Dog pills are SUCH a pain. Your dog needs them for their health, but they’re just so hard to get down their throat! And then you always have to worry about whether or not they actually ate the pill or if it’s just sitting in their food bowl.
Pet owners can agree on one thing, giving a dog a pill is not easy. You’ve done everything from hide dog pills in your dog’s mouth to giving your dog’s pills in something tasty, but your dog’s nose always seems to scout out the pill.
Giving a dog a pill is tough, but giving pills to a dog doesn’t have to be impossible.
Here are some solutions that many pet owners have found helpful in helping their dog happily eat their medication.
DOG PILLS: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT OUR DOGS CONSUME THEIR MEDICINE?
Dogs need medicine at various times throughout their life for many different reasons. Some pills are for daily medication such as vitamins or supplements, while others are for more serious conditions that require antibiotics or other treatments. No matter what the reason is that your dog needs a pill, it is important that they consume the entire pill so that their body gets the full dosage of medication required.
DAILY VITAMINS PER YOUR VET’S INSTRUCTIONS
There are a few reasons why a dog might need medicine. The most common reason is for daily vitamins or supplements. Dogs, just like people, can be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. For example, many dogs are lacking in zinc which can lead to skin problems. Zinc pills are a great way to ensure that your pup is getting the nutrition they need!
ONGOING MEDICATIONS FOR CERTAIN CONDITIONS YOUR DOG MAY HAVE
Other times, your dog might need medication for a more serious condition. This could be anything from an infection to cancer. In these cases, it is even more important that your dog takes the entire pill so that their body can fight off the illness.
No matter what the reason is for your dog needing medication, it is essential that they consume the entire pill. Otherwise, their body will not be able to get the full dosage of medicine required and their condition may not improve.
There are a few different ways that you can give your dog a pill so that they consume the entire thing.
HIDE IT IN THEIR FOOD
One way to give your dog a pill is to hide it in their food. This method works best for dogs that are food motivated and will eat anything you put in front of them.
Simply take their regular food and mix the pill into it. Make sure that the pill is fully mixed in and not just sitting on top of the food. Once the pill is mixed in, give it to your dog and let them eat as usual.
This method works best with wet food or canned food but you can also use it with dry food. Just add a little bit of water or broth to the food so that the pill will mix in easily.
HIDE IT IN A TREAT
Another way to give your dog a pill is to hide it in a treat. This method works best for dogs that are treat motivated and love getting a special snack.
There are a few different ways that you can do this. You can either buy treats that already have a hole in the center or you can make your own. To make your own, simply take a regular treat and use a knife or your fingers to create a small hole in the center.
Once you have a hole, insert the pill into the treat and give it to your dog. They will be so focused on getting the treat that they won’t even notice the pill!
If your dog is extra food motivated, you can try wrapping the pill in bacon, cheese or peanut butter. This method works best for dogs that will do anything for a delicious treat!
To do this, simply take a strip of bacon or a spoonful of peanut butter and wrap it around the pill. Make sure that the pill is fully covered so that your dog doesn’t realize there is anything inside.
Once the pill is wrapped, give it to your dog and let them enjoy their special treat!
If you don’t have any of these items on hand for your pet, you can use this formula from PET MD, which is a ‘PILL PASTE’. Gently rub the medication on your fingers and then using the paste, smear the medication.
Now, the medication tastes just like cheese and bacon treats instead of medication! Now, place the pill inside of your dog’s upper jaw or lower jaw. Sometimes, when placed in a dog’s lower jaw, they will be able to spit it out more easily. So, work with your pet on where to hide the pill.
There are also a variety of commercial products on the market that make giving pills to dogs easier. Pill pockets are one of the most popular options.
Pill pockets are small, soft treats that have a pocket in the center. (SHOP HERE) You simply insert the pill into the pocket and give it to your dog. They will never even know there was a pill inside if you have tasty pill pockets!
If you are having trouble getting your dog to take a pill even if you are hiding pills in tasty things, you can also try using a syringe or pill giver.
To use a syringe, simply fill it with water and insert the pill. Then, hold your dog’s mouth open and squirt the water into their mouth. Make sure that they swallow the entire thing!
A pill giver is a small, handheld tool that is designed to help you give your dog a pill. To use it, simply insert the pill into the end and then place it at the back of your dog’s throat. Push the plunger down so that the pill goes into their mouth and then let them swallow.
Using foods like dairy products, a hot dog, cream cheese, ground beef, peanut butter, regular cheese, or ice cream is also an effective way to give your dog a pill.
Simply take the food item and insert the pill into it. You can hand feed your dog the food directly into their mouth to make sure that they get not only the taste of the cheese but also the medications in their mouth. The different flavors will make the pills taste the actual foods and your dog will swallow the real pill much easier.
Certain foods are safe for most dogs, but be careful of other foods that may not be safe.
