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November 2016 Newsletter |
If your dog has had any illnesses or ailments, you can tell us about them at any time without having to complete the rest of the questionnaire. Simply login to your dog's profile by visiting www.dogslife.ac.uk and click on the link underneath your dog's graph.
Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Why owners participate in Dogslife
With fireworks night approaching, it’s a good idea to think about how your dog may react to the noise, smell and bright flashes of fireworks. For many dogs, fireworks night is a frightening and stressful time, and they can often behave out of character. Signs of distress include trembling, excessive yawning, licking their lips, panting, howling, looking for somewhere to hide, or acting aggressively out of fear.
It is worth finding out exactly when and where your local fireworks display is being carried out, and if your neighbours are having one of their own, so that you can be prepared. Before fireworks night itself, you may wish to consider playing fireworks noises from a CD or an online video at low volume to get your dog more accustomed to the noises.
Before the fireworks start, it is best to make sure that your dog has been exercised, fed, and had the chance to go to the toilet. Where possible, keep your dog indoors during the fireworks to reduce their exposure and ensure their safety.
If your dog becomes anxious or scared during the fireworks, offer them a safe, well known and comfortable place to rest or hide where they have their bedding and favourite toys. They may prefer to stick to you like glue! You can help your dog stay calm by retaining a normal routine for example, cooking or watching TV and letting them be beside you. Familiar noises like the TV or radio can help block any noise created by fireworks being set off. You can also divert your dog’s attention and relieve stress by playing with them, teaching them a new trick or offering a tasty chew.
Try not to let your dog out during the fireworks unless you have to. A scared dog may run off so check your garden fencing and make sure their collar is secure and identity tags and their microchip carry up to date details. If you do have to let your dog out, stay with them at all times and better still, keep them on a lead. Inside, keep windows and doors closed to ensure they cannot escape, and draw any curtains and blinds to help deaden the noise and dim any flashes.
This fireworks night may be the first for your dog so we hope this article has helped you to prepare for a safe fireworks night, minimising any stress for you and your dog. If your dog finds the firework season too stressful, ask your vet about other methods of controlling noise phobias such a behavioural therapy which can help to reduce the stress next year.
For more do’s and don'ts on fireworks night, please click here.
Service Dogs UK is an organisation which aims to improve the lives of veterans from the Armed Forces and Emergency Services (including Coast Guard & RNLI) who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by training and providing specialist PTSD assistance dogs using rescue dogs.
PTSD is the brain’s response to an extremely traumatic event or events, for example a life-threatening experience, in which the person undergoes intense fear and/or helplessness. Symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks, panic attacks, anxiety, nightmares, uncontrollable thoughts and feelings, paranoia and feeling suicidal. Those with PTSD often feel depressed, isolated, and can find day to day life and relationships very difficult.
Assistance dogs are used to help those with PTSD as they can not only be trained to carry out specific practical tasks if required, but have important therapeutic benefits which enable sufferers to cope. These benefits include: reduced anxiety and stress levels, lower blood pressure, a decrease in startle responses, improved sleep through knowing the dog is there, improved emotional regulation, increased patience and impulse control, reduced depression, providing a daily routine including exercise which helps PTSD symptoms, a sense of purpose, a feeling of acceptance from the dog, a reduction in pain medications and emotional numbness, and creating an increased sense of calm overall [*].
Rescue dogs are carefully selected and matched to a suitable veteran. The rescue dog is given basic training, after which, the veteran becomes involved in the dog’s advanced training. A mutual bond is then formed (and creating a bond is known to trigger oxytocin, the ‘happy’ chemical in the brain), enhancing the lives of both the veteran and the rescue dog. There is no fee to the veteran for the training programme, and Service Dogs UK continue to support their partnership over time.
Service Dogs UK aim to remove any stigma around PTSD and around rescue dogs. They also aim to raise awareness of PTSD through education and the activities of the organisation. For more information on Service Dogs UK and their work, please click here.
* From Service Dog Training Program for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress in Service Members - Yount, Olmert, Lee published: US Army Medical Department Journal 2012
Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease
A number of dogs participating in Dogslife have been diagnosed as having developed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a broad term used to describe a group of inflammatory conditions which result in the development of gastrointestinal clinical signs such as vomiting and/or diarrhoea. These signs are often persistent and severe in nature. They are caused by inflammation which impedes the intestines' ability to digest food and absorb nutrients. The trigger for this inflammation is rarely identified, but genetics, nutrition, infections and abnormalities of the immune system may all play a role in the development of the disease. Once it has started, IBD can be difficult to control.
Dogs with IBD may have a history of chronic diarrhoea and/or vomiting, and as a result they may lose weight. Veterinarians may use blood tests to detect if the liver and pancreas are also affected by the inflammation. Abdominal X-rays, ultrasound and computed tomography scans can help to rule out other causes of the clinical signs (such as cancer or foreign bodies). Tests on stools will also commonly be performed to rule out concurrent infections with parasites such as giardia or bacteria such a campylobacter or salmonella which could cause similar clinical signs. The definitive diagnosis of IBD requires a biopsy (removal of a small sample of tissue from the gut, either using a small camera called an endoscope, or by exploratory abdominal surgery) which is sent to a pathologist to confirm the presence of the inflammation in the gut tissue.
The key to controlling inflammatory bowel disease is controlling the inflammation. This usually involves a combination of dietary modification (for example, feeding a diet which the affected dog has never encountered before, and which is highly digestible) and medical treatment. Trial of many different diets may be required to achieve control. Suppression of the immune system (to reduce the inflammation in the gut) with drugs will also likely be required. Antibiotics may be used to remove bacteria from the gut which could be contributing to the disease. In the long term IBD can often be controlled, but rarely is it completely resolved.
Why owners participate in Dogslife
Thanks to all the information provided by owners in the Dogslife participant survey, we’ve been able to gain a more detailed insight as to why dog owners participating in Dogslife feel that it is worthwhile.
The majority of owners find Dogslife worthwhile because they feel that they are actively contributing to research which is improving the health and welfare of the Labrador Retriever breed. Interestingly, some owners pointed out that they had read about the results of Dogslife in the national press (for example when there have been reports on our findings about limber tail or weight gain in Labradors), and that they recognised their own contribution to these exciting findings. This is great news (if you excuse the pun) as we are only able to make these discoveries thanks to the time and dedication of our participants, and it is important that they can appreciate their contribution to making these discoveries.
Owners commonly stated that they found the information provided by Dogslife, for example about dog health through the newsletter, was another reason why taking part in Dogslife was worthwhile. A number of owners pointed out that they liked the project because it allowed them to keep a record of their dog’s weight, general heath and exercise, and enabled them to compare their dog’s development to that of other dogs taking part in the project. Feeding back useful information to participants was a key goal of the project when we set it up. The newsletter seems to be the most effective way of achieving the dissemination of information, but we are always open to suggestions for other ways we can do it.
Thanks again to everybody who completed the participant questionnaire, and everyone who takes part in Dogslife, for helping make it such a success.
Don't forget to come back to www.dogslife.ac.uk and update your dog's record!
