My next set of Pet Partner evaluations is scheduled for April 22nd.
To enroll, you will need to go to the PetPartners.org website and go through your account to your registrations. You will be able to search for evaluations in Mahopac, NY.
There are four spaces available, so enroll early.
If you have questions, contact PetPartners directly.
If you would like to be a volunteer for the evaluations (humans only), it is a great way to get a sense of what is involved in the process. Contact me to be a volunteer.
Stress is a biological response to external stimuli. Stress is the body answering the question – should I fight, flee, freeze, or fawn when in the presence of a real or perceived threat?
Things that stress our dogs can include:
Separation/being alone.
Sounds – like thunder, fireworks, or one of my dogs was terrified of the sound fire alarms make when the batter is low.
Strangers – in the home, approaching the home, or out on walks.
Other dogs – your dog can be afraid of other dogs idiopathically or because of some incident(s) involving other dogs.
Anything new or things moved to a different location.
Cars – this could be idiopathic or because of an incident. This could also be about the sound and/or the movement of the vehicles.
Unusual surfaces – those of you who live in a city know how often our dogs scurry around sidewalk grates to avoid walking on them. I’ve had clients whose dogs would not walk on tile or linoleum.
Being kenneled for the family’s vacation or in a shelter environment, or rehoming
There are many more.
It’s important to remember each dog has their own idiosyncratic stressors. You will want to learn your dog’s stressors so you can help them when afraid or anxious.
A dog’s response to stress can be any or many of the following:
Whining
Heavy panting
drooling
Inability to follow simple directions.
Sudden dander (usually only visible on dark short-coated dogs)
Hiding or freezing in place
Running away or towards (remember flight or fight)
Growling, barking, baring teeth
Stress facial signals like tight commissures, whale eye, tension below the eyes, and more
Flat or overly perked ears
Tail wrapped low or the opposite, straight up high.
Stomach upset including diarrhea.
More…
This list is not complete. And you can see from this list that many of these signals can mean a number of things besides stress. How do you know which is which?
You need to know your dog by observing and registering their typical behaviors when happy, worried, or downright scared and note the differences.
I am a CDBC (Certified Dog Behavior Consultant) IAABC.org
This behavior specialist will help you begin desensitizing/counterconditioning (Ds/Cc) your dog, implement management strategies to help your dog avoid triggers before they are ready to face them, and work on other training skills that will help your dog overcome their fears.
Supplements – sometimes our dogs need help to simply be around their triggers. A dog who is riddle with fear cannot learn so sometimes we need to help them internally. There are some helpful supplements that are proven effective and easy to find.
I advise my clients to use these two links above, so they are giving their dog nothing other than the amino acids indicated. Compounded anti-anxiety products will have a number of other components many of which can cause issues, and with compounded products we won’t know which element is doing what.Here is a great Overview of Behaviour Supplements for Dogs and Cats. Remember to check with your vet before starting any supplements.
If Ds/Cc is stalling or not working and the supplements are not helping your dog work through their stress and fears, it is time to consult a veterinary behavior specialist.
There is a lot you can do to help your dog process stress in their environment to give them a happier and safer life.
It can be in candy, gum (a lot of gum), chewable vitamins, supplements, peanut butter, substitutes for sugar, and even sold in a container that looks like honey as a honey substitute.
So many products like this one below have xylitol listed only in the fine print.
Read every one of the ingredients in the products you have around the house AND especially items you will be giving you dog.
Remember ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. In other words – biggest first. Xylitol is very high on the list for this product.
Others have done a great job of outlining the toxicity of xylitol in dogs. Here are some excepts from the veterinarian professionals:
Preventive Vet’s article “My Dog Ate Xylitol,” includes some of these warnings:
Dogs rapidly and almost completely absorb xylitol.
Ingestion of greater than 0.1g/kg can result in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)…greater than 0.5 g/kg may result in acute liver failure.
Xylitol can cause low blood sugar within thirty minutes after ingestion… but may not show initial symptoms for twelve hours…
The most common source of xylitol poisoning that Pet Poison Helpline gets calls about comes from sugar-free gum, although cases of xylitol poisoning from other sources such as supplements and baked goods are on the rise. In 2020, Pet Poison Helpline had 5,846 calls involving dogs ingesting xylitol!
VCA Animal Hospitals, Dr,’s Renee Schmid and Ahna Brutlag
Xylitol is too dangerous, too quickly toxic, and too easy to miss.
Reading the label of everything that comes into your house can help you avert tragedy.
Then… research online ahead of time so you know who to call if you suspect your dog has ingested xylitol. Don’t wait until time is running out.
Here is the website and phone number (888) 426-4435) for the ASPCA Poison Control. There may be a charge.