SAFE FOOD FOR DOGS TO TAKE PILLS WITH
DAIRY PRODUCTS IN MODERATION
CHEDDAR CHEESE
MOZZARELLA CHEESE
YOGURT, AND SOUR CREAM CREAM
GROUND BEEF
HOT DOGS IN MODERATION
ICE CREAM IN MODERATION (NO XYLITOL)
NUT BUTTERS LIKE PEANUT BUTTER AND ALMOND BUTTER
When giving your dog pills, always put safety first. Make sure that the pill is the appropriate size and dose for your dog. You should also make sure that you are using human food items that are safe for dogs to eat. If you have any concerns, speak with your Veterinarian!
SOME HUMAN FOOD SHOULD NOT BE ADDED TO YOUR DOG’S FOOD
Some foods are not beneficial for your dogs to eat, and can even be dangerous to hide pills inside of due to their toxicity to your pet.
GRAPES
RAISINS
AVOCADOS
CHOCOLATE
MACADAMIA NUTS
XYLITOL S WEETENER
ONIONS
GARLIC
While there are a lot of human food items that you can use, you want to be careful what you give a dog. Stick with safe foods to for a dog to take like cream cheese, cheese, or actual dog treats. If you are ever in question, speak with your Veterinary Clinic, or use a treat like the one below that is formulated especially for your pet.
FUN WAYS TO GIVE YOUR DOG ORAL MEDICATIONS
There are fun ways to hide pills for your dog. Medications can be hard to give a dog. Why not make it fun?
These ‘Medi Crunch’ Dog treats taste like peanut butter but they have a little pocket where pills can fit. They are so easy for dogs to take, and dogs can eat them in one bite.
The simplicity of allowing dogs to swallow this cute little tasty treat in one bite allows the medications to stay safely inside the treats.
Certain medications come in liquid form. If your veterinarian has prescribed your pet a liquid form of medication, it is more difficult to use treats to encourage swallowing.
Instead, you can use your dog’s tongue to your advantage!
Pet parents can drip the liquid directly onto their dog’s tongue. If their pet gives a fuss about the taste, use a smelly and tasty dairy product or canned dog food to mix up the liquid into something more delicious.
Try not to give either capsule, solid, or liquid pills on an empty stomach, as it could cause your pup to feel sick.
Always speak with your veterinarian about any side affects your pup is feeling from any medication that they are taking. If they are feeling any adverse reactions, your vet may be able to prescribe other forms of the medicine.
Additionally, never allow your pup to eat human medication without the advice of a veterinarian. Some treatments that are safe for humans are toxic to our dogs. It is ALWAYS safest to consult with a Veterinarian before making drastic choices for our pups.
Hopefully you enjoyed these tips on getting your pup to eat their pill and stay as healthy as they possibly can. Using treats, foods, and even fun little gadgets can make the process of giving your pup their medication a lot easier on both you and them. Do you have any tips or tricks that help when giving your pup pills? Let us know in the comments below! Thanks for reading.
Hypocalcemia in dogs is a dangerous condition, however, it is treatable. Calcium helps with muscle contraction, nerve signaling, and blood clotting.
When a dog experiences hypocalcemia, it means that they have low levels of calcium in their blood.
This can cause a variety of dangerous symptoms, which we will discuss in this blog post. We will also talk about the causes of hypocalcemia in dogs and how it is treated.
Hypocalcemia in Dogs
A dog with hypocalcemia may have low energy levels.
Symptoms of Hypocalcemia
Hypocalcemia in dogs is a dangerous condition that may begin with mild symptoms. This can make it difficult to diagnose, as many people associate low energy and stiffness with aging.
The symptoms of calcium deficiency in dogs include:
Weakness
Low energy
Lethargy
Lack of appetite
Poor coordination
Stiffness
Cramping or other pain
Muscle tremors and twitches
Convulsions
Seizures
In severe cases, calcium deficiency can lead to death. If you notice any of these clinical signs in your dog, it is important to take them to the vet immediately.
My Great Dane Matilda suffered from life-threatening hypocalcemia caused by unbalanced boutique dog food. I’m sharing her story below!
Why do dogs need calcium?
Calcium is necessary to keep a dog’s bones and teeth healthy.
It is also essential for blood clotting, muscle contraction, and nerve signaling. In large and giant breed dogs, having the correct calcium and phosphorus levels is necessary for bone development and growth.
Poor blood coagulation is another symptom of incorrect calcium in the blood and can lead to devastating issues during surgery. A full blood panel should always be done prior to even the most routine surgical intervention (including spaying or neutering).
Dogs get the majority of their calcium from their diet, and blood calcium levels are then regulated by the parathyroid glands. Sometimes things can go wrong and a dog may not be getting enough calcium, even if the parathyroid hormone levels are at an adequate level.
This can happen for a variety of reasons, including unbalanced nutrition, poor calcium absorption, or deficiencies following whelping.
A blood test is necessary to determine if low blood calcium levels are the culprit.
How do I know if my dog has low calcium?
A dog with low calcium may have low energy levels and may begin to act weak or uncoordinated.
Worsening symptoms include tremors, convulsions, and seizures that may eventually lead to death.
Low calcium in dogs is a life-threatening, but treatable condition. Calcium plays an important role in the overall health of your dog.
