Date with your dog: making time

Are you making enough time in your schedule for your companions?

The festive season and New Year are supposed to be a time of winding down. I know this because now I am getting automatic replies from emails saying people are on leave. But it feels like everything is ramping up, and things are getting even busier! I am sure I'm not the only one who feels time poor.

I was shocked to read the other day that up to ten per cent of dogs are surrendered to shelters because the owner did not have enough time for a dog.

Lack of time with our pets can be  welfare issue. After all, they can't just wander over to a friend's place when they're bored. They rely on us for mental stimulation, physical activity and enrichment.

We need to take steps to ensure that our time with our companion animals doesn't get pushed down - and eventually off - our list of priorities.

Recently I've been e-chatting with Jeanie Galbreath, a virtual assistant located in Goodlettsville, TN, in the good old US of A. She started her company, Task Jeanie LLC, after being laid off from an accounting position in 2009. 

Virtual assistants are the people that people call (or email most likely) to do all those pesky time-sucking tasks like administration, social media management, newsletter writing and even creating Wikipedia pages. She reckons that busy people need to schedule time for their best friends, the way one might schedule meetings or events.

What kind of people do you work for?

I work mostly with busy professionals from any and every background, including lawyers, busy moms and veterinarians. 

I started Task Jeanie with the hopes of helping people free up their time. My clients are able to outsource their time-consuming tasks to me, all while saving money (virtual assistants are much cheaper than in-house administrative support). I've always been an organized person and I love helping others get organized!

What's the difference between an admin assistant and a virtual assistant?

Virtual assistants basically do everything an administrative assistant does, but only virtually, via email, phone and fax. Services can include sending out newsletters for clients, proofreading, copywriting, creating and editing PowerPoint presentations, data entry and more. 

Do you have any pets?

I recently had a Betta fish named Shark, but unfortunately he passed away. Small with a lot of spunk! I really miss him! :(

Okay, so people need schedules. But do pets need schedules?

It's important to have a schedule for your pet because pets have needs just like you and I. They need to interact with their owners, they need to be fed, they need exercise....most of the things that we need!

Sometimes people get so wrapped up in their own activities that they forget about their pets. Planning your day with your pet in mind is always important. 

So you went and made one. What inspired this development?

I love planners and daybooks (I use one every day) and I had the thought to create a planner. But the challenge was that I didn't just want to create something that was already out there - I wanted to create something unique. I started doing research and found out that there were no planners for pets. I couldn't believe it! So I decided that I would create a system for keeping track of schedules for pets [you can see the result here]. It's the only planner/calendar/mini-scrapbook designed to keep track of pet's schedules. It has notepads, pet family tree pages, pet info pages to record medical history, grooming info, etc. I feel those are great tools for keeping yourself and your pet organized.

The Petter, designed just to organise time for your pet. 

The Petter has icons for each day that remind you to schedule quality time with your pet, as well as other sections that keep track of medical history, medications, dietary needs, etc. 

Thanks, Jeanie!

You might also want to read this article on spending quality time with your rabbits/guinea pigs and this excellent piece by Victoria Stilwell on how dogs can fit into our hectic lives - and how we need to manage our expectations.

SAT would like to know how YOU organise time with your pets. Are they simply built into your daily routine? Have you made plans for quality time over the Christmas/New Year period? And when your pet has your undivided attention, what do they enjoy doing most?

CircusOz acrobat Stevee Mills talks about her dog Lenni

Circus Oz performer Stevee Mills with Lenni.

SAT was fortunate enough to e-chat with Circus Oz acrobat Stevee Mills. Not only is she a beautiful, talented acrobat, she's also an animal lover and proud owner of a rescue dog called Lenni.

Mills may have one of the most enviable jobs in the world, but if she hadn't run away with the Circus she would be working with animals. And she takes a photo of her dog on tour. We couldn't resist an interview (oh, and if you'd like to see her in action, Circus Oz is performing Cranked Up in January for the last time in Australia before heading to Boston and Montreal. Check here for more info).

What do you do?

I am a circus performer. I have been an acrobat with Circus Oz for the past three years.

How did you get to become a circus performer?

