December 2013, Volume 13, Issue 12

Www.greatermonroekc.org

2013 Newsletter Editor:

Donna Otero

4975 Friendly Farms Road

Greensboro, NC 27406

E-mail: dotero7965@gmail.com

GMKC by-laws state that the newsletter is to be distributed 2 weeks IN ADVANCE OF THE GENERAL MEETING. There-fore, ALL articles and information for the newsletter need to be submitted by the TUESDAY that is 2 WEEKS FOLLOW-ING THE GENERAL MEETING. For the January 2014 newsletter, I will need all your information by December 31,

2013.

Opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributor and do not nec-essarily reflect the views of GMKC either as a group or individually.

Advice or helpful hints should never be taken as substitutes for personal veteri-nary counsel.

Contact and referral persons are in no way guaranteed by the GMKC

2013 Officers and Directors

President—Martha Milligan

Vice President—John Schoeneman

Secretary—Janet Broome

Treasurer— Gene Hains

Board of Directors

Beth Warren

Bobbe Jackson

Pat Ginocchio

December Meeting/ Christmas Party

Place: Rolling Hills Country Club,

2722 W Roosevelt Blvd.

Date: December 11, 2013

Time: 7:00 pm

Chinese Gift Exchange

Will Sponsor a Needy Family

Inside this Addition:

December Meeting and Christmas Party Page 1

AKC Communicates Page 1

November 2013 Meeting Minutes Page 2

CERF & Cardiac Clinic Page 3

CDTC Seminar Page 3

Karen’s Korner Page 4

Click below for the latest AKCommunicates Newsletter

Greater Monroe Kennel Club

GMKC Paw Prints December 2013

www.greatermonroekc.org Page 2

GMKC MEETING MINUTES/BOARD NOTES – 11-13-13

Meeting called to order at 7:02 p.m.

Secretary’s Minutes: Motion for approval of last month meeting minutes by Pat Ginoc-

chio, seconded by Bobbe Jackson.

President’s Report: Nothing new to report at this meeting, thanks for all who attended

this meeting and helped today get the Arena ready for the November Speedway Classic Dog Show.

Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer gave the President Treasurer’s Report for November. Since this meeting

was shortened as members worked to get ready for dog show starting on Thursday, Nov. 14, motion to sus-

pend reading of the report by President was made by Randy Jackson, seconded by Pat Ginocchio.

Committee Reports: Nothing to report this month.

Election of Offices for 2014: Requests for any additional nominations from the floor for officers for Club for

2014. Request for any additional nominations was read/asked three times; there were no new nomina-

tions. Motion made by Randy Jackson was made to close the nominations from the floor, seconded by

Lynn Rowell.

December Club Meeting –Christmas meeting/dinner: The December Club Meeting will be held at Rolling

Hills Country Club on Wednesday, December 11, 7 p.m. It is the time of the Candlelight Dinner for the

country club, we will meet in a separate room and conduct a short business meeting then have dinner and

our annual Christmas get-together. We will sponsor a family and have a Chinese gift exchange. At this

meeting, election of officers will be completed for 2014.

New member application: Two guests have completed the three meeting requirement and an application

for potential membership was given to Louie Ginocchio and Ginger Russell.

New Business/Old Business: None taken up at this meeting. At the next meeting we will discuss the appli-

cation for membership with the NC Dog Federation. John Schoeneman made motioned to delay discussion

on this topic, seconded by Randy Jackson.

Meeting adjourned at 7:22 p.m.

No Board Meeting for November.

End of Reports.

GMKC Paw Prints December 2013

www.greatermonroekc.org Page 3

I am hosting my annual eye CERF clinic here at my house in Monroe on Dec. 7th.

We will also be doing a Cardiac clinic at the same time with Dr. Sayer from the

Carolina Vet specialists. If anyone is interested in attending, contact me directly

at ThisWelcomehome@gmail.com

Submitted by Paige McBride

Charlotte Dog Training Presents: Nicole Wilde Seminar

Talk to the Paw! And Working with Fearful Dogs Dates: October 4-5 2014

Location: Piedmont Kennel Club Click below for more information ://charlottedogtraining.com/index.php/seminars

