1 .  The length of retractable leashes, some of which can extend up to 26 feet, allows dogs to get far enough away from their humans that a situation can quickly turn dangerous. A dog on a retractable leash is often able to run into the middle of the street, for example, or make uninvited contact with other dogs or people.

2 .  In  the above  scenario  or one in which your pet is being approached by an aggressive dog, it is nearly impossible to get control of the situation if the need arises. It's much easier to regain control of – or protect -- a dog at the end of a six-foot standard flat leash than it is if he's 20 or so feet away at the end of what amounts to a thin string.

3 .  The thin cord of a retractable leash can break – especially when a powerful dog is on the other end of it. If a strong, good-sized dog takes off at full speed, the cord can snap. Not only can that put the dog and whatever he may be chasing in danger, but also the cord can snap back and injure the human at the other end.

4 .  If  a dog walker gets tangled up in the cord of a retractable  leash  or grabs it in an attempt to reel in their dog, it can result in burns, cuts, and even amputation. In addition, many people have been pulled right off their feet by a dog that reaches the end of the leash and keeps going. This can result in bruises, "road rash," broken bones, and worse.

5 .  Dogs  have also received terrible injuries as a result of the sudden jerk on their neck that occurs when they run out the leash, including neck wounds, lacerated tracheas, and injuries to the spine.

6 .  Retractable  leashes allow dogs more freedom to pull at the end of them, which can look like aggression to another dog who may decide to "fight back."

7 .  The  handles of retractable leashes are bulky and can be easily pulled out of human hands, resulting in a runaway dog.

8 .  Along  those same lines, many dogs – especially fearful ones – are terrorized by the sound of a dropped retractable leash handle and may take off running, which is dangerous enough. To make matters worse, the object of the poor dog's fear is then "chasing" her, and if the leash is retracting as she runs, the handle is gaining ground on her – she can't escape it. Even if this scenario ultimately ends without physical harm to the dog (or anyone else), it can create lingering fear in the dog not only of leashes but also of being walked.

9 .  Retractable  leashes, like most retractable devices, have a tendency to malfunction over time, either refusing to extend, refusing to retract, or unspooling at will.

10 .  Retractable  leashes are an especially bad idea for dogs that haven't been trained to walk politely on a regular leash. By their very nature, retractables train dogs to pull while on a leash, because they learn that pulling extends the lead.

If your dog is well trained, gentle-mannered, and smart enough to master a regular leash and a retractable leash without being confused, you could be one of the rare guardians that can walk your pooch on any kind of leash without increasing risks to either one of you.

1 .  Feed  a   nutritionally balanced, species-appropriate diet  that meets his nutritional requirements for optimal protein levels, healthy fat, and coenzyme Q10. I believe the huge amount of carbohydrates found in most processed diets offsets the number of protein dogs need, making carbs a significant nutritional contributing factor to canine heart disease.

Additionally, the high temperatures the food is processed at inactivates the delicate fatty acids, so even though the label says it contains the correct amount of essential fatty acids to maintain excellent cardiovascular health, they've been inactivated through the manufacturing process.

The amount of taurine, carnitine, critical amino acids, and CoQ10 found naturally in unprocessed meat is extremely important to your dog’s heart health. These vital nutrients are not found in adequate quantities in most dry foods, and processing further diminishes their bioavailability. This is another reason I recommend starch-free foods (no grains or potatoes).

If you feed dry or canned food, I recommend supplementing with coenzyme Q10 in the form of Ubiquinol. Ubiquinol is the form of CoQ10 that is best utilized by the heart, and the only form I have found to be effective in slowing progression and preventing the expression of predispositions in pets.

If your pet tests positive for heart disease biomarkers I recommend 10mg of ubiquinol per pound of body weight once daily and if your dog has symptoms, provide it twice daily. I also recommend additional marine sources of omega-3 fatty acids ( krill oil ), especially if you have a dog that may be predisposed to cardiovascular disease. Supplying your pet with extra CoQ10 (the reduced form) can  ensure  he has the quantity his body needs to maintain a healthy heart muscle.

2 .  Help  your dog maintain a lean, fit body with daily exercise appropriate for his age, health,  and  physical condition.

3 .  Take excellent care of his dental health. Bacteria from dirty doggy (and human) mouths has been linked to heart valve infections.

4 .  Talk to your  holistic or integrative veterinarian  about cardiovascular support supplements such as ubiquinol, amino acids (taurine, L-arginine, and acetyl L-carnitine), and hawthorn berries, d-ribose, TMG heart  glandular , and homeopathic and TCM formulas that specifically fit your pet’s symptoms.

5 .  Finally , ask your veterinarian for a  proBNP blood test , which is a simple blood test that detects early signs of heart disease. If you have a Dobie or a Boxer, also request the  Doberman DCM test  or the  Boxer ARVC test .

Common Intestinal Parasites

• ROUNDWORMS: Look like spaghetti on the stool. Cause vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, and distended abdomen. In dogs and cats, especially young animals.

• HOOKWORMS: Rarely seen in the stool. Cause blood loss, diarrhea (bloody), anorexia, and vomiting. In dogs and cats.

• WHIPWORMS: Rarely seen in the stool. Cause diarrhea (bloody), anorexia, weight loss, and depression. Usually detected in dogs > 4 months of age, rarely seen in cats.

