Embrace Pet Insurance Blog

8 tips to bring home a healthy dog free of genetic conditions

Since we're focusing on hereditary and genetic conditions this month, here are some pointers on minimizing the chance of getting a dog with hereditary conditions.

1. Avoid Puppy Mills
Don’t ever, ever, ever buy a puppy from a pet store or Internet site that offers all breeds and popular mixes, shipped with no questions asked. If you buy a puppy from these sources, you’ll be more likely to get an unhealthy, unsocialized and difficult to house-train puppy and will be supporting the cruelty of high-volume puppy mills.

2.  Find Your Breeder from a Breed Club
Start with a breeder who is a member in good standing with the breed's specific breed club and has agreed to abide by Code of Ethics of that club.

3. Genetic Tests 
If relevent to your dogs' breed (see the Embrace Pet Health Center for more details), ask the breeder for:

• documentation from either the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) or the University of Pennsylvania (PennHip) that your puppy's parents are free of hip dysplasia, a crippling genetic defect of the hip socket that requires expensive surgery to repair and usually results in painful arthritis in the dog's later years.
• test results from the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) that her dogs are clear of genetic eye disorders known to occur in the breed you are looking at, if relevent.
• OFA clearances on her dogs' hearts, thyroid glands, and knees.

You can also see if the breed club maintains its own health registry, which can provide documentation about those same conditions as well as certify that the parents are free of Von Willebrand’s disease (vWD) and Factor X, which are bleeding disorders.

Having the dogs "vet checked" is not a substitute for genetic health testing, and any breeder who says her lines are free of problems, or that they're not a concern, is a stong indication to look for your puppy elsewhere.

4. Check out the breeder's dogs temperament
If temperament is a particular concern in the breed, make sure you spend time with the breeder's dogs, and if possible, with your puppy's mother or father. Very often the father won't be on the premises – good breeders look for the best possible male for their females, not just the best one they happen to own – so don't view that as any kind of red flag. A breeder may also have American Temperament Test Society (TT) certification on her dogs. But if the breeder won't let you meet the mother of the puppies, and won't let you meet any of her dogs, consider that the worst of all signs and look elsewhere.

5. Find out how involved the breeder is in her breed's world
If the breeder has all the required genetic test documentation and her dogs seem gentle and well-mannered, ask about her involvement with the breed and dogs in general. Good breeders show their dogs or compete in canine sports such as obedience and agility. Good breeders don't just sit home churning out pets; they get out there with their dogs and make sure they're happy and stable in the kinds of real world situations every family pet needs to take in stride.

6. Know your contract
Make sure you have a good contract with the seller, shelter or rescue group that spells out responsibilities on both sides. In states with “puppy lemon laws,” be sure you and the person you get the dog from both understand your rights and recourses.

7. Perhaps adopt a dog instead
Consider adopting an adult dog from a shelter or breed-specific rescue group. Most puppies won't show health or temperament problems until adulthood. By adopting a dog who is already grown, you can use the expertise of the rescue group to evaluate his temperament and health as it already is, and avoid dogs with issues. What you see is mostly what you get with adult dogs.

8. Arrange a vet visit as soon as possible
Puppy or adult, take your new dog to your veterinarian soon after adoption. Your veterinarian will be able to spot visible problems, and will work with you to set up a preventive regimen that will help you avoid many health issues, like ear infections and eye problems.

For details on specific breeds, such as the breed and breed rescue club, check out the Embrace Pet Health Center.

Running Theme with our Embraced pet parents

Perhaps we shouldn't order the milk-bone flavored paper anymore? Within the last 2 weeks, we received these 2 emails:

Hello Chris,
Sorry for the delay. I had every intention on signing that paperwork and sending it back, except I really believe that my dog ate it. I know I know, that excuse doesn't even fly with grade schoolers, but I found little bits of it and half of an envelope. Would it be posible for you to remail it or email it to me again. Thanks.
george

And...

Hello!
Thank you so much for checking on the check. :)
We DID receive it but then my husband left it on the table and, this is true, the dog chewed it up. The puppy decided that since it was for his vet. services, it was his check to destroy!
Sigh...
Would it be possible to tear the check up completely and be reissued a new one or perhaps to do the instructions below and setup our account for direct deposit?
Thanks again...you guys have been so wonderful!!!

Dog ate your Embrace paperwork anyone?

