Blood Chemistry Profile-Courtesy of Susan Sleight

Here is our first article from a guest author!  Susan Sleight is the director of the Veterinary Assistant/Pre-Vet Tech Program at the Bridgerland ATC.  She also owns (among other animals) a great Border Collie named Ladybug who does agility with the program.  Thanks Susan for sharing this very helpful medical information with us!


We all know how important it is to keep our canine companions healthy. This includes proper diet, dental care, vaccinations, parasite preventatives, grooming, etc. I would like to address an often over looked aspect to a good wellness program. This area is the wellness blood chemistry profile. Many folks think that because their canine is not exhibiting any symptoms that there is no need to pay for a chemistry profile.

Unfortunately, this attitude can lead to complications as an undiagnosed disease leads to a severe situation.

A typical blood chemistry panel usually includes...

General Metabolism                                Kidney Function       

GLU  (Glucose)                                            BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen)                                    
LDH  (Lactate dehydrogenase)             CREAT (Creatinine)                         
CPK  (Creatine phosphokinase)                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                    

Electrolytes                                                  Liver Function    

Na  (Sodium)                                                ALP  (Alkaline phosphatase)

K  (Potassium)                                             ALB  (Albumin)
Cl  (Chloride)                                               GGT  (Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase)
CA (Calcium)                                                PT   (Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase)
PHOS (Phosphorus)                                  TP  (Total Protein)

                                                                          CHOL  (Cholesterol)

                                                                          GLOB  (Globulin)

                                                                          TBILI  (Total Bilirubin)

Thyroid                                                          Pancreas

T3 (Triiodothyronine)                              AMY (Amylase)

T4  (Thyroxine)                                           LIP  (Lipase)

Here are two case histories to illustrate my point:

Case 1

Presentation:

·         3 year old male castrated Labrador Retriever

·         Presented for regular physical examination and vaccinations.

·         OWNER REPORTS NO ILLNESS OR ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR.

 Physical Examination findings:

·         Obesity

·         Otitis Externa Right Ear

Wellness Panel:

ALP: 135         (Normal 20 – 150)

ALT:48            (Normal 10 -118)

BUN: 13          (Normal 7 – 25)

CRE :1.6         (Normal 0.3 – 1.4)

GLU: 517        (Normal 60 – 110)                                          

Diagnosis: Diabetes Mellitus

Case 2

Presentation:

18-month-old male castrated Shetland Sheepdog presented for regular examination and vaccines.

NO PROBLEMS OR CONCERNS NOTED BY THE OWNER.

Physical Examination: No Abnormalities Noted

Wellness Testing:

ALP: 74           (Normal 20-150)

ALT: 23           (Normal 10-118)

BUN: 47          (Normal 7-25)

CRE: 2.0         (Normal 0.3-1.4)

GLU: 131        (Normal 60-110)

TP: 7.5            (Noraml 5.4-8.2)

Additional Diagnostics:

Complete Blood Count      Additional Chemistries           Urinalysis

WBC: 14.5       (6-17)             ALB: 2.5          (2.5-4.4)                Leukocytes: Neg        

LYM: 3.42        (1-4.6)            AMY: 1148      (200-1200)           Nitrite: Neg

MON: 0.48       (0-3)              TBIL: 0.9         (0.1-0.6)                 Urobilinogen: Neg

LY%: 23.6%     (3-12)             CA++: 11.4     (8.6-11.8)              Protein: 300 mg/dl (3+)

MO%: 3.3                                  PHOS: 2.6      (2.9-6.6)                pH: 6.0

GR%: 73          (62-87)             NA+: 147         (138-160)            Blood: Neg

PLT: 371         (200-500)          K+: 3.8            (3.7-5.8)               Ketone: Neg

RBC: 7.01       (5.5-8.5)           GLOB: 4.5       (2.3-5.2)               Bilirubin: Neg

HGB: 18.8       (12-18)                                                                       Glucose: Neg

HCT: 47.2%    (37-55)                                                                       Sp. Gr.: 1.020

MCV: 26.8       (19.5-24.5)                                                               Microscopic               

MCHC: 39.7    (31-34)                                                                       3+ Cuboidal Cells

RDWc: 15.1%                                                                                      2+ Granular Casts     

Protein/Creatinine Ratio: 3.8 (>1 indicates glomerular disease)

Urine Culture: No Growth

Renal Ultrasound: Consistent with renal hypoplasia with evidence of interstitial nephritis/renal fibrosis.