GMKC Paw Prints December 2013

www.greatermonroekc.org Page 4

Karen’s

Korner

California Natural Food Ingredient Change

Home Remedies—Diarrhea

Idiopathic Epilepsy in Dogs: New Treatment Options

Researchers use Whistle’s Dog Activity Tracker to Quantify Canine

Health

Targeting Canine Gloat, A Major Killer of Dogs

Treatment of Canine T-Cell Lymphoma

Ways to Prevent and Cure Destructive Chewing

All Articles in this Section were Submitted by Karen Phillips

CALIFORNIA NATURAL FOOD INGREDIENT CHANGE

For those of you who use California Natural, I heard this information

that I am sharing with you about a formula change.

words:

I noticed today on their website that they have new bags, no mention of a

new formula, but when I looked at the ingredient lists for the grainfree

foods they have added green lentils to the formula and those that had

potato in them no longer do. I made several phone calls to internet

retailers and to Natura, and from what I was told, the formula changed

after the recalls, and apparently the bags had not been changed until now.

I have been using their food and basically I have no way knowing what's

actually in the bags. All 3 retailers were fully aware of this change and

told me they had not received any complaints about the food, nobody had

bothered to tell me the formula had changed when I ordered the food. None,

including Natura, were sympathetic to the fact that some dogs have

allergies and changing ingredients could affect them and owners wouldn't

know it's the food because they had not changed the food. They all tried to

tell me that peas and lentils were much better for the dogs and that some

dogs are allergic to potatoes so they have taken them out of their formula.

When I told the Natura lady that I find it really upsetting that they don't

even mention this on their website, but that they have pictures up of the

new bags, she didn't say anything.

Return to Karen’s Korner

Ways to Prevent and Cure Destructive Chewing

Information excerpted from an article byPat

Miller

Puppies are notorious for their ability to chew on anything and everything. If you’re at all dog-savvy, you

know when you get a new puppy that despite your best efforts to manage and supervise, you’re likely to

lose at least one valuable personal possession to the razor-sharp implements known fondly as puppy

teeth.

Puppies chew to explore their world as well as to relieve the pain and irritation of teething. What many

dog owners don’t seem to realize is that while puppies sooner or later get beyond the stage where they

feel compelled to put their teeth on everything they see, mature dogs also need to chew to exercise their

jaws, massage their gums, clean their teeth, and to relieve stress and boredom. It comes as an unpleas-

ant surprise to many owners that chewing doesn’t end at the age of six months when all of the dog’s

adult teeth are grown in.

Puppies develop substrate preferences for elimination in the early months of their lives, and they similar-

ly develop chew-object preferences. Hence the inadvisability of giving your old shoes or socks as chew

toys.

If you give your baby dog the run of the house and he learns to chew on Oriental carpets, sofa cushions,

and coffee table legs, you will likely end up with a dog who chooses to exercise his jaws and teeth on

inappropriate objects for years to come. You’ll find yourself crating him frequently even as an adult dog,

or worse, exiling him to a lonely life in the backyard, where he can chew only on lawn furniture, loose

fence boards, and the edges of your deck and hot tub.

Instead, focus your dog’s fangs on approved chew toys at an early age and manage him well to prevent

access to your stuff. In this way, he’ll earn house privileges much sooner in life. By the end of his first

year, you’ll probably be able to leave him alone safely while you go out to dinner or shopping – or even

while you’re away at work.

For more details and advice on ways to prevent and cure destructive chewing habits, purchase Whole

Dog Journal's ebook Simple Ways to Prevent and Cure Destructive Chewing.

Return to Karen’s Korner

by Kevin Fitchard

O C T . 1 5 , 2 0 1 3 - 1 1 : 2 5 A M P D T

Researchers use Whistle’s dog activity tracker to quantify canine health S U M M A R Y :

Whistle’s dog activity trackers are making their way into university labs. Researchers hope the da-ta gathered from them could help them better understand and treat canine epilepsy and other animal health problems.

Canine activity tracker Whistle may not have launched its first commercial device yet, but its product is al-

ready being put to use by veterinary research and pharmaceutical companies to help understand dog illness

and behavior.

The San Francisco startup has designed what could only be described as a Fitbit (see disclosure) or Fuelband

for dogs. The small puck worn on the dog’s collar contains a three-axis accelerometer as well as Bluetooth

Low Energy and Wi-Fi radios, which can track when and with whom a pooch is walking, playing or resting.

That data is the parsed in the cloud and used to paint on overall picture of the dog’s activity via a smartphone

app.

