Dogged Blog

Click click meow: The cat training revolution

It was a simple question from a first-time pet owner. "Why," she asked me one day out of the blue, "don't we train cats the way we train dogs?"



I asked her to be more specific, a useful journalistic skill when you have absolutely no idea what the answer is and you're stalling for time.



She gave me a look that said she was on to me, but answered patiently. "You know, why don't we train cats to walk on a leash or sit or stay or come when we call them? Why aren't there cat training classes like there are dog training classes?"



I responded with complete confidence, "Because they're cats."



"So?" she replied. "What does that mean?"



At that point I was forced to admit that the emperor was buck naked. "I don't know," I told her. "But I'll find out."



And thus began my quest to find out why it is that everyone "knows" when you get a new dog, you have to train him, but we rarely do too much with our cats beyond showing them where the litterbox is and trying to keep them from running out the door everytime we open it.



The first thing I did was call Dr. Melissa Bain at the Companion Animal Behavior Program at University of California Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Know what I found out? People do train their cats. I don't just mean train them to do tricks, I mean train them to walk on a leash or come when called or, you know, retrieve stuff.



I totally missed this little revolution when it happened, but apparently all those clicker-crazy dog people discovered that clicker training works even better for cats than it does for dogs. Who knew?

"Positive training helps cat owners gain control in a positive manner," said Dr. Bain. "It also gives the cat something to do, and helps the owners develop a different relationship with their cat. We're reinforcing the good behavior instead of always saying, 'No, no, no, no, no.'"



[....]



Clicker training does more than just teach cats what we do and don't want them to do, says Redwood City cat behaviorist Marilyn Krieger; it enriches their lives and our relationship with them. "I have one client whose husband is not in love with cats," she told me. "I have him clicker training, and already he's appreciating his cat more. There's just something that happens, where they become more likely to interact with you. There's more communication, and the cats seem to understand so much more what you want."



Although a lot of cat owners won't believe it, she says that pretty much anyone, armed with nothing more than a few treats and a clicker, can easily and quickly train a cat to perform the same simple commands we tend to think of as dog tricks: sit, roll over, high five. And with a bit more effort, you can use the exact same techniques to teach more complicated actions such as walking on a leash or coming when called. Krieger routinely uses clicker training to help cats in shelters become adoptable, teaching them how to socialize with humans, use a litter box, scratch a cat tree instead of the sofa, and play gently instead of roughly.

I talked to a number of people who have trained their cats to do all kinds of amazing things with a clicker -- including play the piano! I know Gina's used a clicker on Clara and Ilario... how about the rest of you? Do you clicker train your cats?



Read the story here.

FDA fiddles while melamine threat grows

I was catching up on the weekend in politics over on Daily Kos, when a diary about melamine caught my eye. It only mentions the pet food recall in passing, and is otherwise concerned primarily with the human food threat posed by melamine in milk-derived Chinese products, including infant formula (blogged about earlier by Gina, here and here). Still, it all sounded so very familiar to those of us who went through last year's pet food crisis, I thought I'd share it with you.



The diarist writes under the name Deep Harm (and yes, I have a problem with anonymous bloggers) and says the FDA recently announced it was broadening its testing of Chinese imported foods:

FDA does not explain how it "broadened" its domestic and import sampling and testing.  Does that mean broadened to include testing for melamine?  If so, when, exactly, did it begin testing for melamine?  On September 20?  If so, that is hardly a "proactive" response, given that the Chinese crisis had been in the headlines for weeks. FDA's only action prior to that was to look for the specific brand of Chinese formula first reported as contaminated and to assure Americans that the formula is not sold in the U.S.  Apparently, FDA officials learned nothing from the pet food contamination crisis, where the list of affected products grew weekly.



It's highly problematic that the FDA is looking only at products that could contain milk-derived ingredients from "Chinese sources."  That leaves Americans vulnerable to products produced in other countries that may have used Chinese ingredients without declaring them; and there are a mind-boggling number of food products containing "whole milk powder, non-fat milk powder, whey powder, lactose powder, and casein."

Good luck finding any of that out from FDA. I used to say stuff like, "If this was in baby food, they'd be taking it more seriously." It turns out I was wrong.