Diagnosis: Renal hypoplasia with interstitial nephritis/fibrosis

These two cases are an everyday example of why wellness blood chemistry testing should become a vital part of your canine health program. These two cases also illustrate how age is not a factor, both of these canines are very young!

When a problem is found early it is much easier to treat and keep your canine healthy, happy, and flying on that agility course!

Withers

Your dog's height at their withers indicates what jumping height they will compete at for agility.  The withers is located between their shoulder blades.  Here is a diagram depicting the location of the withers:

You can barely see the writing, but the dotted vertical line indicates the height at withers measurement

The table below is from the USDAA website indicating the dog's height (height at withers) and the minimum jump height that would be required in competition.

CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM
Dog Height	Jump Height	Long Jump Span
12" or less	12"	20"
16" or less	16"	36"
21" or less	22"	48"
Over 21"	26"	60"

PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
Dog Height	Jump Height	Long Jump Span
12" or less	8"	12"
16" or less	12"	24"
21" or less	16"	36"
Over 21"	22"	48"

Cheri vs The Chair

Many of you know that I work at Utah State University. as part of Cheri's training, she comes to work with me every day.  Most of her work day consists of snoozing under my desk, waking up, readjusting, and snoozing some more.  Occasionally she goes out for a jaunt around campus.

So, two days ago, I was working at my computer and realized I needed to do something.  I rapidly pushed back my rolling office chair (yes, you know the kind) to get up and I hear a terrible noise.  I had accidentally wheeled over Cheri's leg!

Okay, so mine's not so luxurious as this, but you get the point!

Trying not to react and therefore cause her to react more, I took a few deep breaths, felt like a terrible person, and let it sit for a minute or two.  I then 'released' her from under the desk and checked her out to make sure everything was okay.

Since that experience, every time I wheel back suddenly, she kind of scrambles away from me-even if she wasn't originally close to the chair (yes, more incentive to feel like a terrible human being).  Interestingly, if I roll back slowly, she doesn't react at all (she has learned to discriminate between the two different motions).

While her reaction isn't huge, she is a service dog in training, so any negative association with an object is bad news.  So, what am I doing to remedy this situation?  I am now having to desensitize her to the chair.  Rolling back, giving her a treat while she maintains her 'under' under the desk, praising her when she is calm, etc.  Give her a day or two more of this, and the chair will become boring once again.

How does this apply to you and your dog?  Basically, this is the same process you would use if your dog is scared of anything.  In psychology (and training), it's called desensitization.  You put the dog into situations where they may stress a little, but not where they have a panic attack.  So, let's say your dog is scared of the teeter totter.  Maybe you'll first start out with surfaces that may move slightly under their feet.  You can then work on a teeter that maybe drops a few inches.  Your dog may be stressed slightly with each of these, but with repetitive positive experience, he or she will learn that it's not a big deal.  From there, you just take more baby steps until they're comfortable with the full-blown teeter.

This desensitization process can work for many things.  While not necessarily the true sense of the word, you can also desensitize your dog to things like your voice (remember that broken record thing?), other dogs (whether they're excited, fearful, or aggressive), wearing paw protecting boots, etc.  Obviously, some things are good to be desensitized to, others are not!

Biggest Loser: Canine Style

Okay, so it's obvious your dog's weight does matter.  Now here are some things you can do to either help your dog loose weight, or maintain a nice trim figure.

Don't Free Feed
Having your dog's food out all the time is like having a bag of potato chips by your computer desk at work.  It encourages grazing.  This is great for cattle and other livestock but bad for humans and dogs!  If your dog is over 6 months old, feed two meals a day: once in the morning and once at night.  There are a ton of other reasons why set meals are a great thing, but we'll just mention the weight aspect for now.