How is Hypocalcemia diagnosed?
Following an examination, your veterinarian will likely perform a blood test. This test will look at total blood calcium levels, and some vets may also look at ionized calcium levels.
Ionized calcium is the form of calcium that is available to be used by the body and is a more accurate indicator of hypocalcemia.
Your veterinarian may also recommend additional tests, such as a urine test, to rule out other possible causes of your dog’s symptoms.
If your dog’s symptoms are caused by a low calcium level, the test results will show that. Normal total calcium levels should be around 8.4-11.8 mg/dl.
The veterinarian may also order additional blood work to look at Ionized calcium levels, which can further verify the diagnosis.
What causes Hypocalcemia in Dogs?
It is important to address the underlying cause of low blood calcium in dogs when treating it. For many dogs, addressing the root issue can resolve the problem.
Poisoning & Low Calcium in Dogs
Antifreeze poisoning is one of the most common causes of low calcium in dogs.
Anti-freeze contains a sweet-tasting chemical called ethylene glycol that can tempt dogs (and even some cats) to drink it.
Ethylene glycol intoxication can result in weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and fainting.
Even a small amount of anti-freeze can cause serious health problems, including kidney damage and low calcium.
If you suspect that your dog has ingested anti-freeze, see the emergency veterinarian immediately.
Parathyroid Gland Conditions Causing Low Calcium
The parathyroid glands monitor and adjust calcium levels in the blood. If these parathyroid glands are not functioning properly, it can cause low calcium levels in the blood.
Thyroid disorders have genetic roots, so it’s important to monitor parathyroid hormone levels in dogs that are prone to hypo or hypothyroidism.
Acute kidney failure (aka renal failure) and certain medications can also interfere with the parathyroid gland’s ability to regulate calcium levels.
A dog that has chronic renal failure should be strictly monitored.
Dog breeding and low calcium levels
After a bitch gives birth, she may have difficulty producing enough milk for her puppies. This can lead to calcium deficiencies in both the mother and the puppies.
Many breeders give their dogs oral calcium supplements during pregnancy and after whelping to prevent problems.
If you have a dog that recently whelped and is nursing, it is important to monitor its condition.
Consult with your veterinarian about supplementation and choosing a food with the correct dietary calcium levels to support breeding while maintaining appropriate levels of blood calcium.
How nutrition affects blood calcium in dogs
Nutrition plays a key role in calcium absorption and utilization in dogs.
A diet that is deficient in calcium, phosphorus, or vitamin D can lead to hypocalcemia and low blood calcium on blood tests.
Even if the food was ‘formulated to meet AAFCO minimums’ and has an appropriate calcium level on paper, there could be underlying issues related to bioavailability and other micronutrients that can affect free total calcium levels in your dog.
An imbalance between these nutrients can occur if a dog is eating a commercial or homemade diet that is not properly balanced.
Incorrect vitamin D or phosphorus levels can cause nutritional deficiencies and dangerously low free calcium levels that greatly affect your dog’s health.
For this reason, we recommend avoiding boutique dog foods, which may not have adequate levels of balanced nutrients to fully support your dog’s overall health.
Boutique foods are from companies who:
Do not have a full-time board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist formulating and testing the foods
Do not participate in or contribute to peer-reviewed research
Will often only document their nutrition levels on paper; rarely if ever in ongoing feeding tests and appropriate testing
Common boutique brands include Fromm, Victor, 4Health, Diamond, Nutro, Nulo, Taste of the Wild, Solid Gold, Instinct, and many, many others who spend more money on marketing than on nutrition science.
Boutique dog food brands are often heavily marketed as “high quality”, “holistic”, “human grade”, or “super-premium”.
Veterinarians across the world recommend that dog owners choose only research-backed foods from Purina, Royal Canin, Hill’s Science Diet, and Eukanuba. These brands are the highest quality options that you can choose for your pet’s health.
(See Matilda’s story of hypocalcemia from “high quality” Nutro dog food below!)
Pancreatitis in dogs is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas.
The pancreas is an organ that produces enzymes that help the dog digest food. When the pancreas becomes inflamed, these digestive enzymes begin to attack and damage other organs and tissues, including the liver, lungs, and heart.
Pancreatitis can be caused by a number of things, including:
Eating a high-fat diet
Excess weight
Certain medications
Bacterial infections
Pancreatitis is also associated with inadequate calcium levels. When the pancreas is inflamed, it can’t do its job properly and calcium levels in the blood drop.
Pancreatitis is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention, and calcium deficiency is just one of many problems associated with it.
When a dog is diagnosed with low total calcium in the blood, the first thing that needs to be done is to find out the cause.
If the dog has an underlying health condition, like kidney disease, thyroid disorders, or pancreatitis, that needs to be treated.
If the low calcium level is due to a nutritional deficiency, then the diet needs to be corrected ASAP. Properly formulated diets do not require the use of a calcium supplement, so be sure to take your veterinarian’s advice on the best brands to feed your dog.
