Dogs have plenty heart

It’s no secret that until our family gets a dog to call our own, we frequently get our Fido fix with our neighbors’ pets.  There’s Rainbow, Bella & Rosie, Bucky, Tucker, Ike, Casey, and (while we hate to play favorites) the best of the bunch:  Leila.  

Leila’s mom & dad walk her every morning.  In the summer when Kyla sleeps in she generally misses when they walk past, since it’s around 7:00 am.  But Kevin and I see that sweet Golden girl happily prancing up the street… when she gets to our driveway she looks expectantly towards the garage hoping to get a glimpse of Kyla and get a few good belly rubs.

We feel very fortunate for many reasons that Kyla’s middle school (Forest Park) immediately began five-day, in-person learning.  She truly loves her new school and is having a great first month.  Now, whether she likes it or not, there will always be a first-day-of-school photo shoot.  Even through her senior year of high school.  Yes, I’m one of those moms.  Then again, Daddy wouldn’t have it any other way either.

So on her first day of 6^th grade we were both out there, bright and early, making her mug for the camera holding a “First Day” sign.  Actually, she willingly obliged.  Not sure what the next few years hold in store but it was delightful that she indulged us.  Then, as if on cue, who came lolling around the corner full of caramel-colored love and energy?  Our girl!

Oh, the reunion of these two!  I honestly couldn’t judge who was happier and whose smile was bigger.  Everyone’s hearts were bursting at the joy between sweet Leila and our daughter.  “Leila” rhymes with “Klya.”  Coincidence?  Hmmm.

Truly it was one of those moments when you wish a dog could talk.  It had to be a one-sided conversation but it was magical nonetheless.  The outpouring of affection and loving words spoken to Leila couldn’t be returned the same way.  But science tells us that Leila was incredibly excited to hear what Kyla had to say.  Yep, it’s love for sure. 

Pet allergies are increasing, but why?

A few weeks ago I went through some miserable days. It’s no fun when you can’t breathe. My condition was so bad I got Kevin to put on the air conditioner when it was barely 60 degrees outside.

I’m better now, thank you. Flowers and candy always help. Uh, Kev. Did you catch that?

Speaking of Kev, when he goes to the doctor or picks up prescriptions he’s asked a simple question and gives a simple answer.

“No. I don’t have any allergies.”

Lucky stiff.

I’ve got ‘em, and dogs can have ‘em, too. Oh yes. They can definitely suffer from seasonal allergies.   As I’ve written in the past, if you are itching & scratching, rubbing your eyes, sneezing and dealing with a raspy voice and scratchy throat, please don’t dismiss your dog may be suffering the same ways you are. 

Sandra Diaz, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech said, “Allergies we cannot cure. We just manage them and keep them under control so the animal can have a good quality of life.”

Last month the Wall Street Journal reported allergies are on the rise among pets. Those poor animals are allergic to lots of stuff. Fleas. Dust. Grass. Pollen. Food. Cats. Even each other.

What’s the problem?

According to new research, you are.

Take a look.

As smart as dogs are, you still puzzle them

Here is the absolute worst kept secret about dogs.

Dogs really, really, really do love you. That’s not some starry-eyed opinion. It’s true. Science says so!

Let’s recap some previous findings I’ve shared. Researchers at Princeton University were able to pinpoint genes in dogs that in humans are associated with Williams-Beuren syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. One of the features in the syndrome is, are you ready, indiscriminate friendliness.

I’ve blogged about Gregory Berns who has studied the brains of dogs extensively. Berns found that the portion of dogs’ brains that generate excitement when they hear their owners’ voices is actually the same part of the human brain that perks up when we are fond of someone or something.  That’s a discovery that further explains the affection dogs have for humans.

There’s more. Clive Wynne, a psychologist at Arizona State University who specializes in dog behavior says dogs not only bond exceptionally with humans, but with other species as well.

Another author, Kate Harding says, “Dogs don’t care what breed anybody is or where they used to live. Dogs just act as though they believe everyone deserves to be happy, fed, sheltered and comforted when they’re sick or sad. Radical, unconditional love — giving it and inspiring it in others — is one key to their survival.”

Here’s yet another example of the strong bond amazing canines have with us ordinary humans. They love us like crazy, even though we do stuff that confuses the daylights out of them. No, I’m not talking about wearing white after Labor Day or putting pineapple on pizza. Normal, everyday habits have them perplexed.

My husband told me a long time ago that people who read are drawn to articles and columns that focus on lists. The 25 best restaurants in the state. Best family resorts in Florida. Cleanest bathrooms at Walt Disney World. Safest bike helmets.

