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Recover DogCover

Positive social connections are known to improve human health, so might this be true for dogs as well? Like us, dogs experience the same surge of stress-reducing oxytocin during canine-human interactions.

The desire to lavish sick or injured canine companions with love and support, without compromising the recovery process, is what led to the creation of ReCover DogCover—a disposable stress-free garment that protects healing areas while allowing dogs to maintain their mobility, confidence, and independence.

What is the ReCover DogCover?

When Duke II, a happy and playful dog owned and loved by ReCover’s founder, was diagnosed with cancer, his life changed. The skin beneath Duke II’s once luxurious coat developed painful sores, creating a heartbreaking barrier between him and the gentle snuggles and loving caresses that once punctuated his daily life. Despite trying every commercially available product as well as DIY options for dressing Duke II, there was simply no way to simultaneously keep him clean and comfortable while maintaining his physical freedom and ability to enjoy an affectionate touch.

Duke II’s owner noticed a dip in Duke’s spirits, as well as her own. Then, in a conversation with her dog’s veterinary oncologist, inspiration struck—and the ReCover DogCover was born.

A different breed of healing: DogCover benefits

Unlike other pet bodysuits, the ReCover DogCover is a completely disposable step-in garment designed to protect healing areas from bites, scratches, and other physical irritants. The DogCover’s material is entirely breathable, creating positive airflow to the pet’s skin and supporting natural thermoregulation to keep pets comfortable. Additional benefits to the DogCover include the following:

  • Step-in, suit-up design — No tugging, pulling, or pinching! The DogCover can be placed with the dog in a standing position—simply put their paws in the leg holes and prepare to suit up.
  • Custom fit — The full-stretch tear-away fabric ensures a completely personalized fit for every dog, including a tearable perforation along the underside so males can freely urinate without soiling the fabric.
  • All day and night wearability — The DogCover’s customizable fit ensures you won’t have to remove the suit for bathroom breaks. The dog stays clean and dry.
  • Flexible, full-stretch material — Whether a dog is on post-surgical crate rest or is allowed to run and play, the DogCover’s soft, stretchy material ensures full-body comfort and coverage.
  • Antibacterial surfaces — Bacteria-resistant inner layers protect wounds and incisions from irritation and secondary infections.
  • Water-repellent outer layer, internal absorbency — The DogCover protects the pup from the elements (e.g., rain, puddles), while the moisture-wicking interior draws natural fluids away from the pet’s wound or incision—ensuring a clean and dry environment.
  • UV-resistant, flame-retardant material — All DogCover materials are thoughtfully selected to ensure the dog’s safety.
  • Disposable and biodegradable — Don’t worry about disinfecting the DogCover. To ensure the desired hygiene level, each garment is designed for a single use. And because we’re equally passionate about environmental responsibility, the DogCover is 35 percent biodegradable.

In addition to its at-home applications, the DogCover’s convenient, stress-free design and consistent benefits have made it an asset in veterinary clinical settings, including the highly-regarded Animal Medical Center in New York City, where it is being used with great success.

Dressed for success: Reducing post-surgical stress with the DogCover

In addition to protecting your patients physically, the ReCover DogCover enhances their emotional wellbeing by reducing stressors typically associated with the recovery process, allowing them to live a more normal life. Some positive impacts:

  • Enhanced comfort  — DogCover’s soft, flexible fabric and personalized fit are non-irritating, ensuring the pet can enjoy restful sleep—a critical aspect of healing.
  • Fewer changes to the dog’s daily routine — Dogs thrive on consistency and the ability to predict what happens next. By minimizing potentially stressful changes (e.g., putting on and removing a bandage, wrap, or other recovery device, and limiting specific physical activities or interactions), dogs feel more relaxed and confident.
  • Inclusion in household activities — Dogs can perform all their normal behaviors while wearing the DogCover, including elimination, eating, drinking, sleeping, going for walks, playing with toys, and simply being part of the family.
  • Optimal healing and recovery — Recovery complications can delay your patient’s healing and their return to normal, resulting in additional pain, medications, confinement, and stress. The 24/7 protection provided by the DogCover increases the likelihood of a smooth and timely recovery.
  • Uninterrupted affection — When you don’t have to worry about disrupting your patient’s healing or contaminating their incision, you can feel free to spoil them with affection. These positive interactions provide powerful reassurance and can help your patient feel at ease—even when everything else seems out of sorts.

With the ReCover DogCover premium post-surgical recovery suit for dogs, your patients can experience an enhanced recovery journey with less fear, anxiety, and stress, while you can feel confident and empowered to appropriately manage their care.

 

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Jaime Bast RVT, CCRP, KPA-CTP, FFCP is a copywriter and registered veterinary technician from St. Louis, Missouri. In her free time, Jaime loves learning about canine nutrition, behavior, and training and competing with her American cocker spaniels in a variety of dog sports.

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Brought to you by our friends at ReCover.

Words Count: The Language of Fear Free

Julie Liu, DVMLast year, I watched a great webinar on Fear Free Pets by Dr. Tony Buffington called “Helping Our Feline Friends Feel Fear Free.” He shared a number of helpful tips on helping reduce stress for feline patients, but one of the points he made really resonated with me. He talked about going to an exhibit hall at a conference and seeing a booth selling signs that can be clipped onto the front of the cage, including a red sign that said, “Caution, fractious cat.” He asked if there were any signs that said “Caution, fearful cat,” because when he saw “fractious cat” his instinct would be to take care of himself to prevent injury, whereas if he saw “fearful cat” his instinct would be to take care of the cat.

Based on that conversation the company started making “fearful cat” signs, but it got me thinking about the language of Fear Free and the terms I routinely hear vet professionals use for pets exhibiting FAS (fear, anxiety, and stress): “fractious,” “angry,” “spicy,” “CAUTION!!!”, and of course, a variety of R-rated terms used only in the treatment area. And I totally get it. No one wants to get bitten, scratched, snapped at, or injured, and it seems like these terms will keep us safer when approaching stressed patients. So why could this language be problematic?

