Wobblers Syndrome in Great Danes is WAY too commonly affecting our giant breeds.
Large breed dogs are VERY prone to a cervical vertebral malformation called Wobbler Syndrome.
Wobbler Syndrome in giant breed dogs causes cervical vertebral instability in the affected dogs by malforming the vertebrae in the neck.
This neurological condition can cause your dog to experience weakness in their legs, and even paralysis.
If your Great Dane is showing any signs of Wobbler Syndrome, it is important to get them to the vet immediately for treatment.
There is no cure for Wobbler Syndrome, however there are MANY more treatments available for large and giant breeds than are spoken about than common medical management.
WHAT IS WOBBLERS SYNDROME IN GREAT DANES?
Wobbler Syndrome happens in large breed dogs when the bones in their neck (cervical vertebrae) start to malform.
This can cause the vertebrae to compress the spinal cord, which leads to neurological problems like weakness or paralysis in the legs.
Wobbler Syndrome is also known as cervical spondylomyelopathy or CSM.
Large and giant breeds are especially prone to Wobbler Syndrome because of their size and weight.
Great Danes are one of the most affected breeds, with an estimated 50% of all Dane’s developing the condition at some point in their lives.
While there is no cure for Wobbler Syndrome, there are many treatments available that can help giant breed dogs who are showing clinical signs of Wobbler Syndrome.
SIGNS OF WOBBLER SYNDROME IN GIANT BREEDS
Dogs with Wobbler Syndrome can have clinical symptoms that GREATLY vary.
Wobbler syndrome in dogs affects any giant breed dog, but can also affect many dogs including medium sized dogs and even small dogs.
Wobbler syndrome in dogs can also impact dogs of any age, from a younger age to older dogs. However, younger dogs are less likely to be diagnosed than older dogs. Typically, just because a young dog does not show symptoms of advanced stages of Wobbler’s syndrome, it does not mean that they do not have Wobbler’s syndrome. It just means that the disease will not present itself until middle aged.
BREEDS OF DOG THAT ARE MOST AFFECTED BY WOBBLER’S SYNDROME
Great Danes
Doberman Pinschers
Swiss Mountain Dogs
Rottweilers
Bernese Mountain Dogs
Newfoundlands
Irish Wolfhounds
Borzois
Leonbergers
St. Bernards
HOW IS WOBBLER’S SYNDROME DIAGNOSED?
Wobbler Syndrome is diagnosed by examining the spinal cord compression of affected dogs with the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
An experienced veterinarian will need to do a neurological examination to see if the dog’s symptoms are neurological.
The MRI will take images of the dog’s neck and vertebral canal to check for dorsal decompression.
Sometimes, a cat scan is used in addition to the MRI to get a more clear picture of the compression.
In some cases, myelography can be used to help diagnose Wobbler Syndrome. This is done by injecting dye into the dog’s spinal canal and then taking x-rays.
TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR WOBBLER SYNDROME
There is no cure for Wobbler Syndrome in a Great Dane, but there are many treatment options available to help your dog live a long and happy life.
Treatment for Wobbler Syndrome depend on several factors. Many dogs have had successful treatment and can live long and healthy lives with Wobbler Syndrome.
Physical therapy is a medical treatment done for dogs who develop Wobbler Syndrome. Physical therapy can help dogs stabilize their neck vertebrae and improve their quality of life.
You can also buy exercise/physical therapy tools to use at home which can help your dog’s quality of life.
Doing stretches and exercises on disks, like these ones, can help to strengthen your dog’s legs, and keep the muscle developing.
ANTI INFLAMMATORY MEDICATIONS:
Anti inflammatory medications are often prescribed to dogs with Wobbler Syndrome. These medications can help reduce swelling and pain in the affected areas.
A chest harness is a type of support that helps dogs with Wobbler Syndrome. Chest harnesses help to take the pressure off of the dog’s neck and spine.
Do NOT use a common collar and leash with a dog who has Wobbler Syndrome, as it can pull on their neck and create major issues.
Instead, use a HELP EM UP HARNESS which will serve to increase the dog’s quality of life with Wobbler Syndrome, taking as much pressure off of the neck as possible.
A neck brace is a type of support that helps dogs with Wobbler Syndrome. Neck braces help to take the pressure off of the dog’s neck and spine.
Do not use a neck brace without the guidance of someone who is experienced in Veterinary medicine.
Using a neck brace unless it is needed can cause muscles to get weaker unnecessarily.
MASSAGE FOR PAIN
Massage is a great pain reliever for humans- and dogs too!
Using a massage gun up and down a Great Dane’s spin is perfectly safe- but always avoid the neck.
KEEP TOE NAILS SHORT
It is crucial to keep the nails of dogs very short when they are inflicted with Wobbler Syndrome (cervical spondylomyelopathy).
When the cervical spine is compressed, it can cause dragging of the limbs.
Having long nails can impact the dog’s ability to walk, and can change and alter their gait.
GOLD BEAD THERAPY:
Gold bead therapy is a type of acupuncture that can help relieve pain in dogs with Wobbler Syndrome. The difference is, with gold beads, the spinal cord compression is relieved with a surgical treatment where the doctor inserts Gold Beads into the spinal cord.
This surgical treatment of the spinal cord
Gold bead therapy is a therapy that significantly helps wobbler Syndrome, typically reducing pain and allowing the dog to remain stable for MUCH longer.
Do your research on dogs who were successfully treated with Gold Bead therapy.
Dr. Durkes is the veterinary surgeon who is known for conducting Gold Bead therapy most successfully on Great Danes and other breeds.
LASER THERAPY
Laser therapy is a form of treatment that has been show again and again to help with pain.
Surgery is an option for some dogs with Wobbler Syndrome. Surgery involves decompressing the cervical spine by removing the intervertebral disc material that is causing the compression.
The goal of surgery is to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, and to stabilize the spine.
Surgery is often successful in treating Wobbler Syndrome, however it is a major surgery with a long recovery time.
Your dog will need to be on strict cage rest for at least eight weeks after surgery, and will likely need physical therapy to help them recover.
Speak with your veterinarian about the risks and benefits of surgery for your dog.
Dogs with Wobblers Syndrome can have a good quality of life with the right treatment.
Treatment options vary depending on the severity of the condition, but may include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, acupuncture, and/or surgery.
The most important thing you can do for your dog is to seek out the advice of a veterinarian who is experienced in treating Wobblers Syndrome.
With the right treatment, your dog can enjoy a good quality of life despite this condition.
Do you have a dog with Wobblers Syndrome? Share your story in the comments!
This syndrome is not curable, however there are treatments available to help manage this neurological condition and improve the quality of life for your dog.
A Great Dane Chihuaha Mix? Sort of- but only because family is made with love and not blood.
Great Danes may not be the designer dogs that a tiny Chihuahua is, but this Great Dane has put it upon herself to design the perfect life for her new puppy: two tiny female Chihuahua who was without a mother and needed breastfed.
GREAT DANE CHIHUAHUA MIX: CAN THE TWO COMBINE TO FORM A MOTHER/DAUGHTER DUO?
Some may say that having a Chihuahua mix and bond with a Great Dane is a hard task, but not with Birdie, a two-year-old female Great Dane who was experiencing a ‘phantom pregnancy‘.
A false pregnancy, otherwise known as a phantom pregnancy, is a hormonal condition that can occur in both humans and animals. For Birdie, this meant that her body was going through the motions of pregnancy without actually carrying a litter. Only a handful of dogs will actually experience a false pregnancy, which can lead to some serious health concerns.
Although she wasn’t carrying any puppies of her own, Birdie’s milk came in and she began to lactate. This is what led her dog mom to take her to the vet to get some veterinary advice on the lactation and hormone issues.
HEALTH CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH A FALSE PREGNANCY IN DOG BREEDS
Since false pregnancies cause a Great Dane to lactate and can drag on for weeks, sometimes months, the risks can take a toll on the dog.
The risks of dogs experiencing a phantom pregnancy, although extremely rare, include :
-Dehydration
-Lethargy
-Weight loss
-Anemia
-Mastitis (infection of the boobs due to stagnant milk)
-In some cases, a false pregnancy can lead to pyometra, which is a life-threatening infection of the uterus.
When this gentle giant went to the vet, the veterinarians solution was surprising!
BIRDIES PRESCRIPTION TO BRING HOME THE SMALLEST DOG BREED
Dogs, like humans, will have hormones that need to be ‘flushed out’ of their system after pregnancy.
Since Birdie’s system was telling her she was pregnant, her veterinarian suggested that both the mother and Birdie foster two little Chihuahua puppies!
These female chihuahuas had JUST been left on the side of the road, and likely wouldn’t survive without a mother just like birdie. The vet recommended that both the Chihuahua puppies go home with Birdie and she could feed them and nurture them as her own dogs since she would never produce puppies on her own.
GREAT DANE CHIHUAHUA FAMILY: MOTHER AND BABIES
And so it happened- a Dane and a Chihuahua relationship had begun. Big dogs and small dogs don’t get along- you say?
Well, even though Froggy and Ducky were quite the huge personality, Birdie the gentle Great Dane was able to handle them.
The Chihuahua puppies were small pups- only 2.5 and 3 ounces, but you cannot underestimate Gentle Giants.
TWO BREEDS, ONE FAMILY
Despite the huge size difference, Birdie the female Great Dane became the best ‘stand in parent Chihuahua’ that she could ever be.
She began to nurse the puppies just like any other small dog would.
Froggy and Ducky were totally best friends, companion dogs to one another, and they utterly loved having a Great Dane as their mother.
A GREAT DANE AND A CHIHUAHUA: BIRDIE AND FROG AGAINST THE WORLD
Unfortunately, the life expectancy of a preemie Chihuahua puppy is not that long as they are underdeveloped.
If a massive Great Dane could heal this little Chihuahua with love, she would have survived.
However, even with the nutritious breast milk and occasional hand feed of the humans in the house, Ducky was unable to survive after day 10.
Now, it was just a Great Dane and a Chihuahua- Froggy and Birdie against the world.
DOG LOVERS EVERYWHERE ROOTING FOR BOTH THE GREAT DANE AND THE CHIHUAHUA
Over time, these two dogs grew into the hearts of many across the world.
Some people joked that Froggy was a Great Dane, or at least she was going to wake up one day and think she was a Great Dane.
Many people loved how Froggy the Chihuahua was being raised in a home with Great Danes.
Some people said that Froggy should be called a ‘Great Dane Chihuahua’ or that they were ‘Chi Dane Dane puppies’. The Great Dane / Chihuahua combination made its way into people’s day’s, brightening and putting a smile on anybody’s face who got to encounter these special dogs.
ONE SPECIAL GREAT DANE TAKING CARE OF ONE SPECIAL CHIHUAHUA
The Great Dane Chihuahua relationship kept evolving, breaking every dog stereotype known to man!
