The Web-DVM TV, Radio & Blog

Why do dogs sniff eachother's butts?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Roger Welton) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:39:08 PST

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO AT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Transcript from this week's episode of The Web-DVM:

Good evening, happy New Year to all, and welcome to our first

episode of the 2012 season.

Put a group of two or more dogs together and it never fails that the initial introductions will consist mainly of a group butt sniffing session. Why in the world to they do this? The answer is actually quite simple.

It is not that dogs are just gross and simply enjoy the scent of another dog’s butt stink. In reality, nestled within a dog’s anal region are two scent glands that tell another dog everything they seek to know about the dog. While we rely on facial recognition and conversation to greet and get to know one another, a dog’s entire autobiography is conveniently located in his butt. From what sex the dog is to what he eats, how healthy he is to even his mood, everything another dog wants to know is there for the taking by simply taking a few big butt sniffs.

You see, a dog’s sense of smell is something we cannot even comprehend. Estimated to be anywhere from 150,000 to 300,000 times more sensitive than our sense of smell, it should come as no surprise that they can learn so much about one another simply by sniffing one another’s nether regions.

So next time your dog is in the company of other dogs and is compelled to engage in that yin and yang concurrent butt sniffing position with another dog, your first instinct may be to pull him or her away – but don’t, they are simply getting to know one another.

This is Roger Welton reporting, for The Web-DVM.

Happy Holidays from The Web-DVM!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Roger Welton) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:05:29 PST

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO AT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Greeting Readers, Viewers, and Listeners:

I just wanted to take the opportunity to wish all of my supporters, ALL OF YOU, my best wishes for joyous, safe, and peaceful holidays for your human and furry family members. Again, than you for another year of your support.

I will be returning with all new blog posts, podcasts and Youtube videocasts in the middle of January, so stay tuned. We have a large array of interesting, fun, and informative topics to cover, as well as important people in the pet industry to interview and give us all their valuable insight. Until then, please enjoy this re-run of our most popular video of this season, "The cat who loves babies", and thank you as always, for caring about what I have to say!

Sincerely,

Roger Welton, DVM

Final thoughts for 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Roger Welton) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:59:06 PST

Airs Wed December14, 2011, 9PM EST. Listen to this podcast directly from my show page by CLICKING HERE.

Dear Listeners, Viewers, and Readers:

This will be my final podcast of the year, where I will be reflecting on the year’s triumphs, failures, lessons learned, and outlook for 2012. From the stagnant economy and how that affects the pet care industry and pet owners alike, innovations like stem cell therapy and low level laser becoming mainstream medicine, to the abysmal persistence of puppy mills and dog fighting in our country, I plan to cover all the good and bad of 2011.

We also have 4 very interesting listener e-mails to address throughout the show, so be sure to tune in.

As always, I invite you to post comments right here at the blog or submit e-mail comments/questions to be addressed by me on the air, by sending them to comments@web-dvm.net.

I thank all of my fans for another year of your kind and enthusiastic support, and I thank you as always for caring about what I have to say!

Happy holidays and best wishes to you and yours!

Sincerely,

Roger Welton, DVM

Why do some dogs eat poop?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Roger Welton) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:09:45 PST

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO AT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Transcript from this week's episode of The Web-DVM:

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to The Web-DVM final episode of 2011. Tonight, I will be addressing a most unpleasant habit of some canines, eating their own feces, or the feces of other dogs. For most of us, the thought of such an act is nothing short of appalling, which is why it is often incomprehensible to most pet owners that their dogs would partake in such an act.

So why do they do this? What many people are not aware of is that under certain circumstances, this is a natural canine behavior. Mother dogs clean their nursing puppies and their environment in part, by eating the feces of the puppies that do not have the capacity to leave the nest to defecate. With multiple puppies in the nest, one can imagine the unsanitary and unhealthy situation that would result from the puppy waste being allowed to accumulate. Other adult dogs in the pack will sometimes help pick up the mommy cleaning duties when litters are too big for her to keep up, or mom becomes sick or dies. This hardwired instinct, therefore exists in most dogs, and certain life circumstances can act as triggers for the behavior.

A dog with an underlying condition that can lead to excessive hunger, such as inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, or pancreatic disease, to name a few, may resort to eating feces.

A dog with intestinal parasites or other conditions that create blood in the stool can make it more appealing and may cause a dog to eat feces.

Too much time between meals and the hunger sustained in between can trigger a dog to eat feces. Certain diets in individuals can lead to subtle GI malabsorptive issues that can lead a dog to eat feces. Even if you are feeding a good quality diet, there is not one diet that is appropriate for every single dog, hence a change of food may be helpful.