The full diary is here, but be warned: it will make your head explode. Although I think it's worth it to see this diarist suggest that anyone from FDA, USDA and CDC "involved in making the reckless 'interim' risk assessment, which clearly was inadequate and not based on sound science, should be fired and forced to return to taxpayers any bonuses they received for work on that project."



You dreamer, you.



[Update from Gina the early bird: Link fixed. And ... chocolate recalled! Chinese-made chocolate!]

Let it rain

Hello, beloved Dogged Blog. How I have missed you.

I've been blogging politics at Bark Obama, pets at Pet Connection, and not blogging at all at AfterElton/AfterEllen. I have two sick dogs, a deadline tomorrow, and I'm sick with worry over the economy.

But sometimes it doesn't matter how much rain falls or how dark the clouds are. Just ask the 26,000 people who stood in a downpour to see Barack Obama and Joe Biden in going-blue Virginia today.

Hmmmm... let Barack's smile be your umbrella?

Superinfections and superdrugs

I slept badly last night, because Kyrie did. Despite two powerful pain medications, medical grade honey, and lydocaine spray, her MRSI lesion caused her so much pain that she whimpered and cried for hours.



Twenty-four hours ago, nothing. This morning? What you see in that photo. That's how fast it hits.



This morning we went to the vet. The appointment was originally to check and make sure Rebel's MRSI bladder infection had been eradicated by his cut-short-by-severe-side-effects course of chloramphenicol. The vet added Kyrie to the schedule when I called last night and told her the monster was back. She had, coincidentally, just gone to a lecture by a local dermatology specialist to discuss the treatment of MRSI infections. She clipped Kyrie's fur and cleaned her wound, and took a sample to culture. She put her back on the antibiotic that cleared it last time, pending the culture results, and refilled Kyrie's painkiller prescriptions.



She took a urine sample from Rebel, too, and then I gave them four hundred bucks and took my dogs home.



I feel like I have no faith in anything anymore. Not holistic medicine, not conventional medicine, not the cutting edge, not the laying on of hands. I looked at Rebel's last culture and sensitivity test results. This bug is susceptible to nothing except drugs that quite literally cost thousands of dollars. And it's not just the money, because as long as they don't find some reason to wiggle out of paying, Rebel does have pet health insurance.



No, it's because these drugs? They're supposed to be reserved for the worst of the worst infections in human medicine, not being turned to by desperate dog owners because of what should have been mild, easily treated skin and bladder infections. They're supposed to be for the kind of infections you only pick up in an organ transplant unit.



And I just keep asking myself: what on earth is going on here? How is this happening?



I also keep wondering: why my dogs? Why us?



Forgive me my brief wallow in self-pity. There's nothing I hate more than seeing one of my dogs suffer, and not being able to find a cure.

Brave new world? Superbug bites both my dogs this time

I have nothing funny to say, no medical wisdom to impart, and absolutely no clue why I'm even here writing other than it's that or cry myself to sleep.



Not only does Rebel have a drug-resistant staph infection in his bladder, but the same drug-resistant skin staph infection that Kyrie had earlier this year is back. Rebel's last culture left us with nothing but drugs costing thousand of dollars and loaded with side effects, and chloramphenicol. We went with that, and he had a terrible neurological reaction to it that I honestly thought was going to kill him. He's recovered from that, but I have no idea what we do next. He was scheduled for a vet appointment tomorrow morning.... and then this afternoon, Kyrie's skin erupted again in the same horrible lesion she had last time.



I'm taking them both to the vet in the morning, but I just feel like, I don't know, like a house fell on me...

Lessons from the Iditarod: How sled dogs run 1,100 miles through the harshest conditions

On those cold mornings here in, ummm, California, when I find it daunting to face a mile-long walk in the rain with two frisky sighthounds, it's hard to imagine having the stamina to run more than a thousand miles in less than two weeks, pulling a sled, during freezing temperatures, blizzards, and heavy winds.



So how exactly do sled dogs do it, and can humans learn anything from them that might help us get our butts in gear a bit more effectively for our lesser challenges?



