosophies closelycomplement ours! As the title suggests,feline care is covered, too.

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wHolE dog journalrEadEr sErviCE:

To VieW our WeBSiTe:

Visit us atwhole-dog-journal.com

or Back iSSueS, arTicleS:

Visit us at

whole-dog-journal.com/backissues

To chanGe your

MailinG or e-Mail addreSS,

reneW your SuBScriPTion,

check PayMenT STaTuS, or aSk

queSTionS aBouT your accounT:

Visit us at

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Call (800) 829-9165

To change your address by mail, attach

your present mailing label to this orm (or a

copy o this orm), enter your new addressbelow, and mail it to:

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To order or renew a subscription,enter your name and address above

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The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, bcJ Pt. 2000, MGw-h. 544 pgs.

My copy of this book (pictured above) isa rst edition; a newer edition was pub-lished in 2000. Written by longtime WDJcontributor CJ Puotinen, this book is calm,warm, and encouraging. It gently helpsinspire owners to take increasing responsi-bility for their animal companions health,through improved diet and less-toxic carepractices. Puotinen describes opportunities

for owners to use ower essences, herbs,supplements, and hands-on therapies tomake a palpable improvement in theirdogs health. The book also includesinterviews with a number of high-proleholistic veterinarians.

Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog, bW V k Bw, dVM. 2000,hw B hs. 314 pgs.

Wendy Volhard was one of the pioneersof home-prepared diets for dogs, and isstill considered a guru for those feeding acertain type of diet. She and Dr. Brown arestrong proponents of grains in canine diets,which may not jibe with other authoritiesopinions, but the authors do have decadesof experience and terric results behind

them.Sections on less-mainstream modalitiessuch as kinesiology and homeopathy arewell-described. The section on thyroid andadrenal abnormalities and treatments forthese conditions is worth the price alone.

Hound Health Handbook, b BtsBvtz, dVM. 2004, Wm Pbsg.468 pgs.

Only conventional medical care is recom-mended in this book, so you have to takesuggestions on diet and vaccinations witha grain of sea salt. But Dr. Brevitzs de-scriptions of the causes and symptoms of

so many medical problems earns this booka place on our shelf. Also, we applaud herinclusion of a chapter on mental health andbehavior problems; many veterinarians failto consider these as health issues, eventhough the problems are responsible for theloss of millions of dogs lives (through eu-thanasia). A list of common physical healthproblems endemic in an alphabetical list ofbreeds is another highly valuable tool.

Help Your Dog Fight Cancer, b lkp. 2004, J-G Pss. 120 pgs.

Obviously, this book is not a general healthguide. But the author does such a thorough job in describing the total care programneeded to help her dog through a longght with cancer, that literally every typeof healthcare is discussed.

Kaplan discusses diagnostic tools, vari-ous cancer treatments (conventional andalternative), how to interpret lab tests, andhow to communicate with veterinariansand make informed medical decisions. Shealso does an especially good job of describ-ing (and illustrating with photos!) howshe formulated and prepared a homemadeanticancer diet for her dog (who, by theway, outlived his diagnosis by years).

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By Pat Miller

Cas ad Dogs, livig togee

Y

Creating a harmonious multi-species household takes more than luck.

ouve no doubt heard the phrasefighting like cats and dogs.As well-known as the sayingis, its also an often inaccurateone. Millions of dog-lovers share

their hearts and homes with feline familymembers with nary a scratch between thespecies.

On the other paw, stories of dogs kill-ing cats are fact, not ction, and manyunfortunate Rowdy Rovers have suffered

ulcerated corneas, scratched nose leath-ers, and infected puncture wounds fromTough Tiggers who decided that ght

was a better strategy than ight. Whatdetermines the difference between Fidoand Fluffy amicably sharing the sofa andone or both ending up at the emergencyclinic or worse?

