Health & Medical

There isn't any magic bullet to cure an aggressive dog. No secret elixir will transform a scaredy dog into a confident one. There isn't a pill you can give your dog to magically erase his fear.

However, recent advances in the study of canine biochemistry, medicine, and pharmacology has made it a whole lot easier for your aggressive, scared, or anxious dog to learn new habits.

Behavior modification along with medication can change a dog's life. Last weekend, I attended a fascinating lecture by Dr. Karen Overall, a veterinary behaviorist from the University of Pennsylvania.

Both veterinarians and trainers attended the lecture. It was especially gratifying to see so many veterinarians in the crowd. Many veterinarians don't know about the ways that drugs can help improve the quality of life of affected dogs because the subject of behavior is an elective at most veterinary schools.

The most effective way to modify the behavior of dogs with serious behavior problems can often be by combining drug therapy with behavior modification. An effective veterinarian-dog trainer team can make a significant difference in the prognosis of your dog.

If your dog is anxious, fearful, or aggressive, talk with your veterinarian or your trainer about teaming up to create a combined medical and training plan to help your dog live a fuller, more enjoyable life.

Friday was a long day for Talos. He underwent two surgeries: neuter and gastropexy. We dropped him off at 8:00a and I had a hard time leaving the vet office without him. As the technician led him out of the exam room to the surgery suite, he looked back at me with his big, blue, droopy eyes and I almost grabbed the leash and ran! I didn't of course. But I did grab him and give him a big smooch right on his face (which he hated, but I couldn't help myself).

By 11:30a, we got the good news that he was out of surgery and everything went as planned. At 4:00p he was up and walking when we arrived to pick him up. Looking a little more than drunk, he greeted me with a wobbly, wagging tail.

He slept most of the evening, but woke about every 30 minutes and whined and paced. We were told to go easy on his food, but he acted like he was famished. Every time he got up, he'd head to the dog food prep area, stand there and sway with his heavy-lidded eyes. What a pitiful sight.

The gastropexy incision is huge. I'll post pictures tomorrow (I'm not at home at the moment, another post coming on the reason why). But I've been in touch with my husband to check on Talos and the report is "If he didn't have the sutures, I wouldn't know he had surgery." Which means he's running around like a banshee. Not a good thing, but that's what you get when you let your husband run the household. Actually, I don't think the husband is letting Talos get too carried away – at least I hope not.

Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes and for checking up on him. He seems to be on the road to recovery.

Tomorrow is surgery day for Talos. He'll be neutered and will have elective gastropexy. Gastropexy is a surgery in which the stomach is sutured to the abdominal wall. It's done to prevent torsion. Torsion can be deadly. And unfortunately, it's very common in deep chested breeds, specifically Great Danes. 

If his surgery goes as well as his brother's, he'll be resting comfortably at home tomorrow night. 

He's going back to Service Dogs of Virginia for the surgery (at their veterinarian's office), so tonight we're making the drive down to Virginia. 

Tango's going, too, because Saturday and Sunday we're participating in a Beginner Gun Dog workshop, also in Virginia. 

It's going to be a busy dog-centric weekend for us. Hopefully an uneventful dog-centric weekend!

I'll update the blog Sunday night or Monday morning with the details of the surgery and Talos' recovery. Think good thoughts for us 'til then. 

In my unending quest to make nail trimming easier for me and my dogs, here's another way to get your dog used to the sound of the Dremel tool. In the last video, I used the clicker. In this video, I'm simply pairing high value treats (wet cat food) with the sound of the Dremel turning on. Dremel on = cat food appear. Dremel off = cat food disappears.

This is the fourth installment on nail trimming. The first, second and third installments are also posted on the blog.