At this week's American Physiological Society conference on the biology of exercise, Dr. Michael Davis of the Oklahoma State University’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences shared a few "Lessons from the Iditarod” with his peers in the human health field:

Racing sled dogs are best known for their “mushing” each March during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the world’s longest sled race. They are the premier ultra-endurance competitors, covering 1,100 miles from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, sometimes in just nine days. It is unclear how they can keep running, despite heavy blizzards, temperatures as low as –40°F, and winds up to 60 mph. No other animal has been found to come close to the physiological attributes these dogs display.

How do they do it? In a number of ways.



First, sled dogs, unlike humans, rapidly adapt to intense exercise. Although the first few days of the race put an enormous strain on their endurance, after four days of this level of extreme activity they've returned to almost the same metabolic state as they were before the race began, without a period of rest. Humans performing extreme activity, instead, are in a depleted state that can require as much as a full day for recovery. This rapid adaptation is key to their extraordinary endurance.



Second, racing dogs have around twice of the aerobic capacity of non-racing dogs.



Third, forget the carbo-loading. When it comes to extreme endurance in canines, fat is where it's at:

During periods of racing, sled dogs can burn up to 12,000 kilocalories per day (kcal/day). This means that a 55-pound sled dog will consume the equivalent of 24 McDonald’s Big Macs to fuel their run on any given day. Some of the running dog’s high-fat diet is converted to energy in the liver, and used as fuel in the initial stages of exercise. Preliminary data suggests that this process is a desirable trait intended to efficiently support exercise in the racers. It is worth noting that humans would need 72 Big Macs to fuel the power they need to make a day’s run, assuming their body could absorb and process all the fat contained in the beef.

Is there more? Experts believe so.

Dr. Davis theorizes that it may involve the regulation of extremely thin membranes in the muscle fibers and changes in the cells that are responsible for the body’s energy production. “These are one-of-a-kind athletes. What we learn from them will undoubtedly tell us a lot about human performance as well.”

Read a summary of Dr. Davis' presentation here. Me, I gotta go pry my dogs off the sofa for a little walk.



Photo by Brendan McKiernan of Rogue River, OR, a veterinary internist involved with some of the studies. Used with permission.

Winterize your pets: Prepare now for the cold days ahead

Living in San Francisco as I do, the fact that this yesterday was the first day of fall just means we finally get our few days of hot weather, with real autumn several weeks off... and no actual summer or winter, either. Which, having gone to Northwestern University in the freezing cold winters and humid summers of Chicago's northern suburbs, is fine with me.



Those of you who live in places where there are seasons, however, might want to check out the tips in this week's Pet Connection for winterizing your pets:

We don't agree with the practice of keeping dogs and cats outdoors all their lives -- these pets are often lonely and bored, and are more likely to be suffering from physical neglect.



That said, we realize some people won't bring animals in the house, no matter what. If you're one of those people, you must provide adequate outdoor shelter. And the time to review your pet's shelter is now.



Animals must be able to get out of the elements. A pet must have a well-insulated structure just large enough so that he can curl up inside to maintain body heat. The structure should also have a wind-block to protect it from wintry blasts. In the coldest parts of the country, it should also have some sort of outdoor-rated pet-heating pad or other device. And be sure that there's always a supply of fresh, unfrozen water by using a heated bowl.



Animals who spend any significant amount of time outside will need more calories during cold weather. Food is fuel, and they'll need to burn it to stay warm.



Final outdoor caution: Remember to thump on your car's hood on cold mornings. You neighbor's cat may be nestled against the engine for warmth, and thumping your car's hood will get the animal to skedaddle to safety.

You'll also find information on dealing with season shedding, using portion control to help your pets lose weight, ideas for training your dog to interact appropriately with strange dogs, animal trivia from Dr. Marty and Mikkel, and helpful hints on something I devoutly hope never to have to do again, moving with cats:

Trying to force a scared and stressed-out cat to do anything he doesn't want to is hazardous to your health. After you arrive at your new home, don't pull your cat out of his carrier. Instead, put the carrier in his safe room, open the carrier door, and let him come out into the room when he wants to. After he's a little calmer, you can coax him out with some fresh food or treats if you want. But don't rush him and don't drag him out -- or you may be bitten or scratched.

It's all in this week's Pet Connection syndicated feature!

The Borzoi: Supermodel or superhound?

Why, yes, I'm alive. Thank you for asking.