I did gymnastics and diving as a kid, and after working in the animal industry for a couple of years, I decided to do a Bachelor of Circus Arts at the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) in Melbourne.

What is your favourite act that you get to perform?

I love performing flying trapeze. It’s a really fun group act that I get to perform with most of the ensemble.

Can you tell us a bit about how you came to meet Lenni?

I went to The Lost Dogs Home looking to adopt. When I saw her I knew I had to take her home.

What necessitated her amputation?

When we adopted her, we were told that she had been found wandering the streets with a badly broken hind leg. They amputated it only two weeks before we took her home.

How did Lenni adapt to that?

I don’t think she even realises that it’s gone! She still plays and runs and jumps as much as any other dog.

Do you have any tips for those who live with companion animals that lose a limb?

I give Lenni glucosamine powder with her dinner every night to strengthen her joints, and sometimes I have to take her for shorter walks if she seems tired or worn out.

How do you and Lenny spend time together?

Lenni loves coming with me to visit friends. She’s great with other dogs and loves kids. Every morning when my boyfriend leaves for work, she sneaks into bed with me for a cuddle.

Are there challenges being a pet owner who tours the country (and the world) a lot?

Luckily I have a partner who can be with her when I’m tour with Circus Oz. And she loves staying with her ‘grandparents’. I always feel a bit guilty when I have to leave Lenni for Circus Oz tours, but she forgives me for leaving her as soon as I walk through the door!

How has Lenni changed you as a person?

Well I’m definitely more protective of Lenni than previous dogs that I’ve had. I don’t need to be, because she’s very independent. But I can’t help it!

Should we review our thinking about pets as Christmas presents?

Imagine finding Bosca under your tree...

For as long as I have worked in and alongside shelters, there has been a working assumption that adopting animals out at Christmas is fraught with risk. The thinking is that dogs and cats purchased on impulse, and given often as a surprise - without the recipient having anything to do with selection - leads to greater risk of re-surrender. Those who recieve pets as gifts may be less invested, less attached, and more likely to just dump their pet. 

This is a powerful, intuitive story that permeates our society - and probably applies in some real-life scenarios. And there are philosophical objections. Giving an animal as a "gift" objectifies it, and could convince the recipient that it is a good that might be exchanged or refunded (or regifted) like the other presents.

But have we taken it a bit too far? All over the world, shelters have policies limiting adoption over Christmas, with some closing for adoptions that week to prevent gift adoptions that will become resurrender statistics. In my experience, potential adopters get quizzed that bit extra in the month or so leading up to Christmas.

But a study by the ASPCA, recently published in Animals, adds to a growing body of literature that torpedoes the "gifting-is-evil" hypothesis. The researchers interviewed 1006 respondents by telephone, and found that 222 had recieved a pet dog or cat as a gift in the past ten years (so obviously, in the US at least, giving pets as gifts is reasonably common).

They found no significant relationship between recieving a dog or cat as a gift (whether or not this was a surprise), and the owner's love or attachment to the pet. 

THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT PETS GIVEN AS GIFTS ARE NEVER SURRENDERED. But, it does mean that many animals that are given as gifts are loved and cherished just as much as those that are purchased by the owner.

This and other studies found that the risk of relinquishment was higher in any animal obtained from a shelter. Another study found that "unwanted gift" was cited as the reason for surrendering 0.3% of dogs and 0.4% of cats, compared with "no time for pet" as the reason for 10% of canine surrenders and "allergies in family" as the reason for 18% of feline surrenders (antihistamines people!).

One study found that dogs given as gifts were less likely to be surrendered than those purchased or adopted by the owner. Perhaps this is because of the link to the gift giver?

Of course there were limitations to the study. It relied on respondents accurately self-disclosing that they had recieved an animal as a gift. In some circles (e.g. a lot of animal lover circles) that is taboo. The measurement of attachment to the pet was also self-disclosed, and we know in real life that what people say and what people do can be tricky to reconcile sometimes. And they didn't identify how long the gifted dog or cat lived in the home to which it was gifted. Finally, they didn't go into details about the gifting - was the dog or kitten presented under a Christmas tree, was the recipient taken to a shelter to choose, did someone "regift" an unwanted pet or just handover a fat wad of cash outside the pet shop and say "go knock yourself out"?

