What to do when your dog gets the stomach flu

You've just walked your dog and what came out the back of your beloved pet is an unpleasant puddle of slime and water. When you get home the dog just lies flat out on its side and before long you hear the unmistakable sounds of your best friend vomiting all over the carpet. You rush back into the room just to see your dog giving you the saddest look in the world and when you pet him he feels almost sweaty. 

About a year ago a dog owned by a friend and coworker of mine came to the clinic after having vomited and had diarrhea. He is a Siberian husky called Varg and the breeder is another friend of mine. Here poor Varg is feeling very sick

 Most dog owners will experience this scenario at least once and if (or when) it happens it's good to know what to do. If your dog is weak and vomiting, get it to the vet as soon as possible. The problem could be caused either of something poisonous the dog ate or something that has gotten stuck somewhere in the stomach or intestines, both of which could be life threatening. (It could of course be caused of several other different things, but the dog should either way be seen by the vet.) If the dog "only" has diarrhea but is otherwise in good health you first and foremost have to make sure the dog gets enough water. You can also give it several small servings of "intestinal"-food a day (food specifically made for dogs with sensitive stomachs). Several of the dog food brands that are for sale at veterinarians have these types of food, both dry and wet kinds. In addition you can buy probiotic paste, of which there are also several brands, you can find these at your vet too. Follow the instructions on the package for how often and how much the dog should get. Both the probiotic paste and the dog food for intestinal problems are good to always have at home, since for some reason dogs tend to get sick during weekends or in the middle of the night... If the diarrhea continues in spite of this (more than 1 day) or if the dog at any point gets weak or start vomiting, call your vet.

 This is an x-ray of Varg's intestines a couple of hours after ingestion of the contrast. As you can see, the contrast fluid has passed through most of the small and large intestines but something is absorbing it in the area around the cursor. This could have been a foreign object blocking the intestines, but it turned out not to be the case.

So what typically happens when you get to the vet? First the vet will examine the dog. Often a blood sample is taken, to check for problems with the kidney and liver. Depending on what these blood samples show, additional blood test can be run. The dog is typically then given fluid intravenously to counteract the dehydration caused by the vomiting and the diarrhea. If the vet haven't found the cause of the problem at this point the next step is taking x-rays of the stomach. Especially in young dogs (or adult dogs that are known to eat things they shouldn't) it is important to first take an x-ray to check for foreign objects and then (if nothing obvious is found) take a series of x-rays after giving the dog contrast fluid to check that the root of the problem isn't an object blocking the intestines. If all of these things turn out OK, the problem is simply a so called gastroenteritis, i.e. an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The cause is then most often either a viral or bacterial infection, or the dog has ingested something that causes an inflammation. Examples of the latter can be milk (many dogs cannot break down the lactose in the milk), so called NSAIDs (painkillers) or food that has gone bad.

Varg was given fluid intravenously to counteract the dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhea.

 In Varg's case it turned out to be a gastroenteritis and after he had gotten enough fluid and some medicine to calm the stomach he was sent home with "intestinal" food and some probiotic paste. In a couple of days he was back to his normal self.

Poor Varg not feeling well.

Since I've known Varg since he was only one day old I thought that I'd just post some pictures of Varg when he was younger. Varg is the Swedish word for wolf, a very suitable name for this wolf-looking sweetheart!

Varg and his littermates just 1 day old, Varg is in the top right corner. I was allowed to come visit the puppies at this early stage because me and Tessa (the mother dog) know each other so well.

Varg 5 weeks old :)

Varg 5 weeks old and my boyfriend.

Varg 4 months old.

Varg and his two sisters, Vega and Vida.

Ideal Weight in Dogs

We are often blinded by breed standards when assessing whether or not a dog is overweight. We hear things like "Labradors should have a massive body" and "Salukis should be slender". This often leads to too fat retrievers and too skinny sighthounds. I've also heard breeders say things like "puppies should have some extra fat so that they will fare better if they get diarrhea or other diseases". In all this we must keep track of what a normal healthy dog looks like.

Most Labradors, and most Retrievers of the other breeds, have a "heavy" body, not an ideal (see picture above). Most people that has a Retriever will also aim for this body type in their dog. This is the type we are used to seeing, the type that wins dog shows. The "ideal" body type seen in the above picture are by most Retriever owners seen as too skinny.

But what about the other end of the scale? I've been to dog shows where I've seen Salukis and other sighthounds that were so skinny they looked almost emaciated or at least very thin. This is of course not any better. You are supposed to feel the ribs, not see the hipbones sticking out!