Let's just skim over the week I've had with a single-word description: hellacious. Good, now that's over with.



I was digging through the pile of mail on my dining room table in the hopes of finding a letter from the state lottery department letting me know where I could pick up the check when I saw the current issue of Harper's Bazaar. Yes, I read fashion magazines. Deal.



On the cover was a blonde actress I'm informed is Kirsten Dunst, a name that means nothing to me since she's not, you know, a veterinarian, dog trainer, or politician. And with her in the photo were three gorgeous Borzois, the middle one looking a bit like my own darling Kyrie.



Of course, the Borzoi has a long history of being used in fashion illustration. They were the sleek, elegant companions of sleek, elegant flappers in the 20s, and graced many famous art deco covers of Vogue magazine.



If you actually live with one, you might find that image hard to reconcile with the reality. Mine, at least, is a hoyden, and has about as much interest in standing around in a jeweled collar having her photograph taken as she does in doing a perfect competition "heel" and a four-square sit. No, what she lives for, and has always lived for, are the chase and the sofa, the latter preferably with me sitting next to her, petting her gently, while explaining to a rapt audience how amazing and perfect and beautiful she is.



That, in a word -- okay, a sentence -- is what I love about sighthounds. They're quiet in the house, gentle and loving and just happy to be the object of your attention without standing there panting with a ball in their mouth, begging you to get up, take me out, play with me, come on, mom, really, you don't have to meet that deadline, you have to throw this now!



But take them out in the field, somewhere safe and open? Nothing takes my breath away like watching a fast dog doing what she was bred to do, stretched full-out, a blur of speed and grace on the skyline.



So yes, they're pretty and they do have all that glamorous hair. I'm not surprised people put them on the covers of fashion magazines. But share your life with one?



A different picture emerges.

Play by the rules to protect your children from dog bites

Dogs bite and snap and snarl at each other from puppyhood on. It's part of the canine vocabulary -- but one they have to learn to control when they're around human beings, with our furless, sensitive skin and litigious society. And nowhere do they need to learn that control more than when around those most provocative and vulnerable members of the human family, children.



The secret to keeping your kids safe from dog bites is two-fold: Teach your children dog safety, and, if you have dogs, teach them to be safe around children. In this week's Pet Connection, Dr. Rolan and Susan Tripp lay out a parental plan of action to accomplish exactly that:

Every year about a thousand people a day turn up in emergency rooms with dog bites, from pets of all sizes, shapes, breeds and mixes. Most of these victims are school-aged children, with bites to the face being the most common, and boys being seen more often than girls.



Many of these bites could have been prevented, with some parental guidance and care beforehand. How can parents help dogs and children to get along? Make sure your children know the basics for enjoying time with dogs safely:



Play by the rules. Children and dogs benefit from the exercise and enjoyment of playtime. Rough play and dog wrestling are against the rules. So is running around shrieking and waving arms wildly. Your children must learn to be calm and relaxed around dogs, and that play must stop if a dog gets wound up or is uncomfortable with the level of activity.

Along with the rest of the tips for raising kid-safe dogs and dog-safe kids, you'll find: tips on preventing chewing and other forms of canine destructive behavior; a new "pet hotel" opening at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport; a report on where pet owners get advice about their animals; a how-to guide on making kitten toys; and a review of the fascinating and the practical in new animal books:

Authors John Lloyd and John Mitchinson are the authors of The New York Times best-selling "Book of General Ignorance," and their beastly follow-up is full of often unbelievable (but absolutely true) facts about the animal kingdom. It's a can't-put-it-down read.



Did you know, for instance, that a female komodo dragon doesn't need a male to reproduce? That an elephant's trunk is powerful enough to kill a lion with a single blow, yet delicate enough to pick up a grain of rice? That a mole will die if it goes more than eight hours without eating? Now you do.



What if your search for animal knowledge is more practical in nature? If, like most dog or cat owners, you need information on how to cut your pet's nails rather than on the mating habits of the hyena? Two new books from Arden Moore have you covered.

All that and yes... MORE... over at Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection, written by the team that produces this blog.

Strange bedfellows?

There are two reasons I will never set foot in Denver.

This is one.... and this is the other.

Although queers are in good company with pit bulls.