The media likes to play up stories aboutpersonality differences between cat lov-ers and dog lovers, but many of us are

both. We may also ll our lives with one ormore small animal companions including

rabbits, rats, ferrets, guinea pigs, iguanas,sh, nches, macaws, and a multitude ofother creatures. Its our responsibility andobligation as their guardians to ensure thatthey have a safe, reasonably low-stressenvironment in which to live sometimesa large challenge when were asking preda-tor and prey species to live in harmony.Whether the multi-species household isone big happy family or not depends onreasonable adoption decisions, careful

introductions, good management, trainingand behavior modication, and a little ora lot of luck.

sb dp c,c dcWhen we found our Scottish Terrier run-ning loose in Chattanooga as a stray atage seven months, we were impressedwith how well he adapted to our house-hold. Despite warnings from other Scottyowners about the breeds propensity forattacking cats, Dubhy couldnt have been

wh c . . .

Do some research beore adding

a new species to your amily, so

you can make adoption choices

that have the greatest likelihood

o success.

Recruit riends and amily to

assist you in orchestrating careul

introductions.

I your animal companions

already have undesirable

associations with each other,

commit to a training and behavior

modifcation program to create

peaceul relationships.

Use ailsae

management

protocols to

protect everyone.

better behaved with our two geriatricfelines. However, a year later we broughthome an eight-week-old stray kitten, andDubhy came close to committing kittymayhem when we foolishly assumed hed

be ne with her. Perhaps we were unwiseto keep Dubhy if we wanted to be able toadopt future cats safely, or perhaps it wasthe choice to bring home a new kitten thatwas foolish.

Lulled into a false sense of compla-cency because Dubh was so good with

our adult cats, I ignored the sound adviceI give so often to others about carefullyorchestrated introductions, and walked intothe house with the foundling kitten in myarms. (The rightway to accomplish thisis detailed in Carefully Orchestrated In-troductions, page 14.) Five dogs chargedup to me in greeting, and the kitten did aclassic Halloween cat imitation, completewith arched back, bottlebrush tail, and

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to subscribe: www.whl-dg-jal.m cpygh 2007, blv Mda Gp, LLc THEWHOLEDOGJOURNAL|

alarmingly loud hissing and spitting. Whileour other four dogs backed off in aweand respect, this highly arousing stimulusimmediately turned on Dubhys ercepredator switch.

Had we introduced Viva to the dogsone at a time, at a distance, with the ca-nines carefully restrained, she probablywould have reacted much more calmly,and Dubhy might never have turned on

to her. Feeding treats to dogs and cat atthe same time might have helped createan other species makes yummy treatshappen! association. Once the predatoryassociation was made, however, it was toolate to un-ring the bell. We would have towork to repair the damage.

To maximize your chances for har-mony between species, its smart to selectindividuals who have a high likelihood forcompatibility. Since terriers were origi-nally bred to rid barns, homes, and elds ofunwanted rodent pests, it may be unwise to

adopt a rat or even a cat as a pet, unlessyou are prepared to do a signicant amountof very careful management or you knowyour Parsons Russell Terrier well enoughto be condent that hes not a typical rep-resentative of his breed and wont presenta serious risk to Ricky Rat.

Its also smart to select younger, ratherthan older. If you want a dog who will betrustworthy around other small animalspecies, youre generally better off startingwith a pup and raising him to know onlyappropriate behavior around other animals.

Its much more challenging to change inap-propriate behaviors and associations in anadult dog than it is to create appropriateones initially in a young dog. Alternatively,to keep life simple you can choose to adopta dog who has a known history of livingpeacefully with other types of animals.

Of course there are exceptions to thespecies-compatibility rule. Decades agomy very gentle torti-tabby cat, Tofu, livedin perfect harmony in my bedroom with mybreeding pair of canaries and their clutchof nestlings. She never even cast yearningglances at them. Long before I knew any-thing about behavior modication, I wasproud of my success in getting predator andprey to live together peacefully.

Truth be told, this was more a caseof luck Tofu was a very nonpredatorycat than any skill on my part. I lookedforward to a long and happy canary-raisinghobby until the day my roommates cataccidentally got shut in the room. When Ireturned from work at the end of the day

I was devastated to nd only beaks andclaws scattered about the carpet. I hadfailed my vulnerable charges.

When youre contemplating adding anew family member, be wise. If your doghas a history of killing cats in your back-yard, a feline may not be the best choicefor you, especially if you intend to let your

cat outside (not something I recommend,but thats a different discussion). On theother hand, some dogs who chase and kill cats outdoors can live safely with theirown cats indoors, where the cats are lesslikely to run and thus trigger the predatoryresponse. Still, its a greater compatibilityrisk than a dog who shows no desire tochase/attack cats.

