Senior Dog Central

Dogs and Hurricane Irene

2011-09-02T09:03:00.000-04:00

Our Dog Plato Did Well in Hurricane Irene

We were all worried about what Hurricane Irene would do here in Connecticut. We fared well at our house. Our emergency preparations were in place, including adequate food and water for all of our family, including Plato. Plato and I took a long walk before the winds and rain started. Plato started to get edgy as the evening wore on and was very nervous by 2am when he woke me up during the thunder and lightening phase of the storm.

By morning we were awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Irene and it was raining buckets. Plato was panting and didn't eat. He went out for a brief bathroom break but had no interest in taking a walk. We were glued to the news on TV until the Irene actually went over and we lost power and we switched over to our battery powered/crank emergency radio. It wasn't comforting to learn that the power company predicted it would be up to a week before power was restored in some areas. We kept in touch with family and friends who were also likely to be hit by the storm or who were concerned about those of us who were in the storm's path. The temperature was cool enough to be comfortable so losing AC wasn't a problem at all. We had lanterns, craft supplies and board games so we were fine but concerned that the power would remain off for too long. Our little portable generator was enough to run our big freezer and we loaded our refridgerator with ice from the freezer and didn't open it much. Plato was edgy but OK. No dinner or snacks for him. He was too nervous. Irene passed by and our household did well with just minimal issues. We slowed down on our texting so we wouldn't run our cell phone batteries down after we lost power. We have a plug in phone so we could always use the land line. It was comforting to exchange texts to find out that everyone was safe, even those who had downed trees, flooding and power outages. We were lucky and our power was restored in about 12 hours.

It took Plato awhile to settle down after the storm passed. He seemed tentative when we went out for a short walk. There were some downed trees and power lines so we stayed clear of those areas and make it a very brief outing. Plato started eating and looking happy again the next day!

Jennifer Aniston's Beloved Dog Norman Died at Age 15

2011-05-17T09:23:00.001-04:00

Jennifer Aniston's Constant Companion Died a Few Weeks Ago

I can't believe it when I write a "celebrity piece" but here goes. No, it's not about a celebrity who does or doesn't pick up dog poop. It's about the death of Jennifer Aniston's terrier-corgi mix, Norman, who it seems was constantly by her side. Jennifer Aniston was great in "Friends" and she always looks good, but what really brought her to my attention was the undeniable bond between the actress and her adorable rescue dog, who she called "my baby boy".

Aniston's representative confirmed Norman's death stating "He was an old dog and it was just his time." Norman's old age certainly doesn't make it any easier for Jennifer and I find myself wondering how she's doing. So many of the paparazzi photos of Jennifer that have been published are of her walking or running on the beach with Norman and her other dog, Dolly, a white German Shepherd. Norman was always there for her and with her. Dolly and Jennifer must miss Norman terribly

The Verdict is Still Out on the Thundershirt

2011-04-30T11:52:00.001-04:00

We Storm-Tested the Thundershirt This Week and it Looks Promising (But I am not ABSOLUTELY sure)

I bought Plato's Thundershirt (http://www.thundershirt.com/) because thunderstorms scare him so much and I don't want to drug him on days that thunderstorms are predicted. The theory of giving the dog a snug hug to calm his nervous system sounds like it should work. So, I bought the Thundershirt thinking it was definitely worth a try. A thunderstorm happened the day after the Thundershirt purchase and we got a chance to try it out.

It was a fairly loud early afternoon thunderstorm and I didn't see any lightning, so the shirt hasn't been field tested for lightning yet. I heard several thundering booms and I went to check on Plato, who was already wearing his Thundershirt in anticipation of the storm. I was thrilled to find him sleeping. Wow! Victory! I said to myself as I tiptoed out of the room. Maybe 5 minutes later, Plato came rushing in looking for me, panting hard and trembling. The good news is that he sat down with me and didn't shake as hard as usual and he soon settled down. Based on that limited one daytime thunderstorm field test, I guardedly conclude that the Thundershirt works. I figure the real test comes with a loud thunder and lightning storm in the middle of the night. If he is calm through that, I will be absolutely sure that the Thundershirt works great! I will report back.

The Thundershirt: Good for Thunderstorm Anxiety?

2011-04-28T10:09:00.003-04:00

It's Thunderstorm Season and Plato is Worried

We adopted Plato a little over a year ago and soon found out that he has thunderstorm anxiety. He's not as stressed as our dog Bailey was, but he is definitely worried. He shakes, pants and paces and wakes us up at night. He wants to do whatever he can to escape, but nothing seems to work for him. His "cave" doesn't calm him, even though he spent a lot of time in the cave when he first came to live with us (he rarely goes into his cave now and I am thinking of putting the crate away since it's just a waste of space).

But back to thunderstorms. I've been hearing so much about the purportedly amazing Thundershirt. I heard about it at a natural pet shop and at the baseball field. A friend of mine whose dog suffers from separation anxiety says it's miraculas. So, I started reading about it and watched some training videos on the Thundershirt website at thundershirt.com . I like that it's drug free and that the company has a money back guarantee. The idea is that constant gentle pressure will calm a stressed dog's nervous system. I've put the Thundershirt on Plato and he is very comfortable. It's easy to put on with the velcro closures and it's very adjustable to provide a good fit. Plato has a summer puppy cut so we won't have to worry about his fur getting caught in the velcro, which I've heard is a problem with long haired dogs. But, does it work? I can't say yet but since thunderstorms are predicted for this evening, we'll see and report back. Stay tuned.