But Whistle believes it can do more with that data than tell you whether you’re playing enough fetch with

Fido. Whistle’s accelerometer data could be used to detect whether a dog is behaving abnormally or has fall-

en ill, CEO and co-founder Ben Jacobs said. The company is working with two veterinary schools and a drug

company to test whether Whistle can glean patterns from its data that would show whether an animal is hav-

ing a seizure or experiencing pain.

One of those institutions is North Carolina State University’s veterinary school, which is researching epilepsy

in animals. It’s comparing the accelerometer data from Whistle-connected dogs against observed behavior in

dogs diagnosed with epilepsy.

“They’re logging if the dog is having a seizure in a clinical environment and then using machine learning to

see if they can detect a pattern in the Whistle accelerometer data,” Jacobs said. If NC State can make a corre-

lation between the two, Whistle may be able to build diagnostic tools for veterinarians to treat canine epilep-

sy as well as create an alert application that could warn owners the moment their dog is having a seizure.

Penn Vet, the Unviersity of Pennsylvania’s veterinary school, is using Whistle trackers in more general re-

search clinical studies, gathering data on how dogs react to specific treatments. Since dogs can’t easily com-

municate pain or reactions to different drugs, Penn Vet is testing whether Whistle can give “a voice” to dogs

undergoing therapy or drug treatment, Jacobs said. Finally Whistle is working with a pharmaceutical compa-

ny he couldn’t name on a canine pain medication trail.

While the results of these trials won’t be immediately apparent to Whistle’s regular dog-owning customers,

they could help the company refine its machine learning algorithms, allowing it to more accurately parse the

different meanings of different kinds of activity data, Jacobs said. For more details on how Whistle is being

used to improve veterinary science check out Stacey Higginbotham’s podcast interview with Jacobs. How

sensors connected to the internet of things are being used to quantify our world will also be a key topic

of GigaOM’s Mobilize conference this week in San Francisco.

So far Whistle isn’t available to public yet, though it has started taking pre-orders for the $100-device on

its website. Jacobs said it’s in its final rounds of beta testing and will start shipping Whistle to consumers

within a month.

Return to Karen’s Korner

HOME REDEDIES - DIARRHEA

by Shea Cox, DVM

Most cases of diarrhea are generally self-limiting and resolve without elaborate treatment;

a bland diet and "tincture of time" often works wonders. That being said, a few additional op-

tions

can be tried at home to help speed recovery. My own "baby boy" suffers from low-grade infla-

mmatory bowel disease, and we use a combination of bland diet, probiotics, and slippery elm

for his flare-ups. We occasionally start an antibiotic, generally metronidazole (Flagyl) if the

diarrhea has a lot of blood in it or doesn't improve within a couple of days.

Many people think that when a dog's suffering from diarrhea, food should be withheld for

24 hours. Au contraire. Food actually helps the gut heal by stimulating cells in the lining of the

intestinal tract to keep working. It is, however, recommended that you give small and frequent

feedings of a bland diet over the course of two or three days, and then reintroduce your dog's

regular diet in small amounts over another couple of days.

A bland diet consists of a lean protein, such as boiled chicken or ground meat, in a combination

with foods such as boiled pasta, cooked rice, low-fat cottage cheese or scrambled eggs.

A dollop or two of yogurt can be given with each meal to help restore normal GI flora.

Many probiotics are also availalbe, and your vet is best suited to give you a recommendation...

Slippery elm, an easy-to-find Western herb, is one of my favorite natural remedies. It contains

mucilage, a substance that becomes a slick gel when mixed with water, and works by coating

the stomach and intestines; it also has antioxidants that help relieve inflammation. Provided as

a loose powder or in capsule form, the usual dose is 400 mg per 20 to 30 pounds of body weight

every 8 - 12 hours. It should be given with water, after your dog takes a drink.

BOTE: Because it coats the digestive tract, it will slow down the absorption of other drugs, and

so

must be given two hours before or after other medications.

I do not believe in using Imodium or other anti-diarrheral medications. If you have ever

resorted to these medications yourself, you know about the painful gas cramps that can

accompany them. This happens because the drug essentially forces all that waste matter to

stay inside

when the body is working hard to eliminate it. There are physiological reasons for diarrhea,

and it is best to allow this natural process to happen. Anti-diarrheal medications do not fix the

under-

lying problem, and while your carpet may be cleaner, your pup won't be happier.

After a bout with diarrhea, a dog may not have a bowel movement for 24 to 48 hours.

As long as the dog is doing well otherwise, hwoever, this can be considered normal.