Gd mgmI thought I was doing a darned good jobof managing the risks to my tiny avianfamilys safety. I was wrong and they

paid for it with their lives. Fortunately wedid a far better job of managing Dubhys behavior with the eight-week-old kittenwho triggered his hardwired Terrier preybehavior. We expect Viva, now age three,to live a long and happy life with us. Sheand Dubhy are fast friends these days, nomanagement necessary.

Good management requires effec-tive barriers (doors, baby gates), sturdy

containment units (crates, pens), restrai(leashes, tethers), and unwavering spervision (your eyeballs and awarenesHowever, all of your management tools aonly as good as your ability to ensure theuse. A moments lapse can result in beaand feathers instead of warm breathinbeings, and sooner or later theres liketo be a lapse.

If your children (or roommates) aren

good at heeding your warnings to kedoors closed, or if your talented canincan open doors, you might need to adself-closing springs, child-proof latchand/or padlocks to your list of managemetools. Youre likely to be more successfin the long run commingling species if yocombine a foolproof management plawith an effective program of training an

behavior modication.

Gd mgm,gd g

After taking emergency managemeprecautions with our new kitten, I set work creating the associations I shouhave arranged from the start. I didboatload of counter-conditioning, feedinhigh-value treats nonstop when Viva win Dubhys presence, quietly restraininhim if he lunged at the tiny cat (Ill describhow to conduct counter-conditioning andesensitization sessions in a moment). Bthe end of the rst session Dubhy was lyinat my feet, not taking his eyes off the kitteand happily munching treats.

The next day my husband was hospitaized, and I had neither the energy nor thheart to work on the Dubhy/kitten relatioship. I kept them separated while I dividmy energies between hospital, home, antraining center.

Five days later, I was ready to addrethe challenge again, and prepared for aother difcult evening. With Viva safely othe back of the sofa, I brought Dubhy inthe room. Bless his little Scottish heart, was clearly excited to see the kitten agaibut he looked at her, then laid down the oor at my feet and looked up at m

clearly saying Okay, wheres my treat?The rapid progress continued ov

the next few sessions. There were teain my eyes at the conclusion of sessiove as I watched Dubhy and Viva lyintogether on the sofa, with the tiny blacfeline occasionally taking a playful swipat Dubhys nose with her paw, and Dubhdeclining to take offense. Even when shraced across the room, a sure trigger for

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predatory chase, Dubhy controlled himself key: controlled himself I didnt haveto say a word. He jerked forward as if totake off after her, then thought better of it,settled back onto his blanket and looked atme. And yes, he got a big delicious treatjackpot!

C-cdg ddWe talk about the process of counter-conditioning and desensitization (CC&D) alot in WDJ articles. Thats because its suchan effective behavior modication tool thatit can be applied successfully in an almostendless number of behavior challenges.

All living things at least those with a

central nervous system learn and respondto their environment through two primarypathways: classical (or respondent) condi-tioning and operant conditioning.

With operant conditioning, the dogoperates on the environment. That is, thedog does deliberate behaviors in an effortto make good stuff happen and bad stuffgo away. For example, your dog choosesto offer a sit because he knows theres a

good chance it will result in you payingattention to him and perhaps feeding hima tasty treat.

With classical conditioning, the envi-ronment operates on the dog, triggering aresponse as a result of a prior associationbetween two stimuli in the dogs experi-

ence. Something happens in the dogsworld and the dog has an emotional and/orbiological response.

For example, your dog hears theclick! of the clicker and starts to salivatebecause his brain has made the associationbetween the click! and the arrival of ayummy morsel. He doesnt have to think,doesnt have to decide to salivate it justhappens. He also wags his tail and gets

happy all automatic responses because ofhis association between click! and treat.

A dogs desire to chase something thatmoves is an innate, hardwired behavior; itdoesnt have to be learned. It is certainlystronger in some dogs than others, due togenetic inuence. We have intentionallybred some dogs to be more turned on bymovement than others; herding dogs, ter-riers, and sighthounds leap to mind. Still,its the association between the presenceof the cat and the dogs experience thatcats often run away that make the feline a

high-arousal chase object.We use counter-conditioning to change

the association with a stimulus. If wecan replace the cat = rousing game ofchase/kill association with cat = totallydelicious treat from human association wehave countered the prior association withthe new one. (In Australia I heard it calledreverse conditioning, which makes a lotof sense.)