Who knew that Great Danes could be so utterly gentle and have such a motherly instinct.
This little female Chihuahua seemed to have landed the jackpot with her Great Dane mama.
‘Out of all dog breeds, this Chihuahua is luckiest to have found a Great Dane’, one commenter said.
“This is the cutest Chihuahua Great Dane mix ever”, another said!
WHAT IS NEXT FOR THIS GREAT DANE CHIHUAHUA DUO?
When Froggy is a bit bigger, she will continue to get healthier and get ready to find her forever home.
Her little short legs will carry her on many adventures. She might go to the dog park, she might go to the pet store, and she might go for a drive with her new family.
But, what we do know is that she will always remember Birdie as the dog who saved her life.
She will always remember Birdie as the dog who became her mother, and that is something that not all dogs can say.
A GREAT DANE CHIHUAHUA MIX
Although people have joked about Froggy being a Great Dane Chihuahua mix, Great Dane Chihuahua mixes are an unethical designer dog due to the size difference between a Great Dane and a Chihuahua.
A Great Dane Chihuahua mix (Chi Dane Dane) should not be bred. A Chihuahua mother should naturally mate with a male Chihuahua. Likewise, a female Great Dane should mate with a male Great Dane.
ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION AND DESIGNER DOGS
Dog breeds are more and more inseminated for human pleasure. Artificial Insemination is not inherently a bad thing. A dog like a Great Dane might need inseminated even with another male Great Dane who might be bigger than her. Some male Great Danes are twice the size of a female Great Dane, and artificial insemination is the safer choice.
However, a dog the size of a Chihuahua should never breed with a dog the size of a Great Dane. The average person would consider this practice animal abuse as this ‘designer breed’ of Great Dane Chihuahua mixes is decreasing the life expectancy of dogs all around.
If someone is trying to sell you a ‘Great Dane Chihuahua’ as a ‘rare dog’ or ‘designer dog’, you should run! This dog will NOT be healthy. Most ‘Chi Dane Danes’ are just scam breeders trying to sell naive owners that they are getting a rare breed that nobody else can come by.
No matter what- the average lifespan of this dog with both a Great Dane and Chihuahua mated together will not be great.
Let us know what you think of the Birdie and Froggy duo!
Do you have a hard time knowing how much food to give your dog? Are you afraid of overfeeding them and making them obese? Or are you in the dark about how much food you really should be feeding your dog?
We are here to help. Chances are, you may actually be OVERFEEDING your dog!
Is your Great Dane struggling with pickiness and loose stools? Yeah, about that. We’ll cover it, too.
In this blog post, we will discuss how to use a scale to measure your dog’s food and make sure they are getting the right amount. This is an important step in ensuring their health and wellbeing.
Using a scale to measure your dog food can also save you money, resolve chronic loose stools, and put pickiness to bed, once and for all.
Read on, friends!
Stop Overfeeding Your Dog
Here is our table of contents. The headings are clickable for navigation!
Step One: Read the Kibble Bag…
Responsible dog food companies will give you grams per cup and kilocalories per cup measurements right on the bag.
As you can see here, the actual weight of the food and the nutrition per cup can vary!
A cup of dog food is not the same as a cup of dog food from a different bag, in other words.
Pro Tip: this is a good reason to use the food chart on the back of the bag for reference, not necessarily generic Great Dane feeding charts!
Using a Scale to Measure Dog Food
As an avid baker and home cook, I know that weighing flour, sugar, and butter is the only way to create truly consistent and reliable results.
My famous chocolate chip cookie recipe (I wish I could share them with you through the screen, they are amazing) is all done on a kitchen scale.
170g of flour
150g of brown sugar
50g of white sugar
and so on.
Last week I was scooping massive amounts of kibble into bowls for my Danes and got an idea to weigh it out, instead.
What I found, shocked me.
Both my eyeball measurement and my cup-by-cup measurements resulted in significantly more food in the bowl for my dog than when I measured the food on a scale.
As in, I have been way overfeeding my dogs…and you probably are too!
The Experiment
I used two popular types of large/giant breed kibble for this.
For each one, I documented the information from the food bag regarding how many grams were in a cup of the food, and how many kilocalories were in a cup as well.
I took two measurements of each food:
First: I scooped out a cup using a 1 cup measure, as most of us do, and I weighed it on a food scale.
Second: I used the scale to measure out exactly one cup of food by weight/grams (according to the data from the bag).
According to the feeding chart on the bag, my 2-year-old moderately active Great Dane should have 5.5 cups of food each day.
The measuring cup with dog food shown above is measured out the way most of us tend to do it. Scooped out and slightly full to make up for the airy space between kibbles.
108G per 1 Cup. (Thus, 5.5 cups = 594g of food/day)
I scooped up a single cup of the nuggets the way that most of us tend to do it: a loose scoop with some pieces sticking out (because they are huge and left lots of air between pieces). I weighed them in an empty bowl on the scale.
The result? 130 grams. Not 108 grams, as a true cup of this should weigh.
Meaning that my single sloppy cup measure was adding 22 EXTRA grams of the food.
That was just one cup, not all 5. Now, it stands to reason that this is going to ADD UP quickly. ?
For a dog that should be eating 5.5 cups, that could mean roughly 120 extra grams of food PER DAY!
120 grams is a whole bonus extra cup of food, in other words. Which, considering that a cup is around 1/5th of the dog’s daily intake requirement, that’s a LOT.
Not only that, but over the course of the week, my dog would be receiving 7-8 additional cups of calorie-dense food that they likely don’t even need.
That is more than an entire day’s worth of nutrition added to their weekly diet.
8 days of food in 7 days. ??
Have you ever wondered why there are so many obese dogs? We’ve just found a major clue…
I used a measuring cup to pull a scoop out of the bag, taking care to not overfill it.
Then I weighed it on the scale and…don’t be surprised here, folks:
110 grams!
This means that every cup I scoop is receiving (average) 14 additional grams of the food.
For a dog that should receive 6 cups of Pro Plan, that could mean that they are being overfed by 84 grams each day.
Just like the Royal Canin, an 84-gram daily overage (almost a full cup of food) amounts to roughly 6-7 additional cups of food each week that the dog likely doesn’t actually need.
The Problems with Overfeeding Dogs
When we overfeed our dogs, we are not loving them. We are slowly killing them.
We are shortening their life spans, and making them more likely to suffer from a myriad of health problems, including:
Chronic loose stools are a common symptom of overfeeding in Great Danes! When you provide too much nutrition or unbalanced nutrition, it literally goes straight through them.
A lot of people misdiagnose chronic loose stools as ‘food allergies’ or ‘chicken intolerance’, however, most of the time these are actually related to poor gut health, too much food switching, unbalanced boutique dog foods and you guessed it, overfeeding!
Veterinarians across the Country cite a massive increase in health problems in dogs, including loose stools, heart problems, and low energy that they attribute to the popularity of untested, poorly formulated boutique dog foods.
Choose a well-balanced large or giant breed kibble instead, measure the food, and stick with it.
I recommend the following formulas, which are heavily researched and thoroughly tested, for large and giant breed dogs:
Growth disorders such as Pano (aka growing pains), HOD, flat feet, and knuckling are a direct result of over-nutrition, especially when feeding incorrect, unbalanced foods that have too much calcium or missing nutrients.
Great Dane puppies, especially young ones, require a LOT of food and for many reasons, we recommend feeding young dogs on a loose free-feeding schedule so that they aren’t underfed. However, as they mature, you should transition to a 2-3x/day feeding schedule.
Feeding too much of the wrong thing can and will harm them.
We’ve included a list below of the only appropriate foods to feed a large or giant breed puppy, as well as some resources for understanding why those foods are highly recommended!
Many Great Dane owners believe that their dogs have become picky because they are turning their noses up at their food.
These dogs are most often actually just FULL!
In the interest of getting them to eat more, people tend to switch foods and start adding toppers and other forms of nutritional bribery.
The dog learns that if they ignore their food, interesting and fun things come to them.
“Picky eating” is a bit of a popular myth that is literally caused by humans! It’s ok for a dog to not eat their entire meal.
Picky dogs are not usually picky, they are literally just training you to give them treats. Many picky dogs are actually overweight and need less food, not more!
A healthy dog will not let itself starve to death, and if it does? Switching foods isn’t going to help. That’s a dog that needs medical attention.
Once a dog has been sent down the path of ‘picky eating’ where different kibble brands are changed often and treats and toppers are added to encourage eating, their gut health suffers.
Poor gut health also means being intolerant to the environment and yes, symptoms may then show up indicating that the dog has allergies.
These symptoms include loose stools, a dry coat, and itching.
Dogs with lighter coats may be more prone, and some dogs will continue to suffer from environmental allergies no matter what (just like humans). It’s important to set all dogs up for success!
Some allergies are legitimate and life-threatening to dogs. The ONLY way to diagnose these types of allergies in dogs is to complete a food-trial elimination diet with veterinary supervision.
Legitimately diagnosed food protein and grain allergies are extremely rare. It’s important to note that blood and saliva tests are inaccurate and often a waste of money.
Most dogs suffering from allergies are actually experiencing intolerance to environmental allergens, not food!
PRO TIP: Use a wet towel to gently wipe dander and pollen off your pup daily, and wash their feet to remove irritants.
Many health issues like this are made worse by constant food switching and the use of untested, poorly formulated boutique diets that lack the correct balance of micro-nutrients and amino acids.
Stop food switching to “find something that works”, measure the food, and let your dog’s gut health heal!
If your dog needs to lose weight, there are things you can do!
Vet check? Check!
If you are concerned about your dog’s weight, it’s important to ask your veterinarian for advice!
Some dogs have weight problems because of thyroid issues or other medical conditions that can be easily managed with medication or a change in diet.
Be sure to rule out any possible underlying health issues, including heart problems and thyroid disease, before starting a weight loss plan for your dog.
The one time we DO recommend a diet change is when you are not feeding quality food, and when your dog needs to lose weight. The following weight loss formula is recommended for at-home use:
Your veterinarian may also be able to prescribe a diet from Hill’s or Royal Canin that will help your pooch cut the calories. Royal Canin has put together an amazing healthy-weight resource page for dog owners:
Measure the food on a scale so that you don’t overfeed!
Be aware of the fact that many boutique foods useingredient splittingto make you believe their food is ‘meat first’, when the truth is you may be feeding your dog an expensive bag of ‘human grade peas’.
It’s no wonder so many dogs are overweight and struggling with low energy!
Toppers and treats can help your dog or they can hurt them.
Too many can lead to over-nutrition (and thus, obesity).
Some people say to add green beans or pumpkin to your dog’s bowl to offset some calories; while this can help your dog feel more full, it’s important to keep these toppers to 10% or less of the diet.
We recommend well-balanced raw food as a healthy, fresh-foods topper.
Olewo Carrots, Olewo Beets, and Dr. Harvey’s are also fantastic choices for adding wholesome fibers to your dog’s diet; as above, keep these to 5-10% or less of the diet.