Well, I’ve noticed that when there’s a patient alert such as “fractious” for a cat, people tend to approach the pet in an adversarial way. They put on their cat gloves, take a deep breath, and go into the exam room ready to do battle with their patient, which usually includes scruffing the cat to immobilize them. Unfortunately, this approach often has the opposite desired effect. Cat gloves can cause fear in patients, and scruffing is painful and takes away the cat’s sense of control. The “fractious” cat’s FAS levels then escalate, which increases the chances of getting injured.

Changing our language so that it describes and advocates for the emotional health of the patient can keep us safer. Instead of “fractious,” what about, “Fearful, keep in carrier until doctor is ready, prefers hiding under towel for exam and vax”? It’s rare to see these types of patient alerts, yet they take only a few seconds to update in a medical record.

Terms like “fractious,” “angry,” and “&#%!@” also shut down the empathy we should strive to bring to our patients, both feline and canine, and joking that a pet is “spicy” trivializes their emotional experience. Instead, see how it feels when you use patient-focused language such as “fearful,” “anxious,” and “stressed.” Just as most of us felt at least one of these emotions during the pandemic (or even all three at the same time), most of your patients are feeling at least one of these emotions during their vet visit. In fact, many of these “spicy” patients are utterly terrified and completely justified in their emotions considering all of the scary things they experience at the vet. Using terms like “fearful” and “anxious” also contributes to a Fear Free culture and sets the tone for how we’d like fellow team members to approach their patients–with empathy, not as adversaries.

As Fear Free professionals, we have the tools to identify, prevent, and alleviate FAS. Modeling Fear Free language is another important step we can take to bring compassion to the patients in our care.

Resources

https://fearfreepets.com/helping-our-feline-friends-feel-fear-free-with-dr-tony-buffington/

FAS Spectrum Handouts

https://serona.vet/collections/cage-tags-signs?page=1

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Julie Liu is a veterinarian and freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. In addition to advocating for Fear Free handling, she is passionate about felines and senior pet care. Learn more about Dr. Liu and her work at www.drjulieliu.com.

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5 Steps to Heartworm Disease Awareness

By Jennifer Merlo, DVM, CVBMC, Fear Free Director of Veterinary AffairsWe mention heartworm prevention to pet parents during almost every veterinary visit. So how is it that more than 1 million pets in the United States have heartworm disease1? American Heartworm Society (AHS) study data collected in 2022 shows that rates of heartworm disease continue to trend upward in both recognized “hot spots” and in locations where heartworm disease was once rare.2

Due to the increased incidence of travel and remote work career options, the United States is experiencing spread of heartworm prevalence throughout the country. Despite our best intentions, our pet parents are still unclear on the severity of the disease and the importance of maintaining proper heartworm prevention.

Here are five ways to help increase your client compliance and decrease the incidence of heartworm disease in your area:

  1. Discuss heartworm prevention at every visit for every pet.

Veterinarians and veterinary staff recognize the importance of discussing heartworm prevention at puppy appointments. However, often we forego discussing it during adult and senior canine patient visits. The AHS reports that only 37 percent of the U. S. canine population is on heartworm prevention!3 This is a staggering number, and it is our job to educate our clients on the importance of prevention for every pet, year-round. We must make it a point to have this discussion with them at every visit and reinforce the importance of prevention rather than treatment.

  1. Cats get heartworms, too!

Too often we neglect to have this important conversation with our feline pet parents. Fewer than 5 percent of cats are on heartworm prevention3. Most feline pet parents do not think about their cat being at risk, since most of them are indoor-only pets. It is important to have open discussions with cat owners about the spread of heartworms. Educating them that even “indoor” cats are still at risk for mosquito bites and heartworm disease can help reduce the incidence within our feline population. Pet owners may not be aware that there are multiple options for adequate heartworm prevention in cats that do not include giving an oral medication; something we know that causes lower compliance rates in cat owners.

  1. Heartworms travel and so do our pets.

The last few years have seen an increase in the number of remote workers, as well positions that require travel across state lines. Our pet owner population now looks at their dog companions as part of the family who often travel with them. As veterinary professionals, we can no longer rely on heartworm incidence maps as they relate to our direct location since our patients are traveling on a regular basis. Heartworm disease has now been diagnosed in all 50 states and without proper education our pet parents may not be aware that they are unintentionally putting their pets at risk. Be sure to ask questions about travel, including vacations as well as work travel, and be sure that pet owners understand that all pets, in all states, are at risk for contracting heartworms.

  1. Ensure that pet parents are regularly giving heartworm prevention.

When I was in practice, I was always in awe of the fact that most pet owners had an ample supply of heartworm prevention at home, yet our records indicated they should need to buy more. This is often because most pet owners only give their pet’s heartworm prevention one-third of the time. With the numerous options available on the market today, there is an option available for every pet parent to become compliant with their pet’s prevention routine. Discuss different prevention options and gauge what your client feels they can be most consistent with. By opening the conversation and talking through what works best for them, you increase your veterinary-client bond while simultaneously reinforcing the human-animal bond.

  1. Recommend heartworm testing annually.

 Despite everyone’s best intentions, sometimes doses of prevention get missed, and it’s our job to help our pet parents provide the best medical care for their pets. Recommend yearly heartworm testing to ensure that their pet is free of heartworm disease. Make obtaining the blood sample a Fear Free experience by using a Considerate Approach through positive rewards such as delicious treats or petting and using small-gauge needles to minimize discomfort. My staff was great at using insulin syringes to obtain the minimal amount of blood necessary to perform this annual test while the pet parent offered the patient treats. Most of our patients did not even realize venipuncture had occurred! Remind owners that unless we test, we won’t know, and that it’s just as important to monitor for heartworms as it is to prevent them.

It only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to transfer heartworms to a cat or dog. Let’s join with our pet parents to ensure that all our canine and feline patients are well protected.