So when it comes to weight, no matter what breed of dog, you should be able to feel the ribs easily, but not see them on a dog that is standing. You should be able to see the narrowing of the waist behind the ribs when viewing the dog from above. It is especially important to remember this when it comes to puppies, as too much weight on growing bones and joints can lead to problems in the development of these. It is actually better for puppies to bee a bit too thin than a bit too heavy.

If your dog is overweight or obese, contact your vet. They can help you find the right food and the right amount to feed your dog, both during the weight loss and after.

The basics every puppy needs to learn

"Could I please have that thing you're holding in your hand?"

I started the training of Link from the first moment he entered my home. As a matter of fact all puppies are "trained" from the first moment they enter their new home, whether you intend to train it or not. It learns right away what it can and possibly cannot do, what you praise it for and what is rewarding in itself. Like all other animals the dog will do what is beneficial to itself. If for example, it finds and tears the trash bag open and eats the left over food that is inside. It has been rewarded for doing so in and of itself, it got something to eat. If on the other hand you have puppy-proofed the home before the puppy's arrival and all the food it gets comes through you, it gets a reward for keeping an eye on you, i.e. it gets food from you instead of finding food itself. It has learned that it is beneficial to keep an eye on you, which is what we want.

Link 9 weeks old, peeing outside.

 Same thing with potty training. Peeing is rewarding to the puppy, since it has to pee and relieving that need feels good. It will not stop peeing if you punish it for peeing inside, it will only get better at peeing in places you can't see. This, by the way, will not be in front of you when you take it outside to pee, so punishing the pup for peeing inside is only going to increase the time it takes to potty train it. Simply put, NEVER punish the pup for soiling inside.
But back to what to do instead of what not to do. To potty train the pup you just take it outside after eating, sleeping and playing. That means approximately once every 1-2 hours for a few weeks. It is a lot of work, and accidents will happen, but it is the quickest way to potty train a dog. When the pup does relieve itself outside, you praise and give the puppy a treat. You can also add a command, like "go potty" if you want, but it isn't necessary. As the pup grows and it starts to be able to control when and where it does its business, you can start increasing the time you wait to take it outside again. With Link I only had to go out every 1-2 hours the first 2 weeks, then every 3-4 hours. Accidents did happen, but now at 4,5 months of age, Link never soils inside, and hasn't done so for several weeks. So it worked and it worked fast and I never punished him or made a big deal about him soiling inside.

Link chewing on one of his toys.

 Then we have another issue that all puppies have to a greater or lesser extent. Chewing on things. Puppies chew because their teeth are growing out and that itches. They can also chew out of boredom or simply because they like it. Either way chewing will be rewarding in and of itself. You also have the case of dogs that learn that chewing on things will make their humans come chasing them, which is a lot more fun than humans that are just sitting still and watching TV. So chewing is fun, or can lead to fun things. It is not possible to make your pup stop chewing things, so the answer to the problem is simply giving the puppy lots of things he is allowed to chew on, and if necessary make the things that he isn't supposed to chew on taste badly. I bought a bitter spray and sprayed on thing that he wanted to chew on, that he wasn't allowed to chew on, like for example the legs of the dining room table and the sofa. Then I gave him dried pig's ears or chew toys instead of the things I didn't want him to chew on. The only thing I've ever been angry at him for chewing on is banana peals and plastic that he finds outside, both of which is potentially harmful to him. I only had to get angry a handful of times (raised voice and threatening body posture, no physical violence) and since then it has been enough that I say "a-ah" or "no", and he won't take it, or if he already has, he drops it. I have always rewarded him for dropping these things, so now when I say "a-ah", he comes running expecting a treat. Which is nice, cause I don't want him to be afraid of me when I say "a-ah", I only want him to stop what he is doing.

Link is very relaxed in his crate at work.