Classical and counter-conditioning are both happening all the time. When youclick and treat your dog for sitting, operant

conditioning happens. The dog learns thathe can sit to get you to click the clicker,so he sits more often. Hes also associatingthe sound of the click with food, and asso-ciating training in general with good stuff having fun with you and eating treats.

However, when your dog is in the throesof a strong emotional response higharousal, fear, great excitement operantconditioning goes out the window. Thismeans that when your dog is barking andlunging at your cat, or chasing your ferretmadly through the house, he is unable torespond to your cues to come or lie down.

Its not that hes deliberately ignoringyou; he truly cant think clearly enough toregister and act on your cue.

Thats why changing the dogsemotional response is a much moreeffective way to modify his behavior thanyelling at him, or asking him to perform anoperant behavior. When his emotions areunder control, then he can sit when you askhim to, but not before that.

C ocd idcYour chances of a successful multi-species relationship are best if you plan theirintroductions carefully. Its rarely wise, although it sometimes works, to simplymarch in with a new family member and, in essence, throw her to the wolves.

Far better to have both (or all) nonhuman family members safely restrained andhave the introduction be a positive classical conditioning experience (or counter-conditioning if one or more of the participants have some prior association withthe others species).

Heres an example of a well-orchestrated introduction. For other species,substitute other for cat and gure out how to alter the process as appropriate.For example, snake in tank rather than carrier, and at some point human wouldhold the snake, rather than releasing her to roam around freely. Depending onparticipants, the processes described could take several weeks, or could occurall in one session.

PartiCiPants: DoG anD Cat, tWo huMans Have cat in carrier.

Place carrier on oor on far side of room.

Enter with one dog on leash.

Do classical conditioning (feed treats!) with both dog and cat at subthresholddistance until both are offering conditioned emotional responces (CERs) in thepresence of the other.

Decrease distance between dog and cat and repeat process to obtain CERs.

When both are comfortable when the dog is in close proximity to the cat inher crate, return to the original distance and remove the cat from crate (but keepher restrained, ideally on harness and leash).

Repeat CC&D process until dog and cat are comfortable in close proximity,

both restrained. Return to original distance and release cat (dog is still restrained).

You will nd that some species are more difcult to incorporate in the processas anything more than a silent presence. Because of the feeding habits of snakes,for example, it would be difcult to do CC&D with a snake as the dog enters theroom and approaches the snakes tank. In this case you may just have to settle fordesensitization (becoming accustomed to the increasing intensity of the stimulus the dog) without the classical conditioning (association) part.

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The sequence of events that is mostlikely to produce effective counter-conditioning is this:

1. Stimulus (cat) appears at sub-thresholddistance, which is the distance at whichthe dog sees the cat and becomes alert butdoesnt start barking and lunging.

2. Owner begins feeding bits of high

value treats to the dog as long as the cat isin view near threshold distance. (I like touse chicken for this as it is very high valuefor most dogs).

3. Cat disappears from view.

4. Owner stops feeding treats.

5. Repeat these four steps until when thecat appears, your dog looks at you with a big Wheres my chicken? grin on hisface. We call this a conditioned emo-

tional response orCER. When you havea consistent CERat your starting distance,you can decrease the distance slightly andrepeat steps 1 through 4. Every time youobtain consistent CERs you can increasethe intensity of the stimulus bring thecat closer, have the cat move a little faster,introduce two cats . . .

The process of changing the associa-tion from inappropriate to appropriate isthe counter-conditioning part. Increasingintensity of stimulus is the desensitiza-

tion part. Done well, you end up with adog and cat (or chinchilla, parrot, snake,tarantula) living safely together, just likeDubhy and Viva.

Cmbd ppcDespite our stunning success in a veryshort time who says positive methodstake longer? we continued to manageDubhy with Viva by keeping them inseparate rooms when we werent home todirectly supervise, until the baby cat wassix months old and better able to fend forherself. Vivas healthy presence in our

lives today is testimony to the effective-ness of our management and modicationefforts.