Resources

  1. American Heartworm Society, 2023; https://www.heartwormsociety.org/
  2. American Heartworm Society Incidence Map, April 11, 2023
  3. The Truth About Cats and Dogs, American Heartworm Society

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

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Top Tips for a Fear Free Approach to Managing Canine OA

Kristin Shaw, DVM
Are you diagnosing and managing canine osteoarthritis the same way you were taught in vet school? Depending on when you graduated, chances are the techniques and treatments you learned may be due for a refresh. This article will offer tips for ensuring you are practicing the best medicine you can for your canine patients while following the principles of Fear Free practice.

Diagnosing OA: You don’t have to cause pain to find pain

If you were ever taught that you had to “push harder” to find the pain—forget that! Instead, there is a very good chance you can diagnose OA pain without even putting your hands on a dog (though that is still important!). Dogs show chronic, OA pain through changes in their mobility, posture, function, mood and behavior.1 Additionally, joint pain leads to compensatory pain in other parts of the body, including muscles. There are a number of ways we can identify OA pain without trying to make the dog cry out with our palpation.

  • Use a screening checklist: A recent study found that using an owner checklist that asks questions about a dog’s mobility at home can increase the rate of identifying dogs with OA.2 See here for the checklist that was used in this study and is available for you to implement in practice.
  • Observation is key: Dogs with OA may hide an obvious lameness during a traditional gait evaluation. While it is still recommended to watch how dogs walk on a leash, more rewarding information is often gleaned observing a dog’s posture and from watching how a dog moves through transitions (rising from a down position, moving into a seated or down position).3 When standing, if the spine is not neutral, and/or if limbs are held in abnormal or asymmetric positions, and/ or if weight is shifted off of a limb or body segment, these are all indications of likely joint pain. If any slowness or asymmetry to movement through transitions is seen, there is a good chance the dog has musculoskeletal pain.
  • Sedate for radiographs! Imagine being pinned to a cold table in a dark room and having your painful limbs manipulated. You would at the very least squirm too! Sedation and analgesia are musts for obtaining high quality, diagnostic radiographs while minimizing stress and discomfort. Also remember to take orthogonal views, centered on the joint of interest, and take both sides for comparison.

Treating OA: Unmanaged OA pain is a life-threatening condition

We care about OA because it causes pain. And not just pain in the arthritic joint, but over time, whole-body pain develops. Additionally, chronic/maladaptive pain is progressive and usually worsens, often drastically, without treatment.4 Multimodal, proactive, and continuous pain management is essential to reduce the devastating consequences of unmanaged OA.3

  • Multimodal is built on effective analgesia: According to the 2022 AAHA guidelines, the first line of analgesia for canine OA should be either NSAIDs or the anti-NGF monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).3 Both of these classes of drugs have proven efficacy and safety in dogs with OA. There are additional benefits of anti-NGF mAbs that may make it a better option for many dogs. Anti-NGF mAbs are administered by a veterinary professional, in the clinic, so take away the caregiver burden of an oral medication, improving owner compliance. Additionally, anti-NGF mAbs directly target a key player of chronic pain, sensitization, and neurogenic inflammation and have an encouraging safety profile. Maintenance of a lean body condition and regular exercise are also required as part of an effective OA plan. Other supplemental therapies may be considered as needed.
  • Proactive pain relief is standard of care: Canine OA is predictable- it typically develops secondary to developmental orthopedic disease (dysplasia, OCD) or joint trauma. Therefore, as soon as a dog is diagnosed with a joint disorder, which in the case of developmental disease generally occurs in the first few years of life, a proactive OA plan should be put in place. Clients should be educated on OA, the consequences of unmanaged pain, and how to monitor for pain at home. Analgesics should be started when pain is mild rather than waiting until it becomes severe.
  • Don’t let the pain break through: It is tempting to suggest to pet owners that they give analgesics on an as-needed basis. However, this can become problematic if they don’t recognize the early signs of pain. Chronic pain signaling leads to physical changes in the spinal cord that ultimately result in severe, neuropathic pain.4 A study that evaluated maintaining dogs at the NSAID label dosage vs. gradually reducing the dosage of the NSAID overtime, found that the dogs maintained at the label dosage, had the best outcome.5  Furthermore, continuous pain management through daily NSAIDs has been shown to improve signs of OA in dogs.6 Once a month anti-NGF mAb is given as a monthly SQ injection and controls pain for up to 4 weeks, which may be an optimal alternative to asking pet owners to give a daily medication. Remember to ensure a pleasant and enjoyable visit utilizing Fear Free techniques whenever dogs are coming in for any type of appointment, including monthly injections.

References

  1. Roberts C, Armson B, Bartram D, et al. Construction of a conceptual framework for assessment of health-related quality of life in dogs with osteoarthritis. Frontiers in Vet Sci. 2021.
  2. Wright A, Amodie DM, Cernicchiaro N, et al. Identification of canine osteoarthritis using an owner-reported questionnaire and treatment monitoring using functional mobility tests. JSAP 1-10, 2022.
  3. Gruen ME, Lascelles BDX, Colleran E, et al. 2022 AAHA Pain management guidelines for dogs and cats. JAAHA 58:55-76, 2022.
  4. Malfait AM, Miller RE, Miller RJ. Basic Mechanisms of Pain in OA: Experimental observations and new perspectives. Rheum Dis Clin N Am 47:165-180 (2021).
  5. Wernham BGJ, Trumpatori B, Hash J, et al. Dose Reduction of Meloxicam in Dogs with Osteoarthritis-Associated Pain and Impaired Mobility. ,J Vet Intern Med 25:1298–1305, 2011.
  6. Innes JF, Clayton J, Lascelles BDX. Review of the safety and efficacy of long-term NSAID use in the treatment of canine osteoarthritis. Vet Record 166:226-230, 2010.