10 Pet-Friendliest U.S. Cities

2011-03-15T17:30:00.000-04:00

From Livability.com! The 10 Pet-Friendliest Cities

I don't live in one the the pet-friendliest cities, but I am still interested in pet-friendly locations and what we can do to make our cities and towns better for our pets. The Livability.com survey found the cities to be pet-friendly because of pet-friendly parks and trails, active animal-rights organizations, lots of pet shops and high quality veterinary care. So, here they are! The 10 pet-friendliest cities:

1. Portland, Oregon
2. Colorado Springs, Colorado
3. Rocky Mount, North Carolina
4. Boulder, Colorado
5. Santa Cruz, California
6. Eugene, Oregon
7. Asheville, North Carolina
8. Albuquerque, New Mexico
9. Nashville, Tennessee
10. Louisville, Kentucky.

Cold Weather Paw Protection for Dogs

2011-02-28T11:44:00.001-05:00

Cold Weather Paw Protection is Helping Plato Have Fun and Stay Fit

Plato is a very fuzzy dog who adores the cold weather. You can see the happiness on his face when he runs in the snow and wind. He loves the smells of winter and his delight is contageous! We need the walks for our sanity and fitness in the winter and I can't imagine staying inside just because it's cold and snowy. Plato's not crazy about slipping on ice and he doesn't like ice balls getting stuck in the pads of his paws. When the snow is sticky and balls up in his paws, Plato limps for awhile and then stops to try to bite the ice balls out. I help him by taking off my mitten and pulling the ice balls out with my fingers. He'd rather do it himself but that doesn't work very well so he grudgingly lets me do it. Plato always licks his paws thoroughly when we get back from our walks. Yuck. Road salt and deicer cannot possibly be good for his skin or his insides. People offer lots of helpful suggestions for slippery conditions such as kitty litter, fireplace wood ash and sandbox sand. These are great alternatives for around our home but do not deal with road chemicals when we take our daily walks away from home.

Wipe/Wash Your Dogs Feet. Or try Dog Boots!

Putting boots on dogs seems to provoke strong reactions in people. Some people think the boots are adorable and amusing. Others seem to think I am just dressing Plato up to look cute and that I should get over it. And some understand that boots can help protect Plato's feet. We used to put boots on our senior dog Bailey all year round when we went walking because he dragged his old arthritic back legs and damaged his feet unless he wore boots. Plato's legs are fine but with him, I am concerned about the pain that ice balls in his paws cause Plato. I am also worried about dry skin and cracking paws as well as the detrimental health effects from ingesting road chemicals when he licks off his feet. , was well as the discomfort of ice balls in his pads.

I tried wiping and washing Plato's feet after walking, but it hasn't worked so well for us. Plato hates it when I dunk his feet in water. By the time I get to the second or third paw, the bucket is usually knocked over and I have a big mess to clean up. And I don't think just wiping his feet off is good enough protection from road chemicals. So, I finally started putting boots on Plato when the snow is sticky and the roads are likely to be treated with salt or deicers. We use a sort of sneaker boot made by Ruffwear. Our favorite is the Bark'n Boots Grip Trex all season footwear with a Vibram sole. We tried a lot of boots on Bailey. Some didn't fit very well and others wore out quickly. The Bark'n Boots worked great for Bailey on his back two paws, and they're great on all of Plato's feet. We laughed to the point of tears at Plato's funny walk the first time we put the boots on him, but we collected ourselves, clipped on his leash and hit the road. Within seconds, Plato seemed to forget about the boots as he walked enthusiastically before entering into a spirited job just slow enough for me to keep up! The boots are great protection from ice balls and road chemicals and I admit it, they're cute too! I know we'll bring the boots with us on hikes too. Try it!

Plato!

2011-02-09T21:05:00.002-05:00

Photo by Lucy

The Dog Sweater/Coat Controversy?

2010-12-12T12:18:00.002-05:00

Is it OK to Dress My Dog in a Sweater or Coat?

Seriously. It's a subject about which dog people feel passionately. Some people feel strongly that it's NEVER OK and others think it's fine as long as it's not harming or bothering the dog. I don't get the passionate judgments that one camp has about the other. I mean, live and let live.

I used to think putting dogs in dog clothes was pretty silly but now I don't. I remember our little Chihuahua, Chico, who we had when I was a really young child. That little dog shivered most of the time unless she was wearing the little knit sweater that my Mom made for her. And Bailey, who was so fuzzy that he would be wet for hours if he didn't wear his rain coat. After Bailey got really old, he seemed much more sensitive to temperature extremes which led us to get his fur cut short in the summer and to put sweaters and raincoats on in cold or wet weather. Otherwise, Bailey would shiver in the cold, wet weather, despite his thick coat of fur. His polar fleece or sweatshirt hoodies made all the difference. The polar fleece was handy when we drove up to Vermont and back in the frigid winter weather if Bailey had to stay in the car for short periods of time with the car off so the heat wouldn't be running. And Plato just left the house for a walk with Lucy in the pouring rain, wearing the rain coat that he inherited from Nick, a fabulous English Golden who sadly died a few years ago and left our friends Tom and Kay devastated. Anyway, if it makes my dog more comfortable, I will put him in a sweater or rain coat. Even if the anti-dog clothes faction thinks I am stupid.

