I have a perfectly innocent explanation for the mussed up and torn sheets and the sound of the headboard banging against the wall…
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, Canine Catering Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
Dogs exposed to garden and lawn chemicals may have a higher risk of bladder cancer.
iStockPhoto
Dogs are ingesting, inhaling and otherwise being exposed to garden and lawn chemicals that have been associated with bladder cancer, according to a new study.
The paper, which will appear in the July issue of Science of the Total Environment, also found that wind could carry the chemicals to untreated properties. The researchers also found that dogs, once contaminated by the chemicals, can transfer them to their owners.
The chemicals are common herbicides containing the following: 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-chloro-2- methylphenoxypropionic acid (MCPP) and/or dicamba.
“The routes of exposure that have been documented in experimental settings include ingestion, inhalation and transdermal exposures,” lead author Deborah Knapp of Purdue University’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, told Discovery News.
“In the case of dogs,” she added, “they could directly ingest the chemicals from the plant, or they could lick their paws or fur and ingest chemicals that have been picked up on their feet, legs or body.”
Scottish terriers, West Highland white terriers, Shetland sheepdogs, beagles and wire hair fox terriers are all at particular risk, the researchers suggest, because these breeds have a high genetic propensity for bladder cancer.
Knapp and her colleagues first conducted an experimental grass plot study that involved spraying various defined patches with the chemicals under different conditions. These included spraying the herbicides on plots that were green, dry brown, wet or recently mowed. The researchers next measured how much of the chemicals remained on the grass up to 72 hours post treatment.
Co-author Angus Murphy, also from Purdue, explained that dead or dying plant material does not readily absorb the chemicals, “so the herbicide can remain longer on the surface of the plant.”
He continued, “If an excessive amount of herbicide is applied, then the capacity of the target plant to take up the compound may be overwhelmed.”
In a second experiment, the researchers analyzed urine samples of dogs from households that either used herbicides or didn’t. The majority of dogs from homes that used the chemicals were found to have these same herbicides in their urine. Some dogs from untreated homes also had the chemicals in their urine.
Knapp explained that wind could cause the herbicides to travel up to 50 feet away from the application site. Neighbors who use the chemicals might therefore impact other individuals in the area.
“There are industry guidelines for restricting lawn chemical application based on wind speed, although homeowners may not be aware of these,” Knapp said.
Once contaminated, dogs can pass the chemicals on to their owners and to others. The study only looked at dogs, but the researchers suspect that cats and other pets could also be affected.
“Dogs can pick up the chemicals on their paws and their fur,” Knapp said. “They can then track the chemicals inside the house, leaving chemicals on the floor or furniture. In addition, if the dog has chemicals on its fur, the pet owner could come in contact with the chemicals when they pet or hold the dog.”
John Reif, a professor emeritus of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health, told Discovery News, “The paper presents important information since exposure to 2,-4-D, a widely used broad leaf herbicide, has been associated with increased risk of cancer in pet dogs and humans.”
Reif added, “This study has potentially important implications for human health since it demonstrates widespread exposure to pet dogs. The likelihood that children, who share the local environment with their pets, are similarly exposed to these chemicals is high and thus additional studies should be conducted to evaluate this possibility.”
The researchers suggest that if owners still must use herbicides, they should follow manufacturer guidelines, allow gardens and lawns to dry before allowing pets out, wash their dog’s feet each time the dog comes inside, and consider treating the back yard one week before the front (or vice versa) so that pets will have an area of less potential chemical exposure available to them.
Source: Discovery.com
Posted in dog breeds, dog care, Dogs, research
Tagged bladder cancer, cancer, herbicides, lawn care, paws, pesticides
This week has been a very rainy one in Christchurch. Since I am a mobile practitioner, I spend a fair amount of time in the car. When stopped at a traffic light, I snapped this photo with my phone:
You can clearly see this little white dog sitting on the ledge at the rear window of the car. I watched while the dog moved around on the ledge and onto the back seat of the car, then back again.
If this vehicle had to stop suddenly for any reason, this dog would go flying! Just as the driving safely videos show things like drink bottles flying after a crash, so too would this little dog. If it survived, it would likely need intensive medical care that would be both painful and expensive.
I don’t see enough dogs in Christchurch that are restrained properly using a car harness. It’s very concerning.
I’ve even met and talked with vets about this subject, and many have admitted that although they know they should restrain their own dogs, they don’t! Most vets don’t even ask as part of the annual check-up with their clients whether or not their dog travels in a vehicle and, if so, whether it is properly restrained.
We need more people leading from example….