But it does raise important points.

• If it is the case that gifting does not alter attachment or increase surrenders, shelters can lift Christmas adoption-freezes and take advantage of the additional homes.
• We need to focus on other reasons for surrender, and work to manage owner expectations.
• It frees us to consider some of the ADVANTAGES of adopting at Christmas - for example, owners are often home and have additional time to bond with their new pet.
• Fewer animals in shelters at Christmas means less crowding and less stress on shelter staff.
• Is there in fact evidence that shelters should be PROMOTING adoption at Christmas? [I'm not saying there is at all - but is this an uptapped marketing opportunity that could save more lives?].

We should also be careful not to pick on Christmas. Gifts are given year-round for various occasions, and the study didn't focus on animals as Christmas gifts. 

It seems to make sense, where possible, to involve the recipient in the choice of pet they will be living with for the next decade or two. Some shelters already sell gift vouchers, allowing givers to surprise people with the purchase of a pet but leaving them with the ultimate choice.

Its a complex issue, dealing with unwanted pets is complex and emotionally challenging, but it is always worth testing our assumptions in case they're acting as barriers to placing animals in worthy homes.

And maybe, just maybe, its okay for animal lovers to think about giving an animal the gift of a loving home, if you think about it thus: they're not the present - YOU are.

Reference
Weiss E, Dolan ED, Garrison L, Hong J, Slater M. Should Dogs and Cats be Given as Gifts? Animals. 2013; 3(4):995-1001.

Why are small dogs the scariest? "Short man syndrome" discovered in dogs

Does your dog suffer from short man syndrome?

In veterinary medicine, just like in human medicine, we love a label, and we may just have added another to our appellation arsenal: short man syndrome (SMS). And I now have scientific data that goes some way to explaining why someone pees on my bath mat.

Also known as the Napolean complex, the SMS hypothesis holds that shorter men are more prone to bouts of aggression, showing off and keeping tabs on their partner at parties than taller guys (I didn't make this up!!! The research that these conclusions were drawn from was promoted by New Scientist. Not everyone, however, was happy). In short, forgive my pun, the theory holds that what vertically challenged men lack in height, they feel they must compensate for by dominating in other ways.

This by way of background to a recent study, from which the authors conclude that a variation of SMS applies to dogs. As the owner (nay, companion) of a 2.2kg hound whom I have occasionally quipped has "small man syndrome", I was naturally intrigued.

According to the literature, humans and animals with "Napolean complex" like to keep their significant others close.

The study backs up the experience of most vets I know, which is that certain physical traits of dogs are consistently associated with certain types of behaviour. You just know that some breeds are going to be more high-strung, or fearful than others. Of course there are exceptions, but it makes sense.

Unfortunately, the study doesn't exactly make small dogs look hot. 

"Essentially, the shorter the dogs the less controllable their behaviour is for their owners," primary author Professor Paul McGreevy said.

The study used owners' reports on the behaviour of over 8,000 dogs from across 80 breeds and related them to the shape of 960 dogs of those breeds, revealing strong relationships between height, bodyweight, skull proportions (relative width and length) and behaviour.

It discovered that thirty-three, out of thirty-six undesirable behaviours considered, were associated with height, bodyweight and skull shape.

For example, as a breed's average height decreased, the likelihood of behaviors such as mounting humans or objects, owner-directed aggression, begging for food and attention-seeking increased.

"The only behavioral trait associated with increasing height was 'trainability'. When average bodyweight decreased, excitability and hyperactivity increased," said Professor McGreevy.

In other words, "behaviour becomes more problematic as height decreases".

According Professor McGreevy, "This suggests that, in small dogs, [problematic] behaviours are tolerated more than they would be in larger dogs where such behaviours are more unwelcome and even dangerous. Equally, such behaviours in small dogs may be a result of their being overindulged and over-protected."

Overindulged and overprotected? Surely not...

Anyone who works with animals knows that it is often the smaller dogs who are more likely to have a go at you (and before it is said that I am having a go at small dogs, let it be known that I have a soft spot for working with small dogs with "issues") - and maybe we let them get away with murder because that's one thing we're pretty certain they're not capable of.

