Bugs with Benefits: (Part 4 of 4)

While certainly not life threatening, tear staining is a problem seen in many of our patients.  Prostera can treat these unsightly stains and prevent them from recurring.  Finally, a problem most clients are too embarrassed to talk about - flatulance.  To all our fellow Boxer lovers out there, you know I’m talking about.  Let’s just say Prostora helps and leave it at that.   

Prostora helps promote the strong, healthy digestive systems necessary for overall health, balance, and well-being.  And if you own a Boxer, it might just keep your next dinner party from wrapping up early!

Ask the Advisor: Stranger Danger Part 1

Dear Edel,

Zohan is a year old now, and starting to display some obnoxious behavior on walks. Specifically, he lunges and barks hysterically at anyone that walks towards us. It's especially bad if the person makes eye contact, and once the behavior stops, it's very difficult get him to snap out of it. I know this "teenager" phase is challenging, but I worry he is going to become aggressive. What should I do?

While eye contact may play a role in all this, the actual approach of the person onto Z's space may be enough to trigger his defensive reaction. Test it out with a new person approaching and not having any eye contact. He will likely respond the same. There are a few things you may do differently when greeting a person (given that you have the time and availability from that person to take a little longer in the greeting). To create a greater interest in the person, reduce Zohan's defense drive by increasing his prey drive. Do not let him greet the person until you are ready for Z to do so. This adds a level of pack leadership on your end that will later give him the confidence to not have to react defensively.

I have seen his reaction around strangers coming to greet him. While it may come across as "aggressive" in some people's view, he is really being defensive - not aggressive. His defense drive (one of two key drives that a dog has innately) kicks up a notch when he is uncertain. For some dogs, when they feel uncertain about a new place or person, they go into a fearful-submissive state and other dogs go into a fear or anxiety state that shoots up their defense drive. This seems to be more like Zohan.

In order to change this reaction, you must change his perception of the situation and of the new person he will greet. Then add a little control once the perception is changed. By this, I mean that you may associate the new person (greeter) with a positive trigger for Z. For example, you may use a treat and squeaky ball that you can just carry with you whenever you are walking Zohan. When you approach a potential greeter, you ask them to hold the ball and squeak it a few times while keeping the treat in another hand. Perhaps, have the new greeter bounce it a couple of times to really spark his interest in the new person. Focusing on the ball and its motion should trigger his prey drive, whilst blocking his defense drive. Prey and Defense drive are inversely proportional. The higher the prey drive, the lower the defense drive and vice versa. So, two key things that you are doing by using an interesting toy or ball, (1) creating a more positive association with a new person and (2) increasing his prey drive, thus reducing his defense drive. Once you get Z really interested in meeting the new person and really excited, through his prey drive, to get that ball, you have him sit and stay a few feet away from you while you greet (or pretend to greet) the new person and then you give him the "ok" to greet the person. When he comes in for the ball, the greeter may then hold out the treat in a flat palm, low to the floor (since Z is a low rider ;-)). You don't want people going over his head to pet him, as most people do, because that may trigger his defense drive. So, Zohan should come in towards the greeter after you gave him the ok to go greet. The greeter has their palm flat for Z to come get his treat and make the positive association, then the ball comes out and he gets to focus on the ball and go get it (not too far - within the vicinity of the greeting). While keeping him on prey drive mode, you subdue his defense drive. Finish the exercise with lots of praise!

It is important to have several interactions like this before you even get people to pet him. This will allow for many greeting events to be positive with low to no defense triggered, and will make it easier for Zohan to make a clear and consistent association with a more positive way to greet.

Hope this helps. It is so much easier to show you all this than to write it down. Whew!

Cheers,

Edel Miedes
K9 ADVISORS
954.923.3440
786.419.3647www.K9ADVISORS.com

Bugs with Benefits: (Part 3 of 4)

Many pets develop infections that require them to be on broad-spectrum antibiotics for up to six weeks. Since antibiotics often kill beneficial, as well as harmful organisms, these animals benefit from probiotic treatment following the prescribed course of antibiotics. Other pets have lowered immune systems due to chronic illness, steroid therapy, environmental factors, or emotional stress.  Prostora is a vital component to the nutritional management of these conditions.