Dubhy hasnt lost one whit of his ter-rier gameness, however, as demonstratedrecently. We share our farm with a fairnumber of black snakes, which is morethan ne with me. I actually love snakes,and they are a big help with our residentwild rodent population. A few weeks ago I

heard a Scottie commotion in the backyardwhile I was cleaning stalls in the barn. Bythe time I arrived to see what the fuss wasabout he had, much to my dismay, killed asix-foot black snake that was crossing theyard. Guess I wont be keeping any snakesas pets in the near future!

If you combine basic good mannerstraining with your program of counter-

conditioning and desensitization youreeven further ahead. The better you and yourdog can communicate to each other, themore effectively youll be able to controlhis behavior when the need arises.

Lucy, our Cardigan Corgi, is also fondof chasing cats, albeit from the herdingdog Whee, its fun to chase and round upthings that move! perspective rather fromthe terrier KILL! motivation. Althoughher motive is gentler, she is still capable ofmaking the cats lives miserable. Counter-conditioning worked for her as well, butwhile Dubhy has completely given up any

kill association with Viva, Lucy stillyearns to chase our cats when they move.Her well-practiced leave-it, come,and down cues give us an added layerof insulation against inappropriate cattormenting.

rmgThere may come a time when you de-cide that its in the best interests of all

PatMiller,CPDT,isWDJsTrainingEdito

MillerlivesinHagerstown,Maryland,sofherPeaceablePawstrainingcenter.Sh

isalsotheauthorofThe Power of PositiDog Training andPositive PerspectiveLove Your Dog, Train Your Dog.Forbopurchasingorcontactinformation,s

Resources,page24.

concerned to remove onor more species from yohousehold. This is a paiful decision for any animlover and a very seleone. Its not easy to put thwelfare of your cat, hamste

or cockatiel above your owemotional connection anfeelings of commitment anresponsibility. You may fe

guilty that you perhaps havent done much to make the situation work as yocould or should have.

But with someones life is at risrehoming really is the best choice. Thwill give the at-risk pet a better chanfor a long and happy life and removmuch stress from your own home, therebimproving the quality of life for all yoremaining family members, includinyourself.

There must be millions of successfmulti-species households, so chances agood that if you put your mind to it, yocan make it work for yours. Take time make wise adoption choices, orchestracareful introductions, implement goomanagement and training programs. you do all this, you will likely succein your desire to turn your home intopeaceable kingdom, where lions lie dowwith lambs or at least cats and dogs calive peacefully with canaries, rabbits, an

boa constrictors.

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By CJ Puotinen

Cace teapy updae

D

Two promising treatments are now available for canine cancer.

espite everything modern medi-cine has to offer, cancer remainsamong the most feared of caninediseases.

Just over a year ago, WDJ

Everything about this vaccine is un-usual, says Gerald Post, DVM, a Norwalk,Connecticut, veterinary oncologist andfounder of the Animal Cancer Foundation.In addition to being therapeutic ratherthan preventative, it contains human DNA.Injecting an animal with DNA from a dif-ferent species can effectively stimulatean immune response that attacks cancercells.

The vaccine is a result of collaboration

between human and veterinary oncologistsat the Animal Medical Center in New YorkCity, Memorial Sloan-Kettering CancerInstitute, and the drugs manufacturer,Merial.

Melanomas are usually solitary blacktumors, and those appearing on the mouthor nail bed are usually malignant. Dr. Postunderstood the prospects all too well when,four years ago, he noticed a tiny lesion onone the toes of his own Miniature Schnau-zer, Smokey.

It was metastatic melanoma, says Dr.

Post. When I saw the x-rays andbiopsy report, I was devastated. Ithad already spread to his lungs, andthe average survival time for dogswith this type of cancer is aboutthree months.

Smokey, who was 12 yearsold at the time, was such a healthy,vibrant dog that Dr. Post workedfrantically to save him.