Measure 
Measure your dog's food.  Just because they look hungry or they inhaled their meal doesn't necessarily mean they need more food.  Look at the recommendations on the back of the bag and talk to your vet.  Make a chart and track their progress.  Are they losing weight like you want?  You may need to consider cutting back their food intake.

Sidenote:  PetsMart now has a scale available for you to use.  While it's not the most accurate, it's better than trying to guess your dog's weight.

Watch the Treats
Giving a lot of treats?  This may be adding on the pounds too.  If I'm going to be doing a lot of training with Cheri, I skip her dinner and use her kibbles as reward instead.  Or, I give her half a meal and fill in the gaps with dog log or whatever other reward I'm using.  Don't just give your dog treats for fun-they need to earn every one.

Feed More for Less
If you're dog still looks and acts hungry after they've eaten, you can always give them more to eat without adding a ton of calories by giving them things like whole carrots, canned green beans (no sodium please!), or a kong with a LITTLE bit of peanut butter in it to keep their brain and tongue occupied.

Consider the Brand of Food
You may be feeding your dog a terrible food.  Puppy Chow, Kibbles and Bits, and typically anything that you buy at WalMart (or other grocery-type stores) are usually not good.  Remember how nutritionists are always talking about empty calories?  Hey, same applies to your dog.  Ask your vet for recommendations (if you're in Utah, they'll say Science Diet), and/or do some of your own research online.

Exercise
Can I just say, no duh?  Agility, walks, flyball, running, jogging, hiking, fetching, frisbee catching, etc.  Pick an activity a day and do it.  Exercise isn't just for weight; it will positively affect their behavior as well.

No Table Scraps-Ever
Besides the amount of behavioral problems this creates, it also adds to their waste line.  Bacon, other meats, leftovers and anything that you prepare for you is terrible for your dog.

Toughen Up
Yep, that means stop being a pushover.  Don't feed excess treats, don't give in to begging, don't let those big brown eyes tell you that they need just one more cup of food.

Get tough and exercise your dog-physically and mentally (go agility go!).  You'll see the results with yourself as well.  Take responsibility for taking care of your dog.

Why Dogs Bark

So, a friend and I were talking the other day about her dog barking in the middle of the night.  Of course, I immediately thought of Brian Regan and his comedy piece about dogs barking.  While it's hardly ever funny when it's your dog doing the inappropriate behavior, sometimes it's good to just remember that a dog is a dog.

The Broken Record Syndrome

Ever wonder why your dog seems to ignore you on a regular basis?  While there are many reasons (many of which will show up on this blog at some point or another), here is a major one that I see almost every time I work with people and their dogs.

"Main Entry:	broken record
Part of Speech:	n
Definition:	someone or something that annoyingly repeats itself, as a vinyl record with a scratch
Example:	You are starting to sound like a broken record.
Etymology:	1940"

(Definition courtesy of dictionary.reference.com)

Most people have heard this definition, and almost everybody knows a friend or family member who fits into this category.  Yet, have we ever thought of it in relation to training our dog?  Let's look at this definition from an assertiveness standpoint:

"The 'broken record' technique consists of simply repeating your requests or your refusals every time you are met with resistance....A disadvantage with this technique is that when resistance continues, your requests may lose power every time you have to repeat them. If the requests are repeated too often it can backfire on the authority of your words."

(Courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assertiveness#Broken_record)

I just want to emphasize the last two lines.  Are you a culprit or accomplice to somebody who asks their dog to, "sit, sit, sit, SIT, SIT, SIT! SIT!!!"  Or do you say your dog's name again and again without expecting them to respond?  

Here are some ways to get your dog to listen to your voice:

1.  Don't repeat what you say

2.  Enforce your commands (remember that little things called a negative marker?)

3.  Praise! when they do comply (Good things happen when they listen to you)

4.  Don't ask them to do things when you can't enforce it (are they distracted?  Are they running around in the back yard and you're telling them to "come, come, come, dang it! COME!" ?)

