Carbs? Low Carb? No Carb?

In the same day, I received an article from a friend and my brother regarding a new DNA study on wolves and domesticated dogs.  My friend sent it thinking I would find it fascinating, my brother because of the last paragraph in the article he sent. The author, Rosie Mestel, of the Los Angeles Times writes in that paragraph:

"Dr. Oscar Chavez, director of the veterinary technician program at Cal Poly Pomona, said the findings serve as a reminder that dogs don't eat like wolves. He said he and his colleagues are befuddled by the trend toward pricey low-carb dog foods and raw diets, which could stress dogs' kidneys with their extra protein load."

I had told my brother I was feeding Bella no grain/high protein kibble and that her coat was glossy, her stools (a dog owner's odd focus), and her demeanor even keel. He switched his young Wheaten to a similar diet with similar results. However with this news, and his understanding that Wheaten's can have kidney issues, he was concerned he might be hurting his dog with the best of intentions.

First off, I recommended he contact his vet and see what her/his thoughts were. I sent an email to my vet (and have not heard back yet), and went on-line to start reading. It seems in a layman's nutshell, the gist of the study was an apparent large difference between wolves and domesticated dogs ability to digest starch. Domesticated dogs have an enzyme that allows for easier digestion; wolves don't have it. (It is worth reading the articles, plus this one also.)

Someone mentioned to me the correlation in humans between a high protein (low carb) diet and kidney function and sent me the link to this article. I am no scientist and don't pretend to be, but found this statement in the Harvard study interesting:

"While the researchers observed that protein consumption had an adverse impact on women with mild kidney problems, the same did not hold true for women with normal kidney function."

As I wrote my brother, the high protein, low/no grain dog kibbles have been around long enough that if there were significant reports of kidney damage, I believe we would have read something about it. I also found it reassuring that none of the other articles mentioned anything about the high protein/low carbohydrate diets correlating to canine kidney dysfunction and that the Harvard article mentioned in people with good kidney function, high protein diets did not equate kidney problems.

My brother's vet did respond to his email and told him not to be concerned. If he wanted, the next time he brought his dog in, they would do a baseline test to measure Murray's kidney function.


My brother will rest easier and so will I. Thanks to all my on-line buddies at Good Paws for their input and knowledge sharing regarding this issue!

Dog Booties Uber Alles

Bella's paws are in good condition this year for three reasons:

1. Last year I picked eight jillion pounds of broken glass from the yard of the home we rent while in Baja. (She had seriously sliced her feet more than once just running across the yard.)
2. This year, the landlord has hired someone to rake the sand (i.e., yard) once a week. The other six days, I continue to pick up broken glass.
3. Bella wears Ruffwear's dog booties when we go mountain biking. 

Well-worn, de-sanded and moderately washed dog boots.

Last year I wouldn't allow her to bike in the cactus forest (La Bufadora), but she's more mature and I thought she could manage it this time around. With booties, she's done well, and still, we've pulled some huge thorns from the soles. So thanks, Ruffwear! Bella (and I) are happy campers knowing her paws are protected!

Baja's Second First–Mountain Biking in the Bufadora

Biking through the cactus last year.

We took Bella mountain biking in the Bufadora! This is a large cardón cactus forest at the end of our bay. Last year we kept her to the sand road skirting the area, but yesterday took her onto the trails. My concern was that Bellie's Australian Shepherd genes keep her running alongside my husband's bike. Not viable in a cactus forest! She tried to maintain her position, but she understands the command "Ahead." We tried to keep her there as much as possible.

This year has seen a lot of rain; the whole drive down we talked about how green everything was. The forest was truly spectacular. Desert grass skirted the trails, cactus were in bloom and everything was green, green, green. The trails were in excellent condition as the rain had packed the sand. Cycling was easy because of it.

No one puts their dogs in booties down here, even though I was told to bring them.  Although I had them in my Camelback, I didn't make Bellie wear them. Every major trail intersection, we'd stop and check her paws. She was good to go!