 Another thing that your dog will need to learn is to be able to be alone. Separation anxiety is not easily treated once it has become a problem, so it is better to be preventive. Start the first week you have the pup, not the first day maybe, the puppy must be given time to get acquainted with its new surroundings. But relatively soon you should start leaving the puppy while getting the mail or going out with the trash. If you let your pup sleep in an other room than the rest of the family, it will learn fairly quickly to be able to be alone, but I don't think that is nice to the puppy. It needs some reassuring during the first nights away from mom, so if you are not planning to have the puppy in the bedroom in the future, I suggest that you put a mattress on the floor by the pups bed and sleep there with it the first couple of nights. We had Link in our bed parts of the night the first 1-2 weeks, but he got too warm in the bed so he actually chose to sleep on the floor himself. I guess we were just really lucky... Anyway back to training the pup to be alone. Start increasing the time you are away from the puppy with only minutes at first. If the puppy gets anxious while you are away, reduce the time you are gone the next time or maybe even just walk outside of the door and back in again a couple of times before yet again increasing the time you are gone. The most important thing is to never make a fuss about going or coming back. If the dog knows that it will get a fantastic reward when you come back, it will wait for you by the door for however long you are gone and it will not be able to truly relax. What we want is a dog that feels relaxed about us leaving and who will sleep for most of the time we are gone. You can also give the dog something extra delicious just before you leave, since the dog will focus on the treat while you leave and eating makes the dog tired and relaxed so it will soon fall asleep. It that way, you leaving is a positive thing. Lastly it is also a good idea to make the dog mentally tired before leaving it, this does not mean physical exercise, which is likely to get the dog more alert rather than more relaxed, but mental exercise. You can train some basic obedience like "sit", "down", "heel" or "stay", or you can fill a toy with treats that the dog has to figure out how to get to. I've had Link with me to work since he was about 10 weeks old, and in the beginning I always made sure that all of his needs were taken care of, before leaving him in his crate. He was fed, had been outside to relieve himself and I had made him mentally tired. And so he slept during the time he was in the crate. He has only once or twice whined when in his crate and that has been when he has needed to go out to potty. Now I can even leave him in his crate without having to tire him out beforehand and he will almost always go straight to sleep. Being in the crate is now in his mind firmly connected to sleeping, so that is what he does. This is the connection you want the dog to have with you leaving too. When it comes to this I've been so lucky with Link, he has never shown any signs of being anxious about us leaving him.

These things are the things I believe that all dogs need to learn to be able to function in any normal home, i.e. (1)coming to you for things it wants instead of finding things itself, (2)only doing its business outside, (3)only chewing on things that are allowed and (4)being able to be alone in its crate or in your home. If your dog can do these things it will be a dream dog to have in your home, if it cannot do these things it can become a nightmare. If there is one more thing I'd like to add it is that you should have fun with the puppy, the relationship you establish with the dog now will last for the rest of the dog's life!

Link and his friends

Since we got Link he has made a lot of friends, here comes some pictures of some of them. Hope you like it!

Link and his brother Balto sharing a stick.

Link and one of the dogs in the neighborhood, the miniature schnauzer Kasper.

Link and his best friend Daisy, a Bichon Havanais.

Link and the miniature schnauzer Rocky that he met often while he was still living with the breeder.

Link with his "uncle" Scott, the Danish Swedish Farmdog that is owned by my boyfriends parents.

Link and the border collie Spiff. Spiff is one week younger than Link and they love playing with each other.

Link and his "co-workers", Balder the Swedish Elkhound (Jämthund) and Tigern the German shorthaired pointer.

Link and his sister Tiril playing.

Link and the longhaired dachshund Tula playing with each other.

Starting training early - Target training, Dummy and Eye contact

Link is now 11 weeks old and I've begun teaching him the basics. We are working on targeting (palm of the hand, target stick and a paw target) and eye contact at the moment. I've also started introducing a dummy, since he is a retriever.

Eye contact ( or maybe camera lens contact..)

The eye contact training we've been doing for maybe 5 days. He has really caught on quickly, and will now look at us more often than at the thing he wants (treat or toy). 

Link touching the palm of my hand with his nose.

 When it comes to touching the hand target and targetstick with his nose, Link does the right thing ~95% of the time. The paw target (I use a mouse pad) on the other hand, where he is supposed to put at least one front paw on the target seems to be harder for him to understand. He has made progress, but he often lies down on the target instead of just touching it with his paws.

Link touching the target stick.

We've only just begun with the dummy, I play with it a bit, he grabs it with his mouth and I click. He drops it and gets a treat. We've only had one session so far, but I will start to wait with the click until he holds the dummy in his mouth for an increasing amount of time. After this behavior is reliable  I will start saying "tack" ("thanks" in Swedish, my word for "drop it") and then give him a treat. This will later progress into him not dropping the dummy unless I say "tack", but we have a long way to go before we manage that.

Puppy reunion

The pups and their mom seemed happy to see each other again.

Last Sunday, six of the puppies from Link's litter met to play and socialize together. It was wonderful to see how they interacted with each other and their mom, and to see how much they've all grown since last we saw them.

I think the puppies were really happy to see each other again, finally other dogs that want to play as much as they themselves want to!

 Link was not the largest puppy now, but not the smallest either. I think he is developing just perfectly (although I might not be impartial...).

An interest in chewing on twigs sticking out of the snow seems to be a family trait. Here you can also tell the large variety in color on the pups. Link is the darkest one (to the left) and Tiril (right next to him) is the lightest one.

 "Uncle Rocky", the miniature Schnauzer that often visited the puppies when they were still living with the breeder also came to the reunion.