Pro Tip: A little goes a long way! If you are helping your dog lose weight, take it easy on the Dr. Harvey’s.
Get ready to move…naturally
An off-leash dog can burn up to 300 calories in an hour!
That’s a significant amount! We recommend off-leash training for all large and giant breed dogs, including Great Danes.
This will allow them to zip, zoom, run, spin, explore and gain enrichment and physical movement that they are not receiving on a leash, long-line, or in a harness.
With this kind of activity, your dog will be building muscle, shedding fat, and working its brain!
Many dogs will benefit greatly from receiving their exercise and enrichment this way, however, you must be smart about it.
Dogs that are extremely aggressive, fearful, timid, or wild need professional help with this, and you should never let your dog off-leash unless you can fully rely on them not to approach people and dogs uninvited.
E-Collar training and educated ownership is the best way to give your dog this freedom of movement outside of your fenced yard.
If this isn’t for you, it’s still important to get your dog moving! Talk to your veterinarian about physical therapy, including the use of water treadmills and pools to help your dog burn calories.
Unfortunately for Dane owners, Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV) / Bloat, can happen at absolutely any age. Giant breeds experience bloat because they have deep chest cavities which can easily fill up with air, causing bloat. (Read more here)
The following image is from Thedogplace, and shows an example of how the stomach fills up with air when a dog is bloating. For more information from Thedogplace, click here.
When a giant breed dog’s chest fills up with air, this is when dogs bloat.
However, the ‘torsion’ or ‘twisting’ of the stomach, is when the dog is at high risk for death.
Bloat can happen in any age dog from a young dog to a senior, although it is more rare to see dogs bloat as puppies.
Affected dogs range from any age, but tend to be breed predisposed and have a family history of bloat.
DOG BREEDS THAT ARE MOST PRONE TO DEVELOP BLOAT
While any breed of dog can develop bloat, there are certain factors that make some dogs more prone to it.
Dogs with deep chests, like Great Danes, are at a higher risk because their anatomy makes them more likely to experience stomach torsion.
Other dog breeds that are prone to developing bloat are:
Irish Wolfhound
Borzois Gordon Setters
Newfoundlands
St. Bernards
Rottweilers
Great Pyrenees
Weimaraners
German Shepherds
Standard Poodles & other poodle mixes.
While any dog can get bloat, these are the breeds that are most at risk. If you have a giant breed dog like a Great Dane or a German Shepherd, it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of GDV so you can get your pup to the vet immediately if they start to experience them.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF A BLOAT EVENT IN DOGS
The signs of a dog bloating can be mild to severe.
Great Dane owners should be WELL VERSED in knowing what bloat looks like so that they can catch it at the first, early sign.
A distended stomach in large breed dogs means that their stomach is ‘full’ and ‘hard’.
The distended stomach is caused by air pushing against the abdominal wall. This air is extremely dangerous and will require emergency surgery to be removed. A distended stomach can cause something called Torsion, which is when the stomach begins to twist, possibly causing a lack of blood supply to vital organs.
If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s important to get your dog to the vet immediately. The risk increases the longer your dog goes without getting the air relieved and Great Danes are at risk of a potentially deadly condition, especially without medical care.
OTHER SIGNS OF BLOAT IN GREAT DANES
Another very common sign of developing bloat in Great Danes is white, foamy drool.
Great Danes will often ‘try’ to vomit, but nothing will come up.
The reason for this white, foamy puke is because your dog is attempting to throw-up, but they are unable to do so, due to the torsion (or stomach flipping).
White, foamy puke should be an immediate red flag for any Great Dane owner and should be a ticket to the veterinarian immediately to receive medical intervention.
WHAT IS TORSION IN GREAT DANES?
Torsion in a Great Dane happens when the stomach twists, cutting off the dog’s blood supply.
Torsion is also known as GDV (gastric dilation and volvulus).
However, there is extreme confusion between ‘bloat’ and ‘torsion’. Bloat CAN happen without torsion (twisting) but torsion cannot happen without bloat.
Torsion puts your Great Dane at the highest risk for death.
IS BLOAT GOING TO KILL MY GREAT DANE?
Great Dane bloat is a life threatening condition that can cause death within hours if not treated immediately.
READ MORE BY CLICKING THE PICTURE BELOW:
Torsion usually occurs when the stomach is full of food and gas. The extra weight in the stomach causes it to twist, cutting off the blood supply to vital organs like the heart and lungs.
Torsion can also be caused by stress, exercise, or a genetic risk allele.
Because bloat and torsion have a genetic factor, it is absolutely crucial to choose wisely when you are choosing a Great Dane breeder.
Great Danes are especially prone to torsion because of their deep chests and large stomachs.
When a dog’s stomach twists, it is an emergency situation and they must be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
Treatment for GDV usually involves surgery to untwist the stomach and remove any gas or food that is present.
After surgery, your dog will need to be monitored closely for 24-48 hours to make sure they don’t experience any complications.
While bloat can be a scary condition, it is important to remember that it is treatable if caught early. The key is to be aware of the signs and symptoms so you can get your pup the help they need as quickly as possible.
If you have any questions about bloat or torsion in Great Danes, please feel free to reach out to us! We are always happy to help educate our Great Dane community.
TREATMENT FOR BLOAT IN DOGS
Once at the vet, they will start by doing a physical examination and working on stabilizing your dog. This may include giving them IV fluids and oxygen. On the xray, your vet will diagnose bloat.
The only way to treat your bloat in dogs is with bloat surgery, and the surgical procedure needs to happen quickly or there is an increased risk of health issues and even death.
Bloat surgery in Great Danes happens by making an incision in the dog’s side and then untwisting the stomach. The vet will also put a tube down your dog’s throat to help remove any gas or food that is present in their stomach.
If bloat has not caused twisting of the stomach (torsion), the Veterinarian will treat bloat by decompressing the stomach with a needle or tube.
After surgery, your dog will need to be monitored closely for 24-48 hours to make sure they don’t experience any complications.
While bloat can be a scary condition, it is important to remember that it is treatable if caught early. The key is to be aware of the signs and symptoms so you can get your pup the help they need as quickly as possible.
If you have any questions about bloat or torsion in Great Danes, please feel free to reach out to us! We are always happy to help educate our Great Dane community.
Preventing bloat is something that all dog owners want to be aware of. Knowing the risk factors for bloat is the best way to prevent bloat. However, there is also a surgery that can be done prior to a dog bloating that can help to somewhat ‘prevent bloat’.
Gastropexy surgery is a surgery that is conducted, usually at the time of desexing, where the stomach is tacked to the body wall. This prevents the stomach from being able to twist in the event of bloat and can be lifesaving.
While this surgery does not prevent bloat from happening, it can help to prevent torsion (twisting of the stomach) which is often fatal if not caught in time.
Many owners believe that if their dog has had a stomach tack, they are no longer at risk for their dogs bloating. This is not true.
Gastropexy surgery will help to prevent TORSION, but not the actual bloat from occuring.
This means that even if your dog has had a Gastropexy surgery, they are still at risk for bloating, especially if they have other risk factors.
There is a lifetime risk of bloat in dogs who have any contributing factor of the disease.
However, having a Gastropexy surgery CAN save their life- because it can prevent the stomach from twisting which will cut off blood flow to vital organs.
THE RISK FACTORS FOR DOGS BLOATING
The risk factors of dogs bloating are genetics, gut health and stress. Many myths and lies float around about why dogs bloat. However, it has been proven that more dogs bloat who are genetically predisposed, have weak or failing gut health, or are stressed / fearful dogs.
Genetics has been proven to contribute to bloat. There are risk alleles in genetic lines that show that if a grandparent, etc, has bloated, that the future dogs in the lineage are more likely to bloat as well.
If you are bringing home a Great Dane puppy, it is crucial that you check both the male and females pedigree and ask a lot of questions to the breeder about whether any dog in the lineage has bloated.
STRESS AND BLOAT
Stress is also a big risk factor for bloat. Dogs who are fearful or anxious are more likely to bloat than dogs who are confident and have no fear.
This is because when a dog is stressed, their body produces cortisol- which can contribute to an upset stomach and can cause the dog to bloat.
There are many ways to prevent stress in dogs- such as training, socialization, providing a calm environment, etc.
Gut health is also a big risk factor for bloat. Dogs who have weak gut health are more likely to bloat than dogs with strong gut health. (READ MORE HERE)
There are many ways to improve gut health in dogs- such as feeding a high quality diet, adding probiotics, etc.
MYTHS ABOUT BLOAT IN GREAT DANES AND OTHER BREEDS
Unfortunately, many myths are spread everyday about bloat and why it happens. The more myths that are spread, the further veterinary medicine gets from finding a cure for the disease.
MYTH 1: RAISED FEEDERS WILL HELP TO PREVENT BLOAT. Raised feeders are something that big dog owners LOVE to talk about! However, did you know that recent science/data actually says that they are INCREASING the rate of bloating dogs?
MYTH 2: FEEDING BEFORE OR AFTER EXERCISE IS GOING TO CAUSE BLOAT. If only it was this simple! Unfortunately, although fast eaters ARE more prone to bloating, allowing your dogs to run around before or after a meal is NOT a contributing factor to whether or not they are going to bloat!
MYTH 3: GASTROPEXY WILL PREVENT BLOAT. The truth is, Gastropexy will only PREVENT TORSION- which is when the stomach twists and cuts off blood flow to vital organs. Gastropexy will not prevent bloat from happening.
Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Giant breeds of any age are susceptible to bloating and if you have a giant breed in your life you should know exactly what to look for.
Should your large breed dog exhibit symptoms of bloat, you should get them to the emergency veterinarian immediately for treatment.
If you are the owner of a Great Dane, then you need to be aware of DCM in Great Danes. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common and serious heart condition that affects this breed. It often results in sudden death. If your dog has a recent diagnosis of DCM, this post is for you!
In this blog post, we will discuss what DCM is (including primary and secondary DCM), the symptoms to watch for, and information about how heart problems are treated in dogs. I’m also going to deep dive into OFA heart health testing protocols AND the controversial grain-free foods and nutritional DCM debate.
We will also provide information on how you can help keep your Great Dane healthy and prevent DCM from developing!
What is DCM in Great Danes?
DCM, aka Dilated Cardiomyopathy, is a heart condition that is characterized by an enlarged heart. This enlargement makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood effectively, and as a result, the dog’s body does not get enough oxygen. As you can imagine, this is a dangerous and often devastating condition for any Great Dane.
Sudden cardiac death is a common and devastating complication of DCM.
There are two types of DCM in dogs: primary and secondary.
Primary DCM is thought to be genetic. Only a small handful of breeds are prone to genetic DCM, and Great Danes are one of them.
Secondary DCM is caused by unbalanced nutrition, or may also be the result of an infection or other underlying health condition.
