All posts by Dr. Marty Becker

When letting your pets do what they want is good for them

This and That

Zoos found out decades ago that just having food, water, shelter, and veterinary care wasn’t enough for animals in captivity. They had to look not only at each species, but at each individual animal, to figure out how that animal could best manifest its genetic exuberance and work both body and mind. Some animals need to graze, others burrow, fly, swim, groom, watch, or play.

What does this have to do with pets? As a veterinarian, I often counsel new pet owners on the steps necessary to help their pet live a happy, healthy life. A big part of being happy and healthy involves enrichment activities.

Let me be specific. If a pet owner reports their dog likes to dig, rather than say that they must stop their dog from digging, I’ll tell them this is a perfectly normal and pleasurable activity for some breeds and individuals and rather than try and stop or curb it, they should instead provide a place where’s it okay to dig to China.

Same with chewing. There’s constructive chewing and destructive chewing. For example, does our dog QT love chew? Well, let’s just say one of his many nicknames is Chewbacca! When he chews on his plush toys (best ones have water bottles inside), Kong toys, or dental chews, we praise him. He’s encouraged to do this enrichment activity often, or teething, burning off energy, and pleasure.

Once you find your pet’s favorite activity, do it as often as you can.

Here are the favorite activities of our five dogs:

1. Gracie. Our Lab/Pit mix loves me to rub her belly while she lies in the sun on the grass or deck.

2. Shakira. Our 15-year-old blind and almost-deaf Golden Retriever still goes wild over retrieving a tennis ball. On the first retrieve she sets it down in the grass and rolls on it like Rolfing.

3. Quixote. His favorite thing is lying on his back under my wife Teresa’s chair getting his belly rubbed with her foot.

4. Quora. This tiny senior likes to put her front feet up on Teresa’s cedar chest that sits at the foot of our bed as I’m putting on my socks in the morning. She loves to vigorously lick my face and ears as I use my fingers to massage the truck of her body.

5. QT Pi. He loves to sit on the couch in the evening between Teresa and me, and have us play with him using various toys he’s brought up for a good thrashing.

What are each of your dog and cat’s favorite activities?

brown dog in soft focus licking his nose closeup outdoors

Your dog’s obsessive licking may be sign of a hidden health problem

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

Has your dog ever seemed to go into a trance while licking furniture, her bed, or your hand? A health problem might be behind this behavior. Here’s what a reader asked, and my answer:

Q: One of my dogs goes around licking the other dogs’ empty bowls for several minutes after eating. He also likes to lick one of our area rugs and sometimes the sofa upholstery. My other dog has a foot fetish: She loves to lick my feet. What’s going on with them?

A: Compulsive licking sounds like it should be an underlying behavioral problem, doesn’t it? That’s certainly a possibility, but it can also be a sign of a physical problem. My colleague Gary Landsberg, a veterinary behaviorist, says a large proportion of these environmental licking behaviors are due to underlying health issues that cause gastrointestinal upset.

Among the conditions that might be causing a dog to feel nauseated are adrenal disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal lymphosarcoma and liver disease. Some dogs lick because they have dental or other mouth pain. Excessive licking can also be a sign of hunger — it’s called an appetitive behavior. On the behavior side of things, excessive licking might signal anxiety or some type of conflict.

Obviously, a veterinary exam can be a good idea. Consider filming the behavior so your veterinarian can see what’s going on.

“A colleague did a study a couple of years ago and found that many dogs were improved when gastrointestinal signs were treated,” Dr. Landsberg says. “However, licking can arise in situations of anxiety and conflict, can be a reinforced behavior and can be a compulsive disorder. Therefore, look for behavioral, but rule out gastrointestinal or medical first.”

And if it turns out that there’s nothing physically or mentally wrong with your dogs, well, maybe one just likes to make sure he’s getting every last molecule of food from his dish and the other simply loves the taste of your feet.

Read more, including how experts can’t identify “pit bulls” from looks alone, in this week’s Pet Connection!

Danger to dogs taking thyroid medication

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine,

Is your dog taking medication for low thyroid? This safety warning from this week’s Pet Connection column is for you:

Check with your veterinarian if your dog is taking medication for hypothyroidism.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to six manufacturers of unapproved medications for hypothyroidism in dogs. The FDA has not reviewed the products for safety and effectiveness.

Currently, only one thyroid medication — Thyro-Tabs Canine — is approved for use in dogs to help them maintain healthy levels of thyroid hormones.

Please help spread the word to your dog-owning friends and family! And read this and more in the current Pet Connection newspaper feature!

Survey: Should veterinary leaders support Fear Free animal shelters?

Fear Free

Do you have 60 seconds to help frightened pets in shelters?

In March I’ll be meeting with the leaders in the veterinary community to discuss the Fear Free initiative, and how we want to make veterinary care free of stress, fear, and anxiety for pets.

But I also want to bring them fully on board with making animal shelters Fear Free as well, both because animals should not suffer and because anxiety and stress causes a high rate of medical and behavioral illness in sheltered pets.

I need your answers to three simple questions to show veterinary leaders that the animal-loving public wants support for Fear Free shelters from them!

Please take this very short survey — it will take you less than one minute. And ask everyone you know who cares about animals to take it, too. Homeless pets in shelters are counting on us to stand up for them!

How to ditch your dog’s itch

Pet Connection, Veterinary Medicine

One of the top reasons people seek help from a veterinarian for their dogs is itching! That’s just the problem this reader came to me with:

Q: My 8-year-old chocolate Lab suffers from allergies. I’ve had tests done, but they come back with only high yeast content. I thought giving him yogurt with his food might help, but he’s not fond of it. I’ve purchased special shampoos from the vet and I give him Benadryl, but his sides usually end up with no fur; right now he’s working on his chest. He eats a salmon and sweet potato food.

A: Allergies are a common problem in Labs. It’s not unusual for them to suffer from allergies to fleas, certain food ingredients, cleaning agents used in the home, pollens and more.

Determining the cause of an allergy can be time-consuming and frustrating. And solving it is rarely as simple as adding yogurt to a pet’s food.

Your best bet is probably to consult a veterinary dermatologist who can take you through the steps to figure out whether your dog has a contact allergy from, say, a carpet deodorizer, laundry detergent or fabric softener; air fresheners or disinfectants used in the home; or fabric or leather cleaning products. He may have an allergy to one or more ingredients in the food or treats you give or to pollens, molds, dust mites and yeasts in the environment.

An accurate diagnosis requires a thorough history, including the types of products you use in your home and everything you give your dog to eat; a physical exam, looking at such things as the pattern of hair loss and whether hairs are shed or broken off; and skin scrapings or skin biopsies to check for bacterial, fungal or yeast infections. Blood work and urinalysis may be necessary if a hormonal problem is suspected. An elimination diet, containing ingredients your dog has never eaten before, can help to determine if he has a food allergy.

Until the problem is diagnosed, medication can help to relieve the itch, whatever its cause.Read more, including 11 things you may not know about the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, in this week’s the Pet Connection!