Pantops Pet Salon & Spa
Charlottesville's Professional Dog Grooming

Archived from “The Paw Report:”  Issue #18, December.

In the nature vs. nurture debate, I often wonder if dogs can be born with some of the same “special needs” that humans are. We all know from experience that they are born with certain personality traits; shy, over-friendly, dominant, lazy, etc. These traits taken to the extreme require more intense training to overcome or at least control. I have seen dogs that are lazy – just as soon sit around and get fat as anything else. Here in the shop we call them “sit down dogs.” During the grooming process they are constantly trying to sit down, making brushing and clipping almost impossible. And wouldn’t you know it, along with being lazy, they are fat. Some are so fat it’s no wonder they want to sit down. Which came first, a dog that had a voracious appetite that due to lack of exercise became fat or slow metabolism and laziness that led to being fat? You know, that vicious cycle. Then there’s the hyper dog that won’t sit still – and forget about leash training. He is the one that’s prone to nonstop barking as well. And at what? Nothing in particular, just for attention.

When I was growing up, I never imagined we would label a behavior on the part of dogs as “separation anxiety.” Yet I think these personality traits can usually be dealt with by spending a lot more time in training and controlling the environment than would be normally required. But what I really want to know is if dogs can be handicapped as my son Carl is – with cerebral palsy or mental retardation. The kind of “special need” that can’t be overcome regardless of the amount of time, training, or love spent.

You see, Carl operates on a 3-5 year old level, and we organize his world and ours around that. The range of mental retardation can range from faintly detectable to something far more serious and dramatic.

For the past two years, we have had a Cardinal at our window feeder that bangs his beak on the window – loud and hard. He works himself into a frenzy and actually stares in wildly and pants. Now understand, we have lots of birds of all stripes and colors use that feeder — to include many other Cardinals — and it is only this bird that behaves that way. We think he looks and behaves a bit deranged.

I wonder if we see more frequent “special needs” behavior in dogs and humans because we take care of them. They aren’t left to “survival of the fittest” as in the early stages of their evolution.

Archived from “The Paw Report:”  Issue #18, December.
We don’t usually think about our pets needing a visit to the dentist, but maybe we should. By age 3 about 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of dental disease. It is more common in older pets and small dogs who have overcrowded or misaligned teeth which are more difficult to keep clean. The symptoms of dental disease include bad breath, sore mouth, dribbling, yellow or brown tartar, bleeding gums, pawing the mouth, loose teeth, tooth loss, and difficulty eating.

Usually the cause of these symptoms is a buildup of hardened plaque which can lead to gingivitis (inflamed gums) and further progress to periodontal disease. Oral health is not just about teeth—poor oral health actually can affect organs in the body. The toxins are transferred through the blood stream to cause infections in the liver, kidneys and brain.

Talk to your veterinarian about preventive care for your pet’s teeth. Care may include specially designed toys, large kibble (wet foods build plaque more rapidly), and even tooth brushing! Maggie, my Springer Spaniel, had awfully bad breath so we would frequently try to brush her teeth but she would squeeze her lips shut to get away from the brush!

Click here for more details about oral health for dogs as well as a chart including pictures of dog teeth with varying degrees of dental disease.

Also keep an eye out for the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal of acceptance for products that have met their standards.

Archived from “The Paw Report:” Issue #17

In the last issue we discussed what type of breeders to avoid, but how do you know if you have found a good one? The key is personal attention. A reputable breeder is focused on doing their best by their breed in every way. Your relationship with them does not end when you buy the puppy. They will maintain contact with you and offer you any information and assistance that you may want from diet questions to training. They will give you a written guarantee of your puppy’s genetic health and temperament. They will take back the dog at any point in its life for any reason. They will specialize in one or two breeds and be thoroughly knowledgeable about the history and medical conditions of each.

They will not sell their dogs to pet shops but rather will keep them as house pets. In fact, the Code of Ethics of AKC affiliated breed clubs specifies that members should not sell to pet shops. These breeders will not sell their puppies before 8 weeks of age and they may even insist on visiting your home–they will certainly interview you. They will deny owners that they believe do not suit their puppies.