Boredom or separation anxiety when the owner is away from the home can lead to the consumption of feces.

So what do you do about it? First off, the most important thing is to resist the temptation to just assume that your dog is just simply gross. While an underlying cause may ultimately elude us, dogs cannot tell us how they are feeling, so we owe it to them to try to figure out if there is an underlying medical trigger that we can fix.

Your starting point should be a veterinary visit for a general examination, and having the stool examined for parasites and trace blood. It would also be wise to run general blood work to rule out any underlying systemic disease.

If these diagnostics do not reveal anything, try gradually transitioning the dog to a different diet, especially if the one you are currently feeding is of poor quality. If you are feeding your dog only once a day, try splitting his daily food intake into 2-3 separate meals per day.

If you suspect that your dog may suffer from boredom, try engaging with him more with trips to the dog park, walks, etc. If your dog is destructive, soils the home, or vocalizes severely and incessantly when you leave the home, talk to your vet about managing what may be separation anxiety.

If no underlying problem is identified, then be certain to exercise good potty patrol, picking up the feces as it hits the ground. If your dog is too fast for you and gets that feces before you can pick it up, then you may need to resort to leash walks for elimination so the dog can be pulled away from the feces before he can eat it.

Some pet owners resort to food additives to discourage the eating of feces. Some claim to provide a certain nutrient that the dog does not get in his diet and ceases to eat his feces because he no longer craves what he is missing. Others are designed to make the feces less appealing to the dog.

Whatever the approach, be sure to ask your veterinarian if a product is safe before feeding it to your dog, as these products are not FDA or USDA regulated. Even if deemed safe, however, I would not hold your hopes too high for a miracle cure, as most pet owners are left disappointed by these products’ lack of effectiveness.

That concludes tonight’s broadcast. While this is my last YouTube broadcast of the year, I will be concluding 2011 with my final podcast of the year, Veterinary Advice, Animal News and Views, Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 9 PM EST, so be sure to tune in. I bid all of you happy, safe holidays, and I thank you sincerely for another year of your support!

This is Roger Welton reporting, for The Web-DVM.

The grain free pet food craze...worth all the hype?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Roger Welton) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:57:18 PST

Airs Wed November 30, 2011, 9PM EST. Listen to this podcast directly from my show page by CLICKING HERE.

Dear Readers, Viewers, and Listeners:

In the past few years, there has been movement among many pet industry professionals and even a good number of veterinarians to push for the feeding of grain free, preservative free, pet food. And of course when there is a demand, there will be no shortage of companies happy to fill it...and often charge a rather high premium for this type of food.

The question is, is it really worth it? Are grains really the root of all canine and feline disease as many proclaim? In this episode, I breakdown some real benefits of these types of diets, versus claims that are fantastic and not really based in science and medicine.

As always, I invite you to post comments right here at the blog or submit e-mail comments/questions to be addressed by me on the air, by sending them to comments@web-dvm.net.

Thanks as always for caring about what I have to say!

Sincerely,

Roger Welton, DVM

Happy, safe, Thanksgiving from Dr. Roger and The Web-DVM!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Roger Welton) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:56:52 PST

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO AT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Greetings Reader, Viewers and Listeners:

I will not be posting a new YouTube show today, as I have taken some time to spend with family and prepare for the big feast tomorrow. In its place, please enjoy this repeat posting of our most popular video this season, "The cat who loves babies." Since it showcases my angelic little baby Scarlett, I am quite pleased to know that it has been our most popular episode in the new season, and I am overjoyed to post it again!

I would like to take the opportunity to wish all of our fans a very special and safe Thanksgiving holiday, and know that one of the things I am most thankful for, is having a fan base that cares about what I have to say...which works out splendidly for me, as I always HAVE ALOT TO SAY! I also wanted to remind everyone that Thanksgiving presents unique dangers to our pets, that are well summed up in this excerpt from an article from the wonderfully informative website, Petplace.com. Click here to view the article directly at Petplace:

Prevent access to counter tops – some dogs and especially cats will jump up on to counters (cats) or pull thing off counters. This is so tempting to pets with the succulent smells of turkey and food. The hot stove and hot items on counters can cause severe burns. Hot burners can also cause tail and hair to catch on fire.

Safely dispose of the turkey string and foil– the string that wraps or ties turkey's legs is often haphazardly placed aside and found and eaten by dogs and cats. The same danger exists with the plastic turkey wrapper. Ingestion of these indigestible items can require life-saving surgery. Place string, aluminum foil, and turkey wrappers in a secure covered trashcan.

Take care with the fireplace – many times Thanksgiving is the first of the winter holidays and the first time the fireplace has been used. Take special care that pets stay away from the fire. It is a good idea to have a carbon monoxide detector in your home to ensure all heaters are adequately ventilated.