In most cases, oral calcium supplements or calcium-rich fluids are prescribed as well to help raise the calcium level.
The dog will need to take a calcium supplement for several weeks or months to correct the deficiency.
However, we do NOT recommend giving a dog any kind of added calcium without veterinary guidance, as too much calcium (hypercalcemia) can also be problematic.
In severe cases, where the dog is having seizures or other serious symptoms, calcium injections may be necessary to raise the total serum calcium level to within normal range.
For dogs with dangerously low calcium levels, it’s important to be aware of the fact that hospitalization and IV fluids may be necessary; plan accordingly, especially if you are breeding dogs.
Calcium supplementation in some form is often necessary to treat this condition. It is important to follow your veterinarian’s advice and not to stop the supplements or change the dosage without their guidance.
Low blood calcium is, as you’ll read below, a serious issue.
Matilda’s Story
Our Great Dane Matilda is an active, friendly, athletic dog. As she began to age, we noticed her slowing down. She became stiffer, more tired, and didn’t have the same energy as before.
For months, we chalked this up to her age.
I became alarmed, however, when she started showing worsening symptoms, including:
After completing a thorough physical examination, our veterinarian chalked this up to her being a giant breed dog.
We assumed that she was just aging and that her joints and muscles hurt.
Our vet encouraged us to switch her from Nutro Dog Food to a Hill’s Science Diet joint support diet and to seek physical therapy for her muscles. She also ran blood work to look for other underlying diseases and talked to us about the possibility of seeing specialists for her joints, heart, and nutrition depending on the results of her blood work.
The next day, she called and said that Matilda’s calcium levels were critically low. She told us that she needed better food and nutritional supplements ASAP.
We were feeding Nutro Ultra and thought we’d been doing the best thing for her by choosing a more “holistic” and “natural” food brand.
Her thyroid gland was functioning correctly and there were no signs of acute kidney failure or poisoning, so those underlying causes were ruled out.
Boutique dog food was killing her. Not only did she not have adequate calcium levels, but it was also suspected that her heart was not as healthy as it could have been.
If your dog has low energy levels and is eating a boutique food diet, talk to your veterinarian. Do not write it off.
We put Matilda on Purina Pro Plan Large Breed. Her symptoms quickly improved and within months she had more energy, balance, strength, and joy than she did as a puppy!
What we thought was aging was actually a dangerous nutritional imbalance, caused by poorly formulated dog food.
Nutrition plays a KEY role in your dog’s health. Do not fall for boutique food marketing (they spend millions convincing you to buy their product): talk to your veterinarian about what diet they feed THEIR pets, and why.
Here is our list of recommended foods for large and giant breed dogs:
Dog osteosarcoma is the most common bone tumor / bone cancer that causes major bone destruction in dogs with an affected limb.
Osteosarcoma in dogs is most often found in the bones of the legs, but can also be found in the ribs, pelvis and spine. It is most common in large breed dogs over the age of seven, with Great Danes being one of the breeds most susceptible to developing this cancer.
There are many different types of osteosarcoma, each with their own set of symptoms. The most common symptom is lameness in the limb, followed by pain and swelling. As the tumor grows, it will begin to compress surrounding nerves and blood vessels, which can lead to paralysis or loss of circulation in the affected limb.
DOG OSTEOSARCOMA: A BONE CANCER IN DOGS THAT SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED
What is canine Osteosarcoma? Canine Osteosarcoma is a bone tumour that is also the most common primary bone cancer in dogs. It is an aggressive form of cancer that grows rapidly and metastasizes (spreads) quickly to other parts of the body, most notably the lungs.
Osteosarcoma usually affects middle-aged to older dogs with larger breeds being predisposed; however, it can occur in any dog at any age. The mean age at diagnosis is six to seven years old.
Great Danes have the highest risk of developing osteosarcoma followed by Rottweilers, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and other large breeds like German Shepherds and English Mastiffs. While most cases are seen in dogs over the age of six, it has been diagnosed in dogs as young as one year old.
Lameness is the most common symptom associated with osteosarcoma. The lameness may come on suddenly or it may develop slowly over time. It is often intermittent at first, meaning that the dog will be lame for a period of time and then seem normal again for a period of time. As the tumor grows, the lameness becomes more constant.
Pain is usually associated with the lameness and may be severe. The pain is often worse at night or after exercise. Swelling may or may not be present depending on where the tumor is located.
If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog, it is important to have him/her seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible for a diagnosis. Early detection is key to successful treatment.
There are several tests that your veterinarian can perform to diagnose osteosarcoma. A complete blood count (CBC) and biochemical profile will often be performed first to get a general idea of your dog’s overall health.
PET PARENTS OBSERVATION IS THE FIRST STEP TO DETECTING BONE CANCER AND BONE TUMORS
Dog parents should be in tune with their dogs natural and ‘normal’ self.
Dog parents should know the clinical signs of primary Osteosarcoma and be able to take their dog to be seen at the very earliest possible time.
The most common sign of Osteosarcoma is sudden onset or worsening of lameness that does not improve with rest.