Because they keep their puppies in their home, the puppies are well socialized and are not exposed to poor health conditions. Reputable breeders may charge a lot of money–Susan Giles’ pet quality lhasa apsos may be $1000-1500. However, these breeders may actually be losing money on their breeding because of the cost of properly evaluating the health of their puppies. Typical tests include the OFA (hip x-ray certification), CERF (Canine Eye Registry Foundation), Penn-Hipp (hip joint laxity), and SAS (subaortic stenosis check). Research the common defects in your preferred breed and ask your breeder what he is doing to prevent and detect those issues.

Reputable breeders will have at least the dame on site for you to see and interact with. They will have a limited number of litters per year. They rarely need to advertise and usually have buyers lined up before a litter is born. They will be experienced and confident in their reputation as a reputable breeder and will be happy to offer you references.

I spoke with a breeder named Susan Giles because one of our customers is a very stand-out lhasa apso named Oliver. Due to backyard breeding and the breed’s natural inclinations, lhasas can come with a myriad of issues. They are typically supposed to be “chary of strangers” but poorly bred lhasas can be kennel shy, unpredictable, and aggressive toward strangers. They are susceptible to physical defects such as cherry eye, renal failure, and hip dysplasia. Oliver is a very healthy boy who is cautious toward strangers but friendly once he gets to know you–exactly what the breed standard calls for. Susan is a show breeder so the puppies she raises come with a thick, luxurious coat as well. She is very aware of the problem of backyard breeders and because of this she insists on a spay/neuter contract when she sells her puppies.

The most important thing to remember when looking to buy a puppy is Do Your Research. Know what health exams your breeder should be doing, what temperament problems you should watch out for, and find a breeder you trust who is first and foremost concerned with what is best for their dogs.

Archived from “The Paw Report:”  Issue #16.

We’ve used this term before–backyard breeders.  It is estimated that 2/3s of the 50 million dogs in the US have come from backyard breeders.  It is a term that is typically derogatory because it denotes careless breeding.  A professional breeder will put quite a bit of money into the prevention and detection of genetic diseases.   Dogs with physical or emotional health issues will not be bred.  A backyard breeder will breed their dog with any other dog of the same breed (or even of different breeds) without researching the health and temperament issues that the breed is susceptible to.

Typically it is recommended that a puppy buyer look for a show dog breeder and buy one of the puppies that isn’t quite show quality.  AKC registration alone does not mean that a breeder is reputable because AKC staff do not visit breeders–the registration is done through mail and all puppies in an AKC litter—regardless of faults—are eligible for AKC registration.  There are certainly some disreputable show and working breeders.  In this case, their breeding focuses on augmenting one aspect of the breed (usually physical) without regard to maintaining temperament.  Careless breeding also involves inbreeding that produces genetically weak animals that may have debilitating physical deformities.

A breeder who breeds massive amounts of dogs, usually in poor health and social conditions, is the owner of a puppy mill (called a puppy farm in the UK).  These commercial operations are typically where pet shops get their puppies.  Aside from poor breeding practices, puppies from puppy mills do not get the individualized social attention that they need.  They also typically live in unhealthy conditions and when they are shipped from the puppy mill to a pet shop, the stress of heavy travel at a young age makes them susceptible to disease, infections, and parasites from other puppies at the pet shop.  Pet shop puppies are particularly prone to distemper and parvovirus.  Parvovirus symptoms may be dormant for several weeks–enough time for a puppy to look healthy and be taken to a new home.  Pet shops do not typically offer the fresh air, exercise, play, and socialization for a puppy to become well-adjusted.

Archived from “The Paw Report:”  Issue #16.

I had a customer pick up his Cocker after we gave him a short hair cut all over. The customer remarked to his dog, “Boy, you really are getting fat, just like the vet said.” He then asked me what I suggested. I asked him what he fed his dog. He said “Iams.” I asked how much – he said he didn’t know, that he just keeps the bowl full and the dog free feeds. No comment.

I don’t imagine when dogs were wild that they were different from any other animal – it’s all about survival and that means food and water 24-7. They gorged themselves not knowing when the next meal would come. My Great Dane, Molly, never stopped eating. I remember that when she was a 9 month old pup I thought I could feed her all she would eat – after all, she was a growing giant breed. Wrong! She ate so much she started to get fat, and there is nothing more pathetic than a fat giant breed dog. I cut back on her groceries quick.