Careful with table scraps and food – some dogs and cats deal well with table scraps and others get stick. Small breed dogs can be especially sensitive and develop a disease called pancreatitis. This is especially true with high fat meals. Don't feed your pet the skins to get rid of them. If you feed anything – offer small amounts of vegetables or meat. Many deserts contain chocolate, which pets don't need. Don't feed your pets chocolate.

No Bones – bones can be dangerous to dogs. Don't feed your dog the bones. If you dispose of them in the trash – make sure the trash is secure from your pet.

Special care with candles – this is a wonderful occasion to light some beautiful candles. Only do this with the candles are supervised. Never leave the room with a burning candle. Pets can knock them over causing burns or house fires.

Beware liquid potpourri – this is another item that is commonly used during the holidays to give the home a wonderful aroma. The liquid potpourri can be very caustic to the gums and throat of ingested. Spray or plug in air fresheners may be a safer alternative.

I plan to return next week with a new episode of my podcast, Veterinary advice, animal news and views, when I will be talking about, The grain free, preservative free pet food craze, worth all the hype? As always, I will also be addressing listener e-mails, which are abundant and passionate to say the least, given our last controversial topic about feline declaw, canine debarking, and other controversial procedures. Please tune in and keep the e-mails coming.

Again Happy Thanksgiving and God bless!

Roger Welton, DVM

Declaw, debarking, tail docking, and ear cropping: justified or procedures that should be banned?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Roger Welton) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:54:10 PST

Airs Wed November 16, 2011, 9PM EST. Listen to this podcast directly from my show page by CLICKING HERE.

Dear Readers, Viewers, and Listeners:

This week, I will be talking about the very controversial and polarizing topics of declaw, debarking, tail docking, and ear dropping procedures. I plan to present these procedures objectively based on medical and scientific facts, not rhetoric or passionate feelings one way or the other. Of course, since I am here to offer my opinion, I plan to do that as well, but it does not mean that I expect you to necessarily agree with me. I am sure this podcast is likely to draw lots of comments and I invite them, either posted here at the blog or sent by e-mail to be addressed on the air in my next podcast. Your comments are welcome and encouraged, but I ask that despite the intense feelings these topics can conjure up, that you keep your posts civil and respectful.

As always, you can submit e-mail comments/questions to be address by me on the air, by sending them to comments@web-dvm.net.

Thanks as always for caring about what I have to say!

Sincerely,

Roger Welton, DVM

Say no to extender dog leashes!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Roger Welton) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:20:49 PST

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO AT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Transcript from this week's episode of The Web-DVM:

My report this evening concerns from my view, one of the most abysmal inventions in the history of pet products: the extender leash. Oddly, too many pet owners do not agree, and much to the dismay of those that have fallen victim to the shortcomings of these leashes, many continue to use them, and for some odd reason, even like them. For those not familiar with the extender leash, it is a type of leash that has a loaded spring/cartridge handle that allows the leash to be as short as 3 feet, or as long as 15 feet, some even extending to 20 feet. It can lock in place at whatever length the dog owner wishes it to be. Sounds convenient, right? WRONG!

The first problem we see with this kind of leash, is that once it is extended, if a dog needs to be reeled in for whatever reason, it cannot be. So here you are, a car or another dog is approaching, perhaps it is cyclist or a small child you do not want your dog to scare or boulder into. Well good luck with an excited dog with 20 feet of slack you cannot reign in! What’s more, after the first few feet, the leash narrows from a nylon strap to a thin braided nylon rope, perfect for getting the pet owner, approaching cyclist, other dog, or small child tangled up in and riddled with painful rope burns.

This is even more fun when the pet owner thinks that the lock mechanism is place, but it is not; or when the dog is about to take off and the pet owner tries to engage the lock too late, the dog is already pulling too hard and it will not lock down, giving the dog 15 – 20 feet of freedom, with a dangerous, taught rope in between. Yes, this is a most wonderful surprise for all parties involved.

Just 2 days ago, a client had her Chihuahua in my waiting room on one of these genius devices. She had forgotten to engage the lock mechanism and her Chihuahua, like many others of her breed that rarely see another dog they do not want to attack, went after a boxer sitting across the room. The boxer and his owner were minding their own business, boxer kept at bay with a short leash, when along comes an angry Chihuahua bounding across the waiting room poised to attack. The boxer outweighs the Chihuahua by 60 pounds, so naturally, the Chihuahua’s owner is mortified. Left with no other recourse, she grabs and pulls on the thin, braided extender portion of the leash, trying to reign in her determined, angry little dog, meanwhile suffering rope burns on her hands. Another client, an innocent bystander who had simply come in to pick up medication, ended up tangled in the leash as the Chihuahua circled around her, gifting her with rope burns on her legs – it’s shorts weather year round here in Florida. My waiting room descended into utter chaos. Luckily for the Chihuahua, the boxer was a gentle soul and despite being provoked, did not retaliate. Folks, this is not an uncommon consequence of these horrible leashes.