• TAPEWORMS: Usually seen in the stool, around the anus, or on bedding. Looks like grains of rice. Segments are cream-colored, but after dying and drying are more orange/brown. Fairly non-pathogenic in animals, but some species can be transmitted to humans. Animals get tapeworms by ingesting fleas and/or rodents. Segments are shed every 2-3 months, so the animal may have no apparent infection. Generally only recommend treating if segments are seen because the treatment is quite expensive and the worms are relatively non-pathogenic to the animal. Panacur and Strongid will NOT kill tapeworms.

• COCCIDIA: Protozoal parasite which can cause diarrhea, failure to thrive, and rarely, but occasionally, death. Treated with Albon (Sulfadimethoxine). Diagnosed via a fecal float. Most common and debilitating in young animals < 6 months old. Dewormers do NOT kill coccidia. The source of an organism is the environment. Once the environment is contaminated, it is extremely difficult to get rid of coccidia.

• GIARDIA: Protozoal parasite which can cause symptoms ranging from no clinical signs to mild diarrhea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, and dehydration. Infection is by the oral route, usually from contaminated water. Diagnosed with a direct fecal exam. Treated with Flagyl (metronidazole). Maybe an inapparent infection for a long time, then some environmental stress may trigger symptoms. Difficult to get out of the environment once it is present.

2017 AAHA Canine Core Vaccination Recommendations  By Dr. Karen Shaw Becker

The Canine Vaccine Protocol I Recommend By Naturopathic Veterinarian-Dr. Becker

My protocol is to administer the first round of distemper, parvo, and adenovirus (no parainfluenza) before 12 weeks of age, usually around 9 to 10 weeks. I give the second round between 15 and 16 weeks. Two weeks after the second round, I titer to insure the dog has been  immunized and not just vaccinated . When it comes to rabies, I prefer to give the first vaccine at six months, and then as required by law, a booster one year later and every three years thereafter.

How to Determine If Your Dog Needs a Non-Core Vaccine

As mentioned above, Dr. Becker does not typically recommend non-core vaccines, which include Bordetella, Leptospira, Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme), canine influenza viruses H3N8 and H3N2 and Crotalus atrox ( western diamond rattlesnake ). The AAHA has developed a  Lifestyle-Based Vaccine Calculator  to help veterinarians and dog parents determine what non-cores, if any, should be given. In my opinion, each vaccine your dog receives should meet the following criteria:

• First, your dog should be healthy. If he has allergies, endocrine issues, organ dysfunction, cancer (or is a cancer survivor) or another medical issue he's not a candidate to receive vaccines
• The vaccine is for a life-threatening disease (this eliminates most non-cores immediately).
• Your dog has the opportunity to be exposed to the disease.
• The vaccine is considered both effective and safe (most aren't, especially the bacterins).
• Your dog has never had an  adverse reaction to a vaccine . Do not vaccinate a pet that has had a previous vaccine reaction of any kind.

If you do vaccinate your pet, ask your holistic veterinarian to provide a homeopathic vaccine detox such as Thuja (a common choice for all vaccines except rabies).

It's also important to realize that several non-core vaccines are only available in combination with other vaccines, some of which are core. I recommend you check with your vet to ensure none of the non-core vaccines are being piggy-backed on core vaccines your pet receives.

Unfortunately, most traditional vets do not carry single vaccines, so it's a good idea to ask to see the vaccine vial before assuming your pet is only receiving one agent at a time.

Titer Tests Are Finally Going Mainstream

For the first time ever (to my knowledge), in these latest vaccination guidelines, the AAHA admits  titer tests  are used to check a dog's immunity to distemper, parvo, and adenovirus. Hallelujah! Per the guidelines:

"Measuring antibody levels (quantitative or qualitative) provides a reasonable assessment of protective immunity against CDV, CPV, and CAV2."

And from the AAHA website page titled "Antibody Testing Versus Vaccination:"

"The demand for and availability of antibody testing (both qualitative and quantitative) for canine vaccine-preventable diseases has increased substantially over the past decade." 

And finally, from the pet owner section of the website on the canine vaccination guidelines page:

"Titers, or quantitative antibody testing, can help determine your dog's protection from some diseases. Titer testing can be used when a dog's vaccination history for distemper, adenovirus, and parvovirus is unknown — a positive result typically means he is considered protected.

However, no test is 100 [percent]  accurate, so in areas where these diseases run rampant, your veterinarian may still recommend vaccinating. While titer testing for rabies is available, the law still requires that the dog is vaccinated since this is a fatal, zoonotic (i.e., can be spread to people) disease." 

Interestingly, passionate pet parents and proactive vets in other parts of the world have developed much more progressive titering protocols that I hope one day we can institute in North America. In the Netherlands and Belgium, for instance, many vets titer puppies and kittens before their first vaccines to determine if there are maternal antibodies present.

This allows the animals to receive one perfectly timed vaccine. These animals are titered four weeks later to assure they were adequately immunized.

Integrative vets in this country understand convincing clients to titer once after young animals have received their initial vaccines has taken many years to accomplish. Convincing owners to titer before and after a vaccine is absolutely the best medicine but may prove to be a difficult protocol to institute for economic reasons.

Let's hope the demand for titer tests continues to increase among pet parents, along with access to affordable testing. The great news is Dr. John Robb has arranged for rabies, parvo and distemper  titer package for $55  (that you can submit yourself if your vet won't do it)!

If your own vet isn't offering titers at a reasonable cost, shop around. Any veterinarian truly concerned about the health of pets should happily offer affordable titer testing in lieu of automatic revaccination.

Two Big, Common Mistakes Made With Rabies Vaccine