The temperature is still cool and there was no need to worry about her overheating. We had plenty of water with us. We'll keep riding with her until the morning temps prove to hot.

Baja First–Bella Hits the Beach

Wearing a muzzle means fun beach time! Oh boy!

Last year, after a fraught visit to the beach, I did not bring Bella down to the water again–at least not in the area where we live. There was an influx of dead sea slugs and puffer fish that year and living in the curve of a bay, we are the repository for most of the flotsam and jetsam. I had been warned these sea creatures exude such a powerful neuro-toxin that if mouthed, they can kill a dog within 24 hours.  It can drop a person who has only ingested a teaspoon. I had been told stories of friends dogs that had touched one and they filled me with dread. I was not going to expose Bella to that danger.

This year, I worked consistently with her wearing a muzzle. Before leaving, I was able to walk her around the neighborhood while she wore her muzzle with only infrequent rubbing against my leg. Two days ago, I took her to the beach with her muzzle. The sea slug scare remains, but the influx is next to nil this year.

She was so happy on the beach. Water! Running! She did drag her nose occasionally trying to remove the muzzle, but she was obviously blissful. Good girl, Bellie! Another beach visit is in your future.

Immediate Baja Addendum

Just spoke with a neighbor down here (Baja ) who has a lab who mouthed and dropped a toxic, dead sea creature (sea slug). He spent three days with a retired US veterinarian and a Mexican vet putting his Labrador into a three day, intentional semi-coma. The pet owner is an emergency room doc in the states. They did the intensive care in the owner's home. The dog came out of it, but continued to lose weight as the toxin had ruined the stomach lining. They flew home with the dog, saw an US vet and after three months, and visiting a vet who practiced acupuncture, were able to see their dog on a road to recovery who could tolerate digesting food.


I was going to take Bella to the beach tomorrow sans muzzle. Our friend said he never saw his dog pick up a thing. Guess Bellie is going oceanward with a face-trap.

Arrived in Baja

It is always a gargantuan drive, and this year in particular, difficult in that it rained the whole way. Not consistently, but off and on, leaving the roads muddy and slippery, and camping wet and uninviting. We saw more accidents this year than ever before despite the better roads.

She's out of the car, on a beach, with a ball–happy girl!

To be back in the same house is wonderful and finally, we have sun. It feels great. We went on a short bike ride around town this morning delivering things to people who had arrived previously. Because there are no street addresses or local post office, it's impossible to have things mailed. To get something, you often depend on fellow travelers to bring things you need. If it's easy to pack in a suitcase or a car, everyone is obliging. During the ride, there was a bit of Baja loose-dog-dodging, but we flanked Bellie with our bikes, or I road behind, weaving back and forth to dissuade any close encounters.

Bella is happy. In fact, Bella is happy anytime there is a ball, or her people, close by!

¡Feliz año nuevo!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Bellie wants to wish you all the best for the holidays and a new year that surpasses expectations. She wanted me to add, she hopes your stockings are full of tennis balls. Ho! Ho! Ho!

Any balls you don't want, just send them my way!

Getting Your Dog Out of a Trap

One of my biggest fears when we're mountain biking or hiking is that Bella, or another dog we are with, could be caught in a trap. I am grateful that Bella stays with us and rarely, if ever, ventures off the trail or far from our side.

However, our friends have a dog they acquired as a stray. This little girl kept herself alive by hunting rabbits and squirrels. The vet said she had had at least two litters by the time she was spayed, so she was also feeding her pups.

She does not stay on the trail. She bolts into the brush at the crack of a twig. I'm sending this article and it's links to her owners. If you spend time in the woods and your dog wanders, please read the linked story. It could save your pup's life.

How Much is Your Pup at Risk

I came across the website this morning and thought it pretty interesting. By clicking on a category (i.e., intestinal parasites), then a subcategory (roundworm) and then the animal (dog or cat), a map of the United States will appear. You can then pick your state, and from there, your county and see what the prevalence is. I can see this being helpful if you are traveling.