We will dig further into both forms of dilated cardiomyopathy DCM in dogs, as well as prevention and treatment protocols below!
What are the symptoms of DCM in dogs?
The unfortunate reality is that many dogs who have DCM, especially secondary DCM (more below) present with little to no symptoms at all until it’s too late.
Sudden death is a common complication associated with this disease, and will often take the lives of young dogs who appear otherwise healthy. Sudden congestive heart failure is devastating.
In dogs that do present with symptoms associated with DCM, exercise intolerance is often one of the first signs.
Many people mistake this lowered energy with aging or laziness.
Exercise intolerance means that your dog will tire easily during activities that he used to be able to do with ease.
You may also notice that your dog coughs, has difficulty breathing, or has a lower tolerance for heat.
Other DCM symptoms include:
Loss of appetite, including anorexia
Weight Loss
Abdominal Swelling
Weakness & exhaustion
Poor circulation and capillary refill, including pale gums
Blue tongue
Pulse deficits
Lethargy
Fainting or collapsing
These signs can be easy to overlook because they are often gradual and not specific to heart disease.
However, if you notice any of these changes in your dog it’s important to contact your veterinarian right away.
A basic ‘vet check’ or wellness check does NOT rule out serious heart conditions; echocardiograms are one of the only ways to verify changes to the cardiac muscle that point to canine cardiomyopathy.
How long can a Great Dane live with DCM?
Because Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy symptoms are often overlooked, many affected dogs may be receiving treatment too late.
It’s important to remember that there is no cure for primary (genetic) DCM and it is a progressive disease. This means that even with treatment, the condition may continue to worsen over time.
Dogs with genetic DCM have a guarded prognosis and often do not live more than a year or two after diagnosis, even with treatment.
Secondary DCM, however, is often treatable and may even be reversible if the underlying cause can be identified and corrected.
For example, if your dog has secondary DCM caused by an infection, successfully treating the infection and the underlying cause of it will often improve heart function.
Or if you are feeding a boutique food diet, home cooked diet, or a diet with a lot of pulse ingredients or potatoes, and your dog is diagnosed with secondary nutritional DCM, switching to a different food from a heavily researched brand (such as Purina or Royal Canin) has been shown time and time again to help or even reverse the disease.
It’s important to work closely with your veterinarian and your veterinary cardiologist to create the best treatment plan, based on the underlying reasons for it.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy, and depending on the cause and severity, the course of treatment will often need to be adjusted as the disease progresses.
What dogs are prone to DCM?
Some dogs are more prone to this condition than others, however, all dogs are at risk (especially when it comes to secondary nutritional DCM).
Dog breeds that are especially prone to canine dilated cardiomyopathy include:
Great Danes
Boxers
Newfoundlands
Doberman Pinschers
Cocker Spaniels
Irish Wolfhounds
Of these breeds, Great Danes have some of the highest rate of DCM.
Because Great Danes already have a major genetic component to consider, it’s even more important to be educated about the role that nutrition might play in dramatically increasing our dog’s risk of developing this disease.
As before, many affected dogs are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms that are easily mistaken for other more mild health issues.
Exercise intolerance, or an abnormal heart rhythm or breathing pattern will often be among the first (easily missed) clinical signs that a dog is in the early stages of dilated cardiomyopathy.
Affected individuals may also tire easily during exercise, may have a blue tongue (a possible sign of low oxygen supply resulting from poor heart function), or may cough after physical activity.
As the heart disease progresses, dogs may experience an increased heart rate, irregular heart rhythm, fluid retention (often manifested as weight gain with no change in diet), weight loss, and fainting episodes.
In its final stages, DCM can cause congestive heart failure, which leads to sudden death.
An ultrasound examination of the heart contractions, heart muscle, and blood flowing through the heart can provide a veterinary cardiologist with important clues about the heart disease your dog is facing.
Severe congestive heart failure is an early killer of young dogs who have a genetic predisposition to DCM. Great Danes are PRONE to genetic DCM. This means that they receive their bad hearts from their parents.
Like bloat, dilated cardiomyopathy heart disease is directly related to the shorter overall life expectancyof Great Danes.
Every dog that dies suddenly from this devastating disease lowers the average as a whole.
OFA Cardiac Health Testing
OFA (the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) cardiac health testing is important for all dogs, but it’s especially important for breeds, such as Danes and Doberman Pinschers that are extremely prone to primary DCM.
Ethical breeders will have an echocardiogram performed on each parent dog prior to breeding. This necessary health test can rule out changes to the heart muscle that indicate a possible genetic predisposition to the disease.
They will also do a thorough pedigree analysis to look for genetic factors related to family history.
If a pedigree analysis suggested that the puppies may be predisposed to inheriting canine idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, ethical breeders will not breed those dogs.
All of this should be done prior to breeding. Unfortunately, many ‘friendly’ breeders with cute, clean, healthy-looking puppies skip this step. By the time you fall in love with those adorable puppy feet and eyes, it’s too late.
The genetics have been passed on and your puppy may be one of the not-so-lucky ones.
It is important that we hold Great Dane breeders to a high standard. Make it socially unacceptable to breed dogs without full health testing. Do not buy dogs from breeders who are not proving their dogs and fully-health testing the parents before breeding.
Verify that echocardiograms were done by your breeder by searching the OFA database. Your breeder should have the parent listed, as well as the tests that were performed in addition to information about the results.
If your breeder has skipped this test or not registered it with the OFA, you’ve found a backyard breeder.
Responsible Dog Breeding
Because Great Danes are a breed prone to a number of devastating health issues, including dilated cardiomyopathy, it’s even more important to be sure that you are working with a responsible breeder.
A responsible breeder will:
Thoroughly health test all breeding stock: heart, hips, eyes, and thyroid results should be available for you to view at www.ofa.org
Be able to answer any questions you have about Great Danes and Great Dane puppies.
Be invested in the health and well-being of the puppies, and are willing to support them for life.
Choosing responsible breeders means that we are choosing to improve the health of the Great Dane breed as a whole.
When we buy our puppies from breeders who cut corners, we are not only risking the health of our own dogs, but we are also perpetuating the cycle of poor breeding practices that produce sickly dogs and the seemingly endless stream of dogs filling up our rescues.
Secondary Dilated Cardiomyopathy (Nutritional)
Nutritional canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy is also a preventable disease. This one is controversial, however, it’s important to discuss.
300-400 new boutique dog foods hit the market every year in the U.S. It stands to reason that not all of them are created equal.
Researchers, including board-certified veterinary cardiologists, are currently investigating a link between diets that have a lot of peas, potato, lentils, and legumes and DCM. They are collecting data and encouraging pet owners and veterinarians to report cases of DCM in dogs that are eating suspect diets.
Boutique foods of all kinds (including those with or without grain) that do not have qualified staff formulating the diets they sell
Foods that contain a lot of pulse ingredients or potatoes, including peas, lentils, chickpeas, and beans
Foods that utilize a lot of ingredient splitting to push lentils, peas, or potatoes further down on the ingredients list (including multiple forms of one ingredient such as: whole lentils, green lentils, red lentils, lentil fiber or whole peas, pea flour, pea fiber, yellow peas for example)
Most grain-free foods, which often contain a lot of pulse ingredients as above
Home-cooked or raw diets that are not correctly balanced
Many young giant breed dogs who appear otherwise healthy, have excellent veterinary wellness checks, and show no outward clinical signs will suddenly pass away while playing or in their sleep.
Because these instances are sudden and extremely emotional for dog owners, post-mortem testing by a board-certified Veterinary Pathologist is rarely completed.
It is believed that nutritional DCM is presenting at rates much higher than currently documented. Just look around any DCM topic in the Great Dane community; so many people have experienced this issue with their dog.
It is important to note that many dogs are symptom free until they die suddenly. Many others however, DO have symptoms. Every case is different.
Many dog food brands fail to meet certain ethical criteria for the production of dog foods.
They rarely if ever employ full-time, on-staff, board-certified Veterinary Nutritionists.This means that the food is often put together by people who have little to no appropriate credentials to do so.
Feeding trials and ongoing testing of the formula used are minimal, if used at all. Boutique foods aren’t subjected to the same research and controls; they only meet nutritional minimums on paper.
Boutique foods often use 3rd party co-packing facilities. This means that they have less oversight of quality control, consistency, and production.
Ingredient splitting is a common practice of boutique food companies. This sneaky trick makes the ingredients list look ‘healthy’ and meat-focused when the bag is full of nothing more than meat-flavored peas.Read more about this HERE.
Unregulated, emotional marketing terms and wild claims are used. These terms are used to intentionally mislead pet parents so they will spend more money to feel good about what they feed their pets.
“Holistic”, “human-grade”, and “super-premium” are just some that you may have heard.
They rarely, if ever, participate in legitimate AAFCO feeding trials, nor do they contribute to or benefit from the global veterinary science and research communities.This means that YOUR dog is the guinea pig.
The best way to reduce your dog’s risk of nutritional DCM is to feed a high-quality diet from a heavily researched brand with a qualified nutritionist on staff.
Not all dogs fed an unbalanced, boutique, or ‘grain-free’ diet will get DCM! It is being theorized that there are specific mechanisms at play for some dogs and not others.
The problem is, you won’t know if your dog is one of the ‘at risk’ ones until it’s too late.
A good diet will provide your dog with all the nutrients they need to stay healthy. Marketing may have taught you that “these “big” brands are full of ‘fillers’ and junk, but that’s simply not true.
Look for brands that are highly researched and that invest millions of dollars every year into veterinary internal medicine organizations and learning more through science.
The contributions that the ‘Big 5’ food brands (Purina, Royal Canin, Hill’s, Eukanuba, Iams) have made to veterinary research have helped us learn more about not only heart issues but bloat, cancer, wobblers, lifespan, and more. These brands are literally writing the book on companion animal health. Read PURINA research updates from the Great Dane Club of America HERE.
Good food brands will do comprehensive feeding trials so that they can continuously improve their products, and they employ entire teams of dedicated professionals with advanced degrees in veterinary science, food science, quality control, and veterinary nutrition.
Ingredients in Pet Food
The ingredients that food brands use are there for nutritional reasons, including scary-sounding things such as ‘By-Product Meal’ and ‘corn’.
There is no such thing as ‘fillers’. Even dangerous ingredients such as peas and lentils (used in large amounts) are not ‘fillers’, as they do provide fiber and nutrients.
A legitimate filler would be something like styrofoam, with no nutritional value, that would also result in nutritional deficiencies. The word “fillers” is a marketing term, meant to scare you, but has no legal definition.
So let’s talk about scary ingredients in dog food.
Both by-products and corn are extremely nutrient-dense.
If you’ve ever given a dog a whole dead chicken, know this: they will eat the WHOLE THING. Eyes, bones, feet, beak, stomach, stomach contents (including grains and yes, corn), liver, and more. The most nutritious part for them is not the watery muscle meat. It’s the ‘guts, bones, and junk’.