Just because a food is fat free doesn’t mean that it is okay to gorge on it. And it’s not all about carbs either. We need to eat balanced meals and our portions should allow us a trade for the calories which we burn that day. If you have to eat 1800 calories a day based on your activity load and metabolism, then consuming 1900 is 100 too much. It’s that simple and we know it. If you exercise, you burn more calories — you can eat a little more. If you have a big piece of chocolate cake, then you just took a big hunk out of your calories for that day. The same is true for your dog. Calories in, calories out. You need to find out what the recommended portion of food is for your dog’s age and breed and stick to it on top of an exercise schedule. Lizzie is at two cups of Purina One in the morning and 2 cups at night. Period. If you insist on giving your dog treats for training or pleasure, make sure they are healthy and make sure to count the calories and then subtract that from dinner to prevent overfeeding. (One vet I know recommends baby carrots for a dog treat — dogs usually love them. -Loretta)

If your dog is losing or gaining weight over time, adjust your portions accordingly. Obviously age and activity level are a factor. But make no mistake; barring a medical reason, obesity in dogs is a reflection of the owner’s care.

When I first went into business in 1975, Dave Orebaugh, DVM was opening up his practice where Charlottesville Animal Hospital is today. I asked him if he would take me under his wing and treat the dogs in my care as a priority. Outside this business relationship, we became good friends. Knowing that in the boarding and grooming business I would be dealing with the geriatric days of a dog’s life, I wanted to know what his answer was for putting a dog “to sleep.” He said, ‘when they no longer have quality of life, it is time.’ That made sense and I use it as a guideline to this day. No dog of mine would suffer chronic pain or be so incontinent that they would suffer urine stains and constantly dribble. If my dog has been the perfect companion I think he deserves to go with the fondest of memories–suffering from senility or severe arthritis is not part of the deal. Of course, all avenues of medical intervention should be exercised first.

This quality of life and comfort guideline comes into play in my decisions as a groomer as well. I will not put a dog through undue pain in order to groom him. Boarding and grooming lead to stress, discomfort, and anxiety with our older pets so we approach grooming the geriatric with a lot of caution. The onset of arthritis—especially in the back legs can make grooming in the normal fashion (or at all) quite painful. Lifting feet to scissor and clip pads can be too much for a dog to bear. Blindness and senility also lead to stress and fear and the accompanying reactions (biting, jerking, etc) make the process dangerous for both dog and groomer.

While we may not feel it is necessarily time to put your dog to sleep, we certainly don’t want the discomfort of grooming to lead to a heart attack or seizure (both of which I have seen). We will let you know when we are no longer comfortable putting your dog through the grooming process. But then comes the question, “if you’re not going to groom her, what should I do?” The only reasonable solution is to groom your dog every day—spend 15-20 minutes combing, brushing and spot washing with dry shampoo. Frequent, personalized grooming in short sessions will keep your dog comfortable. Keep this in mind as your dog gets older, before we need to say anything. Putting off grooming until your dog matts up just makes the process even more uncomfortable for her.

I know this is a touchy subject and each person faces it in their own way. It takes courage to determine when the quality of life isn’t there anymore and my threshold may not be yours. I respect that. However, our decision to no longer groom an elderly dog is non-negotiable.

In general, dogs are fairly stoic animals when it comes to pain—much like the rest of the animal kingdom.  Human beings are the exception.  For dogs, it is all about survival of the fittest and concealing any signs of weakness.  Nursing mothers will not feed a pup if it can’t make its way to a teat and other pups will push it out of the way.  From the very beginning, dogs must not show signs of weakness or the pack will turn on them—there is no room for stragglers in the hunt. 

This is evident to us in grooming—we see some health situations in our dogs that would drive a human crazy, but the dogs show very few signs of pain.  That survival instinct is still prevalent in many of our breeds and showing pain is just not fashionable!  Think about flea and tick infestation—could you imagine living with 30+ fleas biting all over you?  Some of the chronic ear infections we see surely cause excruciating pain and headaches.  When our older pets become arthritic and lose muscle tone in their back legs that’s got to hurt.  I know at 61, my joints aren’t what they used to be and an occasional Tylenol is helpful.  Keep in mind that when dogs are healing from surgery or a broken bone the use of painkillers may not be wise.  The associated pain will keep your dog inactive while the healing takes place—otherwise he may re-injure himself. 