Two professors from the University of Sydney have come up with a list of human behaviors that dogs simply don’t get. Can you think of any before you click the link? At least one, maybe two, possibly more?

The professors provide eight.

Here you go.

ZZZZZ – Dogs are just like humans

Here’s a sweet photo:

OK. What’s that dog up to? Besides that, smarty!

Years ago, to promote an upcoming program the USA cable network once asked Americans whose dreams they would like to hack if given the opportunity.

The respondents were nearly as likely to want to hack into their pets’ dreams as they were to want to hack into their partners’ (“my pet” came in second on a list of 25, right after “my partner”). Dr. Deirdre Barrett, who is a teacher and a Clinical and Evolutionary Psychologist at Harvard Medical School and has studied doggie dreams for many years, says “respondents have it right: pets’ dreams would be the most interesting to enter. Other mammals, including cats and dogs, share our sleep cycle complete with REM (Rapid Eye Movement). But their brains are so different that these would be like no dream we’ve ever experienced.”

Researchers know that mammals go into a deep sleep, just like humans. Size matters.

Small animals go through sleep stages rather quickly. Their dreams are shorter and more frequent. Larger animals have a much longer sleep process meaning they’re in deep sleep longer between dreams.

There’s a big IF. It’s uncertain if dogs even dream. No one knows for sure. But if they do, what’s going through their brains?

Dogs are like humans who dream about what they like and are familiar with. So dogs would dream the same.

Studies show that because owners have been a constant feature in their dogs’ lives since they were puppies that dogs generally accept humans as relevant social partners, far more than other dogs.

Here’s what the experts say. IF your dog dreams, the what is answered in the above picture.

Your face.

Your smell.

Pleasing you.

Even annoying you.

Researchers have also examined cats, and the finding isn’t all that interesting.

“Cats lay quietly through the other stages of sleep, and when REM began, they leapt up, stalked, pounced, arched their backs and hissed. They looked like they were hunting mice in their dreams,” said Dr. Barrett.

And that’s about all cats dream about.

Back to dogs. IF dogs do in fact dream an owner can enhance the sleeping experience by exposing the dog to as much happiness during the day before it’s nighttime.

So owners, it’s like the song goes. “But in your dreams whatever they be….

 

Could dogs get any more popular?

At the start of the glorious year of 2020, when conditions were far more normal, forecasters were predicting the year’s most accessories. They included the following. Let’s see how many you jumped on:

Chunky Boots, Bucket Bags, Square Toe Strappy Sandals, Large Chain Necklaces, Soft Clutches, Wide Waist Belts, Padded Headbands, Hoop Earrings, Colored Sunglasses Frames, Bucket Hats, Mini Pouch on Your Bag, and Multi-color Bags.

These experts could have been right about their start of 2020 forecasts. But then came March.

There was a far more popular accessory, and not even anything from the fashion world. Confronted with lockdowns and stay-at-home orders and being held captive in their own homes, Americans turned to…dogs. And in big numbers.

The imprisoned populace needed companionship. More than what a spouse or child/children could offer. They wanted warm, fuzzy, furry canines. So they went out and got them. Again and again and again. Shelters ran out. So the doggo seekers kept looking elsewhere.

Didn’t matter there were enough news stories about how purchasing a pet during a pandemic was like doing so at Christmas. Will your love/need for the dog be there when the virus and shutdowns aren’t?

That was March. What has happened since? Has the love for a new pet subsided, nearly six months later? Could it continue, and for how long?

The answers to those questions are in a just published Washington Post article. Think you know them? Click here to find out.

A dog’s nose knows

This dog blog combines current events and new research.

America’s pandemic rages on, so testing continues hoping to identify symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers to reduce the spread of infections.

Tests now being conducted generally require swabs applied to the upper part of the pharynx, connecting with the nasal cavity above the soft palate.

Another test (and it’s complicated to explain) is used for pathogen identification that has been helpful with treatment and prevention of many diseases.

These procedures can be time consuming and cost-prohibitive. Preferably the tests should be fast, reliable, and non-invasive. That’s where dogs come in.

We know dogs have an incredible sense of smell, 10,000 to 100,000 times as acute as that of humans.

“Let’s suppose they’re just 10,000 times better,” says James Walker, former director of the Sensory Research Institute at Florida State University. “If you make the analogy to vision, what you and I can see at a third of a mile, a dog could see more than 3,000 miles away and still see as well.”

It turns out that volatile organic compounds produced during respiratory infections can cause specific scent imprints that can be detected by trained dogs.

During the past several weeks there’ve been media reports about studies of dogs being capable of sniffing out the coronavirus. Here’s the latest study, conducted by researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover in Germany that was published in a respected medical journal late last week.