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

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Brought to you by our friends at Zoetis. ©2022 Zoetis Services LLC. All rights reserved. NA-03139

Trainer/Groomer Sees Success With Fear Free

Sandra Toney
Jeannette Kincaid became interested in dog training over 20 years ago when she adopted a shy, fearful Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix named Lydia. Unfortunately, Lydia was terrified of the world. Kincaid says she vowed to make a better life for her dog, so she started researching how to make Lydia feel as safe and happy as possible.

“It lit a spark in me and that passion has never subsided,” says Kincaid.

Going on to live 13 years, Lydia was never a social butterfly but, with Kincaid’s love and encouragement, she enjoyed seeing people and trying new adventures.

“Near the end of her life, we took a beach trip and she settled down on the patio for dinner with us,” Kincaid says, “It was truly one of the best moments of my life.”

Kincaid has now been a professional dog trainer for 15 years and, for the past nine years, has worked at Train My Dogs Austin and Onion Creek Kennels. Train My Dogs Austin is a positive training, boarding, and daycare facility in Austin, Texas, while Onion Creek Kennels in south Austin focuses on daycare, cat and dog boarding, and cat and dog grooming – all using positive reinforcement for the pet clients.

As head trainer at both facilities, Kincaid is currently enrolled in Animal Behavior College’s Grooming Instruction program, so she will soon become a professional groomer as well.

Fear Free certified in both training and grooming, Kincaid decided to take the courses when she began having an influx of training clients whose pets had been let go from their groomers for behavior reasons and needed a new facility for their dogs to be groomed.

Since Kincaid also groomed dogs, she began working with her training clients. “The Fear Free program has been very helpful in teaching me how to work with dogs in a manner that can help them grow to like grooming as well as a good foundation of knowing when to continue grooming and when to stop.”

Her training approach was already similar with the Fear Free program’s principles and techniques, says Kincaid, but what she lacked was concrete ways to illustrate and explain to clients and colleagues why she would continue working with a dog in some circumstances, and when she would stop and step back. The Fear Free certification program gave her great handouts with clear illustrations to help clients learn how to identify FAS (fear, anxiety, and stress). It has clear illustrations laying out various levels of stress such as when to push forward and when to stop and reduce stress.

The handouts have had a huge effect on client follow-through and understanding. She loves the continuing education available. “The Fear Free program has the best webinar on how to do a nail trim that I have seen,” says Kincaid. “Becoming Fear Free certified as a trainer and a groomer has really opened up a whole new subset of clients. It is also extremely rewarding to work dogs into grooming that were not able to be groomed previously. The clients are always so grateful.”

Kincaid says one case where her Fear Free certification was crucial was in working with a 6-month-old Schnauzer other groomers wouldn’t handle. He would start biting even while being brushed. Kincaid decided to take him on as a client because he was young and would need to be groomed for the rest of his life.

“We set up a training program where he came once a week and I worked on counterconditioning him to various tools and holds needed for grooming. We only ever pressed on if he stayed in the green level on the FAS ladder. We adjusted if his FAS started rising.

“We really leaned into the idea of need versus want,” she says, “meaning we stopped frequently, and he went home only partially done. But over a few months, we were able to complete an entire full groom and he went home looking great. This dog was labeled as a dog that couldn’t be groomed and now is able to be groomed and,” Kincaid says, “he loves his groomer.”

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Sandra Toney has been writing about pets for over 25 years and is an award-winning member of Cat Writers Association and Dog Writers Association of America. She has written for many print and online magazines as well as authoring eight books. She lives in northern Indiana with her cat, Angel.
 

Feline Pheromones: The Science Behind Them

Ramona MarekIf you have a veterinary practice or manage a shelter, you’re likely familiar with pheromone products available in the form of diffusers, sprays, wipes, or collars. These products claim to stop unwanted behaviors such as scratching, spraying, litter box mishaps, hiding, and fighting. Do they really have those properties, and should you recommend them to clients or adopters? Let’s dive into the science of pheromones: what they are, how they work, and whether they can help cats.

Pheromone History

Scientists have long been fascinated by the notion of chemical communication between members of the same species. The first pheromone, a female silk moth secretion, was chemically identified in 1959 by German chemist Adolf Butenandt and his team.

Pheromones are odorless, colorless chemical signals used as a form of intraspecies scent communication. When detected they cause physiological and behavioral changes.

What Pheromones Do

Pheromones have a broad range of purposes that include alarm signaling, mating, social interactions, territory marking, and maternal bonding. Cats of all species send and receive messages via the pheromone message board.

Pheromones are secreted by specialized sebaceous or mucous glands on the body. For cats, these include facial glands (on chin, cheeks, and forehead), anal glands, paw pads, and mammary area.

When cats rub their heads against people, furniture, or objects, comforting pheromones are released from the cheek glands, marking this place as a comforting one for future feline reference.

Anal glands release pheromones in urine and feces that deliver messages regarding mating viability, expression of fear or stress, or territorial response (think urine marking or spraying). Scratching, a natural cat behavior, releases pheromones from the paw pads. Scratching delivers scent and visual cues about territorial ownership to other cats.

Mammary pheromones are activated in nursing mothers when kittens suckle. Kittens detect the pheromones, which produce a calming response. It also helps kitten and mother cat recognize each other if they become separated.

Pheromones are detected through the complex olfactory system and received via the nasal cavity, lined with millions of olfactory receptor cells. Once detected, cats tongue-flick the molecules to the vomeronasal, or Jacobson’s, organ, located on the roof of the mouth. This stimulates the flehmen response, which causes the mouth to gape open. It may look like a sneer, but this active process enhances pheromone perception. The pathway continues to the brain, which produces a behavioral or physiological response.

Natural pheromones perform a variety of important functions, but what about synthetic pheromones?

Using Synthetic Pheromones

Synthetic pheromones are lab recreations that mimic natural pheromones to help promote a sense of calm and security in stressful situations. The idea is to build a sense of confidence and prevent or alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) and related behaviors such as spraying, scratching, and intercat aggression. They are not sedatives, essential oils, or medication.