At that time the melanomavaccine was still very new and ex-perimental, he says, but I didnthesitate to try it as everyone Iconsulted agreed that it looked likeour best hope. I was really pleasedwhen he lived an additional twoand a half years. The vaccine didntcure him, and eventually the tumorcame back, but it gave him extratime and an excellent quality of life.The result was far more than I haddared to hope for when I rst madethe diagnosis.

reviewed conventional, complementary,and alternative cancer therapies in a se-ries of articles (Canine Cancer Crisis, November 2005; Conventional CancerCare, December 2005; Dont Despair,Just Care, January 2006, and What Are

the Alternatives? February 2006) Sincethen, a cancer vaccine has been approvedfor veterinary use and a new version ofan old herbal salve has become a rstchoice for many holistic veterinarians.Heres whats new.

Mm ccMost vaccines are designed for prevention,but a new type is designed to treat activedisease. The U.S. Department of Agricul-ture recently approved such a vaccine forthe treatment of canine melanoma. Dr. Post was particularly pleased

because Smokey never experienced anadverse side effect. In the beginningSmokey received the vaccine every twoweeks for two months, he says. Afterthat, he got it once a month or so. Smokeyresponded really well, and throughout histherapy, you would never know that any-thing was wrong or that he was under anykind of treatment.

In this respect, Smokey was like mostpatients. Im loathe to say that no dogwill ever have an adverse side effect, saysDr. Post, but adverse reactions are very,very rare. None of the 50 or more dogsthat I sent to the Animal Medical Centerto receive the vaccine over a period of fourto ve years experienced any adverse sideeffects that Im aware of.

According to Dr. Post, the ideal can-didate for the melanoma vaccine is a dogwhose condition is discovered early, beforeit metastasizes, when it can be well con-trolled locally. Obviously, he says, theearlier you nd the disease, the better. You

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Inspect your dog oten or signs

o cancer, especially around the

mouth and eet.

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consult your vet about the melano-

ma vaccine and other treatments.

For inormation about Neoplasene,have your veterinarian order the

products clinical guide.

Beore agreeing to

any treatment,

study its side

eects, costs,

and caregiver

responsibilities.

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dont want to wait until it has spread.In March 2007, the USDA issued a

conditional U.S. Veterinary BiologicalProduct License for the vaccine. Duringthe conditional licensure period, Merialwill conduct additional research support-ing the vaccines safety and effectiveness.During this time, it will be distributed byveterinary oncologists.

Im excited about the release of this

vaccine, says Dr. Post, because itsexactly the kind of medical breakthroughthat the Animal Cancer Foundation wascreated to fund. Its an innovative, noveltherapy, it treats a really serious problem,its effective, and it helps not only dogs butpeople, too. The same technology that cre-ated the canine melanoma vaccine is beingresearched for human melanoma.

npOur February 2006 article (What Arethe Alternatives?) on alternative cancer

treatments described bloodroot salves, alsocalled black salves, which have been usedin the treatment of many types of cancerin humans, dogs, cats, horses, cattle, andother animals. Salves containing bloodroot(Sanguinaria canadensis) are red whenrst made but turn dark or black with age,hence their common name.

Herbal treatments are popular becausethey are inexpensive (or at least less expen-sive than conventional treatments) and theyare usually gentle, easy to use, and unlikelyto cause adverse side effects.

Bloodroot salves are generally less ex-pensive than chemotherapy or radiation,says Deborah Cihonski, PhD, founder ofa black salve Internet forum, but thatswhere their similarity to other herbaltherapies ends. Bloodroot salves are rarelygentle, and I always recommend that aveterinarian supervise treatment.

Dr. Cihonski, a pediatric psychologistwho lives in Tampa, Florida, and Chicago,rst heard of black salves from her Chicagoveterinarian, Kimberly Curtis, DVM, whenher young cat, Piper, was being treated forvaccine-associated brosarcoma.

I had taken him to the University ofIllinois veterinary oncology department,she says, and they said there wasnt muchthey could do for his long-term survival.They suggested a very expensive treatmentthat involved leaving him there for nearlytwo months of radiation, chemo, and bone-removal surgery. This, they hoped, wouldallow him to live another three years atmost.

Dr. Cihonski had lost several dogsto cancer after aggressive and heroictreatments. These rarely worked out toanyones favor, she says, so I was opento alternatives for Piper.

Piper had received several months ofherbal therapy when Dr. Curtis mentionedhearing about black salve, which shethought might be helpful for him. Dr. Cur-tis discovered Neoplasene and consulted

with its manufacturer, Terry Fox, PhD, atBuck Mountain Botanicals in Miles City,Montana.