Eight (8) detection dogs were trained to determine between saliva samples from individuals who were infected with Covid-19 versus those who are not. When the dogs were correct they were rewarded with either a bit of food or a few seconds to play with a ball.

Dogs were presented with 1,012 samples. How did they do?  The dogs achieved an overall detection rate of 94 percent.

How did the detections break down?  There were 157 correct indications of positive cases of the virus, 792 correct rejections of negative cases, 33 false positive and 30 false negative indications. Again, 94 percent.

The dogs needed just five days of training until researchers believed they could adequately and effectively make detections. Researchers concluded their data showed that detection dogs can be trained in just about a week to discriminate between samples of people infected and non-infected by SARS-CoV-2.

The same cautionary note was made that researchers issued in all other dog studies I’ve blogged about. While the study was promising, further work is necessary.

But what’s highly significant is that this study confirms that dogs can detect the virus with striking accuracy, and these detection dogs need just a short thorough training period to become effective.

Finally, testing is quite expensive, costing hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars. But a trained coronavirus detection dog can screen a patient in under a minute at a minimal cost. That’s because the entire test only requires the dog, its handler, and someone documenting the results.

Can your dog swim?

These are definitely the dog days of summer! Ninety degrees today and tomorrow? Good time to head to the lake. In this case, Lake Wisconsin.

Lewis is a good swimmer. Obviously Lewis can swim and loves to swim.

But not all dogs are alike.

Truth is not all dogs can swim. They have trouble staying afloat. They get tired. They have respiratory problems.

Let’s rank the canine swimmers.

Topping the list…

Ah. America’s favorite breed. The labrador retriever. Ideal for swimming. A thick waterproof coat. Webbed feet. Also include…

The Portuguese Water Dog.

Not quite at the top are any number of dogs that are a bit apprehensive but can be taught.

And then there are dogs that simply have difficulty staying above the water.

Top-heavy dogs. Again…

Without a flotation device that poor boy will probably sink right to the bottom. Not his fault.

Short legs…

Dachshunds and basset hounds.

Throw in hairless or dogs with fine coats because they get cold easily.

You can instruct your doggo to swim. Just get in the water with him/her.

Is it a good idea to toss your dog into the water for that first swim?  If you do, the dog will get scared and never want to swim again.

Go easy and slow. Practice walking into the shallow water then back out again so that your dog understands that it can get out if it’s too much.

Consider one of these…

Any dog that is lightweight or has short legs should wear a life vest or jacket.

You can always coax your dog into the water with something to play with.

Stay away from waves that might frighten.

And keep your dog leashed until he/she is able to swim unassisted.

“Water therapy is beneficial in a variety of different areas,” says Dr. Jonathan Block, Veterinarian and Owner at West Delray Veterinary in Delray, Florida. “From a preventative perspective, hydrotherapy is good for fitness, body condition, and a great source of aerobic exercise that is low impact on the bones and joints. It is a great tool to help your dog stay in optimal shape.”

Have fun!

Dental work for dogs

Last month, our daughter Kyla’s smile wattage increased with the addition of shiny silver brackets on her top teeth.  Believe it or not she was actually looking forward to getting them.  She needed some “prep work” in the form of a palatial expander which was inserted in January.   While she realized it was part of the treatment process it didn’t look or feel like real braces.  The next phase was delayed because of, what else, the virus.  Finally, June 8^th was THE DAY.  Despite an unusual new routine for arrival and appointment she was a trooper.  (We expected nothing less in all honesty.)

Admittedly it took some getting used to…  Traditional brackets on the top, a retainer that remained IN while eating on the bottom, and the palatial expander still cemented in place.  Eating was a new adventure for a few days and I wouldn’t have asked her to say “She sells sea shells by the sea shore” and expect any enthusiasm.  But the look on her face that afternoon speaks volumes…

While my childhood braces corrected a slight overbite, Kyla’s are working to fix a crossbite.  It’s a little more complicated than what I experienced and she’s likely to have a second round of them in high school.  She fully understands and is more than willing to have a lifetime of straight teeth with no complications of jaw problems and difficulty biting & chewing.

Now, it’s no secret that 2/3 of the Fischer Family want a dog with fierce desperation.  It’s also no secret that the 1/3 remaining pays the majority of the bills, including orthodontia-related ones.  Generally high costs related to dog ownership are one of the top three reasons Kyla & I haven’t won our arguments.  Yet.    But you just know that in the back of his mind he’s thinking that with his luck even our dog will need its bite corrected.  And not in that canine vs. mailman way.