…like the lovely lady who came yesterday to fit her Labrador puppy, Harley, with an auto harness. She’s training him at a young age to accept being restrained in the car.
Please let me know if your vet encourages you to restrain your dog when traveling in the car. I’d like to promote them via my Facebook page. And send me photos of your dog safely restrained in the car!
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, Canine Catering Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
Tagged annual check-ups, car harness, cars, dogs, Facebook, harnesses, restraints, she'll be right, veterinarians, vets
An international group of researchers has conducted a study on canine behavior showing that gender, age, context and individual recognition can be identified with a high percentage of success through statistical and computational methods of pattern recognition applied to their barking.
The results of the study have been published in the journal Animal Cognition.
This research aimed to understand the acoustic signals obtained from dog barking when the dog subjects are subjected to certain situations. The research was conducted through the development of a computational system based on statistic modeling that is able to recognize diverse characteristics of the dog (gender, age, individual, situation).
This diagram has been used to help ‘map’ the computing system behind the research:
Photo credit:
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)
The experiments were carried out in Budapest with eight Mudi breed dogs from Hungary, usually used as sheep-dogs—three males and five females. Each dog (aged between one and 10) registered 100 barks. A total of 800 barks was obtained by placing the dogs in seven different situations: (a) alone, after the owner tied the dog to a tree; (b) playing with a ball; (c) fighting, when a human pretended to attack the dog’s owner; (d) receiving their food ration; (f) in the company of a person who was foreign to the dog; and (g) preparing to go out with the owner. Each one of the 800 barks was characterized from 29 acoustic measurements.
By using the diverse computational models obtained from the collected data during the experiment, researchers successfully recognized the dog’s gender 85.13% of the time, while the age of the dog (recoded as young, adult and old) was classified without mistakes 80.25% of the time. The task of identifying the situation in which the dog was engaged was successful 55.50% of the time, while the recognition (among the eight dogs participating in the study) of the Mudi breed was successful the 67.63% of the time.
Whilst a highly technical bit of research, particularly for those of us who are challenged by computer programming and mathematics, there are applied uses for this research such as in assessing dog behavior. Software programs using these models could help to identify fear, anxiety and levels of aggressiveness in a dog.
Source: Phys.org
Tagged barking, cognition, computational modelling, Mudi, voice recognition
Who would have thought that a self-professed ‘every day working man employed at a scrap metal yard’ would be an animal adoption spokesman? But that’s what’s happened in Alabama after a 5-month old puppy was found alive in a crushed batch of scrap metal.
Chance rests in a crate after his rescue
“I couldn’t believe he was alive at first, then I couldn’t believe that someone would be that cruel,” Anthony Nicholson said.
Now named Chance, a veterinary check has revealed that the puppy has either a displaced or cracked hip. Nicholson will pay the money for Chance’s surgery if he can’t raise it through fundraising. His funding campaign is currently half-way to reaching its target. Interested readers can donate to help Chance by going to Nicholson’s Go Fund Me site here.
“There are too many rescues and other foundations that will help re-home an animal. Don’t throw one away, and that’s basically what this is about,” Nicholson said.
Be sure to watch the interview about Chance on the Channel 12 website.
Source: Channel 12, WSFA
Posted in Dogs, special dogs and awards
Tagged Alabama, Anthony Nicholson, Chance, scrap metal, scrap metal dealer
‘Dogs are better than human beings because they know but do not tell.’
– Emily Dickinson, poet, 1830 – 1886
Illinois lawmakers have endorsed legislation that, if signed, would see owners who leave their pets outside in extreme weather sentenced to up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
The bill has been sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner to sign into law.
A dog being watched by walker Natalia Straley plays in the snow Feb. 26, 2015, at the Montrose dog beach in Chicago. (Anthony Souffle, Chicago Tribune)
Sponsoring Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, said the bill was inspired by recent cases of dogs during the last Northern Hemisphere winter season; the dogs froze to death.
Although the legislation has passed both the State House and Senate, it needs the Governor to make it a law. The bill has been opposed by the farming lobby, which fears it will interfere in their businesses.
It’s a progressive piece of legislation in my opinion because animals need our protection and a judge can use his/her discretion in terms of sentencing.
And as for farming, this opens a larger debate about consumption, production economies, and animal welfare – all issues that impact our environment and animals here in New Zealand.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, Canine Catering Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted in animal welfare, Dogs
Tagged cats, Chicago, Chicago Tribune, dogs, extreme weather, farmers, farming, Illinois, Sara Feigenholtz
Dogs and their owners who battle the Brown Dog Tick sometimes go to desperate measures ─ including getting rid of their dogs, fumigating their homes, throwing many possessions out or even moving ─ to control the pesky bugs, which breed indoors and hide in places that are practically impossible to reach.