Top 10 ways to prevent orthopedic issues in dogs

I've done a lot of talking about orthopedic issues after the fact. Today I turn my attention to preventing orthopedic issues in dogs (cats seem to have far fewer issues with their bones than dogs):

1. Keep your dog nice and trim:
   Starting with the most obvious approach, slim dogs have fewer orthopedic issues. Excess weight can wear on cartilage, causing limping, pain, and worn joints. Find out from your veterinarian what your dog's ideal weight is, how many calories your dog should eat to keep to that weight, how often you should feed your dog, and in what form (not too many treats now!)
2. Exercise your dog in water:
   Another way to keep a dog's weight down is to exercise. Running and walking are all good but one excellent way to reduce exercise's burden on your dog's joints is exercising in water. The water's buoyancy supports and lessens stress on the joints, encourages freer movement and provides a safe environment for exercise. If you have access to an ocean, lake or river, make sure your dog feels safe in the water and is a comfortable swimmer first. You might want to start off in a kiddie paddling pool so your dog is nicely comfortable in water before larger and deeper bodies of water.
3. Feed your dog daily supplements:
   Some supplements such as methylsulfonylmethane, glucosamine hydrochloride, glucosamine sulfate, and glucosamine hydroiodide are thought to help joint health and perhaps prevent arthritis, which often occurs alongside other orthopedic issues. They come in pill form or are now being added to some dog foods.
4. Use elevated dog bowls for your dog's food and water:
   Dog bowls that are raised off the ground keep the spine aligned in a more natural manner, putting less stress on the vertebrae, leading to less wear and tear
5. Preventative acupuncture:
   An veterinary acupuncturist can find the weakest spot in your dog's ‘system’ and treat that before it gives clinical symptoms.
6. Good behavioral training:
   A well behaved dog that listens to commands and behaves well in public and among other dogs is much less likely to be in the position to have an accident, whether it be overly aggressive play leading to a cruciate ligament rupture or a car accident with multiple broken bones. I don't know how many times we've seen a dog park accident cause a tramatic hip dysplasia incident leading to surgery.
7. Preventative tests and examinations:
   Get your veterinarian to perform PennHip or OFA tests, as well as a thorough orthopedic examination to spot hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament tears, luxating patellas before they becomes a serious problem. Knowledge is the best weapon against serious disease and once you know if your dog is likely to have problems in the future, you can really focus on weight reduction, arthritis prevention through supplements, and appropriate exercise regimes
8. Surgery:
   Correcting conditions such as patella luxation can help reduce the likelihood of related conditions such as a cruciate ligament tear
9. No breeding:
   Do not breed a dog with hereditary orthopedic conditions such as patella luxation, hip dysplasia or osteochondritis dissecans. These conditions can be passed down through genes to their progeny perpetuating these serious canine health conditions,
   ...and finally...
10. Neuter at 6-months old and onwards:
    Some studies have shown a higher incidence of hip dyslasia and cruciate ligament tears with early-age neutering. As your veterinarian about the right time to neuter or spay your dog

Related Posts:
November is Orthopedic Month At Embrace Pet Insurance
Guest post: A General Discussion of Orthopedic Issues in Dogs
Guest Post: Four Most Common Orthopedic Problems in Dogs   

See this video of Rottweiler Lula working on her hips and back in a hydrotherapy tank...

NY Times article: The Modern Kennel Conundrum by Jon Mooallem

Pets are everywhere, it's official.

As I was sitting in the waiting room at our local Subaru dealership, waiting for the endless amounts of paperwork required to buy a car, I was drawn to an article in the NY Times magazine on the rise of and controversy around the hybrid dog in the US, The Modern Kennel Conundrum by Jon Mooallem, Feb 4, 2007

Still, past canine fads, like the run on purebred Dalmatians after the movie “101 Dalmatians,” have ramped up production at inhumane, large-scale “puppy mills.” And fickle owners often end up abandoning those dogs once the trend passes. Thus, for show breeders who have spent much of their lives studying and refining a single pure breed — like the men and women congregating next week at Madison Square Garden for the 131st annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show — the rise of mutts as commodities has been bewildering and embittering. Many traditionalists see mixing breeds as somehow irresponsible in and of itself. As one pug breeder with a two-time, No. 1 show bitch to her credit told me: “There was only one really perfect thing on the face of this earth, and he was crucified. To us, the pug is pure.”

It's an excellent article putting forward many facets of the issues surrounding breeding dogs for looks, both purebred and hybrid.

For example, considering the Puggle (a Beagle mixed with a Pug):

• mixing breeds is a good thing as it reduces the incidents of genetic conditions that any one breed might have
  (Beagles are susceptible to cleft palates, demodectic mange, dwarfism, epilepsy, eye problems, hip displasia, hypothyroidism, intervertebral disc disease, luxating patella's, and reproductive disorders, and Pugs are prone to deformities of the mouth and nose, eye and eyelid problems, heatstroke, hip displasia, Legg-Perthes disease, luxating patella's, Pug dog encephalitis, brachycephalic airway disease, democidosis, skin fold dermatitis, and corneal disease)

Given the roughly 350 inherited disorders littering the dog genome, crossing two purebreds and expanding their gene pools can be “a phenomenally good idea,” according to one canine geneticist — if it is done conscientiously.

• on the other hand, taking traits from two breeds and mixing them might make things worse.

While designer-dog sellers often claim to combine only the most functional and lovable qualities of each breed, here I was being told just the opposite: that mixing breeds would create an intractable slop house of each breed’s most problematic traits. “A pug has no doggie sense whatsoever,” said Jutta Beard, who had driven to Oconomowoc from Maryland in her motor home with one husband and 13 pugs. “You put this dog out on the next street over, and it will never find its way home. Now a beagle has wanderlust. It’s a little hound breed. It puts its nose to the ground and just goes. So now you’ve got a dog with wanderlust and no doggie sense.”