Do Dogs Have a Better Sense of Smell in the Cold of Winter?

2010-12-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

Plato Loves the Smells of Winter

Plato loves the cold of winter. He perks up and is ready to roll way before we're up and ready to walk in the cold winter mornings. I notice that he is even more enthused about sniffing than usual, which is sort of surprising since smells seem to me to be more pungent in hot summer weather. Nonetheless, it's winter smells that seriously excite Plato. Plato puts his nose up in the air and just savors the smells in the wind. When we get underway with our walk, it's nose down most of the way as he is hot on the trail of all the delicious smells. Serious scent scavenging goes on. He prances along and seems so happy! It's fabulous. Maybe it's because he is so fuzzy and he's just happier in the cold weather. It makes me happy to watch him enjoy himself so much.

Lumps and Bumps on Dogs and in Plato's Case, Good News!

2010-11-05T11:15:00.000-04:00

Plato's Newest Lump is a Lipoma

Plato has had two fairly substantial lumps on his chest since we adopted him about 10 months ago. Our vet said they're just lipomas, or benign tumors made of fatty tissues, that are common and mostly nothing to worry about in dogs. Some say that these benign bumps can transform into malignant tumors, but others say that isn't going to happen.

My daughter first found Plato's newest bump when she was brushing him. She immediately called me over to look, since this little lump is pretty scary looking and doesn't look anything like the other lipoma lumps. The other two lumps are much larger, and are squishy looking and covered with fur. This little lump looks sort of like a bean. It is hairless and pink and spidered with blood vessels. Any lump or bump should be checked by the vet, but this one seemed like it should be checked ASAP.

Our Visit to the Vet to Check the Lump

Plato's vet did a head to tail exam and then did a more in-depth exam of his chest area where the three lumps are. He dug around in Plato's dense fur until he found the hairless little lump and did a needle aspirate to see what is inside the ugly little lump. He didn't want to speculate on what the biopsy would show and said he'd call in a day or two with results. That said enough. It wasn't the "oh, that's just a lipoma, don't worry about it" reaction that he'd had with the other two lumps and that didn't require a biopsy.

I was already worried. I've looked at enough dog lump photos online to know that this ugly little lump does not look like a common lipoma. I have read that one in four dogs die of cancer and that didn't calm me down any. So, I figured the best thing to do was to try to stop thinking about it and wait for the biopsy results.

The Biopsy Results

Plato's lump is a benign tumor made of fatty cells, a variation on the common lipoma, the most common skin tumor in dogs! Our vet recommends that we watch the lump. If it grows or gets red and nastier looking, we'll reevaluate. In the meantime, we'll leave it alone and be careful when we groom him because we don't want to nick the lump and break the skin.

Protect Your Dog from Halloween Chocolates!

2010-10-31T20:00:00.000-04:00

Chocolate is Toxic to Dogs

I read a long time ago that dog poisonings from chocolate spike at Halloween. Kids try something, decide that they'd rather have something else and drop that chocolate treat and wrapper on the ground and move on. Dogs eat the chocolates that they find and get sick. So just a reminder, watch out and be ready to yell "drop it" and grab the chocolate and if that's not your dog's best command, be ready to yank that treat out of your dog's mouth.

Plato's Persistent Diarrhea: Attack of the Whipworms

2010-10-21T12:22:00.000-04:00

It's Been a Long Haul to the Whipworm Diagnosis

Plato has been with us for 9 months now. It seems like he's had diarrhea more of the time than not. It's been a regular cycle of feeding regular dog food, Plato developing diarrhea, us switching back to the bland diet of boiled poultry or beef with plain rice or potato, followed by gradually firmer stools and slow reintroduction of regular to dog food, and then more diarrhea, vet visits, stool tests and meds. Plato had bouts of anorexia, where he would leave his food untouched or literally bat his food bowl away from him with his snout. He became withdrawn and retreated to his favorite spot more and more often. Our perky dog became lethargic a good portion of the time. And he lost a good ten pounds that he did not need to lose. Clearly, something had to be done.

Plato was periodically on a bland diets for months. His poop has was tested over and over. He was given Flagyl and amoxicillan on several occasions. His stool samples came back normal. But after several bouts of diarrhea, including bloody, mucousy diarrhea, our vet decided that Plato probably had whipworms and we should treat him for whipworm infection. Whipworm eggs have never been found in his stool. So, you ask, how are we so confident that his problems were caused by whipworms? The answer is that his symptoms are classic for whipworms and the infection that they can cause. And because whipworm treatment (twice) has worked!

How do Dogs get Whipworms?

Dogs get whipworms by eating or drinking something contaminated with whipworm eggs. Whipworms are common all over the world and the eggs can live in the soil for long periods of time. The dog eats the eggs and then larvae hatch from the eggs, generally in the dog's small intestine. About three months after the dog eats the eggs, the larva mature into adult whipworms which live in the large intestines. The whipworms burrow into the walls of the dog's intestines and feed on the blood. The adults lay eggs which then work their way through the dog's system and pass in the stool.