If your pet suffers from chronic long-term and/or frequent diarrhea, there may be a bigger under-

lying problem, and further evaluation is warranted. Common causes of chronic diarrhea include

inflammatory bowel disease, food allergies (which is developed later in life), tumors in the

intestinal tract or maldigestive disorders, to name a few.

A final note: If you do not begin to see an improvement in the character and consistency of

your dog's stools after 24 to 48 hours, have him/her evaluated by your vet. As mentioned earli-

er,

an evaluation is also called for if you notice signs of clinical decline, such as refusal of food,

or water, vomiting, lethargic behavior, a painful belly, or any other out-of-the-ordinary

behavior or sign. As with most health issues, it is far better to rule out problems than to ignore

them.

Idiopathic Epilepsy in Dogs: New Treatment Options BY DAWN M. SMITH

Veterinary science is making advances in the medical management of canine idiopathic epilepsy, a

condition for which there is currently no cure.

A recently published study may help veterinarians decide how best to use phenobarbital and potas-

sium bromide for individual dogs,

with at least one new medication showing promise as an alternative to these two drugs.

Phenobarbital vs. Potassium Bromide as Treatment for Epileptic Dogs

A recent study by Dr. Dawn Boothe and colleagues at Auburn University found that phenobarbital

is often better tolerated in the first six months of treatment

with a higher proportion of dogs having no seizures.

For those dogs that did have episodes, seizures did not last as long.

Both drugs have side effects, including excess hunger and thirst, lethargy and problems with coordi-

nation.

But phenobarbital has been implicated in liver toxicity when used long term and sometimes dam-

ages both red and white blood cells.

In an interview with Decoded Science, Dr. Boothe noted that one of the interesting findings from the

study was that the incidence of phenobarbital side effects was higher than expected.

Return to Karen’s Korner

She suggested keeping phenobarbital doses below the maximum range. Identifying at risk patients,

such as dogs with signs of liver disease, those on other drugs metabolized in the liver,

and elderly animals, for closer monitoring may help reduce the incidence of liver toxicity. Accord-

ing to Dr. Boothe, further study is needed to completely understand risk factors for phenobarbital

induced liver toxicity.

Treating epilepsy in dogs: Zonisamide shows promise – Image by Fvasconcellos

Epilepsy in Dogs – New Seizure Medications Tested

Several medications are now prescribed as secondary, add-on medication for dogs whose seizures

are not controlled by either phenobarbital or potassium bromide.

One of the most promising, according to Dr. Boothe, is zonisamide, which can be used as both a

sole medication and an add-on with few side effects.

Felbamate offers another sole treatment option, although it is most often used for other types of sei-

zures, rather than for idiopathic epilepsy.

Unfortunately, like phenobarbital, felbamate is associated with liver toxicity and abnormal blood

cells.

Levitiracetam, to date, shows few of the side effects seen with other antiepileptic drugs. This prom-

ising secondary treatment for seizures in dogs does, however, require dosing three times a day.

Gabapentin, another three times a day medication used as an add-on to phenobarbital or potassium

bromide, appears to be the least effective of the new drugs being tested.

Longer term studies will help further evaluate these medications for controlling canine idiopathic

epilepsy, while ongoing research into the genetic basis for some idiopathic epilepsy

holds promise for reducing the incidence of the condition.

Canine Epilepsy Treatment: The Role of the Placebo Effect

An interesting study found that 79% of the dogs receiving a placebo in three separate clinical trials

had decreased seizure activity.

While no one would recommend treating canine epilepsy with a placebo, it does indicate the im-

portance of placebo–controlled studies when evaluating seizure medications for dogs.

As the newer antiepileptic medications are trialed, placebo-controlled testing needs to be included.

It is important for the owner of dogs suffering from idiopathic epilepsy to understand that, to date,

there is no one ‘best’ antiepileptic medication.

Owners need to work closely with their veterinarian until their pet’s seizures are eliminated or sig-

nificantly reduced.

Research on a genetic basis for idiopathic epilepsy may aid in reducing the

incidence of this condition.

Return to Karen’s Korner

TARGETING CANINE BLOAT, A MAJOR KILLER OF DOGS

Kristen Flory, Andy Henion- See more at: http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/targeting-canine-bloat-a-major-

killer-of-dogs/#sthash.6AyBc8CQ.dpuf

A team of Michigan State University veterinary medicine scientists

will try to figure out what’s causing canine bloat, one of the biggest

– and most mysterious – killers of dogs.