On the other hand, breeding has certainly minimized this instinct in many of our companion dogs—especially the Toys.  If you heard and saw some of our pups getting their first haircut you would think we were really being mean—their fear of pain certainly isn’t held back.  Once we show them through patience and firmness that we are not trying to hurt them, they generally settle down.  As dogs are bred for companionship more than work, many traits, instincts and sense abilities are being altered like this.

Archived from “The Paw Report:”  Issue #14, August 

Often we get customers in who ask us to express their dog’s anal glands or sacs.  Many grooming shops perform this service and “The All Breed Grooming Guide” even lists anal expression as one of the steps for each groom.  At the Pet Salon, we do NOT express anal glands—and not just because the task is as gross as it sounds!

Anal glands are two small sacs just inside your pet’s anus.  The strong scent of the glands is used to mark territory and sometimes for self-defense.  A thick, oily, foul-smelling liquid fills these glands and is typically secreted during defecation.  There is some research that indicts that a diet rich in fiber (producing firmer stool) will aid in emptying the sacs. 

Large breeds rarely have a problem voluntarily emptying their anal glands and only about 12% of dogs in general have a problem with them.  However, breeds that are more likely to need their anal glands manually emptied (expressed) are:  Toy and Miniature Poodles, Chihuahuas, Lhasa Apsos, Cocker Spaniels, Basset Hounds, and Beagles.

Several anal gland issues can develop but anal gland expression only benefits dogs whose glands are impacted.  If the glands are not naturally emptied the liquid may thicken to the point of blocking (impacting) the glands.  Impacted glands are uncomfortable for the dog and can become infected.  Dogs with impacted anal glands will scoot their rears across the floor (or lick/bite or chase their tail) in an effort to empty the glands themselves.  If they continue without success to scoot across the floor, they need to be taken to an experienced veterinarian who can empty the glands and check for any infections.  Some dogs may have chronic issues with their anal glands and need them to be emptied frequently.  If so, the anal glands can be permanently removed.

If somewhere around 88% of dogs never have a problem with their anal glands, why is anal glad expression so common at grooming shops?  We don’t know.  Especially since the process of expression—if not done correctly—can damage a very sensitive area of the dog.  We are happy to leave this smelly process to veterinarians who can express the glands carefully and diagnose (as well as treat) any problems that they discover.

The old rule of thumb of using seven years of our age for every year of dog age is obviously incorrect—dogs reach maturity between one and two years old.  Giant breeds take the longest.  Try this formula out and see if it makes sense to you:

The first year is worth 20 human years (Lizzie being 8 months old, is a teenager around 13) and every year thereafter is figured out by life expectancy.  If the average life expectancy of man is 75 years and that of a Golden is 12 years then subtract 20 from 75 and 1 from 12.  The remaining dog life span years is divided into the remaining life span years or 55 divided by 11 gives 5 years of age for every year after 1 (which is 20).  So at two years of age, Lizzie will be 25, at 6 years she would be 45 years old and having her mid-life crises.

Let’s do it for Molly, my Great Dane.  The average life expectancy of a Great Dane is 7-9 years so let’s say 8.  For the first year, subtract 20 from 75—divide 55 by the remaining 7 years and for each year after 1, add 7.86.  So in 6 years when Lizzie was like a 45 year old person, Molly would be more like 59 and a half!

Unfortunately, the non-shedding, hypoallergenic dog is a myth.  Even hairless breeds shed dander and many allergies stem not from hair but from skin oil.  However, there are some dogs which shed less than others and thus have less chance of spreading allergens.  These dogs include single-coated dogs, those who do not have a thick undercoat to shed.  The Bichon, Yorkshire Terrier, Cairn, and Maltese are all single-coated dogs who are low-shedders.  Poodles are also included because, instead of frequent shedding, their coat continues to grow like human hair. 

When looking for a low-allergen dog, do not base your decision on puppies or kittens.  As animals age, their sebaceous glands produce more of the oil which can cause problems for allergy sufferers.  Spend lengths of time with an adult of the breed to determine whether an allergy will grow to bother you.  Within any litter of any breed you may find an animal that you have no reaction to or that you are very sensitive to.  In general, female animals produce less allergens than males and smaller dogs produce less allergens than larger dogs.  Frequent grooming will reduce allergens.