Plato's Whipworm Diagnosis

Generally, whipworm is diagnosed by the vet finding whipworm eggs in the dog's feces. This never happened with Plato, despite numerous stool samples being tested. It's all in the timing. Because of the whipworm life cycle, some infected dogs show clinical signs of whipworm infection before eggs are passed in the dog's feces. Diagnosis of whipworm infection can also be complicated because eggs may be shed at irregular intervals and may not be in the stool at the time the test is done.

Plato's stool samples never showed whipworms. He was diagnosed based on his clinical history and symptoms, as well as his favorable response to treatment. Plato had regular diarrhea, liquid poop really. He had a lot of mucus and his poop and diarrhea was often streaked with blood. Our vet explained that whipworms chew into the dog's intestines, and in Plato's case, caused a fairly severe infection as evidenced by his bloody diarrhea, mucous and weight loss. So, he prescribed a bland diet (yet again), but this time, we added treatment with a dewormer, or anthelmintic drug. Plato was given a course of Panacur which is a dewormer, as well as Tylan powder, which is a broad spectrum antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drug that is often used to treat persistent diarrhea and intestinal problems. Tylan tastes bitter and nasty, so we gave it to Plato wrapped in boiled chicken. That worked most of the time but it was a lot of work to get him to swallow.

Plato's condition improved, but it was hard to tell if the improvement was because of the whipworm treatment or because of the bland diet since he generally seemed better when he was on a bland diet. Thankfully, Plato continued to do well when we started to introduce regular food back into his diet. He was "wormed" again with Panacur about six weeks after the first treatment and has done well since.

Our vet suggested that we try to switch him back to dog food, and then gradually get him eating better quality, higher protein dog food. We tried and had more diarrhea (but not bloody, mucousy diarrhea this time). So, we went back to the bland diet for a week after his stools returned to normal. We did this 2 or 3 times, before trying a commercial bland diet available through the vet's office since Plato was getting finicky with the bland diet I was cooking for him. He stabilized on the commercial dog food bland diet, but we have not managed to get him onto a high quality high protein kibble without his having more diarrhea. Our vet has concluded that Plato simply can't handle such a high protein diet. The problem is that the food that he's eating is also fairly low calorie and he's lost too much weight already. He's not much of an eater so we're watching his weight very gradually increase. Treats help.

Control and Prevention of Whipworms

Whipworms are common parasites all over the world. The best way to prevent whipworm infection is to prevent or reduce exposure the dog's exposure to whipworm eggs in his environment. Most articles that I've read say that the best way to do this is to quickly pick up poop after dogs defecate, and to do periodic stool testing and treatment. I have also read that whipworms can be controlled by monthly use of Heartguard or other broad-spectrum heartworm prevention medications. Plato has been wormed twice with Panacur and he gets Heartgard every month, so hopefully he'll be OK going forward!

Plato the Modern, Microchipped Dog

2010-08-22T13:34:00.000-04:00

Identity Tags and Microchips Can Help a Lost Pet Get Home

Plato was microchipped the last time we were at the vet. We adopted Plato 7 months ago and we'd dealt with Lyme Disease, whip worms and all the messy diarrhea, weight loss, special meals and treatments that go with them. Plato had settled in nicely once he felt better. It had been nagging at me that despite our best efforts, Plato could easily get lost if he bolted after some of the abundant wild life that lives in our area. We often take Plato with us when we travel and hike and we worried that if he disappeared, could he find his way back to us? What if he lost his collar and tags?  Millions of pets get lost every year but not that many find their way back home. They end up at the pound where they might get adopted to another home. They might be euthanized. Plato already had two stints at a shelter before we adopted him and that's two too many. So, we decided to get him microchipped to provide extra protection to him and to increase our chances of getting him back if he ever gets lost.

What is a Microchip?

A microchip is a little computer chip the size of a grain of rice that are designed to last for about 25 years.  Plato's chip was implanted under his skin between his shoulder blades with a special syringe. He didn't seem to even feel it. Our vet explained that the chip uses radio waves to transmit information to a handheld reading device that reads the chip and displays a code unique to Plato. After he implanted the chip, he waved the reader over the chip and showed me the code displayed on the reader. He also explained that the chip and information on it is worthless unless the dog and the code are registered with the microchip registry for the chip manufacturer. So, I completed the registration online as soon as Plato and I got home and paid the one time registration fee. The fee was $2 cheaper since I registered Plato on line instead of submitting the information on paper and sending it through the mail.  We're still waiting to receive a tag for Plato's collar with the chip number and chip registry contact information.

What About the Different Kinds of Chips, Registries and Reading Devices?

There are different kinds of microchips manufactured by competing companies. The chips use different radio frequencies that can only be read by a scanner that reads that frequency. That used to be more of a problem than it is now, when most vets and shelters have universal scanners that can read all the different frequencies used in the various chips. Microchips aren't perfect and neither are collars and tags.  But, we keep an eye on Plato and are careful. Our diligence, and Plato's identity tags and microchip together increase the chances of keeping Plato safe with his family.

Don't Leave Your Dog in a Warm Car

2010-07-31T15:10:00.001-04:00

Hello Again From SeniorDogCentral.com!