I think he was a bit overwhelmed by the puppies. They've grow quite a lot since last he saw them.

First week with my puppy

I present to you, the worlds cutest and most wonderful puppy, Link!

One week ago, I brought my puppy home and on Tuesday he will be 10 weeks old. It feels like he has been here much longer, in a way it feels like he has always been here. I've had this week off from work, to get Link settled in. We've already done tons of stuff, but I've tried to limit the new experiences to one a day, so not to stress the puppy. Of course, the first couple of days everything is new. This is probably why Link slept relatively little the first two-three days. He slept maybe 30-45 minutes at a time, now he sleeps 1-2 hours at a time, sometimes longer. He has been able to sleep the whole night since the third night here. So far he has only peed inside two times. So far so good :)

Link sitting on command.

Link has already learned so much! He knows sit, down, and come, and he is learning stay. He is really well behaved when we meet new people, sits down when they approach and greets them calmly and with a wagging tail. So far he has not had any frightening experiences. This is also due to the fact that nothing seems to scare him. We live rather close to an airport so several times a day airplanes fly over us at low altitude, something that Link seems more fascinated by than scared. He just sits down and look at the airplanes, if he cares about them at all. We've also met many different kind of dogs, small dogs like the neighbor's Bichon Havanais puppy Daisy and large dogs like the two Bernese Mountaindogs down the street. Some of these meetings have resulted in play others with the older dog just not being very interested and Link trying to get them to play. I can tell that he really is on a puppy license, the older dogs let him get away with almost everything.

First time we met Daisy.

I believe it is very important to socialize your dog from an early age, but take care not to expose your puppy to diseases it might not yet have gotten its vaccines for. In Norway most people get their dogs vaccinated every year (or every three years depending on the vaccine their using and what diseases their dog is exposed to). So I feel safe to let my puppy meet and play with the dogs on our street. And I know for certain that the two dogs we've met on several occasions, Daisy (the Bichon Havanais puppy) and Scott (Mads' family's Danish Swedish Farm Dog) have all of their vaccinations.

"Uncle" Scott showing Link that you can trick the humans into giving treats by sitting down in front of them ;)

 I've brought Link to work last Thursday to get him used to being there and sleeping there. He will come with me to work the days that Mads can't be home with him, starting Monday. It went really well when we were there on Thursday, I sat with him until he was about to fall asleep and then left him. He didn't make any noise, not even when he woke up and I wasn't there. If things continue to be this easy, Link is the least difficult puppy in history! I can't believe my luck, that it was Link that became our dog.

Dog art

Have been feeling creative the last couple of days so here's two dog drawings. Above is a drawing of one of the Golden retriever puppies and below is a picture of a Chow Chow that a friend of mine has.
Tonight me and Mads are going to see the puppies again, perhaps we will even know which one will be ours after this visit. Time seems to be almost standing still at the moment, I just want my puppy to be 8 weeks old now.. But I'll just have to be patient and look forward to what is to come. Hope you guys are having as fantastic a Friday as I am!

Dental health in Dogs

Eight out of ten dogs over three years of age are suffering from poor dental health, but only two out of ten owners think that dental health is a issue for dogs. This is in spite of the fact that we have known for almost 40 years that dogs that doesn't get their teeth brushed are likely to develop periodontal disease. It was an experiment with beagles in the 70s that showed that when the teeth of beagles were brushed every day, their teeth and gums stayed healthy, while the dogs that didn't get their teeth brushed started developing periodontal disease before they were even 1 year old. (Lindhe et al, 1975) Already a decade before this it was shown that periodontal disease develops five times faster in dogs than in humans. (Gad, 1968)

Healthy teeth and gums on a dog looks like this. The gum is supposed to be pink and the teeth white.

So what is periodontal disease? Periodontal disease causes the gum around the teeth to loosen its grip around the tooth, creating pockets around the tooth and leading in the end to the tooth falling out. This is very painful since the root of the tooth becomes unprotected and since this part of the tooth is very sensitive, eating, chewing and drinking can become very painful. The gum is also very inflamed at this point, which is also very painful. This inflammation of the gum and the opening to the roots of the teeth is also an open gate for bacteria which can enter the blood stream and cause disease around the body, notably the heart, liver and kidneys. (DeBowes, 1996) Periodontal disease in dogs is caused, for the major part, by bacterial growth, plaque and calculus (tartar) build-up on the teeth, but there appears to be some hereditary factors involved as well since some breeds are more prone to develop periodontal disease than others.

Add captionA dog with serious calculus build-up and periodontal disease. Yes, this is extreme, but I've actually seen worse.