Pale gums due to anemia (low red blood cell count)
Dog parents will be able to see if their healthy dogs suddenly begin to limp, get lethargic, have a fever, and show other clinical signs.
Getting immediate diagnosis and treatment is of utmost importance to treat tumor cells.
XRAYS TO DETECT PRIMARY BONE TUMORS
X-rays are often the next step in diagnosing osteosarcoma. X-rays can sometimes be normal in early stages of the disease, but as the tumor grows, it will cause changes in the bone that can be seen on an x-ray. A mass or lump may also be visible on the x-ray.
CT OR MRI SCANS FOR BONE TUMORS
If your dog has a mass or lump that is visible on an x-ray, your veterinarian may recommend a CT scan or MRI to get a better look at the tumor. These scans can often give more information about the size and location of the tumor.
BIOPSY FOR BONE TUMORS
A biopsy is the only way to definitively diagnose osteosarcoma. A biopsy can be done in one of two ways: a needle biopsy or a surgical biopsy.
Needle biopsies are often performed with CT or MRI guidance. A needle is inserted into the tumor and a small amount of tissue is removed. This type of biopsy is less invasive than a surgical biopsy, but it does not always provide enough tissue for an accurate diagnosis.
Surgical biopsies are often done under general anesthesia. A small piece of the tumor is removed and sent to a pathologist for evaluation. A surgical biopsy is the best way to get a definitive diagnosis of osteosarcoma.
Once a diagnosis of osteosarcoma has been made, your veterinarian will discuss treatment options with you. The most common treatment for osteosarcoma is amputation of the limb followed by chemotherapy.
IS HAVING A BONE BIOPSY RISKY?
Conducting a bone biopsy is a very risky procedure with Osteosarcoma in dogs.
The primary canine bone tumors make the bones very fragile and conducting a biopsy can put your dog at risk for fracture or shattering of the bone.
SIGNS OF APPENDICULAR OSTEOSARCOMA IN DOGS
Dogs with tumor cells will begin to not feel themselves before the bone growth even takes place.
Lethargy, weight loss, and decreased appetite are all clinical signs that should not be ignored by dog parents.
These are all early warning signs that something is wrong and your dog needs to see a veterinarian as soon as possible.
If you notice any of these signs in your dog, it is important to have him/her seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible for a diagnosis. Early detection is key to successful treatment.
THE MOST COMMON AFFECTED BONE WITH APPENDICULAR OSTEOSARCOMA
Appendicular Osteosarcoma is a bone tumour that can affect any bone in the body, but the most common location is the long bones of the legs (femur, humerus).
Other less common locations include the ribs, pelvis, and shoulder blade.
Appendicular Osteosarcoma accounts for about 85% of all primary bone tumors in dogs.
Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer in dogs and Great Danes are no exception.
While any dog can develop osteosarcoma, Great Danes are predisposed to developing this type of cancer. In fact, osteosarcoma accounts for about 50% of all cancers diagnosed in Great Danes.
While the exact cause of osteosarcoma is unknown, there are several risk factors that have been associated with the development of this disease.
RISK FACTORS FOR APPENDICULAR OSTEOSARCOMA IN DOGS
The following are risk factors for developing canine appendicular Osteosarcoma:
Age: Osteosarcoma is most common in dogs over the age of six.
Breed: Great Danes have the highest incidence of osteosarcoma, followed by other large breeds such as Rottweilers, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador Retrievers.
Size: Giant breed dogs are at a higher risk for developing osteosarcoma.
Gender: Male dogs are slightly more likely to develop osteosarcoma than female dogs.
Previous radiation: Dogs who have received radiation to the affected limb have an increased risk of developing osteosarcoma.
While there is no way to prevent osteosarcoma, there are several things you can do to help your dog if he or she is diagnosed with this disease.
TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR APPENDICULAR OSTEOSARCOMA IN DOGS
The most common treatment for appendicular osteosarcoma is limb amputation of the affected limb, followed by chemotherapy.
LIMB AMPUTATION OF DOGS WITH OSTEOSARCOMA
Limb amputation is usually recommended because it gives the best chance for long-term survival. In fact, dogs who undergo limb amputation and chemotherapy have a median survival time of about one year.
While this may not seem like a long time, it is important to remember that Osteosarcoma is a very aggressive cancer and most dogs with Osteosarcoma do not live more than six months without treatment.
So, while limb amputation may seem like a drastic measure, it is often the best course of treatment for dogs with osteosarcoma.
FINDING A VETERINARIAN WHO IS EXPERIENCED IN AMPUTATION FOR APPENDICULAR OSTEOSARCOMA
If you are considering limb amputation for your dog, it is important to find a veterinary surgeon who is experienced in performing this type of surgery.
While most veterinarians are able to perform limb amputations, there are some surgeons who have more experience and may be able to provide a better outcome for your dog.
CHEMOTHERAPY FOR DOGS WITH APPENDICULAR OSTEOSARCOMA
In addition to limb amputation, chemotherapy is often recommended for dogs with osteosarcoma.