I haven't posted in quite awhile here at http://www.seniordogcentral.com/. I've been busy with our "new" dog, Plato. The short story is that Plato has had some health issues that had us worried. I'll post details soon. The good news is that he appears, knock wood, to be fine. I've also been looking for a job and job hunting takes time. Kids take more time, and so does running a household. Then I got so behind on the dog news that I didn't know where to start so I didn't. But I just got home from dropping my son off to go boating (a father/son bonding trip) and on my way home, I stopped to get gas and saw a dog sitting in a car looking distressed from the heat. So I am posting.

Leaving Dogs in Warm/Hot Cars can be Deadly

It's 80 degrees Fahrenheit out here in my scenic little town. I've read that even on a nice 80 to 85 degree day like today, the inside of a car can reach 102 degrees in 10 minutes and 120 degrees within 1/2 hour. The inside of the car can get even hotter in the sun. Leaving the windows open a crack does virtually nothing. Leaving the windows wide open doesn't do much if there's no breeze.

Dogs are not like people when it comes to their body cooling systems.  We sweat all over our bodies to cool off and it works pretty well most of the time. Dogs don't sweat and they cannot cool their bodies as well as people.  Dogs cool down by panting to blow out heat.   And panting can't do much to cool off a dog in a 100-120 degree car. The dog would really be doomed during a heat wave of 90-over 100 degree temperatures that we had this summer in the northeast.

Fourteen states have laws to address the problem of animals left in cars in hot weather. Some authorize police or animal control officers to enter the car to remove the animal. That's probably a risky thing for the average person to do in terms of the laws, so what should we do when we see an animal alone in a car on a hot day?  My suggestion is to first look for the dog's person.

The gas station that I stopped at is next to a parking lot for some shops so I got Plato out of the car and poked my head into a few shops to try to find the dog owner . I got lucky and found the person who belongs to the dog in the second shop that I tried.  I said "I saw your dog alone in the car and he's panting hard like he's really hot and I knew you'd want to know so you can get him out of the car and get him some water to cool off". The woman looked really concerned and got the dog right out of the car. There wasn't a water bowl in the car so we had to go find water for the dog. When we were walking, I told the woman that I'd read that cars can reach 100-120 degrees inside on even a nice 80 degree day like today.   She said she had no idea and seemed so sorry and embarrassed, but more than that, she was so happy that her dog was OK.

If I hadn't found the owner, I suppose I would have called our animal control or police but I am glad that wasn't necessary.

Why Should You Get a Dog?

2010-05-21T08:09:00.001-04:00

Dogs Are Good For Us!

I was walking with our dog, Plato this morning and I ran into a neighbor who I hadn't seen in awhile. She had a little dog with her that I hadn't ever seen and not the dog I've seen her with for years. She told me how sorry she was about our dog Bailey's death and said she had lost her dog recently too. Bailey made a difference to her, even though he and her dog didn't really bond. The little Pomeranian was afraid of other dogs, I think and Bailey was a big guy who got way too excited when he saw other dogs. Anyway, Bailey was an inspiration for her rescuing a dog after her dog died. I know several people who decided to go to adopt after meeting Bailey. Bailey was one of those dogs who make you think about the "Who Rescued Who?" sticker. We rescued Bailey from the pound and he rescued us in many other ways. And he inspired other people to adopt.

Our friends Don and Martha said they rescued their senior cat because of Bailey, who was 10 when we adopted him. They couldn't walk away from the beautiful cat with a "SENIOR" sign on her cage at the pound. Who else was going to take her? Don was very sick when they adopted their cat and Martha said that Don had a smile on his face every time he saw their cat. Animals are better than medicine sometimes, because they make us happy, they lower our blood pressure and they help us take pleasure in simple things.

This morning when I was walking with Plato, I noticed yet again, the people who smile when they see him trotting along on his morning walk. Maybe they have a pet at home, but if they don't, imagine how many more smiles they would have if they did. Plato is at my side as I write this, and he'll be out with me when I spread mulch and work in the garden. It's fantastic to have a dog.

Dog's Fear of Thunder and Lightning: An Easy Solution that Might Work for You Too

2010-05-05T15:37:00.001-04:00

Plato is Afraid of Thunder/Lightening

We adopted Plato in mid-January so this is his first thunderstorm season with us. Earlier this week, he was restless during the night and I woke up wondering if he might have to go out (he also has a very sensitive stomach and GI tract so that's a real possibility). I felt his paws on the side of the bed and figured he must really need something. There was a flash of lightening and Plato jumped into our bed! He never climbs on the furniture so this was something big. Plato was panting, but not shaking like a leaf like our wonderful dog Bailey, so it wasn't such a huge thing. I learned from long experience with Bailey that if he couldn't see the lightning he would calm down. Hearing the thunder wasn't a problem for Bailey after he was completely deaf, but the lightning would send him into a panic.

Bailey did well when we'd turn on a light in a comfortable spot so he could calm down and sleep. I tried the same thing with Plato in his favorite spot which we call Plato's Place. I took Plato downstairs to his spot and got him settled into bed with the bright light on. I didn't do a lot of comforting and didn't give him any treats because I didn't want to reinforce or reward the fear. I know that treating the situation matter of factly is the best way to modify the behavior. Plato's breathing relaxed and he slept through the night! As far as I can tell, the thunder was quiet or it didn't really bother Plato. I know it probably doesn't fit into the definition of fancy behavior modification but it worked! So, my recommendation is turn the lights on and get some sleep!

