GM News - May 2023

Edition 48 of GM News focuses on Canine Health.

We wish you and your dogs good health!

Amanda, David, Ruth & Rodna
Gentle Modern School of Dog Training

Gut Health - Read, Watch & Listen resources

Gut health and the gut microbiome have received a lot of attention in the past ten years. Work originally focused on humans is spreading to companion animals. If this topic interests you, you'll find plenty to appeal to you in:

Dog poo decoded: colour, consistency and smell (with charts!) by Olivia Blazevic, Lyka (fresh dog food company)

How Do I Know My Dog Has Bad Gut Health? by Pet Summits
The article (5min read) includes a 4.30min video of Dr. Lu Fenny talking about the key points to gut health (direct link to video) and an infographic.

Supercharge Your Pet's Health with Probiotics (and bacteria-friendly food) - Dr Alex Avery's podcast episode 14.18 mins (transcript available)

Do Human-Grade Dog Foods Improve Dogs’ Skin Health? by Linda P. Case, The Science Dog
To date, we know a few things about human-grade dog foods:

"more digestible than pet-grade kibble and pet-grade fresh cooked foods...
Feeding a human-grade dog food leads to lower total fecal output compared with feeding pet-grade products . . .
Dogs fed human-grade foods show significant qualitative (type) and quantitative (number) shifts in their gut microbiota. However, conclusions regarding the meaning of these shifts are not completely clear."

Linda goes on to review a recent study that considered, among other issues, the effects of feeding a mildly-cooked, human-grade food on dogs’ skin/coat health.

Arthritis - Not just Old Dogs and Not an Inevitable Part of Old Age

Recognizing Arthritis Pain in Dogs and Cats, Dr. Marie Bartling for VetVine Hub
This is a review of a presentation for Vets, but this 1.30min YouTube video has some useful tips for dog guardians and highlights the need for early identification and treatment of arthritis.
Some dogs may be predisposed to arthritis. "If you can find dogs that have arthritis in their first year to two years of life, there's so much more [the Vet] can do." "If we can get to this earlier and control some of the physics that create pain and create pain and degeneration, we can change this dog's entire life."

Treatment options

Pain medication and Supplements
Regenerative Medicine (restore and build tissue)
Rehab Exercise (rebuild strength and focus on nutrition)
Fitness Exercise (stay strong and symmetrical to prevent pain and injury)

Concerned? Dr Bartling suggests videoing your dog in their casual sitting position (as opposed to the sitting straight in training mode position), standing, and getting up - review the video yourself and share it with your Vet.

Wanting to go deeper? A comprehensive overview is available at Identifying the Signs of Arthritis by Canine Arthritis Management

Dog Body Language - Mental Health
Subtle signs of stress and discomfort

Sherrie Yuschak, a veterinary technician specialist in behaviour, explains some of the outward signs of stress in dogs for VetVine Hub (YouTube video 2.15mins). Any of the following can signal that a dog is conflicted about what to do next or uncomfortable in its current situation and surroundings.

"Conflict behaviour is normal dog behaviour that is demonstrated out of context," e.g. Stopping in the middle of a response like a recall and starting scratching or sniffing
"Appeasement is a behaviour seen when dogs are experiencing stress" and want to communicate uncertainty
"Calming signals . . . communicate that the dog wants the interaction to become less stressful." e.g. paw raise, lip lick, turn away, a shake off when they're not wet, whale eye, mounting, sneezing, scratching (especially the collar area), squinting/shifting eyes

Top Tip - Consider equipment for safe car entry and exit

Jumping in or out of a car can be an injury risk for young dogs, old dogs and big dogs in particular. Lifting in and out of the car can be an injury risk for the human.
Stephanie or Big Dog Mom gives a detailed overview of ramps and steps for car access (Stephanie lives in USA, but the products reviewed can be purchased from Australia or similar products can be purchased in Australia.)

Your reward for reading to the end