But, as the authors also suggest, maybe the world really is a big, scary place if everyone else is at least a metre taller than you. Or maybe they are primed to react a bit more? The study suggests that smaller dogs are overindulged and over-protected, but behaviours of small dogs (eg urination or defectaton when alone, separation problems, attachment and attention seeking, begging) may be interpreted as infantile, care-soliciting behaviours. Are these little canine Napoleons training us? 

I don't know if anyone else has this experience when they read a journal article, but I had the creepy feeling that the authors of the study had actually been camping on my loungeroom for the last six months! 

It might be all about dogs on the surface, but these kinds of studies reveal a lot about us - the kind of traits and behaviours we cultivate and reward, the relationships we have with our dogs and the power that a few kilograms of canine can wield in a household.

Behind every short dog...there has to be an owner of a short dog!!!

Back to the study. It wasn't just the smallies who performed disappointingly.

"The ratio of skull width to length was an interesting case. Long skulled dogs - such as afghans, salukis and whippets - appear to be a product of selection for hunting/chasing characteristics as they excelled on those indicators.

"According to owners' reports, they flunked on fear of strangers, barking persistently, and stealing food. Given hunting dogs have not traditionally been companion animals sharing close quarters with humans this may not be surprising."

In contrast, the results confirmed short-skulled dogs, such as pugs and boxers, the result of generations of selective breeding, retain some 'puppyish' characteristics as adults but have lost many of their hunting traits entirely.

Professor McGreevy adds that before we get all breedist, we should remember that "what is normal in terms of dog behaviour clearly depends on more than simply its breed."

Yep. No overprotecting here. No siree. 

You can read the article on PLOS One.

Reference: McGreevy PD, Georgevsky D, Carrasco J, Valenzuela M, Duffy DL, et al. (2013) Dog Behavior Co-Varies with Height, Bodyweight and Skull Shape. PLoS ONE 8(12): e80529. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080529

Free veterinary webinars, a biological dilemma and jewellery for the chemist in your life

Betty sits helpfully in the middle of the action.

Today’s post is brought to you by Betty, a stunning Burmese who loves hanging out in her mum’s sewing room (having visited myself, I can attest that it’s a delightful living space).

If you’re putting together your continuing education plan for next year, the Australian Small AnimalVeterinary Association has released its program of webinars. This year’s series were excellent and 2014 promises great topics. See the program here. They're free for ASAVA members, and in my view the webinars alone are worth joining for.

[For those who had issues downloading I've typed it here, please forgive any typos]:

Date	Time	Topic	Speaker
4/2	7pm	Dx and rx of FIP	Amy Lingard
18/2	7pm	Brain disease	Georgina Child
4/3	7pm	Acute renal failure	Graham Swinney
18/3	7pm	Rx for demodex – problem with drug interactions	Rob Hilton
8/4	6.30pm	Cherry eye	Anna Deykin
29/4	6.30pm	Addison’s	Bruce Mackay
13/5	6.30pm	Safe anaesthesia – sedation for the compromised patient	Thierry Beths
27/5	6.30pm	Cardio/respiratory emergencies	Ryan Ong
10/6	6.30pm	Anxiety/phobia disorders	Kersti Seksel
24/6	6.30pm	Abdominal radiography/ultrasounds	Cathy Beck
8/7	6.30pm	Surgical management of traumatic wounds, wound reconstruction	Gordon Corfield
22/7	6.30pm	Spinal disease	Georgina Child
5/8	6.30pm	Soft tissue surgery – handy tips	Gordon Corfield
2/9	6.30pm	Use of NSAIDs in cats	Richard Gowan
16/9	6.30pm	Managing feline lymphoma	Veronika Langova
7/10	7pm	Orthopaedic radiology	Cathy Beck
21/10	7pm	Skin neoplasias	Linda Vogelnest
11/11	7pm	ECGs	Niek Beijerink
25/11	7pm	Anaesthesia problems in dogs and cats	Anthea Raisis
9/12	7pm	Separation anxiety	Gabrielle Carter

Betty's family keep plenty of toys in her favourite room.