Buying Stamps Can Help Shelter Pets

2010-04-30T11:35:00.000-04:00

Buy Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet Special Stamps from the US Postal Service!

We all still use stamps at least some of the time, unless you're one of those people who does absolutely everything online like paying bills, sending e-cards, corresponding only by email or social networking sites... So, if you are going to need stamps anyway, buying stamps that benefit homeless pets is a plus. During the launch of the special 44 cent first class stamps by the USPS, Halo: Purely for Pets, the pet food company co-owned by Ellen DeGeneres, is donating 1 million meals to shelters all over the country.

The USPS website says that the stamps were created to make more people aware of shelter pets and their need for homes since almost 1/2 of all animals that are taken to shelters end up being euthanized, even though many of them would have made spectacular pets if they were just given the chance.

Everyone can help shelter animals. You can adopt a shelter pet, volunteer or donate to shelters or help get the word out by using the new animal rescue stamps. The stamps come in 10 designs with 20 stamps on each sheet. The stamps show photos of pets who were once homeless. Only 1 of the pets whose photo appears on the stamps was still waiting for a home at the time the photos were taken and the other 9 had already been adopted. I don't need stamps now but I am going to buy several sheets of the gorgeous animal rescue stamps anyway. I'll need stamps in the future and I want to do more to help shelter pets now. If the postal rates go up, I'll just buy sheets of 1 or 2 cent stamps or however much more I need to send a letter! It's easy and I urge you to help too.

Cross-Reporting of Animal Cruelty and Child Abuse

2010-04-15T10:06:00.000-04:00

Interesting Legislation Pending In Connecticut Would Require Cross-Reporting of Child Abuse and Animal Cruelty

The pending legislation requires animal control officers, through the commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture (DoAG), to report animal abuse to the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The commissioner of DoAG would submit a monthly report to DCF, basically the information in the animal control officers' reports.

DCF child abuse or neglect investigations would also include an evaluation of animals in the household for signs of cruelty, neglect or harm. The DCF commissioner would then determine if an address in the animal case matches the address of a home with an open investigation of child abuse or neglect. If there is a match DCF would be required to make a home visit to observe the children and evaluate household pets.

The pending legislation sounds like a good idea to me. I'll bet that child and animal abuse often happen in the same household. It also seems that more cases of abuse and neglect will be picked up by involving both departments, without much more cost to the state. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Re-Housetraining, continued

2010-03-26T13:16:00.000-04:00

Housetraining Success (Mostly) Keep the Dog Gates Up!

Plato is getting so good at telling us when he needs to go outside and we're watching! We have had 2 accidents this week and they both are attributable to OUR failures, not Plato's. Plato only had accidents when we failed to keep the dog gates properly in place to block him from his "indoor poop spots". We got lazy or lax since Plato is doing so well. But we need to remember that it takes a long time for old habits to be replaced by new impecable housebreaking habits. Re-housetraining is going great! Good boy, Plato!

Re-Housetraining Progress Report 2: One Week Later

2010-03-22T07:31:00.000-04:00

Success! (Only 1 Accident This Week, About 5 Minutes Ago)

Plato has been doing so well! He tells us when he needs to go out and we take him. It's great. We've been good about keeping the dog gates up to contain Plato in his den (the whole main floor of the house) and keep him away from his inside poop spots unless he's supervised. Until this morning. I was slow getting up (my earlier riser son is sick in bed) and my husband was so nice to take Plato downstairs and let him out. When I came downstairs awhile later, I made coffee and started to read an article in the paper about job changing/hunting books. Plato stood and then sat at the door. I took him out and he started to head up the driveway like we were taking a walk (almost an hour early) so I veared us towards the woods (a good Plato outside poop spot). He walked around and looked like he might poop but didn't. He started for the driveway again and I called him back. No poop so we headed back to the house.

I got back to the job hunting book list (not very helpful, just a list with no reviews of expensive books) while Plato lay down near the door. I got up to refill my coffee and heard Plato head up the stairs which he shouldn't have been able to do. His dog gate should have been up to block the stairs to the second floor because the landing midway up the stairs is one of Plato's prior indoor poop spots. I put down the paper and hastily followed Plato who was already heading downstairs again. Yep, the poop was there and I am discouraged.

I picked up the poop and carefully cleaned and deodorized to discourage future soiling of the area. Nature's Miracle is fabulous. I didn't scould Plato since it was already after the fact and wouldn't have helped and would have just confused him. I reminded myself that 1 accident in a week is big progress. I also remind myself that it's going to take a lot longer than a week to instill solid housetraining habits. I wasn't patient enough when I took Plato out and I forgot to put the gate up. I slacked off and Plato had an accident. I guess I still need training too.

Progess Report: Re-Housetraining the Adult Adopted Dog

2010-03-16T09:02:00.000-04:00

The Re-Housetraining Program is Going Well!

Plato stood at the door last week when I had a pan on the stove. I hoped he just wanted to take a walk and didn't move to the door to take him out. He started down the stairs to our basement and quickly came back up when he found the door closed. He stood at the door again and made a little noise. I grabbed his leash, put on my shoes and took Plato out. He pooped.