By-Products and meat meals are nothing more than the parts of the animal that many humans are often uninterested in eating, that dogs desperately need in their diets!
By-products are not actually waste. They are a secondary product that results from the production of other products.
For example, Cream of Tartar is a by-product of wine making. If you have ever eat Snickerdoodles, which get their flavor from cream of tartar, you’re eating a “by-product”.
Using by-products from the meat industry is better for the environment, too. Why waste food and nutrition if we don’t have to?
If you give your dog a bully stick to chew on, you are giving your dog a by-product.
Boutique companies tend to choose ingredients such as “ancient grains” or “fresh deboned turkey” that look and feel pretty to you (so we buy the food), but not necessarily the ingredients that have been scientifically proven to make your dog look and feel its best.
Don’t believe us? Read our article about ingredient splitting in dog food. This dirty trick is what gives boutique food companies leverage to make you believe their formulas have ‘meat first’.
When it comes to your dog’s health, don’t be fooled by unregulated marketing terms, pretty packaging, “nice” sounding ingredients, or higher price points.
Common small food brands include Victor, Fromm, 4Health, Diamond (also Costco), Instinct, Earthborn Holistic, Acana, Orijen, Solid Gold, Farmina, Nulo, Nutro, and Nutrisource.
None of these brands have a veterinary nutritionist on their side or on their staff.
Fromm foods are formulated by a chemical engineer
Victor foods are formulated by a guy with an M.S. in science and an online certificate in nutrition – better, but still not great
Diamond/Costco/Taste of the Wild/Nutra-Nuggets/Solid Gold are formulated by an unknown person, and checked by an off-site consultant who has an M.S. in Animal Nutrition (underqualified)
When caught early, nutritional dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs can be managed and is often reversed through an immediate diet change and certain cardiac medications if warranted. This has been proven time and time again.
Many dogs have shown almost complete recoveries from DCM when their owners switched them away from grain-free and boutique dog foods (aka “BEG” diets).
This means that dogs with heart disease should be choosing a brand that is formulated, tested, and researched by on-staff board-certified veterinary nutritionists, and that meets the highest standards for formulation, ethics, and manufacturing practices outlined by the World Small Veterinary Association’s common-sense guidelines for choosing pet foods.
Matilda’s Story
There was a time, long before I wrote this blog post when I was a die-hard boutique dog foods snob.
Over the course of 5 years, I tried Fromm, Nutrisource, Nutro, Farmina, Earthborn, Nature’s Logic, and Nutro.
Those brands told me that my dog would be healthier on their diet, and yet, we switched often trying to find the ‘right food’ because they were not actually healthier! I read ingredients lists until I was blue in the face.
In that time, between my three dogs (two are Danes) I saw:
Low energy
Dull coat
Itching
Chronic ear and paw infections
A massive lung infection that resulted in a $3500 vet bill
Allergies & paw swelling
Pink skin
Malnutrition and lack of muscle tone
Chronic loose stools and ‘sensitivities’
Acid reflux
Bed wedding
Screaming during sleep and becoming unresponsive
Low heat tolerance
Blue tongue indicating a lack of properly oxygenated blood
My female Dane Matilda was taking the brunt of the worst of them: reflux, bed wedding, low energy, and strange breathing patterns.
She began screaming in her sleep and would often be unresponsive to waking when I would jump out of bed to see what was wrong.
My veterinarian did a blood test, prescribed supplements and medications, talked about referring us to specialists, and also implored me to immediately put her on one of the “evil Big 5 Brands: Purina, Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Hill’s, Iam’s”.
She also told us to follow up and retest once our dog had been put on more appropriate food.
I had no interest in feeding my dog Hill’s or Purina and was appalled that she would suggest it. My dog was sick, why would I feed her garbage!?
So, I marched myself into a natural boutique pet food store and asked a sales rep for nutrition advice.
Think about this for a moment.
I had a very sick dog and went first to a sales rep on an hourly salary for nutrition advice. Somebody that, for some reason, I trusted more than my veterinarian.
Marketing taught me to trust the opinion of a sales-driven employee with no legitimate credentials, in a sales-driven store, over the opinion of somebody with 8+ years of high-level education followed by years of practice in actual veterinary medicine.
This is terrifying and I want people to be aware of the misguided bias and opinions that boutique food companies have used marketing to lead us to!
I consider myself a well-researched, educated, intelligent dog owner. All of us are susceptible to marketing.
Low energy is often misdiagnosed as ‘aging’ or ‘laziness’. That’s heartbreaking.
How is DCM Treated in Dogs?
The treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy depends on the presentation, symptoms, and severity of the disease.
In addition to recommendations to choose a diet that was formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and subjected to rigorous research and testing, a cardiologist will often also prescribe medications and supplements that can help with missing nutrients, blood flow, chamber dilation, vascular dilation, and blood pressure.
Veterinary Cardiology is a specialized field comprised of individuals who first completed their veterinary schooling and went on to specialize and become board-certified.
Many of them are investing a lot of research, resources, and science into the study of nutritional and primary dilated cardiomyopathy DCM.
Their contribution to veterinary medicine, and the opinions that they have about the progression of this disease and its causes are valuable and important. You can find information about peer-reviewed research from them below.
Did you have a dog die suddenly from unknown causes or from a confirmed case of nutritional dilated cardiomyopathy?
If you have lost a dog suddenly and are struggling to understand why, I am so sorry for your loss. Please share your story below, we want to hear it! Others need to hear it, too. Please use our platform for this.
If you are worried that your dog may be developing clinical signs of illness that may point to dilated cardiomyopathy DCM, seek veterinary care and a thorough physical examination immediately.
We also recommend that if you have been feeding a suspect BEG or boutique foods diet (with or without grains and with or without taurine supplementation) that you seek an echocardiogram as a means to catch any changes to the heart muscle at an early stage.
This is recommended even if you are not seeing any other clinical signs of impending congestive heart failure. Early diagnosis of changes to the heart muscle is key.
Resources:
Dilated Cardiomyopathy on Facebook (join this group to see ongoing reports in real-time and read personal stories of veterinary confirmed nutritional DCM cases)
All Trades DVM DCM Timeline (a common sense look at all of the reports, research, and FDA statements surrounding nutritional DCM)
Dogs, especially giant breed puppies such as Great Danes, are susceptible to growing pains, just like humans.
In this blog post, we will discuss the symptoms of growing pains in dogs, how to treat them, and how to prevent Panosteitis from happening in the first place!
Growing Pains in Dogs Overview
What is Panosteitis in Dogs?
Panosteitis, aka “growing pain” or “pano” affects puppies of all sizes, however giant breed dogs such as Great Danes are particularly susceptible.
Pano is an often painful condition where the long bones of the legs become inflamed, causing lameness.
This inflammation can happen on one or multiple legs, and can even move from leg to leg as the condition progresses.
Panosteitis typically begins when puppies are between five and eighteen months old, however, it can be seen in puppies that are younger, too. Sudden onset may be common, and the symptoms will come and go.
If you are concerned that your giant breed puppy has a pain of any kind, it is important to see your veterinarian. Your puppy may be experiencing the following symptoms:
Lameness
Pain that seems to move from leg to leg
Stiffness
Pain when touched
Fever
Decreased appetite
Low energy
Weight loss
It’s important to note that Panosteitis tends to be cyclical. Not only will the pain move from limb to limb, but the symptoms will also come and go.
One day your puppy may seem completely fine, while the next he may be lame on all four legs.
This can make pano frustrating to diagnose, as it can mimic other conditions such as arthritis or hip dysplasia.
Your veterinarian will likely take a complete history and perform a physical exam.
They will ask you when you first noticed the symptoms, if it happens in one or more legs, when it tends to occur, and if there is anything that seems to make them better or worse.
Your vet will also palpate your puppy’s long bones and joints to see if there is any pain or swelling, and then they will take x-rays.
It is important to note that it can take up to ten days for radiographs to indicate changes in bone density. Radiographic evidence of changes in the bone is an important component of pano diagnosis and recurring x-rays may be indicated a few weeks later.
The x-rays will further aid in addressing other bone-growth disorders such as knuckling, HOD, or dysplasia.
There may be a genetic component to Pano, so it’s important to talk to your breeder as well.
This painful growth disorder affects young, large growing dogs and tends to be self-limiting, however, it is very painful and must be treated. An affected dog will have symptoms one day that may be worse or better the next. More than one bone is often affected.
The good news is that most puppies will outgrow the condition by the time they are two years old.
There are things that you can do to help reduce the chance of Panosteitis occurring (more on this below).
Large and giant breed puppies such as Great Danes, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Golden Retrievers are prone to growing pains because they grow so quickly as puppies.
It is believed that nutrition plays a role in Panosteitis, however, the direct cause beyond that isn’t fully understood.
It stands to reason that because these puppies are growing so rapidly, their bones and joints may not be able to keep up with the demand, leading to inflammation and pain.
This is a major reason to encourage slow, even growth when raising a large breed dog! Affected dogs have often been growing too quickly and changes must be made to properly support the growth of the long leg bones.
Excessive exercise in rapidly growing dogs may also contribute. Large and giant breed puppies should be encouraged to play and move naturally and freely on soft varied terrain.
Very long walks on pavement, slick or hard floors, sliding, and jumping off of furniture can be detrimental and cause painful lameness and permanent deformities (such as angular limb deformity, which will cover in another post).
Hard or vigorous exercise should never be encouraged.
At Hello Danes, we believe that nutrition plays a key role in the health and well-being of your giant breed puppy.
This includes the role of untested, poorly formulated, or incorrectly formulated foods, treats, and toppers in the development of growing pains. We are covering this more in-depth below, however, it is important to note the following:
Boutique diets, most grain-free kibbles, and adult or All-Life-Stages foods offer unbalanced, poorly formulated and inappropriate nutrition for Great Danes which can lead to many issues including:
Explosive growth and growing pains in giant breed puppies
Growing too fast is a significant contributor to Pano in large breed dogs.
Many people, in their desire to have the biggest puppy, will inadvertently overfeed their young dog or will feed them an incorrect diet and celebrate their incredibly fast growth.
This leads to growing pains, knuckling, flat feet, pano, HOD, and orthopedic disorders such as hip dysplasia.
It is important for owners of large breed puppies, as well as giant breed puppies, to be aware of the importance of choosing a correct diet and limiting intake to encourage slow, even growth, muscle development, and correct bone density.
It is important to seek veterinary advice if you are concerned that your puppy has pain, limping, or lameness of any kind. Below we’ve included everything you need to know for the treatment of acute lameness and growth pains in dogs.
The role of nutrition in Panosteitis pain
We believe that nutrition plays a key role. There is a lot of outdated advice floating around, telling owners of large and giant breed puppies to only feed ‘adult’ food.