Traditional black salves are madewith zinc chloride, a caustic chemicalthat burns the skin. In contrast, Dr. Foxuses zinc chloride to make a highly ionicsolvent with which he extracts bloodrootsisoquinoline alkaloids. Although it is usedin Neoplasenes production, zinc chlo-ride is not contained in the nal product.Neoplasenes bloodroot alkaloids comprisea small but vital portion of its ingredients.

According to Dr. Fox, the isoquinolinealkaloids are modied in such a way asto cause diseased tissue to self-destruct preferentially, sparing healthy, normalnon-cancerous tissue.

f mThere are four Neoplasene products: Neoplasene salve (which is also knownas Sarcoma #1) for topical application;Neoplasene oral; and two types of Neo-plaseneX for intravenous use or injectiondirectly into tumors.

Dr. Curtis and Dr. Cihonski used Neo-plasene salve to remove Pipers tumor, thenswitched to oral Neoplasene to completehis treatment.

We did the same thing with my pchicken, who had major tumors that wevery vascular, says Dr. Cihonski. Walmost lost her in surgery so we had to eplore other treatment options. The resulwere successful in both cases.

Throughout her study of alternativcancer therapies, she kept wishing thNeoplasene had been available yeaago, when her Rottweilers suffered fro

osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, anmalignant histiocytosis. I kept thinkinthat this could have helped them whenothing else did.

One year ago, Jackie, a three-yeaold Jack Russell Terrier belonging Dr. Cihonskis mother, Phyllis Cihonskdeveloped a tumor on her foot. It wdiagnosed as a histiocytoma, says MrCihonski. These are most frequentbenign and often disappear spontaneouslThe only prescribed treatment was antibotics for infection, and if necessary, th

toe would be removed. I felt that treatmewith the oral Neoplasene was preventativWithin days of beginning the treatmethe tumor regressed and then disappeareJackie is a happy, active dog, and she sthas all of her toes.

Although the application of Neoplaseis easy, Dr. Cihonski warns that it is beused by an informed consumer with thassistance of an experienced veterinariaThe results are simply beyond what mopeople expect, she explains, especialthe topical salve. When a tumor falls o

it can leave a huge wound behind, anthat can be very frightening. This was cetainly true in the case of my own animawhose wounds looked awful. Howeve

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the wounds never became infected eventhough I didnt treat them with antibioticsor disinfectants. I just kept them clean andlubricated.

Lubricating salves or oils help speedhealing and keep skin pliable.

It makes sense, says Dr. Cihonski, tostart with oral Neoplasene because sometumors respond quickly, sparing patientand caregiver the inconvenience of ex-

tensive wound care. You wont knowuntil you try what the results will be, shesays. My chicken responded well to oralNeoplasene, but it did nothing for my cat.Some dogs get immediate results and oth-ers dont. In some cases of very aggressiveor advanced tumors, topical application isthe best line of defense.

In some cases, she continues, ani-mal guardians have given their dogs oral,topical, or injected Neoplasene only to produce dramatic results that they didnot consider positive. Some have stopped

treatment altogether. The same is true forchemotherapy and radiation. When youredealing with cancer, youre dealing with aserious, complicated illness. I wish therewere a works-for-everything cancer treat-ment that is gentle, easy to use, 100 percenteffective, entirely free from side effects,and painless, but if there is, I haventfound it.

For those interested in using Neo- plasene, says Dr. Cihonski, the choiceof treatment depends on the patient, thetype of cancer, its location, and its stage

of growth.For example, she says, if youretreating a squamous cell carcinoma in themouth, you may not have time to give theoral dosing and wait to see what happens.Some tumors are so fast-growing that youcan literally watch them increase in sizefrom one day to the next. If you start withoral Neoplasene and dont see results rightaway, you can switch to the topical salve,which works immediately. Multiple treat-ments are often required at 7- to 14-dayintervals. The same is true for Neoplasenethats injected into tumors.

Cc gdTo help veterinarians use Neoplasene cor-rectly and help their clients understandwhat to expect, Dr. Fox provides a clini-cal guide for the treatment of neoplasm(abnormal tissue growth or tumors), proudflesh (soft, swollen, granulated tissuethat develops over large surface wounds,especially in horses), and warts. Instruc-

tions for use precede case histories from adozen holistic veterinarians, complete withgraphic photos.