So what, you're wondering? Let me explain. Plato has had accidents in 2 areas in our house. One is a particular place in the basement (the second is the landing to the upstairs). When he wasn't let out right away when he stood at the front door, he headed downstairs to a poop spot but he couldn't get there. He also couldn't get to the other poop spot because the stairs are blocked off with a pet gate. He came upstairs and asked to be taken out again. I think that the containment principle of housetraining worked. At least that's what I am hoping. The first floor of our house has never been soiled by Plato. Maybe his poop spots are outside of his den area and confining him to the first floor is sufficient. If it turns out that the first floor is too large an area, we can block Plato off in his favorite area near the door to our garage. It's a light filled area the size of a fairly large bathroom where Plato has toys, his food and water and a bed. It's his spot when he wants to hang by himself. He's very happy there and he would be fine confined to that area when we're out, if necessary.

Re-Housetraining takes Patience!

We have been diligently supervising Plato. He doesn't have the unsupervised free access to the house that he has had before. If Plato goes to the door, we take him out. Yesterday required lots of patience because Plato took his usual morning walk and didn't poop. That's very unusual and that meant that every trip to the door was a probably request to get the morning poop done. That went on all day and through the afternoon and evening. Two meals and no poop. I took Plato out for a walk after our dinner at about 7:30 last night and he finally pooped. I heaped lavish praise on him and we headed home.

This morning went very well. Plato went out to pee and we headed straight back into the house. About a half hour later, Plato stood at the front door and didn't move. I was tempted to wait to take him out, since we had just been out a little while before, but figured that he looked pretty intent on going out and if he had an accident it would be my fault for ignoring his signal. We went out and trolled around the yard and into the woods for a few minutes and Plato pooped. Of course, lavish praise followed!

Re-Housetraining the Adopted Adult Dog

2010-03-15T09:34:00.001-04:00

The Re-Housetraining Plan

I googled the subject and read some articles that all seem to be based on the same principles. I went to the library and got out a bunch of dog books and 2 on housetraining in particular. The book that seems to set out the best plan in the plainest language is called How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days, by Shirlee Kalstone. Ms. Kalstone uses the "7 day formula" which she sums up as follows:

THE 7-DAY FORMULA

The 7-day formula for successful housebreaking, paper-training, or litter pan training is based

on six principles:

1. Establishing regular eating habits.

2. Confining your dog to a "den" where he won't want to relieve himself.

3. Following a strict outdoor walking schedule, indoor-papering, or litter pan schedule.

4. Giving the dog plenty of praise.

5. Using immediate and consistent good discipline and corrective training.

6. Getting rid of odors promptly.

In our case, we are interested in housetraining, not paper or litter pan training. We want Plato to eliminate outside all the time. He mostly does, but not always. I think his housetraining inconsistency issue probably stems from his starting out as a stray, going to a home where he was housetrained and given lots of attention, care and walks, then having his Dad become sick and unable to take care of him and being brought back to the shelter. I'm sure he didn't get the consistent care and opportunities to go outside to pee and poop when he lived with a sick man or when he went back to the shelter where the dedicated volunteers could not always be with him and see when he needed to go out.

I think the housetraining inconsistency has been made worse by me and the rest of Plato's new family. We have expected too much of Plato and haven't watched him carefully enough. Now that I am focused on the problem, I am watching more carefully for Plato's signals. He goes to the door and waits. Subtle, but he is letting us know when he wants to go out. We have also given Plato the run of the house from the first day here. It may be too much for him to handle straight away. Plato's food was changed when he moved in with us and it's clear that it was changed too quickly for Plato's somewhat sensative stomach. It's not easy to deal with housetraining issues when the poor guy was sick with diarrhea.

So, now we're following the 7-day formula. We won't change his food or give him extras during the training period. We've created a "den" for Plato in a small area near the back door. He likes to be there, so we've made it official. He has a bed, his toy basket and his food and water station. The area can be blocked off with a pet gate when we are out of the house and Plato is alone. We already had a good walking schedule. We're praising Plato lavishly (one of Ms. Kalstone's favorite words) when he relieves himself outside. We haven't had the opportunity to use #5 (good discipline and corrective training) but we're ready for it if we catch Plato in the act. And finally, we're dedicated to #6, prompt odor removal (I like Nature's Miracle).

It's going well, I think, but it's hard to tell with an intermittent housetraining issue, so we'll see and keep the readers of http://www.seniordogcentral.com/ informed. Keep in touch!

Our Current Challenge: Re-Housetraining Our Adult Dog

2010-03-13T22:30:00.000-05:00

Plato is Having Too Many Pooping Accidents

This is tough. Plato's "signals" when he needs to go out are subtle. I think he was probably fully housetrained, but maybe things sort of broke down a bit when he was back at the pound. He has never urinated in our house in the 2 months that he's been with us. He had a few pooping accidents early on when he was sick, so I figured he just couldn't make it outside. But it's also happened when he seems fine and his poop is firm. It's not a regular thing, but it has happened often enough that I think it's a problem that needs to be addressed. So what gives? I think he needs to be re-housetrained. I plan to research the subject and come up with a plan. You can't teach an old dog new tricks? Nonsense. Stay tuned.

My Dog Plato Tested Positive For Lyme Exposure. What Next?