“Adult food only” is dangerous advice based on outdated formulas of foods. Science and research have advanced since this time and the most appropriate nutrition is no longer what you may have heard.
If you have a puppy that is experiencing bone diseases and growth problems, including knuckling, HOD, angular limb deformity, flat feet, or too-fast growth you must switch them immediately to food that meets the following criteria:
Formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist
Rigorously researched and tested
Large or giant breed PUPPY formula
AAFCO statement indicating that the food was substantiated in food trials for the growth of large breed puppies (70lbs + as an adult)
We’ve included a list of appropriate foods for Great Danes (and other large or giant pups) below.
Check out THE GIANT DOG FOOD PROJECT to compare brands and values.
Veterinary guidance for growing pains & inflammation
Your veterinarian will also prescribe pain medication to help your puppy be more comfortable when they are experiencing a painful flare-up.
Pain relief is an important component of this treatment, as it will help your puppy feel better and encourage them to move around, which is necessary for correct bone development.
How to care for a puppy with growing pains
A puppy in pain may be unwilling to move much. It is important to be patient and follow these steps for treating Panosteitis:
Encourage slow eating and avoid the use of excessive treats or food toppers (especially during flare-ups)
Talk to your veterinarian if you notice worsening symptoms
Keep in mind that this is a self-limiting disease and with proper support, you should notice positive changes! Most dogs go on to live a normal, healthy life.
Why do dogs yawn? A dog yawn usually has a very different meaning than a person yawning.
Humans yawning usually implies that they are sleepy. Dogs yawning however is a sign of many different emotions such as: stress, anxiety, boredom, fear or even when they are trying to calm themselves down.
So next time your dog yawns think about what emotion he may be feeling, depending on what situation you and your pup are in in that current moment.
WHY DO DOGS YAWN?
A dog yawn can happen for several reasons, including when they are sleepy, but also when they are stressed, anxious, bored or even when they are trying to calm themselves down.
A dog who is experiencing anxiety or stress may demonstrate the following:
Ears back
Tail tucked
Yawning repeatedly
An occasional yawn at an uncomfortable time
Lip smacking
Wide eyes (whale eyes)
If you have noticed these signs in your pet repeatedly, your pet may be feeling anxious and need your help working through their confidence in certain situations. Working with your dog on balanced and respectful training can help them become confident in many situations.
Normally, a dog will nap two to three times a day for short periods and sleep 12 to 14 hours out of every 24.
However, some breeds require more sleep than others. For example, herding dogs like Australian shepherds or border collies may need up to 18 hours of sleep each day.
If your dog is not getting adequate rest, or sleeping on a bed that supports them and provides proper rest, their brain will eventually begin to feel exhausted.
You might notice your dog’s yawn as you enter a place that has other dogs that he is not familiar with. This yawn may be a key clue that your dog is yawning because he is uncertain about those other dogs.
Or, your dog may start to yawn as he begins to recognize the parking lot of the vet as you pull in for his vaccines. This example shows that your dog is uncomfortable with the veterinarian office and doesn’t want to see the vet that day.
Imagine after a long day of doing nothing and you start to notice your dog yawning.
One yawn, two yawns, three yawns! Your dog just keeps on yawning.
Sometimes, when a dog yawns because they are bored, they let out a loud noise with their yawn. This noise sort of serves as a ‘lets go do something, I’m so bored’, type of communication.
If your dog’s body language shows boredom, or eagerness to play a game, go for a walk, or get some food, then it is likely that they are yawning because they are bored.
A DOG MIGHT YAWN WHEN THEY ARE AFRAID
Have you ever seen a dog at the shelter who is trying to make themselves small in their kennel and they keep yawning?
When a dog is afraid, their body releases adrenaline and cortisol- also known as the fight or flight response.
Yawning is one way that dogs try to release some of this built up energy when they are feeling scared.
Socializing your dog often in healthy situations is important that they are not afraid of new situations and people.
DOG YAWNS TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER DOGS
When a dog yawns, it is often considered a sign of dog communication.
Dogs yawn to show that they are not a threat and to communicate that they do not want any trouble.
In some cases, a dog may yawn when they meet another dog to show that they are friendly and non-threatening.
If you see your dog yawning around other dogs, it is likely that he is trying to communicate with other animals or a new dog. This is a completely normal way for your pup to show body language, and unless it is a ‘fear yawn’, it is perfectly normal behavior.
It simply means that a dog yawning COULD mean that this specific pup is anxious with that situation.
In turn, that owner should be responsible for helping their dogs through that situation, training them in confidence or helping them abort the situation altogether.
When a person neglects to help a dog through the first step of the ladder, the dog will resort to the second step of the ladder, and so on, and so forth.
A dog will almost never jump directly to the fourth step, or fifth, or top of the ladder. There are ALWAYS warning signs in a dogs body language of anxiety, stress, and fear in which a dog is trying to communicate.
Humans should be aware of a dog body language and what each step of the ladder implies and be willing to help their dog cope with their stress and anxiety, as it is a normal part of of a human and dogs life.
DOES A DOG YAWNING IMPLY A MEDICAL CONDITION?
On very rare occasions, a dog yawning can imply an underlying medical condition.
For example, if your dog is displaying other strange behaviors like pacing, circling, whining, or barking for no reason and yawning excessively, he may be experiencing pain.
Acid reflux can ocassionally cause excessive yawning or lip licking because of the pressure it puts on the esophagus.
If your dog is experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to take him to see a veterinarian and seek the appropriate steps.
EAR INFECTIONS AND YAWNING IN DOGS
A yawning dog may also have an ear infection because of the pain and itchiness in their ears that comes along with the condition. Typically this form of your dog’s yawns will be associated with head shaking and/or scratching.
Xymox is our absolute FAVORITE cleanser if your Great Dane has yeast or inflammation in its ears.
If your dog is displaying any of these behaviors, it is best to take him to the vet for a check-up.
SHOULD I BE CONCERNED WHEN MY DOG IS YAWNING?
Overall, when a dog is yawning, it is usually just because they are tired, stressed, bored , or trying to communicate with other dogs.
The calming signals that a dog may use when experiencing stress are different than that of a person. Yawning behavior can be indicative of anxiety and stress, whereas when humans yawn it is mostly just because they are tired.
However, if your dog is yawning excessively and displaying other abnormal behaviors, it may be time for a vet visit to rule out any possible medical conditions.
The great thing is that if you notice your dog demonstrating a consistent yawn as a calming signal during a stressful situation, you can seek help from a professional trainer to get the training that your pet needs to feel comfortable and confident in all of the life situations thrown their way.
How long can a dog stay home alone? Even though dog owners may never want to leave their furry friends, at times, it is absolutely necessary to leave a dog at home for a few hours.
So, as a pet parent, it’s important to know just how long you can leave your dog home alone.
After all, there will be times when you need to run errands or go to work and can’t take them with you. But don’t worry, there are ways to make sure your pup is happy and safe while you’re away.
HOW LONG CAN A DOG STAY HOME ALONE?
Dogs can have alone time for different periods of time, depending on several factors:
ALL DOGS ARE DIFFERENT AND AS A DOG OWNER YOU SHOULD TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION
For example, a senior dog with separation anxiety may only be able to stay home alone for a couple of hours while a young puppy with no prior history of being left alone may be able to stay home for a longer period of time.
It’s important to note that all dogs are different and some may not do well being left home alone at all while others may thrive in it.
The best way to find out is by slowly leaving your dog home alone for short periods of time and gradually increasing the amount of time they’re alone as they get more comfortable with it.
DO DOGS HATE BEING HOME ALONE?
Dogs are social animals who value quality time and human interaction.
However, that does NOT mean that dogs or other animals ‘hate’ being left home alone.
Most dogs value alone time and ‘quiet time’, just like humans do.
In fact, some dogs may actually prefer being left home alone as they can have the entire house to themselves without having to share their space with anyone as it serves as a nice break for them.
HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR DOG IS HAPPY WHILE YOU’RE GONE
There are a few things you can do to make sure your dog is happy while you are away.
Dogs LOVE to eat Kongs or frozen bones while their dog owners are away
Leave your dog alone after a good long session of exercise
Give your dog a puzzle or toy to play with while you are gone
Provide CBD for your furry friend to keep them calm while they are left alone
Bathroom breaks are an absolute must for any dog before you leave them alone for short OR long periods
KONGS
Kongs are a fantastic way to keep your dog happy during their alone time.
Kongs are a safe and durable toy that can be filled with your dog’s favorite treats.
This will give your furry friend something to do while you’re away and will prevent them from getting bored or anxious.
A good long walk or run before you leave will tire your dog out and make sure they are calm when you’re gone. Foundational skills in training both off leash and on leash are crucial for being able to get your dog the proper exercise that it needs!
Puzzle toys such as the Pet Zone IQ ball can help your pup stay entertained for quite awhile while they are left alone. And it is always a great idea to keep your pet busy while you are out of the house.
Many dog toys on the market are designed to help with a dog’s separation anxiety.
CBD
CBD is an all-natural way to help your pet relax while you’re away.
An empty bladder will help your dog feel more comfortable while you’re gone. Make sure to prioritize a long enough bathroom break that your dog can have some time to sniff, pee or poo. (Treats to Help Your Dog Love Potty Training)
Remember, all dogs are different and it’s important to take that into consideration when determining how long to leave your puppy or dog home alone.
If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with your veterinarian.
It is this deep connection that dog people value so much.
Human companionship is important to dogs, but so is alone time. Just like humans, dogs need some time to themselves every now and then. And that’s perfectly normal.
So, how long can a dog stay home alone? It really depends on the individual dog.
Even though both puppies, adult dogs, and senior dogs all value the quality time and human companionship that they have with their human family members, it does not mean that they resent being left alone or get ‘mad’ at you when you leave the house for a few hours.
DOES MY DOG FEEL SAD WHEN I LEAVE THEM HOME ALONE?
Some dogs experience severe separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety happens when a dog becomes agitated and stressed when their human companion leaves them alone.
This can manifest itself in a number of ways, including barking, howling, chewing on furniture or clothing, pacing back and forth, or going to the bathroom inside the house.
If your dog is experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to consult with your veterinarian or a trainer to get your dog confident enough that you can leave your dog without them experiencing angst or anxiety.
GET YOUR YOUNG PUPPIES USED TO BEING LEFT ALONE
A dog’s age truly matters in preparing them to be left alone. This does not mean that an adult dog or a senior dog cannot be trained or taught independence, but starting to leave a dog home alone when they are a puppy is best.
Puppies have shorter attention spans and are more likely to forget that you are gone after a few minutes. They are also less likely to be anxious about your leaving if it is something that they are used to from a young age.
A good rule of thumb for puppies younger than 8 weeks old is that they can hold it for one hour per month of age.
For example, a two-month-old puppy can stay home alone for no more than two hours. When your puppy is four months old, it should be able to be left alone for no more than four hours.