5.  Expect success (of yourself and your dog).  It will show through in your body language

Myth or Fact: A Few Extra Pounds Isn't a Big Deal

Health Risks for Overweight Dogs

1. Diabetes Mellitus
2. Damage to Joints, Bones, and Ligaments
3. Heart Disease
4.  Increased Blood Pressure
5.  Difficulty Breathing
6.  Skin and Coat Problems
7.  Decreased Stamina
8.  Heat Intolerance
9.  Decreased Liver Function
10. Increased Surgical Risk
11. Digestive Disorders
12. Decreased Immune System
13. Increased Risk of Cancer
14. Decreased Quality and Length of Life

I think number 14 sums it all up pretty well-don't you?  Besides, the myth versus fact isn't really a question at all.    10 extra pounds on a 50 pound dog (an extra 20%) is an excessive amount of extra weight to be carrying around.  Think of it this way, a human whose target weight is 125 and is carrying an extra 20% is carrying an extra 25 pounds!

Your dog's health and well-being is in your hands.  Next week I'll post some ways that you can make sure your pet gets to a good weight and stays there.

For more information, please see Health Risks in Overweight or Obese Dogs

       

So You Think Your Dog Can Dance?

Here is a great video of a dancing Golden.  I can't believe her balance-she must have some stellar back leg muscles! 

Stretching for Your Dog

Admittedly, this post isn't nearly as fun or as stimulating as squirrel agility, but it's still important none-the-less.  If your dog does any sustained physical activities (jogging, hiking, frisbee chasing, or, ahem, agility), then stretching is vital to their health and performance.

Canine stretches should be done on a regular basis, but especially before and after agility practice and trials.  Your dog should be slightly "warmed up" before you begin the stretches and it's recommended you use a lot of treats.  Make sure you never force your dog into a painful position!  I like to do the leg stretches from a cradle position, but most people do it while the dog is standing.  Each way has their pros and cons, so choose what works best for you and your dog.  

There are three main areas to stretch: neck/back, back legs/hips, front legs

In these two pictures, you can see this dog stretching on his own (and completely enjoying it).  You've probably seen your own dog do this because they also know it's important.  Cheri always stretches after coming out of her kennel or getting up from a extended down-stay (3 plus hours).  However, dogs don't necessarily know when it's time to stretch: before/after an activity, so that's where you come in!  Handler induced stretching mimics these more natural dog stretches.

While getting a good stretching routine takes some time and practice, it is well worth the effort.  Here are a few diagrams to help with stretching the legs.  

Now you've stretched your dog's legs, here is a great video about stretching your dog's neck and back.

And to end, if you have a few minutes, here are some links to check out: Nature's Corner: Stretching and Simple Neck, Shoulder, and Back Stretches  (this is where the above video came from).

More Awesome Random Animal Agility

Cheri loves squirrels, as I'm sure your dogs do!  But what could be better than a squirrel doing an amazing obstacle course?  Too bad it's not on the ground, within easy access of little canine paws.... 

(Disclaimer:  I really am an advocate of all animals-including squirrels.  But come on, I have to help the dog's dreams along every once in a while!)

(Thanks to the Guymon's for forwarding this on!)

Is My Dog Overweight?

"Canine obesity in one of the fastest growing health problems seen in dogs today. As with people, obesity can lead to a variety of diseases, disorders and other complications in dogs.  In a 2008 study, the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention estimated that 44% of U.S. dogs were overweight or obese.  That's approximately 33 million dogs in the U.S. alone."                                               

                  -Jenna Stregowski,                                                          

                    http://dogs.about.com/od/caninediseases/p/obesity.htm

Pretty scary statistics right?  Whenever I share something like this, people always wonder if their dog is one of those 33 million.  Here's the chart that most vets will recommend you read through and look at:

  

As you can see, the ideal weight is 4 or 5.  But overall, I would recommend having your dog at a 4-especially if you are doing agility.  Remember, agility dogs are athletes and need to be in optimum physical condition to perform at their best.  

Varying posts over the next few weeks will address this issue of overweight canines.  If you have something specific you'd like to see discussed, post a comment.

Stuffing...