2010-02-22T12:53:00.000-05:00

A Positive Test For Lyme Exposure Doesn't Mean Our Dog has Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted by certain ticks. Here in the Northeastern part of the US, the bacteria are usually transmitted by tiny little deer ticks. The bacteria are difficult to test for, so the tests look for antibodies in the blood, or the dog's reaction to the bacteria. The test doesn't tell us if the bacteria are still in the dog's body or if the dog will ever get Lyme disease.

Lyme Disease in Dogs is Different from People Lyme Disease

I'm not a people doctor or a vet, but from what I've read, the difference is that people often have flu like symptoms and a rash where the tick bit them and dogs often have joint pain and fever months after the tick bite occurred. People can have neurological and cardiac problems from Lyme diease which are extremely rare in dogs. Dogs can develop kidney problems after having had Lyme disease for a long time. Most dogs don't show symptoms of Lyme disease at all and Lyme exposure is discovered through routine screenings commonly done on a yearly basis at the vet's office.

Only about 10% (less actually) of dogs who test positive for Lyme exposure get sick. Some of the sick dogs have sore joints and run a low grade fever. The lameness from the sore joints can shift from leg to leg, most often the front legs, and the affected joints are often swollen and hot. Lymph nodes may be swollen too. The most serious problem caused by Lyme disease in dogs seems to be in the kidneys when the antibodies fighting the Lyme bacteria get stuck in the kidney filtering system which can prevent the kidneys from cleaning the blood.

Our Vet's Recommendations for Plato After Testing Positive for Lyme Exposure

Dr. Feldman made it clear that Lyme exposure doesn't mean Lyme disease. He said that he wanted to quantify Plato's exposure, so he did a second test, since only a small percentage of dogs who test positive for Lyme exposure get sick and only a small number of those dogs should be treated with antibiotics. Dr. F said that he usually doesn't treat dogs unless the level of a certain antibody (C6) is over 30. The test measures the level of the C6 antibody, which is only in the dog's body if the Lyme bacteria is still there. Well, Plato's C6 antibody level was 318 which sounds really high especially since Plato shows no symptoms of Lyme disease. We followed Dr. F's recommendation and treated Plato with a 4 week course of antibiotics (dosycycline).

Plato was also tested for kidney function since Lyme positive dogs in kidney failure spill protein into their urine. Kidney failure seems to be rare, but many experts think that the progression of the disease and kidney failure can be slowed with early detection and treatment. Plato's urine test came back totally normal which was a real relief to us. His kidneys seem to be fine. Going forward, Plato will continue with Frontline topical flea and tick repellent on a monthly basis all year round, not just during "tick season". He will be tested periodically to see his Lyme antibody level and may be given additional courses of antibiotics if his antibody level isn't significantly reduced. He probably will be given Lyme disease vaccinations. We'll keep our grass cut relatively short and will continue to check Plato and ourselves for ticks. Prevention is the best weapon against Lyme disease.

Training Your Shelter/Rescue Dog

2010-01-26T12:43:00.001-05:00

It's NEVER too Late to Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!

You can't teach an old dog new tricks? Nonsense. Our new dog is 6 (a best guess) years old. And he's learning fast. He responds very well to his name (Plato). He does well with "come" and he's getting better with "sit". Our neighbor, an adult who is pretty sensible, told my 10 year old daughter that Plato is too old to train. He's wrong and Lucy knows that. She has seen Plato's progress over the 12 days that he's been with us. We've started to trust him off leash in our yard, with supervision. But we still have to be careful for his safety.

This Morning's Scary Incident. Plato Ignored "COME" and Ran Across the Road!

Plato went outside, peed and bolted. He ran up the driveway and didn't stop despite all the whistling and yelling "come" and his name. He continued on to the street which he crossed at a gallop without looking both ways. Our street is busy in the morning, but Plato got lucky and crossed without getting flattened by a car. He sat on the other side of the street and waited for Lucy and I to catch up. We told him "no", got him on his leash and went for a walk. I was really surprised since Plato had proven to be fairly trustworthy in responding to "come" commands. Lucy wasn't so surprised.

When I think back to yesterday, I am not really surprised. Yesterday was a seriously rainy day and Plato didn't want to take a walk. He only went out when he was desperate to pee and only pooped late in the evening. He could not comfortably work for the post office, since he apparently hates walking in the rain. Snow is great, but not rain. I might have been able to force him to walk, but it would have required yanking him the whole way. So, this morning Plato had tons of pent up energy and he was perky on the walk we took after his "escape" across the road. And he wasn't listening well with all that energy.

Training the Adult Shelter Dog Requires Patience and Persistance

I am not a dog training expert but I have worked with a trainer, done a lot of reading on training dogs and have experience. Old dog can learn new tricks. Our dog Bailey learned new commands and hand signals even though he was 10 when he joined our family. Plato is only 6 and he's learning fast. We are consistent in the words and signals that we use to give commands. And we are using hand signs, since Bailey lost his hearing and that often happens to dogs as they age so we'll be ahead of the game if Plato learns signs from the start. We use positive reinforcement to reward Plato. We tell him what a good boy he is and often give him treats for his obedience. Plato isn't that food oriented so the prospect of a treat doesn't seem to motivate him much. When we got Plato, he ignored sit and we had to push firmly on his rear to get him to sit. Now, it only takes a light touch and he's down. Sure, he has a long way to go, but he's learning and settling into our home very well. We'll keep at it and keep you posted.