As your puppy gets older, you can gradually increase the amount of time they are left alone until they are able to handle being by themselves for longer periods of time.
IS IT BAD TO LEAVE A DOG ALONE?
Leaving your dog home is not bad, as long as you have set up your dog for success!
Crate training, providing social engagement and mental enrichment, physical exercise and quality diet are all ways to help leave a dog home with success.
Dogs are pack animals and social animals, but they also love quiet, down time if they are trained adequately to not have separation anxiety.
As a dog owner, you should not feel ‘guilty’ leaving your dog home.
Just make sure to give your dog both human company and time with other animals and dogs to fulfil their social needs, as well as time to be alone to fulfil their need for independence.
HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD I LEAVE AN ADULT DOG ALONE PER DAY?
The amount of time that a dog or puppy can be left alone will change throughout a dog’s life.
PUPPIES
As a puppy, most owners will work to be around their puppy for as long as possible.
A small pup is unable to go for very long without having a need of their owners attention, whether it be food or a potty break.
If an owner is required to work full time and brings home a puppy, it is necessary to look into professional dog walkers, neighbors, friends or family to help with the puppy.
A general rule for a puppy to be left in the house by itself is one hour per month of age, up to a maximum of eight hours.
This means that if you have an eight-week-old puppy, they can be left alone for no longer than two hours at a time.
As the puppy grows and becomes more independent, this time can gradually be increased until they are able to stay home by themselves for more than two hours.
ADULT DOGS AND SENIOR DOGS
If you have an adult dog or senior dog that does not have any health conditions, they should be able to be left at home for much longer than a puppy.
With a healthy adult dog, they should be independent to remain at home for at least six hours without needing a potty break or to be fed.
This number will change based on individual dogs, as some may need to relieve themselves more frequently than others.
As always, consult with your veterinarian to see what is best for your individual dog. age, health and breeds all play a role in how long you can leave your dog home alone.
PUPPIES AND CRATE TRAINING
Crating your pup is one of the most important things you can do when working on leaving them home alone.
This way, the pup won’t feel isolated from the family while they are away.
Puppies should only be left in the crate for short periods of time at first, such as 30 minutes to an hour.
The length of time should gradually be increased as the pup gets more comfortable with being in the crate.
It is important to make sure that the puppy has been exercised before being crated, as they will need to relieve themselves.
Puppies should not be crated for more than four hours at a time.
Crated dogs tend to have less anxiety and well crated dogs are able to relax at home for longer periods of time as their owners don’t have to worry about them eating things they shouldn’t, getting into anything dangerous, or hurting themselves.
As you can see, the question of how long can you leave your dog at home varies depending on many factors, one being whether your dog is comfortable using a crate.
PUPPIES AND POTTY BREAKS
Potty training young puppies and dogs can be difficult but is one of the most foundational and important things you can do for your dog.
Potty training also will help determine whether you can leave a dog alone or not.
If your dog is not potty trained, you will have difficulty leaving a dog alone for risk that your dog will potty in the house.
The process of potty training generally starts with taking your dog out frequently, every 30 minutes to an hour, so they can get used to going outside to relieve themselves. (Create a Potty Schedule)
As your dog gets older, bigger, and better at holding their bladder, you will be able to increase the time between potty breaks.
A general rule of thumb is that a dog who is not potty trained should go potty every time they eat, wake up, or after they play.
When you are about to leave your dog alone, make sure to make time for them to take a potty outside. If you do not make time for going potty, it will majorly impact how long you can leave a dog alone.
SENIOR DOGS AND BATHROOM BREAKS
Senior dogs need additional bathroom breaks, more so than most dogs.
If you have an older dog, you will want to be cognizant of the fact that they likely need additional bathroom breaks.
A great idea is to encourage your senior pup to use the restroom as often as possible.
Frequent bathroom visits for your dog can help prevent urinary tract infections, incontinence issues, or accidents in the house.
Your senior pets do not want to have accidents in the house, but sometimes as dogs age they cannot help it.
If your senior dog has issues with accidents in the house, you may want to look into doggy diapers or belly bands.
These products can help absorb any accidents and make cleanup a breeze.
There are many things to consider when wondering how long you can leave your dog home alone.
The best way to determine an appropriate amount of time is to consider your dog’s age, bathroom habits, and comfort level with being left home alone.
By taking all of these things into account, you can make the best decision for you and your furry friend.
GETTING DOG WALKERS FOR DOGS
One option that works well for most dogs is hiring a dog walker.
You can find a dog walker on dog walker specific apps like ‘Rover’, or by asking your neighbor or friends if they would like to frequently walk your dog.
Hiring someone to walk your dog will alleviate the pressure and stress that it might bring when you leave a dog alone.
Knowing that your dog will have a break throughout their day leaves pet parents with a better feeling and gives the dog a break in their day.
DOGGY DAYCARE FOR A DOG WHO WORKS A FULL TIME JOB
Doggy daycare CAN be a good thing, but depending on the dog, it can also be a complete mistake.
Some daycares for dogs are a total mistake in regards to that dogs training, habits, and temperament.
Before enrolling your dog in daycare, make sure to do your research on the different types of daycares and see if it is a good fit for your pup.
The best way to do this is by asking around for recommendations or reading online reviews and asking a TON OF QUESTIONS!
Questions to ask the dog daycare facility prior to signing your dog up for daycare:
What is the humans to dog ratio?
Are all dogs required to be vaccinated?
Where do the dogs rest or take breaks if they are over stimulated or need a break?
What is the process for a new dog that joins the daycare?
Do you have any liability insurance in case my dog gets injured while at daycare?
What is the emergency plan for your dog in the event that the facility has an emergency?
By asking all of these questions, you can get a better understanding of whether or not doggy daycare is right for your dog.
MENTAL ENGAGEMENT AND HOW IT HELPS WHEN YOU HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR DOG ALONE
Mental stimulation helps in tremendous ways when owners have to leave a dog alone.
Mental stimulation is the act of providing activities that challenge a dog’s problem-solving skills.
This can be done in many different ways, such as through food puzzles, Kongs stuffed with treats, or even interactive dog toys. Our favorite treats:
By providing your dog with something mental enriching, you are giving them something to do while you are away that will tire them out both mentally and physically.
This is a great way to help your dog stay calm and relaxed while you are away from home.
There are many different ways that you can provide mental stimulation for your dog.
The best way to figure out which method works best for your dog is by trial and error.
What works for one dog may not work for another, so it is important to find what works best for your furry friend.
INTERACTIVE DOG TOYS
One of the best ways to provide mental stimulation for your dog is through interactive dog toys.
Interactive dog toys are designed to keep your dog engaged and challenged while you are away from home.
For example, the PetDroid Interactive Toy helps keep your pets busy while you are gone by providing them with a variety of activities to do.
The PetDroid is an interactive dog toy that gets them moving and active even when you are gone.
They come in a variety of different styles, so you are sure to find one that your dog will love.
Some of the most popular interactive dog toys on the market include the Kong Classic Dog Toy, the StarMark Bob-A-Lot Interactive Dog Toy, and the Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Puzzle Game.
The best part about using a Furbo with your dogs is that not only is it a food dispensing toy that will keep your dog entertained and challenged, but it also has a camera inside of it, so you can watch your dogs while you are at work or the store.
It is a great way to provide mental stimulation for your dog while you are away from home.
These are just a few of the many different ways you can help your dog get its brain active and working.
HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT IMPACT A DOG BEING LEFT ALONE
Sometimes, sick animals are unable to be left alone for as long as a healthy pet.
Sick animals can demonstrate their pain in unusual ways, like peeing in the house or demonstrating anxiety when their owners leave.
Some illnesses that might need additional attentiveness from owners include:
Gastrointestinal issueIf your dog is suffering from any of these conditions, it is important to consult with your veterinarian to see how best to care for your pet. They will be able to give you specific instructions on what you can do to help your dog succeed and help you be able to leave your dog alone for longer periods of time. (Gut health)
Put your dog on a quality probiotic to prevent many illnesses related to whole body health.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SUCCESSFULLY LEAVE A DOG ALONE?
Yes! You can leave a dog alone at home and still find success in their behavior. When you leave a dog alone, you equip them to be independent dogs!
Just make sure that you are setting up your dogs for success when you leave them, leave them for the right amount of time for their age and energy level, and make sure to give them something to do while you’re gone if necessary.
By following these simple steps, you can leave your dog alone with no problem!
Do you have any tips to leave a dog alone successfully? How long can you leave your dog alone? Share them in the comments below!
Knowing the signs of stress in dogs can help pet parents know when their dog is stressed, what normal behaviors are vs. anxious dog’s body language, and ultimately help them keep their dog’s stress levels under control.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COMMON SIGNS OF STRESS IN DOGS?
Many dogs feel stressed out over a variety of situations. If you think your dog is feeling anxious, they may show some of the following signs:
PANTING AND PACING
Panting or pacing: If your dog is feeling stress, they may start to pant excessively or pace back and forth. This is their way of trying to burn off excess energy and calm themselves down.
Shaking or trembling: Shaking or trembling can also be a sign that your dog is feeling stressed. This is usually accompanied by panting and pacing, as well as a wide-eyed, panicked look.
YAWNING
Yawning: Yawning may seem like an odd sign of stress, but it’s actually your dog’s way of trying to relieve tension.
LIP LICKING
Lip licking: Licking lips is another common sign that your dog is feeling stress. This is usually a calming signal that dogs use to try and diffuse a stressful situation.
EXCESSIVE SLEEPING
Abundance of sleeping: Some dogs will sleep to alleviate stress.
You should make sure you give your dog plenty of rest, but if they begin to sleep for a long period of time throughout the day, it may be their method of communicating to you that they feel stress.
Provide them with mental stimulation, get them active, and help them sleep and rest in short periods throughout the day that can help them feel their best.
FORWARD FACING EARS
Forward facing ears: In stressful situations, a dog may show body language that includes forward-facing ears.
STIFF BODY LANGUAGE
Stiff body language: Stiffness in the body can be a sign of stress, especially if your dog is usually relaxed and loose in their movements.
DESTRUCTIVE CHEWING
Destructive chewing: Some dogs will start to chew on things more when they’re feeling anxious. This may be due to boredom, or it could be a way to relieve stress.
Crate training is a great way to treat anxiety in dogs who are demonstrating stress.
Sometimes your pup just needs a break from the humans, kids, or other dogs in the home.
Giving your dog their favorite toy, favorite treats, or a meal in their crate can help relieve stress and help create a safe space.
TUCKED TAIL
Tucked Tail: When a pet is in fear or feels stress, sometimes they tuck their tail, a key indicator in your dog’s behavior that the dog is stressed.
If you notice your dog has a tucked tail in a situation that your dog likes typically, such as at a park surrounded by excited children or driving in a car, you should leave that situation or try to find solutions for the anxiety, as it is likely that your dog is experiencing stress.