There's a whole lot more to the article than this about world of the purebred dog and the new hybrid dogs and I highly recommend you read it (you'll need a subscription in a few weeks unfortunately - or go to your local library and read it from the archives). It really is a fascinating window into a world you might not have seen into before.

More on curing a dog's chewing

This post is Lea's email response to a comment by a desparate pet parent of a 9-month old labrador on our post Curing a Dog's Chewing.

Thanks for writing in about your Lab’s chewing. I sympathize with you, as my Lab mix did the majority of his chewing in the first year and a half, and it was bad. Let me tell you a few things that helped me…

One thing that stuck in my mind during all his chewing was something another Lab owner told me. She said that research says that great majority of Labradors that are re-homed are given up by their owners under the age of two and half. Beyond that age, the number of people who re-home their lab decreases significantly. This is clearly showing that young labs chew, but that it does get better. I promise you it will get better, and in a year or so, you won’t even remember how bad it really was.

If your dog is chewing the wood while you are away, I would suggest that you crate him during your outings. He’ll need a crate large enough to stand up and lay down in, and it may help if he’s got an enrichment toy with him.

If it’s a matter of his chewing while you are home, you may want to consider tethering him to you using a 5 ft leash, so that you can stop him before the chewing starts, and redirect him onto a toy or treat that is acceptable.

Toys like the Everlasting Treat Ball (see Embrace Community Post: Your Dog Wants an Everlasting Treat for discussion) or a Kong (available at ANY petstore) can be setup to give your dog the chewing satisfaction he’s looking for, if they are stuffed or frozen with treats like peanut butter inside. You just need to catch your dog to redirect him.

Beyond this, I can just emphasize the need for exercise. A 9 month old lab will need a minimum of an hour of exercise a day, which means a real walk or swim or fetch. If you’re just letting him wander the yard on his own, this is only going to increase his boredom and increase the chewing. You may want to hire a dog walker, or consider doggie daycare to help tire your Lab out. If this is not practical, then see if there are other dogs in the neighborhood that you can organize playtime with, so he can expel some of his nervous energy with them.

A site that has helped me with many different Lab related issues over the years has been OhYellowDog.com. Their message board can be seen here: I highly recommend you check in with these folks, as they’ve all been where you are now, and can help you through it.

Take care, and don’t give up.

Three tips to cure a dog's chewing

Here's a post based on an email a caring pet parent sent me on her dog's destructive chewing. With Lea's permission, I'm sharing it with you because it has some really helpful info on how to control this behavior.

While my dog may appear well balanced and a model citizen now, this was not always the case. Those folks who knew me when he was an adolescent heard all of the stories about my mixed breed: part lab, part spawn of satan. It became a routine occurrence for people to offer me their sofas and mattresses before hauling them to the lawn, saying “I know your dog chews up furniture, so we thought you’d want a backup for next time.”

My dog did destroy 2 mattresses and 3 couches before he was 2 ½ years old, among other things. No book, furniture, or undergarment was safe. To make it worse, crating him only drove him to become more destructive. (He would scoot his crate to the window, pull in the curtains, and chew them off as far up as he could pull them in. I’d leave him with full drapes, and come home to café style curtains.)

It took a lot of research, a lot of investigation, and a lot of trial and error with our mixed up mutt, but we have finally curbed his manic destruction, and he’s been a Recovering Chewer for 3 years now. Different methods work for different modes, but let me give you these three tips that I’ve called the cure for my dog’s chewing:

1. Bitter Apple Spray
   Safe for use on furniture, walls, clothing, carpets - whatever your dog wants to rip to bits. The spray tastes like it sounds, and no sane dog would continue to chew after a sample of that. It’s available at your petstore, and also works to help deter dogs from licking at hot spots, or surgery sites.
2. Keep your comings and goings very low key.
   When you leave your dog, don’t fuss, don’t whine, don’t baby them. As a matter of fact, make it a point to ignore them for about 20 minutes before you leave the house. When you come home, instead of a dramatic return, just let them outside, and when they’ve calmed down, you can acknowledge them with a polite, “hello, fido.” Don’t make a big deal out of it, and it’s likely they won’t either.
3. If your dog is chewing, your dog needs more exercise.
   A tired dog is a happy dog. It sounds so simple, but it’s probably the most important factor in improving a dog’s behavior. 30-60 minutes each day of walking, running, swimming, or agility training will keep a dog from releasing his energy and frustration at the expense of your belongings. I hate to say it, but just playing a game of fetch isn’t going to cut it for most dogs, and just letting your dog outside to roam the yard isn’t going to do it either. Keep your dog’s mind and body active during exercise time, and his mind and body will be too tired to raise a ruckus when he’s left unsupervised. Even my ‘middle aged’ dog needs his fast-paced mile walk every night.

Now that we’ve gotten his ‘issues’ under control, I talk to other dog owners all the time, who say, “oh yeah, my dog did that too.” Where were they with the advice, when I needed them?

Here's a follow up to this article in More on Curing a Dog's Chewing.