For those with strong stomachs, Dr Scott Weese posted this thoughtful piece about a very disgusting dilemma involving a cat and a very queasy lady with bad aim. Read on here.

And Betty makes use of them! A lot.

Here at SAT we are big into science-themed fashion. Especially if we can purchase it online in betwixt writing science-themed blogposts.

If you are seeking a gift for the chemistry-oriented in your life, check out these stunning chemical formula necklaces. Somewhat intriguingly, they are themed around illicit drugs and reproductive hormones, a teratogenic combination. Have a look here. 

Thanks Betty!

Dogs reduce blood pressure

What's not soothing about the presence of this little guy?

The health benefits of pets are somewhat contested. One month a pro-pet group publishes on the benefits of pet ownership, the next month a bunch of killjoys publish a paper finding an absence of health benefits or even a detrimental effect. It pains me to say it but rarely is a field of scientific research so overtly biased.

The truth is, it’s complicated. I suspect people relate to their pets differently, integrating them into their respective lifestyles in very different ways, some of which are positive and others not so. Example: I’ve met clients who prefer not to leave their home because of their pet or pets. On the surface that seems terrible, but it depends on the individual circumstances. If your pet is your only companion and you won’t leave because of an unhealthy attachment, then I would suspect this could be detrimental to your health. But if your passion in life is to tend to your pet or menagerie, if that is where you draw your happiness, then you’re likely oodles better off than someone who doesn’t have that.

I also know from experience that our attachment and behaviour around companion animals changes over the lifespan of that animal and depends on the circumstances. For example, had a team of scientists arrived on my doorstep the week leading up to the removal of Phil’s retained tooth root, my blood pressure would have been sky-high (especially any time I cast my eyes on poor little Phil and the monster-boogers emerging from his right nostril) and they might well have concluded that it really was a detrimental attachment. Come the next week their findings would have been different. So I think we need to be careful about drawing blanket conclusions either way when it comes to these studies. The context has a huge impact which is very hard for scientists to factor in.

It’s also highly probable that writing about the health benefits of pets on this site is preaching to the converted. And as a veterinarian I have already laid my cards on the table – I believe that the relationship between humans and animals is important, is valuable, and is good for us and them.

All this by way of introduction to a study just published in Anthrozoos which found that dog ownership is associated with lower blood pressure. So why does that matter?

Untreated hypertension is associated with cardiovascular and kidney disease, and we’re going to see much more of that in an aging population with a sedentary lifestyle and questionable dietary choices. 

It is documented that ambulatory blood pressure is a better predictor of hypertension related morbidity (sickness) and mortality (death) than office blood pressure. [On a related note, a colleague of mine diagnosed himself with raging hypertension when he measured his blood pressure at work, only to find it was normal at the doctor. Apparently, the doc said, everyone is hypertensive at work!!!]

But seriously. If dog ownership is found to reduce morbidity and mortality, its a good argument for designing more pet-friendly retirement village and nursing homes. And another great reason (for those who needed one) to get a dog.

Bosca: do people really need a reason?

The latest study examined pet-owners aged 50 or older who lived independently and had mildly elevated blood pressure, for which most of them were taking medication. Participants wore a device which measured and reported on their blood pressure every 20 minutes – i.e. as they were going about their daily tasks – over there separate days across the three month study period.

The presence of a dog was associated with significantly lower systolic blood pressure (systole = when the heart muscle contracts) and diastolic blood pressure (diastole = when the heart muscle relaxes).

All good. Except when it came to cats. Cat owners had lower diastolic BP, but higher systolic BP when their cat was present. What does THAT mean? Well, it confused everyone as previous studies suggest that cat owners have lower stress and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

The effect of cats on blood pressure is a little confusing.

According to spokesperson Jeanette Fielding, “We know changes in systolic blood pressure can be influenced by physical activity or arousal and further work on the nature of the interaction would be required to determine if this explained our current findings”.

The study, conducted at the University of Maryland, was partly funded by the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, the scientific arm of Mars Petcare.

This is Hero, whom I caught lounging on top of the guinea pig enclosure. (He was removed just after this photo was taken). Its just one way he increases my blood pressure (probably also that of the guinea pigs). Look at that "I'm so busted" expression.