Periodontal disease is reversible to some extent, but when the disease has reached a state where the pocket around the tooth has reached more than 3 mm and the tooth is no longer firmly attached to the gum, the only viable option is to pull that tooth. In doing so, and by starting to keep the dogs teeth clean, the surrounding teeth can be saved. If left unchecked, the disease is going to spread to the rest of the teeth resulting in most teeth having to be pulled or if that is not done, the dog will develop other diseases that in the end will kill it.

If your dog's teeth starts looking like the canine tooth in this picture, you should take it to the vet and have your dog's teeth cleaned.

Am I exaggerating? Where I work we've had dogs coming in to pull more than 20 teeth. We have also had dogs that have been in such bad shape, partly do to poor dental health, that they've had to be put down. Will this happen to all dogs? No, definitely not! But what I'm saying is that keeping an eye on your dog's teeth might save its life or at least improve your dogs quality of life. I must say that I really don't think there is any excuse for not keeping an eye on the teeth of our canine friends. If you are uncertain about whether or not your dog has good dental health, ask your veterinarian.  



Sources:
Gad, T. (1968). Periodontal disease in dogs, Journal of Periodontal Research, 3(4): 268-272

Lindhe, J. (1975). Plaque induced periodontal disease in beagle dogs. Journal of Periodontal Research, 10(5): 243-255

DeBowes, L. J. (1996). Association of periodontal disease and histologic lesions in multiple organs from 45 dogs, Journal of Veterinary Dentistry, 13(2): 57-60.


Pictures:
http://www.maxvets.comhttp://www.vetnext.com

5 weeks old Golden Retriever puppies

The puppies are now allowed outside to explore a bit after feeding. Here is one of the male puppies (Mr Grey).

Just thought I'd come with a small update.. The puppies have now become 5 weeks old and we have decided to get one of the male pups. There are five male pups in this litter. Whichever one will be ours, his name will be Link, like the main character in the game Zelda. We've been visiting the pups 1-2 times a week since they were 2 weeks old, which has given us plenty of opportunity to get to know the individual pups as well as the mother and I feel safe to say that whichever pup will be ours we will be happy with it. The litter is very even, both in size and temperament. None of the small differences there are between the individuals are problematic in a way that would make me say that I wouldn't want that puppy.

The color of the puppies in this litter varies from almost white (female puppy in front, Miss Pink) to dark golden (male in the back, Mr Purple).

The pups have already met people of different ages and seem to be very friendly, trusting and inquisitive towards people. None of them lag behind when allowed into new spaces or show any fear when introduced to new things. They all seem to have a healthy dose of self esteem.

"No kisses!" My boyfriend and one of the male pups (Mr Blue) cuddling.

I've checked the puppies teeth, ears, paws and bellies without them even fighting it a little, they are fine with everything (even though, being puppies, they don't have the longest patience) and they all appear healthy to me.

Even though I don't know if he will be ours, I must admit that the pup with the green collar is one of my favorite puppies in the litter. Here he is wagging his tail so fast while greeting Mads that the tail is just a blur.

This post became very technical... What I really should say is that I can't wait to get my puppy home! I've bought everything the pup could ever need (and then some) and I've already started puppy proofing our home. I don't think I've ever been so excited about anything! I'm getting my own dog! Just three more weeks to go...

Me and the last of the five male pups in the litter (Mr Light Blue).

Grain-free dog food?

So I read some more about different dog foods and came across Orijen dog food. Since I would prefer to feed my dog a grain free dog food, I decided to properly check out this alternative. In the table below I compare Hill's Science Plan VetEssentials Puppy Large Breed, Eukanuba Lamb & Rice Puppy All Breed (both containing grains but not wheat), to Orijen Puppy Large, a dog food that doesn't contain any grains. The reason why I chose to compare Orijen to Hill's and Eukanuba is that I already compared those two and in that comparison Hill's came out the winner. [link]

	Hill's	Orijen	Eukanuba
Protein	27.8 %	38 %	28%
Fat	15.6 %	16 %	16%
Carbohydrate(NFE)	37.6 %	25 %	n/a
Fibre(crude)	5.2 %	3 %	2%
Moisture	7.5 %	10%	n/a
Calcium	1 %	1.5-1.7 %	1.2%
Phosphorus	0.8 %	1.2-1.4 %	0.9%
Sodium	0.5 %	0.4%	n/a
Potassium	0.8 %	0.77 %	n/a
Omega ratio	4.2:1	2.6:1	5:1
Omega-3 fatty acids	0.71 %	1 %	0.4%
Omega-6 fatty acids	2.99 %	2.6 %	2.0%
DHA	0.17 %	0.60 %	0.10%
Vitamin A	20000 IU/kg	16000 IU/kg	15000 IU7kg
Vitamin D	1175 IU/kg	1000 IU/kg	750 IU/kg
Vitamin E	668 mg/kg	400 IU/kg	200 mg/kg
Vitamin C	90 mg/kg	55 mg/kg	n/a
Beta-carotene	1.5 mg/kg	0.44 mg/kg	1 mg/kg