Lead researcher Laura Nelson has been awarded a two-year,

$233,774 grant

from the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation

to fund research on the causes of bloat,

technically known as gastric dilatation-volvulus.

While the cause is unclear, there is a strong predisposition in some dogs

and it is generally thought that bloat is influenced by both genetic and environmental fac-tors.

Bloat is one of the leading causes of death in dogs, second only to cancer for some breeds, and the No. 1 killer of Great Danes.

“Not every dog is going to get it,” said Nelson, assistant professor in the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences.

“But there is a strong predisposition in some dogs. Older, nervous, and large and giant dog breeds – particularly Great Danes (and similar deep-chested dogs)

– are most prone to bloat. But we still don’t know what causes it.

That’s what we want to know – why some dogs get bloat while others don’t.”

When a dog gets bloat, gas fills the stomach, the stomach twists completely around, the gas has no way to escape,

and blood and air supply to the stomach are cut off. As the stomach swells, it presses against the abdominal wall

and pushes against large blood vessels. Shock is usually the cause of death.

The whole progression can happen in a matter of minutes or hours, and surgery is required to save the dog’s life.

Nelson’s team is investigating the relationship of motility – contractions responsible for the digestion of food

– with increased bloat risk, and hopes to define the biochemical and genetic alterations that may be associated with hypomotility, abnormally weak contractions.

A new diagnostic tool, SmartPill, makes possible noninvasive assessment of motility.

The pill is an ingestible capsule with an instrument inside that measures acidity and pres-sure.

The team will measure the time it takes the capsule to pass through the dog’s system and the pressure spikes along the way.

In addition to investigating gastric motility as a predictor of bloat,

researchers will evaluate the expression of the hormones motilin and ghrelin – regulators of gastrointestinal motility

– as a predictor of predisposition to bloat. This information will support an investigation of the disease’s genetic foundations.

“The strong breed and familial tendency to bloat points to a strong genetic predisposition to the disease,”

said William Horne, chair of the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences and co-researcher on the project.

“If we can identify a causal gene mutation associated with high risk of GDV, this could lead to developing genetic tests that would allow breeders to make informed breeding deci-sions.”

In the short term, the research findings may provide clinicians with data that would allow them to make informed decisions

about when to use preventative medications or conduct targeted prophylactic surgery – gastropexy – in dogs.

This procedure surgically attaches the stomach to the abdominal wall in order to prevent twisting.

It is an effective procedure that is well tolerated, but, Nelson notes, is an invasive proce-dure that may not be necessary in some dogs.

There currently is not a good way to determine who to recommend it for.

“There is nothing more frustrating than throwing treatments at something when you don’t understand why it happens,” Nelson said.

“With bloat, it happens and you treat it. But it would be so much more satisfying if we re-ally understood why some dogs get bloat

and then be able to make more informed treatment decisions and possibly prevent the dis-ease altogether.”

Return to Karen’s Korner

- See more at: http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/targeting-canine-bloat-a-

major-killer-of-dogs/#sthash.6AyBc8CQ.dpuf

TREATMENT FOR CANINE T-CELL LYMPHOMA

Biopharmaceutical developer Aratana Therapeutics Inc. will add a treatment for canine T

-cell lymphoma to its product portfolio with the takeover of Vet Therapeutics Inc., the

companies announced...

The merger calls for Vet Therapeutics shareholders to receive $30 million, 625,000

shares of Aratana common stock and other considerations...

Vet Therapeutics will continue to operate out of San Diego as an Aratana subsidiary. Vet

Therapeutics’ founder and president, Genevieve Hansen, will become Aratana’s head of

biologics and will manage the subsidiary.

"Aratana has the vision and drive to bring our biologic products to market and the ability

to leverage and defend our proprietary antibody platform over the years to come,” Han-

sen said.

Among Vet Therapeutics’ products is a canine antibody product intended as an aid for

the treatment of canine T-cell lymphoma in dogs. The discovery has been submitted to

the U.S. Department of Agriculture for license review.

A canine monoclonal antibody intended as an aid for the treatment of B-

cell lymphoma in dogs has been granted a conditional USDA license.