A petri dish contains several brown dog ticks, a species researchers believe has become resistant to the most commonly used pesticides. UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones.
Phil Kaufman, an associate professor of veterinary entomology at the University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, is one of several investigators who have just published two studies. One shows the tick is resistant to the most commonly used chemical applied directly between the dog’s shoulder blades. The other shows the effectiveness of carbon dioxide as a lure for baiting ticks to bed bug traps.
The first finding, while not good news, is practical. Pet owners and pest control companies know pesticides with permethrin will not control the Brown Dog Tick. The chemical fipronil should work in most situations, but owners should watch for loss of activity of the chemical, such as ticks that appear to be alive and swelling within the month after treatment.
The second finding is critical as Kaufman and other scientists, such as Faith Oi, grapple with getting rid of the Brown Dog Tick.
Kaufman and Oi describe the Brown Dog Tick as “cryptobiotic,” meaning it hides in nooks and crannies of your house where you’d never find them, and they spend about 95 percent of their time away from the dog. But if experts can get the ticks to come to one spot, they can better control them, Kaufman said.
Meanwhile, homeowners can use pesticides to control the ticks, but “the vacuum is your best friend,” Oi said.
Brown Dog ticks can complete their lifecycle inside people’s homes, unlike most ticks, which spend most of their lifetime outside, Kaufman said. One female Brown Dog Tick can lay up to 5,000 eggs in its lifetime and if that is in your home, you could be in for trouble.
“They’re particularly troublesome for people who have cluttered homes, and they drive some homeowners to desperate measures in search of ways to control the tick,” Kaufman said. “Eliminating places where ticks live and breed is the one of the best practices for tick control.”
Homeowners also can help by simplifying their interiors. That allows for more thorough inspections, easier cleaning and pesticide applications, he said. It also allows for more effective evaluation of the treatment after products are applied.
In addition to being pesky, Brown Dog ticks can damage or irritate a dog’s skin. In rare cases, they can cause a fever, anorexia or anemia. If you see these signs in your dog, you should see a veterinarian as soon as possible, Kaufman said.
This research into the brown dog tick has been published in the March 2015 and May 2015 issues of the Journal of Medical Entomology.
Let’s make the world less crap…
That’s the opening line of a current Kickstarter campaign to obtain funding for Poopins, a biodegradable marker for piles of dog poo that haven’t been removed by unthinking dog walkers.
Motivated by walks on Sumner Beach here in Christchurch, where numerous piles of dog poo have been observed, local man Stephen McCarthy came up with the idea of Poopins (think ‘poo’ and ‘pins’ combined).
I’m not sure if this product will ultimately get funded. But, the fact that someone is thinking of this type of open reminder to dog owners, points to the fact that we have too many irresponsible dog owners in this city.
Picking up your dog’s feces should be non-negotiable. Today, as part of my weekly shopping, I bought a package of nappy bags (diaper bags for Northern Hemisphere readers) for picking up poop. Bags are probably the easiest thing to get hold of; I re-use bags when I have them available, and then the nappy bags the rest of the time.
Some of the options that could be available if Poopins are able to launch onto the market
I personally would like to see the City of Christchurch become more dog-friendly with urban design that makes responsible dog ownership the norm – and apply peer pressure to those dog owners who are not responsible. When dog owners don’t clean up, they make it harder for the rest of us to enjoy our dogs openly and with a variety of locations to choose from.
My other posts on this subject include:
Please – no matter where you live in this world – clean up after your dog. It’s the responsible thing to do!
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, Canine Catering Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted in dog ownership
Tagged crap, dog poo, Kickstarter, poo, poop, Poopins, responsible dog ownership
Photo courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society
The US military trains and uses dogs for a variety of reasons – and the dogs and their handlers develop a deep bond with one another.
The 2016 fiscal year military appropriations bill recently passed the House of Representatives and included a provision that mandates that all suitable military animals be made available for adoption. It also says that each animal’s handler — the person who these veterans most trust and rely on — shall be given priority when it’s time to adopt.
The bill is making its way to the Senate and it’s time to let Washington lawmakers know that you think this special provision should stay in the final version.
The Best Friends Animal Society has started an online form that enables you to ask your U.S. senators to support section 594 of the bill. Follow this link to the Legislative Action Center to take action.
Over the years, I have written a number of stories about dogs, military service, and the health and welfare of these special service animals. Visit these posts:
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
DoggyMom.com 