The first companion animal pheromone product, Feliway Classic by Ceva, debuted on the pet market in 1996. This product, available in spray and diffuser, is a copycat of the feline F3 facial-marking pheromone deposited when cats rub their cheeks on objects, marking the area as safe. Feliway MultiCat, based on the cat appeasing pheromone (CAP), premiered in 2016. CAP originates in the mammary region of nursing mothers and provides a sense of safety, security, and harmony. It helps to reduce conflict and social tension in multi-cat households. Feliway Optimum is the latest diffuser product. FELIWAY Optimum may help to reduce scratching, urine spraying, tension and conflicts between cats, fears, and reactions to changes.

Synthetic pheromone products can be layered and used together in the clinic, shelter, or home. For example, Feliway Classic and Feliway MultiCat diffusers can be used together in exam rooms, shelter cat rooms, and in homes. The diffusers can also be used in combination with the spray Feliway Classic on towels or mats in an exam room, shelter cat living area, or on a cat’s favorite blanket or carrier. In the home, Feliway Optimum can be used in preferred scratching areas.

Other companies have launched similar products, and there are dog versions too. Dog and cat products can be used together to promote peaceful compatibility in multi-pet homes. Because pheromones are species-specific, cat pheromones don’t work on dogs and vice versa.

Does this mean clients or adopters can plug in a diffuser, snap on a collar, or spritz a blanket and expect immediate and magical behavior changes? No. Some cats may be more receptive to pheromones and alter their behavior, but pheromone products aren’t magic elixirs. The underlying cause of the stress must also be identified and resolved.

Synthetic pheromones are an aid in a behavioral plan, not a one-size-fits-all cure. “Synthetic pheromones can be successful when a client follows the written-out behavior plan,” says Rachel Geller, Ed.D., Certified Cat Behaviorist. “Sometimes the addition of synthetic pheromones allows the cat to better access the behavior program. Alone, the products usually aren’t enough to resolve the problem but when used with behavior modification they can resolve some of the emotional part of the problem for the cat. I never put a timeline on resolving cat behavior problems. In these matters, it’s best to go at the cat’s pace!”

Whether used in veterinary clinics, shelters, or homes pheromone products are designed to bolster a sense of calm, comfort, and positive feelings in stressful environments. It’s important to assess the environment from the cat’s perspective.

  • Trips to the veterinarian usually induce high levels of FAS. Before the trip, advise clients to spray the carrier and a towel with the synthetic pheromone, and wait about 15 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate before putting the cat inside the carrier. Cover the carrier with the towel. The calming effect lasts four to five hours.
  • Scratching and spraying. “Synthetic pheromones can be used if you have a cat who is peeing to mark his territory. Cats don’t pee on territory where they facially mark, so these products trick the cat into thinking he has already marked the territory as his own,” says Dr. Geller.
  • Litter box avoidance. First, schedule a vet visit to rule out medical conditions. Recommend that clients set up the litter box arrangement to optimize cat-friendly preferences (size, location, number, preferred litter). Keep it clean! Owners should avoid punishing cats and add positive social interactions.

“Synthetic pheromones are especially helpful for those times where everything is completely new. Examples are moving to a new home, buying new furniture, or putting in new carpet. These products can be used on unfamiliar objects in the home to help a cat feel more safe and secure with them,” says Geller. Suggest that clients use the products in their home before bringing home a newly adopted cat to provide a sense of comfort and security upon arrival.

When a cat’s sense of wellbeing is disrupted, they can become stressed. Stressors can be environmental, physiologic, or social. Stress can be mild, moderate, or severe, temporary, or chronic.

Stress has a profound effect on emotional and physical health and behavior. Stressed cats may refuse to eat, become ill, or develop serious behavior problems. Minimizing stress is crucial to the health and wellbeing of cats. Synthetic pheromones can help to make cats feel safe and secure in their environment.

“Many times, cat behavior is 100-percent fixable and solvable through consistent behavioral interventions that are developed by looking at what is happening from the cat’s point of view. There is always a reason! If there is more going on, such as an emotional issue, stress, or anxiety, pheromones and even a pharmacological approach can be considered,” Geller says.

Pheromone products are versatile and easy to use, and they can be used in combination with a behavioral plan and medical treatments. While not magic, they may be the essential element your feline patients or shelter cats need to ensure a healthy, happy life.

Sources

Rachel Geller, Ed.D., Certified Cat Behaviorist

Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB, DECAWBM (CA). Fear Free webinar. The Science for Pheromone Therapy: Show Me the Evidence.

American Scientist. How Animals Communicate Via Pheromones. Tristam Wyatt.

https://www.americanscientist.org/article/how-animals-communicate-via-pheromones

Tristram D. Wyatt, Pheromones, Current Biology, Volume 27, Issue 15, 2017, Pages R739-R743,

ISSN 0960-9822, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.039.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982217307765

Prior, Miriam Rebecca, Mills, Daniel Simon. Cats vs. Dogs: The Efficacy of Feliway FriendsTM and AdaptilTM Products in Multispecies Homes. Frontiers in Veterinary Science Volume 7, 2020, Pages 399. ISSN 2297-1769, DOI 10.3389/fvets.2020.00399.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00399/full

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Ramona D. Marek, MS Ed, is an award-winning writer and 2017 recipient of the prestigious Fear Free Pets Award. She writes about pet care, health and behavior, and cats in the arts. She’s also the author of “Cats for the GENIUS.” Her feline muses are Tsarevich Ivan, a joie de vivre silver tabby Siberian, and Natasha Fatale, a full-time diva dressed as an “anything but plain” brown tabby. You can read more about Ramona and her work at www.RamonaMarek.com.
 

Repairing a Broken Human-Animal Bond

Rachel Lees RVT, KPA CTP, VTS (Behavior)As a veterinary behavior team member, I strive to strengthen and improve the human-animal bond in every patient and client I encounter. In behavior medicine, though, we are often fighting a losing battle. By the time clients find us, they have exhausted funds trying different training techniques. The relationship between person and pet is hanging by a thread.