Parvo Redux—Good News?

There is a local, excellent, training facility in Seattle called Ahimsa Dog Training. The owner, Grisha Stewart, posted a recent update on the parvo outbreak in this area. She spoke with one of the vets at ACCES, an emergency veterinary clinic in the region. She quotes:

He [the vet] mentioned that the increase in cases was “significant, but it is not an epidemic.” The dogs who were sick were all treated and survived, and they seemed to have an incomplete vaccination history. So the vaccination probably would have protected them.

The good news is that it does not appear to be a new strain, although they are sending the culture out for testing. The number of cases has dropped back down to normal.

You can read more about it here.  Stewart's focus is on her training facility and the health of your puppy—good information wherever you live.

More on the Parvo Outbreak

The paper published another story. It seems that the preponderance of cases have been seen in young dogs, pups really, who have not received their full round of shots. My vet has seen it in young dogs who have received their initial shots (complete?) and their first booster. I think the comment at the end of the article says a lot—parents skeptical about vaccinating their children have transferred that same concern to their dogs. I know I feel "vaccine wary," but continue to have Bella receive all her shots.

The article also said:

"[T]he informal selling and giving of dogs through Craigslist has "definitely" increased the rate of unvaccinated puppies. If there isn't paper documentation that a puppy has been vaccinated, new owners should assume the dog needs to be inoculated."

I am skeptical of dog parks anyway. I've seen too many incidents of people who bring dogs, but do not monitor their behavior (dog fights) nor do they pick up after them (disease). I am leery of dogs who may not have been vaccinated spreading disease, not to mention fleas. Those reasons, combined with the fact that Bella only wants to chase a ball (versus play with other dogs), means we never go.

What is the Difference in Similar Drugs?

I was with my niece today who is a temporarily retired vet tech. I was talking to her about the drugs I have for Bella for Mexico—Trifexis and Frontline Plus—and she asked where I got the Frontline. Costco. Her take was that is was more efficacious to buy via the vet for the same reason my vet mentioned. Her drugs are guaranteed and trackable from the manufacturer. Costco's are not. I don't know that for sure and need to check with Costco to verify.

She also said before she left her clinic (to become a full-time mom), they were seeing many dogs for whom Frontline was no longer effective. Hm. Very interesting. I'll have to check with my vet about that. My niece recommended using Advantix.

So it got me to wondering, what is the difference in these products? I came upon an interesting website that spelled it out. If you're curious, take a peek. I think it's worth it.

Threat of Parvo Closes Local Dog Parks

Last night on the news was an entirely too short of a clip about a nearby city closing its dog parks because of a recent spike in parvo virus. For those of us with dogs—who happened to watch the news—this was a high alert. I recall last year in Baja, the family from whom we rented our house, nearly lost their dog to parvo. Luckily it recovered. However, that didn't stop me from bleaching the tile floors after they left (sans dog) from visiting us. Parvo can be found in the ground, on shoes and on the clothes of owners. The virus can survive not just days, but up to two years in favorable conditions. I didn't want Bella near it, despite the fact she's had her shots.

The city earns my applauds for being proactive and closing their dog parks. It seems vets were aware of this recent local uptick and unconfirmed reports had been linked to the parks. Parvo is shed via a dog's bowel movement and can still be present two to three weeks post exposure.  Just because you dog is vaccinated, doesn't mean he is completely off the hook either. An article in Whole Dog Journal states that even vaccinated dogs may contract the disease, although this is not normal.

Unfortunately symptoms of a parvo infection begin no differently than a myriad of other dog ailments: vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and loss of appetite.

PAWPRINT: This just in from Bella's vet:

We wanted to make sure all of our clients know that there is currently a community wide outbreak of Parvoviral Gastroenteritis/Parvovirus in dogs.  There has been a sharp increase in cases of Parvovirus in the past few weeks and an increase overall in 2012 compared to 2011.  

Puppies are most susceptible to Parvovirus and most die unless they are treated with aggressive medical care.  