To be continued...!

Ask the Advisor: HELP! My puppy is a teenager

Dear Edel,

When we brought Zohan home at eight weeks of age, I thought I had hit the puppy jackpot.    He never barked, he played quietly in his crate, and learned quickly.  By twelve weeks of age, he had mastered basic command obedience.  He was the perfect puppy!

When he hit ten months of age, the honeymoon ended.  He is now 13 months old, and continues to vex me.  He runs when I call him, charges through doorways, barks at strangers, eviscerates toys - yesterday he stole a banana from my coffee table and glared at me when I took it away!  Is this normal?  What happened to my perfect puppy?!?!

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While your puppy may have been calmer as a pup, he is coming into his own now.  As a teenager, in dog years, your puppy's development will take a few turns before it all evens out with some proper training and structure.  As most dogs enter their teens (at about 10 months to a year of age), they will "test" their pack members and try to get away with things they might have never done before.  It is important to give those dogs that test their pack members, more daily structure.  Things like staying on top of their bad behaviors, like barking when they are not supposed to, and pulling on leash while on walks are crucial to their understanding that YOU are the pack leaders and not them.

Edel Miedes
K9 ADVISORS
954.923.3440
786.419.3647
www.K9ADVISORS.com

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Ask the Advisor: HELP! My puppy is a teenager

Dear Edel,

When we brought Zohan home at eight weeks of age, I thought I had hit the puppy jackpot.    He never barked, he played quietly in his crate, and learned quickly.  By twelve weeks of age, he had mastered basic command obedience.  He was the perfect puppy!

When he hit ten months of age, the honeymoon ended.  He is now 13 months old, and continues to vex me.  He runs when I call him, charges through doorways, barks at strangers, eviscerates toys - yesterday he stole a banana from my coffee table and glared at me when I took it away!  Is this normal?  What happened to my perfect puppy?!?!

---

While your puppy may have been calmer as a pup, he is coming into his own now.  As a teenager, in dog years, your puppy's development will take a few turns before it all evens out with some proper training and structure.  As most dogs enter their teens (at about 10 months to a year of age), they will "test" their pack members and try to get away with things they might have never done before.  It is important to give those dogs that test their pack members, more daily structure.  Things like staying on top of their bad behaviors, like barking when they are not supposed to, and pulling on leash while on walks are crucial to their understanding that YOU are the pack leaders and not them.

Edel Miedes
K9 ADVISORS
954.923.3440
786.419.3647
www.K9ADVISORS.com

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Bugs with Benefits: (Part 2 of 4)

Puppies and kittens get the beneficial microflora they need every time their mothers lick them.  Youngsters that have recently been separated from their mothers almost always develop a probiotic imbalance.  Stress can exacerbate this imbalance, and in many ways, being a puppy or kitten is stressful. There is a lot to learn, mistakes are made, and the world is full of big, scary things. Our adolescent dog, Zohan, had soft stool throughout most of his early puppyhood.  Supplementing his diet with Prostora gave his developing gastro-intestinal tract a much needed boost.

To be continued...!

Bugs With Benefits: (Part 1 of 4)

In recent years, there has been a great deal of exciting new research on the role of probiotics in veterinary medicine.  Probiotics are the “good bacteria” that live in the intestinal tract and help to promote strong immune support and healthy digestion.  At Sabal Chase Animal Clinic, our probiotic of choice is Prostora, a live, active culture that comes in the form of a tasty treat.  Because the bifidia strain found in Prostora is canine derived, it is a better choice for our pets than products intended for humans.  While many yogurts boast live bifidia strains, most dogs and cats are lactose intolerant, and therefore unable to comfortably digest yogurt.  So who really benefits from this beneficial bacteria?

To be continued...!