These battered bonds are often related to behavior problems such as destruction to the home, inappropriate elimination, and aggression. In a 2013 study by Jennifer Y. Kwan and Melissa Bain, 65 percent of owners relinquished pets for behavior reasons. This study also supported the use of positive reinforcement, finding that use of punishment-based methods resulted in less satisfaction with a pet’s behavior, which can be damaging to the bond.1

The word “repair” means to restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken or to restore to a sound or healthy state. How can we repair a nearly broken human-animal bond?  The role of a veterinary technician or assistant can be crucial in mending and strengthening this bond.

A skilled veterinary behavior professional should be able to demonstrate the prescribed behavioral therapy plans, coach the client through them, and be flexible with both pet and owner learning styles.2 In my practice, I describe my role as “case manager”:  the person with whom each client is in contact with most frequently. It is my job to relay information clearly and effectively to the veterinarian and be sure that the entire behavior team (veterinarian, trainer, and owner) are working toward the common goal of restoring the bond.

Counseling aspects of behavioral medicine and marriage/family therapy have many commonalities.3 One of the most profound similarities is how change occurs in the context of treatment. In behavior medicine, our clients may come in with negative thoughts, anger, and fears associated with their pet. The veterinary technician or assistant’s role in the behavior team is to change the emotional experience of the pet along with that of the pet owner. When a family walks into our practice and their pet has been displaying owner-related aggression, my first questions are the following:

  • How are you feeling about your pet?
  • Do you feel safe in your home?
  • What is your current relationship with the pet?

The client needs to express their concerns if treatment is going to be attempted. Behavioral therapy is essential, but the context and triggers of the problem are less important until people can form a more positive association with the pet. After the veterinarian discusses the behavioral diagnosis, I typically break down the information in a more down to earth fashion so the entire family can understand the mental concerns their pet has developed. In this way, the family can begin to relate to the pet and see things through their eyes, and this can jump-start the process of rebuilding the bond.

A second similarity to human-based therapy is the difficulties and barriers associated with clients.4 Most of our clients walk into the consultation room and expect to be told they did something wrong. They may be defensive, anxious, and closed off, reluctant to give a detailed behavioral history, which can impact treatment.

Sometimes clients are fearful about sharing a pet’s aggressive behaviors because they do not want to euthanize their pet. They feel as if they will be judged and forced to make an unwanted decision. One of my strongest skills as a behavior team member is gaining the trust of clients and building a strong rapport early on. I want each client and pet to have a wonderful experience with our clinic, but I also want to have a strong connection with that client, share empathy, and understand each issue from their perspective.

Clients may be at the end of their rope, but usually there is an inch of that rope left to work with. I think of the rope as the bond between owner and pet. Hang on to that tiny piece as it is still technically intact! Each client walks into the practice for a reason even if there is only a tiny strand of the bond remaining. If you can open them up, connect, and gain their trust, you can begin to reshape the negativity they feel toward their pet and repair the relationship.

One of the most important terms when repairing the human-animal bond is “empathy,” the ability to have a deep emotional understanding of another’s feelings and experiences.5 For veterinary behavior team members, this ability is crucial for success with any client or patient.  They should be able to identify and empathize with the fear and anxiety the pet and client may be experiencing. This is the first step in modifying the behavior of both. Psychologist Marshall Rosenberg stated it best: “When we understand the needs that motivate ourselves and others’ behaviors, we have no enemies.” 6

I think this is important to recognize when working to rebuild or strengthen a human-animal bond. It is important for the client and veterinary behavior team to see things from the pet’s perspective. The client can then learn that the pet is not their enemy. The pet is not performing these behaviors to spite them. The pet is fearful, stressed, or anxious and may be trying to keep themselves safe.  Being able to take a walk in someone else’s shoes, or paws, is a vital step in deepening the human-animal bond.

Mending the human-animal bond is not an easy task. It takes the expertise of a strong, educated, and skilled veterinary behavior team to even begin to reunite and mend the connection between client and pet. When working in a general practice, any sign that the human-animal bond is deteriorating between a client and patient should be brought to the team’s attention so the veterinarian can make a referral to a veterinary behavior practice.

As veterinary team members, we all want to save the lives of pets. This begins with keeping a strong bond between client and pet. Giving appropriate, science-based recommendations on training and behavioral therapy can be the first step in this process, starting with puppy and kitten visits. If we all work toward a common goal, we can make a difference.

References: 

  1. Kwan Y. Jennifer, Bain J. Melissa. Owner Attachment and Problem Behaviors Related to Relinquishment and Training Techniques of Dogs. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. 2013; 168-183. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2013.768923

2-6.  Shaw K. Julie, Martin Debbie.  Canine and Feline Behavior for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses. 1st edition.  John Wiley; 2015.

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Rachel Lees, an Elite Fear Free Certified Professional, is a veterinary technician specialist in behavior, a KPA certified training partner, and lead veterinary behavior technician at The Behavior Clinic in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. She loves helping people create and maintain a strong human-animal bond.
 
 

Fear Free Euthanasia: Help Pets and People Say Goodbye Peacefully

Julie Liu, DVMPet parents will remember their animal’s euthanasia for the rest of their lives, and if their pet is agitated or anxious, they’ll remember that, too. Helping them to plan ahead can make the experience easier for your patients and their families.

When people make the difficult decision to euthanize a pet, there are many other smaller decisions they’ll have to make, such as when to schedule and whether they or their children should be present. Among the details that should be considered on your end is how you can reduce the animal’s fear, anxiety, and stress during their final moments.

When pets have a fear of the veterinarian and are brought in for euthanasia, their stress levels can escalate. The procedures that may take place before euthanasia can be scary or painful, such as being restrained by a veterinary staff member while their front leg is shaved and an IV catheter is placed. While this usually occurs away from the owner, the experience is often stressful enough that the difference is noticeable when the pet is returned to the exam room.