"We are particularly excited about the lead B-cell lymphoma product, as we strongly be-

lieve a canine-specific antibody therapy could achieve

SOME ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS

Further information on this topic can be found in the Nov. 2013 Issue of Whole Dog Journal

Whole Dog Journal readers often try techniques and products described in the magazine, but sometimes years go by be-

fore we need something we read about, or it disappears from the market, or we have trouble finding it, or we simply for-

get all about it. Last month we revisited systemic oral enzymes and EMT gel, and our September issue revisited green tripe,

Seacure, and Willard Water. Here are three more go-to products featured in previous issues that might now be perfect for

you and your dog.

Pellitol Ointment

Nine years ago, we described a smoky-smelling pink ointment that worked wonders for seriously infected ears: Pellitol

(see “Chronic Ear Infections in Canines,” WDJ June 2004). Pellitol contained zinc oxide, calamine, bismuth subgalate, bismuth

subnitrate, resorcinol, echinacea fluid extract, and juniper tar. These ingredients are both disinfecting and adhesive, so

that as the ointment gradually dried and shrank (a process lasting several days), it healed ulcers, dried pus and debris, and

reduced bacterial growth. In addition to being effective, this apply-it-and-leave-it approach spared patients the discomfort

of repeated ear-cleaning treatments.

We learned about Pellitol from holistic veterinarian Stacy Hershman of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, who became inter-

ested in ear infections while working as a veterinary technician in her teens. “This is a subject that isn’t covered much in

vet school,” she told us. “I learned about treating ear infections from the veterinarians I worked with over the years. Be-

cause they all had different techniques, I saw dozens of different treatments, and I kept track of what worked and what

didn’t.”

Chronic ear infections are the bane of long-eared dogs, swimming dogs, recently vaccinated puppies, old dogs, dogs with

an abundance of ear wax, and dogs with allergies, thyroid imbalances, or immune system disorders. In other words, they

are among the most common recurring canine problems.

Dr. Hershman’s maintenance program for healthy ears involves gentle cleaning with cotton balls, cotton swabs, and room-

temperature green tea or an alcohol-free acidic ear cleaner. Mild ear inflammation can be treated with careful flushing.

But if the infection is serious, she takes a different approach. When she began her veterinary practice, Dr. Hersh-man met

dogs who wouldn’t let anyone touch their ears. “I knew that nothing I’d learned in vet school was going to help them,” she

says, “so I thought back to all the treatments I’d seen over the years. The one that seemed most effective was a combina-

tion of boric acid and a thick, old-fashioned ointment that looks like pink toothpaste. I couldn’t remember its name, but I

never forgot how it smelled – really peculiar, like burnt embers.”

The ointment was Pellitol, and as soon as she tracked it down, Dr. Hershman combined it with boric acid. “Like the ear

powders I learned about from groomers,” she explains, “boric acid dries and acidifies the ear. Yeast and bacteria are op-

portunistic organisms that die in a dry, acidic environment. They thrive where it’s moist, dark, and alkaline.”

Because boric acid is toxic (note warnings on the label), it should not be inhaled or swallowed. Shielding the face is im-

portant and usually requires a helper, someone who can hold the dog’s head steady while protecting the eyes, nose, and

mouth.

The original Pellitol ointment is no longer made, but two companies now manufacture very similar (and effective) products for treating problematic ears.

Experimenting with her own dogs and dogs at the animal shelter where she volunteered, Dr. Hershman placed two or

three pinches of boric acid powder in each infected ear unless it was ulcerated, bleeding, or painful. “Being acidic,” she

explained, “boric acid might irritate open wounds. In that case, I would use the Pellitol alone. Otherwise, a pinch or two of

boric acid was an effective preliminary treatment.”

After applying boric acid, she would fill the ear with Pellitol and let it work. Within a week, the dried ointment would fall

out of the dog’s ear, leaving it cleaner and far less inflamed.

The Replacements

When its developer retired and closed his business, Pellitol disappeared. Fortunately for its fans, new versions of Pellitol

are manufactured by compounding pharmacies.

Dr. Hershman orders Pell Otic ointment from Wedgewood Pharmacy in Swedesboro, New Jersey, which packages the oint-

ment in 15-milliliter syringes that retail for $24. This ointment contains zinc oxide, calamine, bismuth subnitrate, resor-

cinol, juniper tar, and bismuth subgallate, which are (except for echinacea) the same ingredients as Pellitol in a slightly

different formula. Wedgewood Pharmacy ships to all states except North Carolina. Pet owners can order Pell Otic ointment

by phone or online, but orders must be accompanied by a veterinarian’s prescription.