WHALE EYE
Whale Eye: Dog owners can look for dilated pupils as stress signs in dogs.
Dilated pupils can occur in a dog who is experiencing stress because of fear, anxiety, or aggression.
If you notice large eyes on your pup, try to make eye contact and help calm their stress. Remain calm and speak to them in a low voice to soothe their stress level.
BARKING
Barking: Some dogs will resort to barking when they are anxious. Pet parents should identify the root cause for their dog barking before beginning to resolve the barking.
If dog owners attempt to make their dog stop barking with a tool like a bark collar and the root cause of the barking is fear, it could make the problem worse and create more stress in the long run.
WHY IS MY DOG SUDDENLY EXPERIENCING STRESS AND ANXIETY?
If your dog is showing new signs of feeling stress, it’s important to figure out what is causing the anxiety. There are many different things that can cause a dog to feel anxious, and it’s often a combination of several factors. Some common causes of stress in dogs include:
Change in routine: Dogs thrive on routine and predictability. Any change in their daily routine can cause them to feel stressed and anxious. This could be something as simple as a change in the time you walk them, or it could be a major life event like a move to a new house.
Lack of socialization: Dogs who don’t get enough socialization can start to feel anxious and stressed. This is because they’re not used to being around people and other animals, and they don’t know how to act in social situations.
Loud noises: Dogs can be sensitive to loud noises, whether it’s the sound of fireworks or construction work. This can cause them to feel stressed and anxious.
New environments: If your dog isn’t used to being in new environments, it can be very stressful for them. This could be anything from going to the vet’s office to going on a hike.
Health Issues: If your furry friend is normally rather calm and hardly reacts in anxious situations, but you’ve noticed lately that there are signs your dog is stressed, there could be a health indicator that is making your dog feel anxious.
As you can see, there are many different things that can cause a dog to feel stressed and anxious. If you think your dog is feeling stressed, it’s important to figure out what is causing the anxiety and try to remove or reduce those
WHAT CAUSES STRESS IN DOGS?
There are a variety of things that can cause stress in dogs.
Some dogs may be anxious due to genetics, while others may have traumatic experiences that have led to a fear of certain situations or objects. Here are some common causes of stress in dogs:
Loud noises: Dogs may be afraid of loud noises such as thunderstorms, fireworks, or construction work.
Changes in routine: Dogs may become stressed when their routine is changed, such as when a family member goes on vacation or there is a change in the household dynamic.
Separation anxiety: Many dogs suffer from separation anxiety, which can be triggered by anything from being left alone for too long to having a change in their daily routine.
Lack of exercise: A dog who isn’t given enough exercise may start to become anxious and stressed. This is because they have all this built-up energy with nowhere to release it.
Stressful situations: Some dogs cannot handle situations like a parade, crowded places, or meeting new people. This can lead to a feeling of anxiety or stress.
HOW TO HELP AN ANXIOUS DOG
There are a few things you can do to help an anxious dog.
IDENTIFY THE TRIGGER OF ANXIETY FOR YOUR DOG
First, it’s important to understand what is causing your dog’s anxiety. Once you know the trigger, it will be easier for both you and and your dog to avoid that situation that makes your dog stressed in the first place.
For example, if your dog is anxious around other dogs, try to avoid taking them to the dog park or on walks in areas where there are a lot of dogs.
CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR YOUR DOG
If you know your dog is going to be in a situation that makes them anxious, create a safe space for them to retreat to if they need it. This could be a crate or a quiet room where they can go to feel calm and safe.
If your dog is feeling stress, provide them with comfort in the form of treats, petting, or anything else that will help them relax. These Snuggle Puppies are a great tool to help your dog feel safe!
There are a variety of dog-calming products on the market that can help to ease your dog’s anxiety. These include things like dog appeasing pheromones, calming CBD, and supplements.
Since gut health is linked to anxiety, and gut health is also linked to bloat, it is clear to see that all three are heavily related: gut health, anxiety and bloat.
Feeding your dog an appropriate diet can help to relieve internal gut health and over time will help your dog relax and feel more like themselves. Consider adding in a Veterinarian approved probiotic:
Coping with anxiety in dogs is never an easy feat, but most dogs can learn to live very happy and normal lives. Just like humans, your pup will learn to navigate what triggers their stress and what they can handle.
It is up to you as their advocate and owner to keep their dog stress to a minimum and help your pet live the healthiest life possible.
Vet visits are stressful, loud, sometimes painful and often overwhelming for our furry friends.
The good news is, there are things you can do to help your dog feel more comfortable at the vet.
Here are a few tips for pet owners who have anxious dogs in the Veterinary office.
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR DOGS FEAR IS NORMAL
Vet visits are not fun for any dog, and most dogs have stress hormones that are released at the vet.
Your dog’s vet visit is full of loud noises, so many dogs or other animals, a busy waiting area, a cold exam table, a veterinary staff that might feel like a threat to your dog.
Your dog’s fear is NOT irrational.
When you take your dog to the vet, acknowledge that your dog’s behavior is ‘normal’.
However, even though the anxious dog behavior is normal, most vets and pet parents want to work with their pet to help them overcome their anxiety and fear and help them create a positive association with the vet and vet office.
REMAIN CALM AND TRY GIVE POSITIVE FEELINGS
When pet owners are taking their dog to the vet’s office, they should make their best efforts to create happy visits with calm energy.
Dog behavior is highly indicative of their owner’s energy, so as much as possible keep positive and comfortable/calm.
Going to the vet is not a time to play or have a party, but it should not be a time of stress and anxiety for either you or your dog.
USE ANTI ANXIETY MEDICATIONS
If your dog has severe anxiety, your veterinarian can prescribe medication to help take the edge off.
There are also many natural supplements that can be used for dogs who have mild to moderate anxiety.
These can often be found at your local pet store or online.
Some of these products have calming pheromones that can help soothe anxious dogs.
Other products contain ingredients like chamomile, L-theanine, and tryptophan, which all have calming effects on dogs.
A product called Solliquin is a popular choice for helping with vet office anxiety in dogs because it contains both pheromones and tryptophan.
SPEAK WITH YOUR VETERINARIAN ABOUT HOW TO REDUCE STRESS
Your vet will be able to work with you on what processes you can do prior to vet visits to help your dog’s behavior.
If your dog is afraid of other dogs, for example, your vet should provide you with a waiting room separate from the other dogs.
If your dog hates strangers, perhaps your waiting room can be separated from other people.
Most veterinary offices are equipped to accommodate for each individual dog and their behavior. It is up to the dog owners to advocate for their dogs and speak to the vet staff about what their dog needs to help their fear at the vet.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO A NEW VET, BE TRANSPARENT
Going to a new vet’s office is a scary transition for any dog, and sometimes even owner.
If you are going to a new vet, be sure to speak with the new vet about any positive experiences you had with your last vet that you may want to duplicate with this new vet.
Likewise, speak with the new vet’s office about your dog’s anxiety and what body language they can look for to prevent any undesirable or aggressive behaviors in the veterinary clinic.
If your dog is on medication for their anxiety, be sure to bring a list of those medications and the dosage to the new vet’s office.
This will help the new vet determine if they want to continue with the same treatment plan or change it up based on their own observations.
HAVE A FEAR FREE VET VISIT PLAN
Working with your veterinarian, you can create a fear free visit plan for your dog. This may include things such as:
Pre-visit planning and discussion with your veterinarian
Arriving at the vet office during off peak hours
Check in via phone or online to avoid the waiting room
Asking the vet staff to wear scrubs instead of lab coats
Using a towel or sheet to cover the exam table
These are just a few ideas, and you can work with your veterinarian to come up with a plan that will work best for your dog.
The most important thing is that you advocate for your dog and their needs, so that they can have a positive experience at the vet.
Dogs are scared of going to the vet because of all the new sights, smells, and sounds. With a vet that is willing to work with anything that your dog hates, your dog should be able to cope with the behavior.
LOOK FOR A FEAR FREE VET
Some veterinarians offer ‘Fear Free’ services for their entire practice.
For example, if your dog is not comfortable wearing a surgery suit after their spay, your vet might offer a ‘wrap and snuggle’ service instead.
This means that your dog will be wrapped in a soft fleece blanket during their surgery, which will provide both warmth and comfort.
After their surgery, they will be given extra time to wake up in a quiet room before being released to you.
There are many different ways that veterinarians can make the veterinary experience more Fear Free for your dog, so it is definitely worth looking into if you have a particularly anxious dog.
Dogs should not be scared of going to the vet, and with these tips, you can help your dog overcome their fear of the vet.
LOOK INTO HOME VISITS OR MOBILE VETS
Some dog owners find that using a mobile veterinary clinic comes with fewer stressors for their dogs because it eliminates many of the unknowns associated with going to a new place.
A mobile vet will come right to your door, which can help reduce your dog’s anxiety about going somewhere new.
If the dog anxiety is so bad that they are having major behavior issues at the vet, house calls can be a life saver.
During an at-home vet visit, the vet will make your home the exam room!
Typically, pets are MUCH more comfortable in the comfort of their home, so even if a dog hates going to the vet, they are comfortable if a vet comes to them!
WITH ANY AGGRESSIVE DOG, MUZZLE TRAIN
Muzzle training is a good idea for all dogs, in the event that any dog has to wear a muzzle.
However, with an aggressive dog, it is even more important that they are muzzle trained for their vet visit.
If your dog hates going to the vet so much that they have demonstrated dog aggression, using a muzzle is NOTHING to be ashamed of.
Get your dog comfortable wearing a muzzle and create positive associations with lots of treats and enthusiasm.
As your dog begins to see that the muzzle will not hurt them, you can begin to use the muzzle at the vet.
If your dog bites, has aggressive tendencies to other pets, humans or other dogs, shows any form of dog aggression behavior, etc, then they should be muzzled for the safety of the vet clinic and their workers.
A dog bite that happens at the vet is typically a behavior that stems from fear or pain: NOT aggression.
However, even if a dog bites out of fear or pain at the vet, it can still cause tremendous damage and pain to whomever they have bitten, so it is always best to prevent the behavior before it happens.
Going to the vet can be a painful experience if your dog is injured or sick.
If this is the case, your dog might need medication to help them cope with the pain of going to the vet.
There are many different types of pain medication that your vet can prescribe for your dog, so be sure to ask about it if you think that might be the case.
Your dog’s behavior could also be associated with a previous traumatic event that happened at the vet.
For example, if your dog was once given a shot at the vet that caused them a lot of pain, they may now associate vet visits with getting shots and being in pain.
In this case, you will want to work with your veterinarian to make sure that your dog’s experience at the vet is as positive as possible so that they can overcome their previous trauma.
There are many different ways to help a dog who is scared of the vet, and it is important to work with your veterinarian to find what will work best for your dog. With a little bit of effort, you can help your dog overcome their fear of the vet and have a positive experience at their next visit.
What has worked for you in the past? Let us know in the comments below!