Even if a particular patient doesn’t routinely require anti-anxiety medications, consider them when clients are bringing pets in for euthanasia. Many pet parents have concerns about their sedating effects, but this is one instance where it truly doesn’t matter–sedation will only help the euthanasia go more smoothly. Dispense them at least a few days ahead of time to ensure that the client is able to give a test dose before the day of the pet’s euthanasia. Some anti-anxiety medications such as gabapentin also help reduce pain, so they can decrease discomfort to procedures such as IV catheter placement prior to euthanasia. If your patient is agitated or is still fearful despite oral pre-visit pharmaceuticals, consider injectable sedation prior to euthanasia. The last thing a pet parent wants to see in their time of grief is their pet flailing, vocalizing, or trying to escape. Sedation will decrease stress for the pet and their family.

If your practice routinely uses IV catheters for euthanasias, have clients rub a lidocaine numbing cream such as Supernumb on the tops of their pet’s forelegs several hours prior to euthanasia. IV catheter placement is painful, and numbing the area will make for a more compassionate experience, especially since multiple catheter attempts are sometimes needed in debilitated pets .

In your Fear Free practice, you use treats with patients during routine visits, and you can use them with euthanasia, too. Providing a smorgasbord of vanilla ice cream, lunch meat, cheese chunks, Churu, peanut butter, or whipped cream will allow clients to continue bonding with their pets while lowering their stress. Take care to avoid giving greasy foods such as burgers–while tempting to offer as a last meal, they can cause nausea and gastrointestinal upset.

If you don’t offer housecalls for patient euthanasia, I urge you to consider it. Even pets who don’t have a strong fear of veterinary visits will never be as relaxed at the vet as they will in their home, with their familiar bed and environment. You can even have classical music playing quietly in the background to help create a calming environment. I’ve euthanized several pets in their homes, and in every instance I felt that the experiences of the pet and the owner were better than they would have been in the clinic environment.

Pets deserve to have a Fear Free death as much as they deserve to have a Fear Free life. By considering a patient’s emotional health during their final days, you’ll help make their passing as compassionate as possible.

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Julie Liu, DVM, CVA (Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist) is a small-animal veterinarian who practices in Austin, Texas. In addition to advocating for Fear Free handling of pets, she is passionate about feline medicine and senior pet care.
 
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Research Shows New Medical Treatment for Painful Canine Stomatitis

Sandy RobinsCanine stomatitis is a painful condition characterized by inflamed lesions and ulcers in a dog’s mouth, making it difficult for affected dogs to eat and function normally. A veterinary dentist says new therapeutic treatments along with proper dental hygiene may effectively control and sometimes cure this debilitating disease.

There is no known exact cause for canine stomatitis, also known as canine chronic ulcerative stomatitis (CCUS). Jamie Anderson, DVM, MS, DAVDC, DACVIM, adjunct professor at the Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has played a key role in research and treatment of this disease since 2013. She wants to dispel the belief that CCUS is the result of oral contact with plaque. Nor is CCUS directly related to periodontal disease as previously thought, she says.

“While research has shown that 40 percent of dogs with this condition also have severe periodontal disease, the remaining 60 percent do not,” she explains. “And we also now know that bacteria on the tooth surface that can result in a plaque buildup does not in fact cause the disease.”

Dogs suffering from this disease develop severe inflammation and oral ulcers on the tongue, the mucosa, and the inner surfaces of the lips. Because it’s so painful, a dog may have difficulty eating and be reluctant to open the mouth. This can result in weight loss. Other typical signs include fetid breath, thick, ropey saliva, blood-tinged saliva, visible irritability, depression and lethargy, and pawing at the mouth.

Susceptible Breeds

Commonly affected breeds include Maltese, Norwich Terriers, Labrador Retrievers, Greyhounds, Miniature Schnauzers, Chihuahuas, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. The condition is generally seen in dogs six years and older.

Dr. Anderson first became fascinated with this condition in 1991 during her residency at University of Pennsylvania and received her first grant to study CCUS in 2013 from the Foundation for Veterinary Dentistry. Her first study involved 20 dogs.

“Terrier breeds as well as Labradors were common in the study,” she recalls. “Most were neutered and older than nine years of age.” Under general anesthesia, a thorough oral evaluation was performed, and a Canine Ulcerative Stomatitis Disease Activity Index score was assigned. This score allowed for a before-and-after numeric description of response to therapy.

Anderson found that the number, size, and shape of the ulcers varied between dogs. Most of the ulcers were distributed symmetrically, appearing at the same site on both the left and right side. The ulcers were generally in contact with an opposing tooth surface and its plaque.

A full mouth set of dental radiographs was taken, and there were no radiographic findings unique to the condition. A biopsy from each dog was taken from an ulcer occurring in the cheek mucosa, and the samples were evaluated at University of California, Davis.

The pathologist found there was either erosion or ulceration of the epithelium; the sub-epithelium was where most of the cells causing inflammation resided. These cells were mostly lymphocytes (white blood cells) and plasma cells. With special staining in a subset of the cases, the team could determine that numerous inflammatory cells were present, including B cells and T cells, a T cell regulatory cell called FoxP3, and an interleukin called IL17. These cells play an important role in defending the mucosa from attack from outside the body and from self-attack, Anderson says.

Anderson’s second study set out to prove that the spectrum of pathologic changes and the types of immune cells present in CCUS were different from periodontal disease, with the goal of better understanding both diseases.

“We accepted 24 dogs with CCUS into this study, as well as dogs with severe periodontal disease, and healthy dogs as controls. Our research highlighted three histologic subtypes of ulcerative stomatitis, namely lichenoid, deep stomatitis, and granulomatous. Though these are not clinically apparent, we believe that these different subtypes represent a spectrum of the disease. And ultimately, the overall findings from this second study allowed us to conclude that CCUS is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease,” she says.

Hopeless Teeth

It has been common for veterinary dentists to extract healthy teeth to remove the plaque they believed to be causing the disease. Anderson believes the focus should be on extracting what are known as “hopeless” teeth — those that are no longer functional and that cause inflammation due to periodontal disease or endodontic disease.