Orijen has a best omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, 2.6:1 instead of 4.2:1/5:1. There is more protein in the Orijen dog food, than in the one from Hill's and Eukanuba. Theories that too much protein in the growing dog's diet would be detrimental has not been clinically proven. What has been shown though is that it is bad for growing dogs of large breeds to have too much calcium and phosphorus in their diet. This can cause too rapid growth of their skeleton and in the end lead to joint problems and other skeletal disorders. According to one article I've found the optimal level of calcium in a growing large breed dog's diet is 0.75-0.95% by weight, and the levels of phosphorus is 0.62-0.72%. In another one I found the values to be 0.80% calcium and 0.67% phosphorus. According to both of these all three puppy foods I've looked at have too much of these minerals, but Hill's is the better alternative.

Orijen also has less vitamins than Hill's puppy food, but more than the Eukanuba puppy food does. It has been theorized that too little of vitamin A, D and E could cause skeletal problems too, while too much of vitamin C can give the same result. So while the vitamin C levels might be better in the Orijen, the higher levels of the other vitamins in the Hill's food still makes it the better choice.

Nutrition is a complex science, and it is not to be taken lightly. The puppy in the video below suffers from hypertrophic osteodystrophy, a skeletal disorder that can be caused by less than optimal quality of the food fed to the dog. If there is one thing you should spend money on for your dog's health, it is a good dog food.

Just to be clear, the puppy foods mentioned in this post has nothing to do with the puppy in the video. The video is merely meant as an illustration of how important good nutrition is.

Female or male dog, that is the question..

Some of the puppies from the litter I'm getting a puppy from.

 Initially I was getting a female dog, or at least that was the plan. But the other day, when we visited the breeder, she asked if we didn't want a male instead. So now I have to decide. Do I want a male or female dog?

 A male dog is bigger, needs a larger cage/space/bed and eats more, i.e. it is more expensive. A female will come in heat 1-3 times a year (usually, some bitches come in heat more often), then there is the risk of pseudopregnancy and possible pyometra. A male dog is more or less in heat all year round though and is more likely to be aggressive towards other dogs. A female dog is more likely to be moody. A female dog is however easier to train, but will be more unstable and less reliable because of the heat. A male dog might initially demand more in terms of training, but once it has learned it is stable and reliable (unless there is a bitch that is in heat nearby). And before someone says that many of these problems would be avoided by spaying or neutering, let me stop you right there. Spaying and neutering dogs is illegal in Norway, unless it is for medical reasons. We don't have the problem of a lot of unwanted dogs that live in shelters. We don't have shelters at all basically, so there is no social reason to spay or neuter either.

Mother dog with her pups.

 Anyway, back to the question. Do I want a female or male dog? Well as of now, I don't know. There are so many advantages and drawbacks to both sexes.. And I know I've been overly negative in this post. I've focused on the negative sides more than the positive ones. But there's a simple explanation for that; what makes both sexes good is what makes a dog good, they have the same positive sides. What differs is their drawbacks. Well, one good reason to get a male dog is that I can bring it to work all year round, and bring it to the in-laws too (they have a male dog), without risking disturbing the other dogs with a bitch in heat. But the question still stands: Do I want a male or female dog?

Finding the right dog food for my dog

I'm getting my puppy in six weeks, so I've started investigating what kind of dog food I'm going to feed it. Since I'm getting a Golden Retriever, a breed that quite commonly suffers from skin conditions that sometimes could be caused by food allergies, I only want to feed my dog top quality dog food. As I am also a physiologist and very interested in paleo food ("stone age food"), I know a thing or two about "natural food", in other words what we (and dogs) were adapted to eating over the course of evolution. This does not include cereals at all really, but among the dog foods sold at veterinarians, all contain some type of cereal. The one cereal most commonly the cause of allergies in dogs is wheat, which is why it is not among the ingredients of low allergen dog foods. So wheat is one of the things I's like to avoid.
The second thing that is really important (if you ask me), is the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. In humans the optimal ratio is somewhere between, 4:1 (that is four times as much omega-6 fatty acids compared to omega-3) and 1:4 (that is four times as much omega-3 fatty acids compared to omega-6). What is known is that we need more omega-3 than omega-6, and that the metabolites of omega-3 reduces inflammation in the body while the metabolites of omega-6 increases the general inflammation of the body. There is no real reason to think that dogs are not similar to us in this respect, so I will look for a food with the most optimal omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
The third important thing is that I don't want there to be too much carbohydrate in the food. Golden Retrievers have a tendency to easily get overweight, and a food rich in carbohydrates, especially sugar, will only increase the risk of this happening. 