Chemotherapy can be given before or after surgery and is often used in conjunction with radiation therapy.
The most common chemotherapy drugs used to treat Canine Osteosarcoma are Cisplatin, Doxorubicin, and Carboplatin. Cisplatin Doxorubicin combination chemotherapy is also used for treatment, which is considered the gold standard for osteosarcoma treatment.
Chemotherapy drugs can be hard on dogs, but most dogs tolerate chemotherapy when done in conjunction with other pain medications.
These drugs are usually given intravenously (IV) and can be administered in the hospital or at home.
Home chemotherapy is becoming more common because it is less expensive and more convenient for owners.
If you are considering home chemotherapy for your dog, it is important to find a veterinarian who is experienced in administering this type of treatment.
ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY
If you choose to do surgical treatment for your dog, you will likely be guided to do Adjuvant chemotherapy, which is given after surgery to help kill any remaining cancer cells.
Adjuvant chemotherapy is often used in conjunction with radiation.
The most common adjuvant chemotherapy drugs used to treat Canine Osteosarcoma are Cisplatin, Doxorubicin, and Carboplatin. These drugs are
PALLIATIVE RADIATION THERAPY TO SHRINK THE TUMOR TISSUE
Sometimes, palliative radiation is used for dogs with appendicular Osteosarcoma to shrink the primary tumor.
Palliative radiation is used to shrink the bone tumor and relieve pain. It is not a cure for Osteosarcoma, but it can help your dog feel more comfortable.
Radiation has been shown to reduce cancer related bone pain and can help to shrink the primary bone tumour, but it is not a cure.
Palliative radiation therapy is usually given as a series of treatments over the course of several weeks.
LIMB SPARING SURGERY TO TREAT OSTEOSARCOMA IN DOGS
Limb sparing surgery is used to treat Osteosarcoma in dogs. There are different limb sparing techniques.
Limb sparing surgery is a type of surgery where the cancerous bone tumor is removed, but the surrounding healthy tissue is left intact. Dogs with appendicular Osteosarcoma have Osteosarcoma cells that have spread from the primary bone tumor to other parts of the body.
Limb sparing surgery is often used in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy.
The most common type of limb sparing surgery for dogs is forequarter amputation. Forequarter amputation is a type of surgery where the front leg is amputated. This type of surgery can be used to treat Osteosarcoma in the arm or leg.
Limb sparing surgery is often followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Limb sparing surgery provides a median survival time of about one year for dogs with Osteosarcoma.
While this type of surgery is not a cure, it can help to extend your dog’s life and provide a good quality of life.
SUBSCUTANEOUS CHEMOTHERAPY FOR DOGS WITH OSTEOSARCOMA
Subcutaneous chemotherapy is a newer type of treatment for dogs with osteosarcoma.
In this type of treatment, the chemotherapy drugs are given under the skin, rather than intravenously.
Subcutaneous chemotherapy has been shown to be just as effective as intravenous chemotherapy, but it is less expensive and more convenient for owners.
If you are considering subcutaneous chemotherapy for your dog, it is important to find a veterinarian who is experienced in administering this type of treatment.
SURGERY, CHEMOTHERAPY, LIMB SPARING SURGERY, RADIATION THERAPY, OR A COMBINATION OF THESE TREATMENTS?
The decision on whether to use surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of these treatments will be made by you and your veterinarian based on several factors including:
No matter what treatment option you choose for your dog, it is important to remember that Osteosarcoma is a very aggressive bone cancer and the goal of treatment is to extend your dog’s life as much as possible and make him or her comfortable, keep the primary tumor from getting bigger and causing more pain, and help the bone from having bone destruction.
WHEN A PRIMARY TUMOR CAUSES A BONE BREAK OR FRACTURE
One of the biggest concerns in Canine Appendicular Osteosarcoma is that the bone tumor can cause bone breaks or a pathologic fracture.
Most dogs who have Canine Appendicular Osteosarcoma and who proceed to break their limb will not have a good outlook, as it is very hard to get dogs treated for the bone break when the cancer cells make the limb very weak to begin with.
If you have a dog with Canine Appendicular Osteosarcoma, your dog’s limb should be treated extremely fragile, as the host related risk factors for breaking a bone are high.
PAIN RELIEF FOR GIANT BREED DOGS WITH CANINE OSTEOSARCOMA
Canine Osteosarcoma is, unfortunately, one of the most painful diseases for a dog.
Pain relief is one of the best forms of treatment.
Some ways to help your dog cope with Canine Osteosarcoma and the associated pain are:
Providing a soft bed or mattress for your dog to sleep on
Most dogs appreciate a nice, supportive bed but because the bone sarcoma risk puts your dog at a higher risk for pain and fracture, using a supportive bed is even more important.
We recommend the Big Barker bed for any dog with Canine Osteosarcoma.
Putting non-slip flooring in your home to help your dog get around easier
Dogs with Canine Osteosarcoma often have trouble getting around and may need some help in the form of non-slip flooring.
There are many different types of non-slip flooring available and you can find them at most home improvement stores.