From a training perspective, a dog walked with one of these leashes, never learns leash manners. Teaching a dog to walk along with the owner on a short leash at his side, makes the walk pleasant and productive for both dog and owner. Giving the dog 15-20 feet of slack to take off, jump out into the road, go after squirrels, meanwhile tangling up the owner and other poor souls that may pass by, teaches the dog no walk discipline.

The vast majority of pet professionals whether on the health care side, grooming, or training, detest these kinds or leashes. I am sure that I speak for most when I urge all of you to say no to extender leashes.

This is Roger Welton reporting, for The Web-DVM.

Cats often overlooked for vet care.

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Roger Welton) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:23:20 PDT

Listen to this podcast directly from my show page by CLICKING HERE.

Podcast airs Wednesday, November 2, 2011, 9 PM EST

Greetings loyal viewers, listeners and readers,

On this week's podcast, I discuss the interesting dichotomy of cats representing a much larger percentage of household pet ownership, yet are far more often left out in the cold when it comes to receiving regular veterinary care when compared to their canine counterparts. In fact, felines are 30% less likely to receive regular wellness veterinary care than dogs. I get into the core reasons for this discrepancy. You will learn that it is not lack of love, but the result of cat owners' erroneous assumptions and observations that give them a different personal perspective about cats and wellness care as opposed to dogs.

Plus, as always I will be addressing listener e-mail comments throughout the broadcast, so please tune in, keep the e-mails coming, and thank you as always for caring about what I have to say.

Sincerely,

Roger Welton, DVM

The cat who loves babies.

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Roger Welton) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:20:28 PDT

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO AT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Hello viewers, readers, listeners,
As always, I posted both the video and transcript for this episode of The Web-DVM. If you are one who typically prefers to read the transcript tather than watch the video, I urge you just this once to watch the actual video, as the photographs and video footage of this cat can only be trully appreciated viewed directly. Enjoy!

Roger Welton, DVM

Transcript from this week's episode of The Web-DVM:

I did not have to look far for this week’s news story, as this one comes right from my own home. This story is about Forrest, the cat who loves babies.

Forrest is a Devon Rex cat, a feline breed known for quirkiness and often downright eccentricity, but gentle, tolerant to their core, and very snuggly little cats.

While Forrest will enthusiastically snuggle up to any person who takes a moment to pay attention to him, he has a special affection for babies. It began with my first child Austin, when Forrest would wait by the door for my wife or me to enter his nursery in the morning, only to rush in, jump into his crib, nuzzle our infant son, and flop down next to him purring loudly.

Whether we were bathing, dressing, or changing Austin, Forrest was always right there snuggled up against him.

But Forrest was at the time only still a mere kitten himself, about 6 months of age. We thought perhaps Forrest simply saw the baby as merely another “kitten” to play with, or was just simply overwhelmed with kitten curiosity over this strange little human creature.

But then came baby Scarlett, and by the time of her birth, September 2010, Forrest was an adult cat over 2 years of age, my son Austin by now 2 ½. While Forrest remained remarkably tolerant of and affectionate toward Austin, his obsession with him was not quite as intense. And the from moment we brought home our infant little girl, his attention turned from Austin altogether and Forrest once again became a cat obsessed, with yet another baby.

My wife took this photograph [see video for image] of Forrest after he had jumped in the crib to cuddle with Scarlett when she had turned to put some of Scarlett’s clothes in the hamper. And you can clearly see, the love is not one sided.

In fact, wherever my daughter may be crawling around in the house, you will find Forrest right there, ready to cuddle her as she pleases, something she takes full advantage of often, as she does in this video my wife shot just the other day.

- Video Clip of Forrest and Scarlett cuddling on the kitchen floor [see webcast for video footage] -

Yes, Forrest loves his baby indeed and Scarlett clearly loves him back. While this friendship is a most unlikely one, it is as real as it gets, and for us and our extended family, a heartwarming spectacle that plays out every hour of every day right in our home.

I take heart in the fact that Forrest is still young, only 3 ½ years of age, and that hopefully one day he will still be with us the day Scarlett is old enough to appreciate this video and realize that her very first BFF in this world was a silver and black Devon Rex, named Forrest.

This is Roger Welton reporting, for The Web-DVM.