Out of the dog food brands we sell where I work, only two have puppy food that doesn't contain wheat, so I will start by comparing them. The first one is Eukanuba Lamb and Rice Puppy All Breed.

 Ingredients: Dried Chicken and Turkey, lamb (>14%), rice (>14%), maize, sorghum, dried whole egg, fish meal, dried beet pulp (>2.5%), animal fat, chicken digest, brewer's dried yeast, fish oil, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, fructooligosaccharides (0.15%), calcium carbonate, marigold extract.

The second one is Hill's Science Plan VetEssentials Puppy Large Breed.

Ingredients: Maize, poultry meat meal (chicken min. 30%), animal fat, digest, maize gluten meal, dried beet pulp, cellulose, fish oil, salt, vegetable oil, potassium chloride.

	Hill's	Eukanuba

Protein	27.8 %	28 %
Fat	15.6 %	16 %
Carbohydrate(NFE)	37.6 %	n/a
Fibre(crude)	5.2 %	2 %
Moisture	7.5 %	n/a
Calcium	1 %	1.2 %
Phosphorus	0.8 %	0.9 %
Sodium	0.5 %	n/a
Potassium	0.8 %	n/a
Omega ratio	4,2:1	5:1
Omega-3 fatty acids	0.71 %	0.4 %
Omega-6 fatty acids	2.99 %	2.00 %
DHA	0.17 %	0.10 %
Vitamin A	20000 IU/kg	15000 IU/kg
Vitamin D	1175 IU/kg	750 IU/kg
Vitamin E	668 mg/kg	200 mg/kg
Vitamin C	90 mg/kg	n/a
Beta-carotene	1.5 mg/kg	1 mg/kg

 Now, just so that it's said, it does say on the package of the Eukanuba Lamb and Rice Puppy All Breed that dogs with an adult weight of more than 25 kg are recommended to eat their normal puppy food for large breeds. So that can explain why there are less vitamins and more calcium and phosphorus in their puppy food than in the one from Hill's. I do think they should stop labeling it "all breed" though, since it clearly is only meant to be fed to small and medium sized breeds, and the recommendation to use the other puppy food is only written in very small letters on the package. It should also be said that when it comes to vitamins and minerals, more is not always better. The dog should have just the right amount of these, in balanced proportions.

Still, all that being said, it is not even a hard choice for me. The puppy food from Hill's is the far better choice in all respects, for my dog. First of all, it is made especially to meet the needs of pups of large breeds. This means, to the best of my knowledge, that the levels of vitamins and minerals are optimized for the larger breeds. It also doesn't contain any extra added sugar, like the Eukanuba food (fructooligosaccharides is a long and complicated word, but still means sugar). It has the best (even if not optimal) omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (4,2:1 compared to 5:1 in Eukanuba), although I will probably still add extra fish oil to the food to increase the omega-3 portion. If you do this, make sure that the there isn't any vitamins added to the fish oil, since the food already has all the vitamins the dog needs and as I already mentioned, more is not better. Some vitamins can actually be poisonous in large amounts. All of these factors put together makes me certain that Hill's Science Plan VetEssentials Puppy Large Breed is the food I will choose for my dog.

Remember, it is not only humans that are what they eat, so are dogs. It is important to find a food that keeps your dog as healthy as possible, and which is specially made for your type of dog. Ask your veterinarian for advice if you are uncertain of what to look for in a dog food and what your dog needs. No two dogs are exactly alike, you have to find the food that works for you and your dog.

Sources:
http://www.eukanuba.com/en-UK/product/puppy-all-breeds-rich-in-lamb-rice.jspx
http://www.hillsproducts.com/General.aspx/en-GB/SP/vetessentials-puppy-large-breed/original/bag
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid#The_omega.E2.88.926_to_omega.E2.88.923_ratio

Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever is a relatively new breed of dog that was created to meet the increased demands for retrieving dogs in the 19th century. The new and improved firearms made hunters able to shoot small game quicker and from longer distances than before, and this in turn made it harder to find the game. In other words the hunters needed a dog that could find and retrieve game, but at the same time carry and deliver the game without chewing and otherwise damaging the game, an ability known as a "soft mouth". Another ability deemed necessary in such a the dog, was for it to sit quietly and wait while the hunters were shooting only to find and retrieve the game upon command. A dog that was moving around or barking would soon scare all the game away. These qualities also happens to be what a lot of people are looking for in a companion dog and because of this, the Golden Retriever is one of the most popular dogs in the world today.