Unfortunately, Osteosarcoma in dogs is the most common bone tumor.
Getting Osteosarcoma treated is very difficult and there is no cure for dogs with Appendicular Osteosarcoma.
The average survival time for dogs with Appendicular Osteosarcoma is about one year.
However, with treatment, some dogs may live for two years or more.
The median survival time for dogs treated with surgery and chemotherapy is about 14 months.
Dogs that have limb-sparing surgery have a median survival time of 16 to 18 months.
For dogs that have their limb amputated, the median survival time is about 12 months.
The type of treatment your dog receives will depend on many factors including the stage of the cancer, the size of the tumor, and your dog’s overall health. Some dogs may only receive surgery while others may receive a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The survival time also depends on adjuvant therapy and whether there are secondary tumours or whether there is lymph node metastases.
If your dog has been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, it is important to talk to your veterinarian about all of the treatment options and which one would be best for your dog. It is also important to find a veterinary oncologist that you trust and feel comfortable with to help make these decisions.
The most important thing you can do for your dog is to make sure he or she is comfortable and has a good quality of life.
IS CANINE OSTEOSARCOMA GENETIC?
Dogs with Appendicular Osteosarcoma will typically have a primary tumour, however Osteosarcoma is a metastatic disease.
A metastatic disease means that even though there is one primary tumor, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph system.
The most common place for the metastatic disease to spread is to the lungs, but it can also spread to other bones, the liver, and brain. The fact that Osteosarcoma is a metastatic disease make it much harder to treat as most bone tumors depend on the cancer spreading or not spreading.
Canine Osteosarcoma is not a genetic disease, however some studies on Canine Osteosarcoma reveals genes that may be associated with the development of the disease.
There is not currently a genetic test available for Canine Osteosarcoma but there has been more gene expression profiling done in recent medical studying.
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)
Are Brindle Great Danes Rare? If you are in the market for a Great Dane but are unsure which color will best suit your family, you may consider a Brindle Great Dane.
While all Great Danes are typically seen as gentle giants and are known for their calm, loving demeanors, not all coat colors are created equal. By the end of this post, you will be able to identify the different variations of Brindle Great Danes, familiarize yourself with health issues and AKC breed standards, and learn a few interesting facts!
Origin of the Color: Are Brindle Great Danes Rare?
“I’ve never seen them come in THAT color!” is something Dior and I hear on nearly every outing.
The tiger-striped pattern of Dior’s coat is so unique, you can see why people might snap their necks trying to get a good look at him. Whether we are in the car, or at the grocery store – he really does turn a lot of heads.
But how uncommon is the brindle color REALLY!?
Brindle Danes- Are They Rare?
In short – no, Brindle coat colors and patterns have been around for as long as dogs have walked the earth.
An article written at Simply Dog Owners states, “The term [brindle] comes from an old French word for the striped animal: brin d’he (meaning “whisker”), which was later shortened into English usage with just one letter dropped off – hence today’s spelling: `BRINDLE.’
A brindle striped coat can contain several colors, but you will most typically see a solid brown base color with overlaying brown stripes. The brown stripes can vary in color which makes for another way to categorize the coat.
FUN FACT: White is actually the most rare coat color of the breed because of its increased susceptibility to health issues and genetic defects. You can read more about double-merle Great Danes here.
Brindle vs Reverse Brindle: Which is Which?
Nowadays, you may or may not have heard these terms thrown around, however the differentiation between the two coat colors is not currently recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
BRINDLE
Brindle refers to a darker brown coat with hints of lighter stripes throughout. Usually these dogs appear black or dark brown in color with hints of tan and red markings. (Read more: All Things Brindle)
REVERSE BRINDLE
On the other hand, a reverse brindle coat is the opposite. The coat appears to be light brown with hints of darker stripes throughout. According to these two terms, Dior is referred to as a reverse brindle Great Dane.
Interestingly enough, all brindle-coated dogs technically have a black or dark brown base coat with lighter stripes – but sometimes there is less pigmentation from the base coat and more from the stripes (hence the reverse brindle).
Before I confuse you further, let’s dive into the genetics behind this fascinating coat.
Genetics Behind The Brindle Color
Gregor Mendel, also known as the Father of Genetics, is the one who proved that an offspring of any kind is a product of two parents. While he illustrated his theory with pea plants, the science behind genetics applies to all forms of life – including dogs.
According to the VCA Animal Hospital, “…the mother and father each randomly contribute one allele from each locus, giving each allele a 50% chance of being passed on to the pups.”
Dogs contain 39 pairs of chromosomes (or genetic material), that is passed down from their mother and father. These genes determine the sex of the dog and everything else that makes them unique from the color of their eyes down to the pattern of their coat.
The brindle trait itself can be either dominant or recessive, but it is important to note that they come from the same color family as fawns. (Fawn Great Danes)
“Brindle is caused by a complex gene process and is technically a form of mosaicism, where some cells express one allele (KB) and some express the other (ky),” says Dog Genetics. If you are interested in a more in-depth overview of the science behind the brindle coat and all of the variations throughout, I encourage you to check out this article!