While I certainly hate to admit he could have a point about an additional expense for Fido, he’s kind of right.  Dogs CAN need braces!  But then again, who could possibly resist the cuteness of a doggo with dental work? 

Are veterinarians trustworthy?

Check out these photos.

Simply put, the two dachshunds are different.

The second dog is Obie from Portland, Oregon. Obie appeared on the TODAY Show in 2012, weighing 77 pounds. That’s more than twice the size of an average dachshund. He’d make a return visit to the program after losing 54 pounds thanks to regular exercise and a high-fiber, low-carb diet.

The difference between the two pictured dogs goes beyond their weight.

San Diego Humane Society

It might be hard to believe. Then again, maybe not. But it seems overweight dogs are perceived in a negative way by veterinarians, even worse if their owners are overweight. That could have an impact on the quality of attention and treatment the dogs receive.

If that sounds serious it’s because it is serious. About half of all dogs in North America are overweight or obese. Dogs that weigh too much are at greater risk of all kinds of diseases. And they wind up in vets’ offices.

Knowing that obese humans confront discrimination, researchers at the Department of Psychiatry at the Perlman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania wanted  to find out if obese pets were also victims of bias.

So they conducted two identical online studies. One included 205 practicing veterinarians while the other had 103 veterinary students.

Again, all of them got the same instructions. Each was presented with one of four images featuring 1) either a lean dog and a lean owner;  2) a lean dog and an overweight owner; 3) an overweight dog and a lean owner;  4) or an overweight dog and an overweight owner.

Next, they were all asked to describe how they felt about the dog and owner separately, AND how much they liked the dog and its owner.

What did the researchers find out? Brutal honesty.

Both the veterinarians AND the veterinary students reported more negative emotional responses when the dog was obese. Specifically, that meant feelings of disgust, frustration, blame, and contempt. That’s how they felt about the fat dogs AND their fat owners.

So, how did that influence the analysis and treatment by these lovely folks in the white coats?

In the case of overweight pooches,  veterinarians actually admitted and reported that they liked the owners less than owners of dogs that weren’t fat. They did not believe the owners of fat dogs would adhere to their recommendations to help the dogs lose weight.

Proving the bias of the study participants, if the owners of overweight dogs were also overweight, the veterinarians and students concluded that it was the owners’ fault the dogs were fat because the owners obviously had poor food and health habits. And they were transferring their bad behaviors onto their dogs.

That’s bad enough. Because the vets and students jumped to this erroneous conclusion, they also completely dismissed from their minds that beyond eating there might be other factors causing  the obesity, and thus, also dismissed other alternative treatments that could be considered or administered that could actually be useful.

This research is damning to vets. How can you trust them? Apparently that depends on the size of your dog.

Dog bites are costly

A few weeks ago I wrote about National Dog Bite Awareness Week. I have more since it’s an issue more serious than many think.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (you’ve heard of them, I’m sure) a whopping 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in America.

Why should you care? You don’t even own a dog. Every dog you’ve ever known has been fantastic. So why be concerned? There are lots of reasons.

Kids get bit a lot. Most often it’s the age 5-9 crowd.

Who gets bit the most? The good folks trying to deliver your mail? Nope.

Over half of dog-bite injuries occur at home with dogs that are familiar to the victim.

You can’t take this lightly since dog attacks hurt everybody. How so?

As the number of dog attacks and subsequent injuries (even deaths) go up, so insurance payouts. That means higher premiums for liability AND health insurance, if you own a dog or not.

That’s according to the Insurance Information Institute that also reports that the average cost paid for dog bite claims nationwide was $44,760 in 2019, up from $39,017 in 2018.

The average cost per claim for dog bites nationally has risen 134 percent from 2003 to 2019 due to increased medical costs and increasing size of settlements, judgments, and jury awards to victims/plaintiffs.

Liability claims related to dog bites and other dog-related injuries cost homeowners’ insurers $797-million in 2019.

And we’re not talking just bites. Let’s say your dog knocks someone over. If there are injuries and you don’t have the proper insurance to cover the costs, you’re in trouble.

Own a pit bull? Like it or not some insurance companies won’t cover homeowners or renters that own that breed or any other deemed dangerous.

An insurance company may not care what kind of dog you have. Until it bites. At that point the company may charge a higher premium, choose not to renew coverage, or take the dog off of coverage.

Again, big bucks are at stake. The average cost paid out for dog bite claims nationwide was $44,760 in 2019,  up from $39,017 in 2018. And to reiterate, higher costs per claim include dogs knocking down children, cyclists, the elderly, etc.

While a special week is designated to dog bite awareness, you can understand why this is a constant concern.