A modern Golden Retriever

The breed was created in Scotland, where the dogs would have to be able to retrieve game both on land and in water. The breeds from which the Golden Retriever is derived are:
Tweed water spaniel (a now extinct breed of dog from Scotland), Retrieving dogs of unknown origin (found in the same area and that gave rise not only to the golden retriever but many of the other retrievers), Irish Setters, Bloodhounds and St. John's water dog (also extinct).

A painting of the Tweed Water Spaniel

An Irish Setter after a swim.

The modern Bloodhound

A young St. John's water dog and its owner in 1971.

The Golden Retriever is a very versatile dog that can be used for anything from its original purpose to seeing eye dog for the blind. It is friendly and eager to please, but demands regular walks and will be a lot happier if trained for a purpose rather than just lying on the sofa all day. Golden Retrievers do well in dog sports, obedience, agility and other disciplines, so if you want an active companion the Golden might provide a good companion for you.

A service dog.

Health

The breed, like all other breeds have some breed specific health issues. Allergies, skin and ear problems are relatively common and like many other big breeds of dogs, hip and elbow dysplasia does occur. It is estimated that almost one in five Goldens has either HD or AD or both. The breed also suffers from some eye disorders like cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy, glaucoma, corneal dystrophy and others. Cataracts is the most common condition, and is characterized by opacification of the lens. In the Golden Retriever, this condition is hereditary and dependent on genetic weakness, but the condition in and of itself may have a wide array of progressions and underlying causes.

Cataract in the left eye of a 1,5 year old Golden Retriever.

 Animals used for breeding should have their eyes, elbows and hips checked. Do not buy a puppy from a breeder that hasn't had the parents to the pups checked. Be especially aware of breeders that claim that they have healthy dogs, but have no papers to prove it. If the parents aren't checked, the puppies won't be registered. You might save some money buying an unregistered puppy, but the cost of buying a dog is small in comparison to what it costs to raise a dog. You might think you are saving money but the veterinary-bills aren't cheap, and even if there is never a guarantee that a registered puppy is healthy, the chance is higher if the parents are healthy.

An illustration I've made to show the difference between a normal hip (left) and hips with dysplasia (right).

Due to the hip and elbow problems it is of utmost importance that the dog does not get too heavy, as this puts extra strain on the already sensitive joints. This might be harder than you might think because the Golden Retriever LOVES food. Make sure you are strict from the beginning, if it is bad for a grown up dog to be overweight, it is even worse for a puppy that is still growing. If uncertain, talk to your veterinarian about how much your dog should eat and weigh. Do NOT listen to people that show their dogs at dog shows when it comes to how much the dog should weigh, the dogs that do well in these competitions are usually overweight.

Training

The Golden Retriever is, like all other retrievers, extremely food motivated. They will work for food, sometimes even for their regular dog food. This is very good news since we can reduce the portion the dog gets is its bowl and use some of the food in training instead. This has two big benefits, first the risk of the dog gaining unnecessary weight is reduced since the dog doesn't get extra treats in addition to the food, and secondly the nutritional value of the food is likely higher than in the other treats, so the dog gets healthier food. Anyway, back to training, the Golden is highly trainable and as mentioned earlier, do well in different dog sports. Be aware though, the Golden being a relatively large breed should not get heavy exercise until it is more than 18 months old. That means no running next to the bike for example. Whilst exhaustive physical training is banned for the first 1,5-2 year, you can start with mental training from the first day you have the puppy. One good "trick" to start with is teaching it to sit. Start with sessions only a few seconds long several times a day and then have longer training sessions when it gets older. Always train in a positive manner, never use physical punishments. Ever. It is not necessary to do that with any dog and a dog as sensitive and willing to please as the golden will only be intimidated and might stop doing what you ask in fear of being punished again. There are many ways of training dogs in a positive manner, but that will be the scope of another blog post.

A Golden Retriever retrieving during obedience training or competition.

A Golden Retriever doing agility.

And yeah.. by the way.. The reason I'm writing about Golden Retrievers is that in 7,5 weeks time I will get my Golden Retriever puppy home! Can't wait!!


Sources and references: 
Most photos are form Wikipedia, the picture of the service dog is from http://www.pettravelexperts.com/, the picture of the eye with cataract if from http://www.vmcli.com/veterinary-articles-cataract-referral.html, the illustration of the hips I've made myself, the obedience picture is from http://www.dogsvictoria.org.au/GetInvolved/WhatisObedience.aspx and the agility picture is from http://www.golddustanimalcare.com/classes.htm.