Health & Breeding
I would like to preface this by saying I am not a veterinarian and you should not use this section as medical advice.
Furthermore, there is a lot more that goes into breeding Great Danes then just mixing colors to see what you’ll get – therefore, I would suggest you read this article about the dangers of backyard breeding.
Great Danes are prone to a variety of health issues like Gastric Tortion / Bloat (GDV), Wobblers Syndrome, Hip Dysplasia, and different forms of Cancer. Be that as it may, brindle Great Danes are not specifically susceptible to any of these conditions in particular just based on their coat color.
If you are concerned for the health of your Great Dane, please consult your veterinarian. If you’re in the process of bringing a Great Dane into your home, it is my recommendation that you request health tests to the parent Danes to see if your dog might be at greater risk of developing any of the above conditions.
Can You Breed Brindle Great Danes?
As previously mentioned, I would discourage you from breeding your dog unless you comply with the AKC Responsible Breeding StandardsBUT yes, brindle Great Danes can be bred.
Brindle is one of the nine colors that are deemed acceptable for show in regards to AKC standards but there are several other variations to the brindle coat that include:
It is uncommon for an ethical breeder to breed outside of the color family (brindles & fawns), but that doesn’t always mean it doesn’t happen. If we take a look back at genetics, recessive traits are not always present in adult dogs and therefore some can be passed down through generations (even if undesirable).
The AKC Brindle Standard
Don’t let the word ‘undesirable’ turn you off bringing home a brindle Great Dane. The color of their coat does not influence their demeanor or personality – but if you are looking to show your Great Dane the AKC standards will be something to consider.
They are as follows:
Brindle Color:
COLOR: the base color shall be yellow gold and always be brindled with black cross stripes
Brindle Patterns:
PATTERNS/MARKINGS: Brindle shall have a black chevron pattern with a black mask. Black should appear on the eye rims and eyebrows and may appear on the ears and tail tip. The more intense the base color and the more distinct and evenly brindled, the more preferred will be the color. Too much or too little brindling are equally undesirable. White markings on the chest or toes; black fronted; dirty colored Brindles; are not desirable.
If competing with your Great Dane in show is something that interests you, you can find the full article here.
Brindle Great Danes: Interesting Facts
There is no doubt that the brindle coat contains the most unique color combinations. The tiger-striped pattern is not like any other, but are there any secrets behind the breed?
Unique Traits I’ve Noticed Regarding My Brindle Great Dane:
I mentioned before that I have raised three Great Danes from just a few months old, but Dior is my first brindle. My first Dane, Opal, has a blue coat and my second, Dymond, was a lightly-marked harlequin – but there are few differences I’ve noticed between the three…
3 Interesting Facts about Dior:
Dior is a spitting image of his father, but his mother was a black mantle Great Dane
His skin appears to be pale under his lighter stripes and darker under his base coat
In the summer Dior spends a lot of time outside, making his lighter skin tan (if you will). This causes his coat to appear darker in the summer and lighter in the winter
Other breeds / animals that carry the Brindle gene:
There are several other breeds of dogs that can possess a brindle coat like Boxers, Mastiffs, Greyhounds, French Bulldogs, Akitas, and many others – but did you know dogs aren’t the only ones that ‘come in that color’?
Cattle, guinea pigs, cats and rarely, horses can also be tiger-striped!
Are Brindle Great Danes Rare?
Whether you are looking for a Great Dane of any color, be cautious about where you are getting him/her from (regardless if it be a rescue or reputable breeder), and don’t be afraid to ask the breeder for health tests to the parent Danes.
Though there are no health issues with brindle Great Danes specifically, they are prone to other conditions you should be aware of.
Brindle Great Danes can be bred within the color family of fawns and other brindles, however several other variations can appear depending on the genes they inherit from their mother and father.
No brindle Dane is superior to the other, but you should familiarize yourself with the AKC show standards if you are looking to enter your Great Dane in competition.
The brindle coat is not rare at all! In fact, there are several other breeds of dog and animal species that carry the brindle gene like cattle and guinea pigs.
Of the three Great Danes I have raised, Dior is my first brindle and I have noticed his coat change color intensity with the seasons and the color of his skin corresponds directly with the color of his fur!
If you’ve found this post about brindle Great Danes interesting, I suggest you check out my Instagram or TikTok where I uncover a lot of Dior’s personality and what it is like to live with a Great Dane! Additionally, if you are a first time Great Dane parent or a seasoned owner, come check out my blog where I upload new posts every Tuesday and Thursday!
CHECK OUT THE AUTHOR: Hey there, my name is Haley and this is my Great Dane, Dior! We currently reside in Houston, Texas.
I’ve raised three Great Danes from the puppy stage and have developed an unconditional, profound love for the breed.
I’ve been sharing the good, bad, and ugly of being a Great Dane owner on my social media accounts since 2016, but have recently started compiling all of my knowledge into my own personal blog to help educate and inform past, present, and future Dane owners!
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!