“These dogs then need to be treated medically with systemic anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating drugs and topically with anti-plaque home care,” she says.

“While I do recommend the extraction of hopeless teeth from periodontal disease or as a result of fractures, further research has shown that plaque is not likely responsible for a mucosal ulcer,” she says. “We evaluated 100 samples, including healthy and periodontitis controls, to determine the spectrum of bacteria, the microbiome, involved in the CCUS lesion. The DNA isolated from the lesions was evaluated using next-generation sequencing methods. We found that the oral microbiome of the lesion in the cheek mucosa was unique and specific and varied significantly from the healthy dogs and those with periodontitis disease in the study.

“Consequently, our findings suggest that medical therapy, rather than extraction of healthy teeth, is most appropriate,” she says. “These medications control the disease, and in some cases, over a longer period of time on them, can cure the disease. If one regimen is not tolerated well, I will switch and try the other.”

Therapeutics

The first treatment is a combination of three drugs: 20 mg/kg of pentoxifylline, 5 mg/kg of doxycycline, and 200 to 250 mg of niacinamide taken orally twice daily.

“You can switch out the doxycycline for 10 mg/kg of metronidazole taken every 24 hours,” she says. “The side effects of such combos are typically inappetence or gastrointestinal upsets, likely due to the pentoxifylline.

“As the condition of the mouth improves, I will drop down the pentoxifylline dose to once every 24 hours, ultimately tapering it off, hence the importance of annual COHAT examinations,” she says.

The second drug combo consists of 5 mg/kg of cyclosporine (Atopica) and 10 mg/kg of metronidazole taken orally every 24 hours.

“This requires specific monitoring in dogs suffering from hepatic disease, along with further regular testing to ensure the medication is adequately suppressing the immune system,” she said.

John Lewis, VMD, FAVD, DAVDC, practices at Veterinary Dentistry Specialists in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He has written about stomatitis in veterinary magazines and journals and says he has not utilized these protocols frequently enough yet to have a feel for their effectiveness.

“I believe more board-certified veterinary dentists are utilizing these or similar protocols,” he says.

“However, there are a number of diplomates that are having success treating canine stomatitis from a surgical standpoint (extraction of teeth that align with ulcerated areas) rather than with medical therapies, similar to the currently accepted approach to feline stomatitis. Canine stomatitis, thankfully, is infrequent compared to feline stomatitis.”

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Inset photo courtesy Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC.
 
 

Study Compares Electronic-Collar Training with Positive Reinforcement

Linda LombardiAn increasing body of research demonstrates the effectiveness of positive reinforcement training and the risks of aversive methods. Despite this, some trainers still use shock collars even for training simple basic obedience cues, based on various rationalizations about their greater effectiveness.

A recent study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science puts aside for-the-moment issues of welfare and focuses on the question: Is there really a difference in effectiveness between positive reinforcement training and training that incorporates an electronic collar? Using concrete measurements of training success, the authors find no significant difference in number of cues disobeyed. In fact, positive reinforcement was more successful by some measures: Dogs trained with positive reinforcement responded to the trained cues faster and with fewer repetitions.

Sixty-three dogs with reported behavior problems, including poor recall, were assigned to one of three groups. The first group received training that included use of an electronic collar, conducted by professional trainers who normally use this as part of their program. There were two control groups. Control group 1 was trained by the same trainers as the first group but without the use of the electronic collar. Control group 2 was trained by professional trainers whose methods focused on positive reinforcement.

Data was collected for the cues “Sit” and “Come” at three points in the five-day training period. The measures of training efficacy were how many times the cue was given and how quickly the dogs responded.

There was no difference between the groups in how often cues were obeyed. Dogs in Group 2, trained with positive reinforcement only, were more likely to respond to a cue the first time, and they responded more quickly.

Jonathan J. Cooper of University of Lincoln, one of the coauthors, points out some important factors in the methodology of this study. One is that all of the dogs were reported to have poor recall and other off-leash behavior problems such as bothering livestock, which are the most common reasons for using remote training tools in the United Kingdom, where the study took place. “Consequently, we were working with dogs with similar issues with recall, as opposed to having ‘easier’ dogs in the control treatments and the more challenging dogs in the e-collar group,” he says.

Another is that the trainers in all groups were experienced, rather than comparing the methods as used by dog owners with inconsistent levels of skill. In addition, the analysis looks at objective measures of training outcomes, rather than a more subjective measure such as owner satisfaction.

Erica Feuerbacher, professor of Companion Animal Welfare and Behavior at Virginia Tech, says, “I thought the most important thing about this study was that the dogs trained with the shock were not any more compliant. That is often suggested – that shock collar training will produce more compliance in the dog and that they will respond faster. They didn’t find that.”

In fact, as far as speed, the study found the opposite on at least one measure. Dogs in the electronic-collar group and in control group 1, all trained by trainers who normally use the electronic-collar, actually began to respond more slowly to the Sit cue as training progressed.

Feuerbacher is not surprised by this finding. Both groups were trained with aversives, since although control group 1 was not using the electronic collar, these trainers used a mix of methods including negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement. “That kind of aversive training can produce generalized depressed behavior, so we may be getting a little bit of that there,” she says. She also notes that anecdotally, dogs with a history of being trained with both positive reinforcement and punishment may be more hesitant to respond.

Coauthor Cooper believes the results speak to more than just the effect of the use of electronic collars. “I think the findings of the paper have broader application than just use of remote training aids,” he says. “Specifically there is a growing body of research that suggests that reward-based training is not only generally better for dog welfare and dog:owner interactions, but is also proving more effective than aversion-based training for successful training outcomes.”

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Linda Lombardi writes about the animals that share our planet and our homes for magazines including The Bark, websites including National Geographic and Mongabay.com, and for the Associated Press. Her most recent book, co-authored with Deirdre Franklin, is The Pit Bull Life: A Dog Lover’s Companion.
 
 
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