Conventional cancer treatments likesurgery, chemotherapy, and radiationtherapy often fail to remove or destroy ac-tive cancer cells while they simultaneouslydamage healthy, nonmalignant tissue.

This often leads to failure, says Dr.

Fox, and the stoic acceptance that all thatcan be done has now been done, and eu-thanasia or animal suffering is inevitable.What has been needed is a drug that causesthe destruction of all neoplasm, preferen-tially sparing healthy cells. Neoplasenesisoquinaline alkaloids appear to presentjust this effect.

According to Dr. Fox, the active principle in bloodroots main alkaloid,sanguinarine, interacts with DNA whileinhibiting adenosine triphosphatase.These and other demonstrated mecha-

nisms offer clues to the how does it workon neoplasm? questions, he says. Thereis a functional relationship between thedeath of neoplastic cells and exposure toNeoplasene.

The cases documented in Neoplasenesclinical guide include sarcoma, melanoma,osteosarcoma, mammary tumors, malig-nant liposarcoma, mixed cell chest tumors,malignant brosarcoma, papilliferous cyst-adenocinoma, nerve sheath tumors, spindlecell carcinoma, and various other tumorsand growths in dogs, cats, and horses. Thegraphic color photos that accompany thecase studies put wound treatment warningsinto perspective; this therapy is not for thefaint of heart.

n w d cIve been using Neoplasene for a yearnow, says Linda Faris, DVM, of OverlandPark, Kansas, and Im very impressedwith the results. My preference is denitelyfor the oral product. This is a liquid that

you place in a capsule just before givingit to the pet with food. I usually give myclients enough to treat their animals for amonth and then check on their progress.

Dr. Faris acknowledges that injectableNeoplaseneX and topical Neoplasene can be highly effective, but she approachesboth with reservations. Ive used the in-jectable version with mixed results, she

says. For a couple of my patients it provedtoo caustic, and they had anaphylacticreactions. These reactions seem linked torepeated exposure and individual sensi-tivities, but in general, I think the chancesof having an adverse reaction are greaterfor the injectable or intravenous version.Im also reluctant to use the topical salvebecause of resulting wound care manage-ment issues.

The most common side effect thatDr. Fariss patients experience with oralNeoplasene is nausea. Some pets throw

it up soon after they swallow it, she says.Thats the only adverse effect Ive seen,and we either lower the dose or stop thetreatment for those animals. In some cases,if we stop treatment for a while, we are ableto start it back up with no problem.

Occasionally, Neoplasene is Dr. Farissrst choice for economic reasons. Someclients are on such a tight budget, shesays, that other treatments are just notaffordable. Neoplasene isnt free, but itsfar less expensive than conventional cancertherapies and most alternatives.

One of her favorite success stories in-volves a small female Poodle with perinealadenocarcinoma that was impinging on herrectal canal. Thanks to oral Neoplasene, thetumor softened and shrank, and the dog isdoing well.

This was a serious case, says Dr.Faris, because the tumor was beginningto interfere with her ability to defecate.Within a month, the tumor had softenedand changed shape, and with continued

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oral Neoplasene, it shrank. Shes now on amaintenance dose of a small amount threetimes a day, and sometimes she only getsit twice a day. The prescription is for one-third of a c.c. every eight hours, and thatsall this dog is on.

hc m qdFor the dogs caregivers, an effective treat-ment thats easy to administer and costs

only $40 per month is a blessing.More typical of Dr. Fariss patients is a

Chow Chow with very advanced metastaticliver cancer. A multi-pronged approach ismost effective in severe or advanced caseslike hers.

Were using several different treat-ments, not just Neoplasene, to try tomanage the cancer, Dr. Faris says. LastAugust the dog was given a 30-day prog-nosis, her condition was so serious. Thesurgeons who opened her up decided notto operate. Instead, they sent her home

to die.Today, eight months later, you cant

tell shes ever been sick. She honestlyshows no symptoms. Her blood work is amess, but youd never know that by look-ing at her. Shes active, happy, and leadinga perfectly normal life. She has had to gooff the Neoplasene a couple of times be-cause of digestive upsets, but shes on itmost of the time, along with Chi

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