...no, not for turkeys, but for Kongs! (Can also be used with shin bones and other hollow, safe chew toys.)  Stuffing Kongs can be a great way to keep your dog entertained in their kennel, in the backyard, when you have company over, or just for fun.  There are a ton of different ideas out there for stuffing your Kong, with many store-bought items as well, but here are some of the things I've used and recommended in the past.  Plus, they're quick, easy, and are usually things you already have around the kitchen.

1.  Peanut Butter. Easily the most popular but is high in calories, so use in moderation.  You really just need to spread it along the rims and in the hard places to reach.
2.  Yogurt.  Take peanut butter and plug the top of the Kong, turn upside down and fill with 1/2 yogurt and 1/2 water.  Freeze and serve.
3.  Standard Milk Bone.  If you get the correct size, this will fit halfway into the Kong.  This is usually a quick eat.
4.  Canned food.  Fill Kong with canned food and pieces of their kibble.  This can be frozen or not.  I do not advocate regularly feeding your dog canned food, but for a treat, it's okay.  Make sure this is either their breakfast or dinner.
5.  Pumpkin.  Canned pureed pumpkin (NOT pie filling) is great for dogs. You can mix this with yogurt as well and freeze, which is good for dogs who have diarrhea since the fiber in the pumpkin helps absorb the water and the yogurt has natural probiotics in it.   For a fall treat, toss in a few carob chips (NOT chocolate).
6.  Bananas.  Have gross, black bananas?  Mash one and stuff into the Kong.
7.  Kibble. Carob Chips. Green beans. Baby carrots.  Apples.  etc.  These are all things that can be mixed in with the others to give your dog a flavor punch.

Look online for other Kong stuffing recipes.  Here's a website to get you started: Free Frozen Kong Stuffing Recipes

4x4x4 Method

So, you've got the good chew toys, but you're dog has stopped chewing and playing with them.  Unfortunately, for some dogs, this means that they are now on the hunt for something else to chew-which may be the leg of your kitchen table or your favorite heels (although I think the dog in the picture is definitely old enough to know better-but only if the owners taught the correct behavior!).

Dogs get bored, just like humans do.  While growing up, there was a period of time where my mom made corn-tortilla enchiladas EVERY Sunday.  We loved her enchiladas, but after several months of this, we were trying hard to convince her to make something else.  Needless to say, once she got off that trend, none of us asked her to make enchiladas again for a really long time!  (If you're a psychology nerd-feel free to look up the principle of satiation, which in fact, may come up in a later post someday.)  As children, we were sick of those rolled yellow shells, stuffed with refried beans, smothered in sauce and cheese...mmmm.  Well, with distance, I learned to love enchiladas again.

How does this seemingly personal tangent relate to your dog and his or her chewing habits?  If your dog always has access to her nylabone, it's going to get real boring real quick.  This is obviously not desirable, so here is an approach I like to recommend to owners and it's something I use constantly with my pups.

4x4x4 Method
First, let me explain that this is the method I usually recommend with toys since the idea of becoming bored with toys and chews is exactly the same.  So, let me explain it this way first, and then I'll carry it over to chew toys.

You have four different groups of toys and within each of those groups you have four different toys.  For example, in your first groups you may have a soft squeaky pheasant, a frisbee, a rubber ball, and a loofa dog toy.  In the second group, you may have a knot ball, a soft dragon, a rope toy (not for chewing!), and a soft squeaky jack.  And the pattern continues.  You then play with one group of these toys for four days while the other three groups are out of your dog's sight.  After the four days are up, you then put the first group of toys away and bring out the second group.  Again, the process continues.  After you've rotated through all four groups, you bring all the toys together and recreate the groups so that you have a different combination of toys in each.  Sounds complicated, but once you get the idea, it's not difficult.  

It shouldn't be too hard to imagine doing this with chew toys as well.  For the math people in the world, if you have four groups, with four in each group, how many toys do you have?  ....16!  Whew-16 chew toys is A LOT, but you can do the same method with different numbers.  So you could still have four groups, but each group could have two chews in it, then you'd only need half the chews.  In fact, the number four isn't really set in stone, but it gives you an idea of where to start.  Some dogs need to rotate through their toys quicker, some less often.  Because each dog is different, the best way to go about this is to learn what works best for your dog.