With proper medical care, 90% of puppies (and almost all adult dogs) will survive, but treatment is costly ($2,000-$7,000) and many dogs require hospitalization in a 24 hour critical care hospital for 6-8 days.

We are especially concerned that several recent cases in our area have been in adult dogs and well vaccinated dogs.  (My emphasis.)

It is critical to ensure that your dog is current on his or her Parvovirus vaccination!  Parvovirus is part of the DHPP vaccine.  The DHPP vaccine should be given every 3-4 weeks to puppies until they are 16 weeks old, boosted 1 year later, and then boosted every 3 years (or less often if vaccine titers have been performed).  Please contact us to check on the status of your dog's DHPP vaccine and to discuss whether a booster or a vaccine titer may be indicated.  We are especially concerned about our dog patients who are less than 2 years of age, but all dogs may be vulnerable.  

Signs of Parvovirus include decreased appetite, decreased energy, vomiting, diarrhea, and bloody diarrhea.   

PAWPRINT 2: I stopped by the vet's today and she said the dogs that had contracted parvo were young, but not puppies, who had received their puppy shot and first booster. She didn't know why the uptick in parvo cases. I speculate here, but hope it isn't that there is a strain out there resistant to the vaccine!

Healthy Girl!

One healthy, happy girl-dog.

A quick note to say my B-girl is healthy again! I am thrilled—and I'm sure, so is she. Swelling was almost completely gone by early last week. (Only a mother would have noticed!) Her energy is back and this morning was the last of her mild-mannered diet. I had been working her kibble back in throughout the week. She's doing very, very well. Her latest stool sample came back clean, no coccidia and done without that suspect, face-swelling drug, Albon. Yahoo!

LA Votes for Rescued Dogs

I came across this article , (published 7:35 p.m., Thursday, November 1, 2012) in the San Francisco Chronicle. The Los Angeles city council recently voted to require pet stores to sell only rescued animals. It was a vote precipitated by the overpopulation and high euthanasia rate at local area shelters. A group called Best Friends has been working for the last couple of years with interested community and governmental figures to enact this. Yahoo LA!

The article states:

“More than 70,000 animals are euthanized in Los Angeles city and county shelters every year—at taxpayer expense,” said [Elizabeth] Oreck, [national manager of Best Friends puppy mill initiatives]. “To continue importing puppies and kittens from mills in other states while we are killing the surplus that are already filling our shelters simply doesn't make sense. Today, Los Angeles took a reasonable and progressive step to addressing these issues in our city.”

[T]he ordinance will not affect responsible, hobby breeders, who will remain a source of purebred animals for those who are not able to find the purebred of their choice through shelters, purebred rescue groups or online databases such as Petfinder.com.

“We are witnessing a cultural shift that comes from true grassroots advocacy in action. It is only a matter of time before there will be very few places where one will be able to walk into a pet store and purchase an animal from a puppy or kitten mill."

Another step forward for animals! The Best Friends website lists several different ways you can become involved (via donation, volunteering or taking political action) to make positive changes in your community.

It's Not Over Yet—Drugs, Drugs, Drugs

Bella was sick again last night. Needless to say, I feel helpless. I can't ask her what's wrong; what I am giving her (medications), I can only hope are aiding. The vet took her off the Albon for the coccidia. Some of its side effects are rashes and itching.

I spoke with the Saturday fill-in vet this morning and asked why I must continue giving her drugs for pancreatitis when coccidia was diagnosed. She was great. She said that though the blood test was negative for pancreatitis, it is not definitive; only an ultrasound would undeniably confirm...and of course we don't want to go that route at this point.

My question was why continue the pancreatitis drugs when we're discontinuing the drug for coccidia? Aren't we supposed to be concerned about the latter? The vet said if Bella's gut gets regulated, the coccidia will take care of itself. The Metronidazole is an antibacterial/antiprotozoal which will calm her stomach. Sucralfate is used to treat and prevent stomach problems caused by other drugs as well as irritations in the intestines and stomach. The Proviable is a probiotic that will help re-establish intestinal health. The Benadryl is to be given for one more day.

She's to continue with the I/D diet for two weeks. Poor girl...at least the facial swelling is diminishing.

Enough with the Vet!

No peace. While I'm shoveling pills down Bella's throat for a balanced, healthy gut, she pulls a winger on me. Somehow, somewhere on our walk today she was bitten/stung by an insect. It started around her eye. I noticed the tissue was swollen and she was itching, scratching, dragging her face across everything. It spread to her other eye, then down her muzzle and seemed to settle in her jowls or salivary glands. Now Bella has some pretty impressive jowls that produce, with little provocation, enormous amounts of drool. Those jowls are now huge, beefy and solid. She looks like Jabba the Hutt.

I gave her a couple of Benadryls to no affect and was concerned about the rapid inflammation. We are very lucky to a great 24-hour, emergency vet clinic (Acces) not too far away, so we trundled her up there. Because of the drugs she is taking for the parasites, they chose not to give her a steroid injection that would have sped the loss in swelling. None the less, they did inject her with Benadryl. Still, an healthy hour later, I see no relief. Her personality, however, is intact. The minute we got home, she got her ball and asked to play. A good sign.

Good Use of Facebook

A Facebook page has been set up for found and lost animals because of Hurricane Sandy. What a great resource for reconnecting! Remember to have a current picture of you with your pet(s) to authenticate ownership.

Pancreatitis or Coccidiosis?

Bella was very sick on Sunday, throwing up many, many times. She was lethargic all day and most of Monday with horrible diarrhea, but no more vomiting. Tuesday, she was a tad spunkier, but still not normal and her stools, liquid. Into the vet we went and left, one hefty bill later, with drugs to treat pancreatitis. Blood was taken to verify, but the vet felt all her symptoms pointed in that direction and she wanted to get on top of it immediately. Bella had eaten bird suet as evidenced by all the seeds that run through her and the vet felt the richness of the suet might have precipitated pancreatitis.

The results came back today. Nope. Not the big "P" which I am very happy to report! However, she does have coccidiosis which is common in puppies, but not in older dogs. (Does a three year-old lab mix still constitute a puppy?) Bella's intestines seem quite susceptible to parasites. Many of our vet visits have been because of something she consumed.

So it is back to the vet we go for more drugs, this time Albon (sulfadimethoxine). She is already taking Metronidazole, Sucralfate, and Proviable not to mention several days of canned Hill's Prescription I/D for gastrointestinal fortification! In 24 hours, her improvement has been remarkable.

Are YOU Ready?

With Hurricane Sandy wrecking havoc on the east coast of the US, it isn't surprising to see a glut of information about what to do with your pet(s) if you have to evacuate. This is a reminder for me also as I have a traveling bag for Bella, but still lack a crate.

My excuse? She's a big girl and needs a big crate—where would I store it? But when an emergency happens (and there is no area in this country that isn't plagued by recurring natural disasters), you won't have the time to prepare, nor can you guarantee you'll be thinking logically in a panic situation. Being prepared is the only way to safely care for your pet in a time of need. Although Hurricane Katrina was a turning point in evacuating and sheltering with pets (more shelters now allow them to come with you), you are still required to have your dog sequestered in a crate.

I just read Pet Care During a Natural Disaster from the Sun Gazette.com. I always read these articles as there is usually something I haven't considered. In this article, author Dan Boyles, had a couple of really good ideas. One is to have two bags prepared: a large pet bag if you and your pet will be staying together at a known location and a smaller bag for immediate evacuation to points unknown. Of course the requisite items were covered: food, water, medications, toys. Another great idea is to have a picture of you and your dog together. I always carry a picture of Bella in her bag, but the author says a picture of you together helps corroborate ownership should you be separated.

I guess it's time to start scouring Craig's List for used, large dog crates. I don't want Bella left out in the cold if a disaster shakes our area.