Dr. Hershman likes the new product. “Instead of a tube, it comes in a syringe that you dial, which makes it more economi-

cal, and it has a convenient long nozzle for applying it deep in the vertical ear canal,” she says. “It works the same as Pelli-

tol. It’s just more brown than pink in color, possibly due to less calamine and more bismuth. It still smells good, like burnt

embers.”

She recommends turning the dial once for 1 milliliter per ear unless you’re working with larger ear canals, as with Coon-

hounds, Spaniels, or Basset Hounds, in which case she uses 2 ml per ear. “There is a cap for the end of the syringe so it will

not dry out,” she says, “and it is actually a lot less messy with the syringe than a tube. The metal Pellitol tubes would break

and dry up and the ointment would be wasted. This is a better arrangement.”

Like Pellitol, Pell Otic ointment is sticky. “I tell people to protect their furniture for a day or two. The ointment will stick to

anything it touches, and when you fill the ear, it can stick to the outside of the ear or the dog’s face. That excess will dry

and fall off. You can remove it with vegetable oil, but leave the inside of the ear flap alone.”

Another version of Pellitol is available from Specialty Veterinary Compounding Pharmacy in Stafford, Texas. Re-ca-litol Otic

Ointment contains resorcinol, bismuth subgallate, bismuth subnitrate, zinc oxide, calamine powder, juniper tar, glycerin,

and petrolatum.

Re-ca-litol Otic Ointment is available in 20-gram toothpaste-like tubes costing $24.63. Orders accompanied by a veterinari-

an’s prescription can be placed by phone or online. Specialty Veterinary Pharmacy does not ship to Arizona, Arkansas, Ken-

tucky, Maryland, Nebraska, North Caroline, or Virginia.

“Pellitol-type ointments can completely cure mild ear infections,” says Dr. Hershman, “but for severe purulent (pus-

producing), ulcerative, long-standing Pseudomonas andProteus bacterial infections, the ointment by itself may not be

enough. Sometimes conventional antibiotics with anti-inflammatory or anti-fungal ingredients have to be alternated with

the ointment treatment since these bacteria are difficult to eradicate. In severely resistant cases, I go back and forth be-

tween the ointment and ear powders containing boric acid and zinc oxide along with conventional medications. But even

in severe cases, Pell Otic ointment makes a big difference.”

Note: If your dog develops an ear infection for the first time, or if his condition seems especially severe or painful, consult

your veterinarian to rule out a tumor, polyp, or something else that requires medical attention.

For detailed ear-cleaning and ear-flushing instructions, see “Chronic Ear Infections in Canines,” June 2004.

Aromatherapy products for dogs have become a big business, with almost as many essential oil blends, hydrosols, and

carrier oils marketed for canines as for their human companions. For an introduction to canine aromatherapy, see “Smell

This” (December 2004), “Essential Aromatherapy” (January 2005), “Canines in a Mist” (April 2005), and “Healing Oils for Your

Dog” (August 2005).

One of the most versatile and effective aromatherapy blends for dogs is Jake’s Canine Remedy, a topical spray that helps

heal and prevent skin and coat problems.

Years ago, Colorado aromatherapist Frances Fitzgerald Cleveland of FrogWorks, which manufactures products for pets and

people, was out of town when her dog, Jake, developed a hot spot. The steroid shot he received caused kidney failure and

Jake died. In his memory, Cleveland combined purified water, apricot kernel oil, and a proprietary blend of essential oils.

Jake’s Canine Remedy can be sprayed onto wet or dry dogs, brushed into the coat, used as an ear flush, or dabbed onto

skin irritations, including hot spots and lick granulomas (see “Canine Wounds Deemed ‘Hot Spots,’” September 2006).

One of Cleveland’s test dogs was her black Labrador-Golden Retriever mix, Oscar. “Oscar swam every

day, and I always sprayed him with Jake’s Remedy. He never had a hot spot or any type of skin irrita-

tion,” she says. Oscar passed away last July at age 14, and her three-year-old Lab-mix, Indie, continues

the tradition.

“I chose essential oils that smell good to dogs and have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, itch-relieving, anti-dermatitic, anti-

bacterial, bacteriostatic, anti-viral, anti-fungal, soothing, healing, and calming effects,” she explains.

In our 2006 hot spot article, Shelley Voorhees of Littleton, Colorado, reported that when her champion Rottweiler was a

blood donor, he had a severe reaction to the disinfecting scrub that was used. “He developed a hot spot that covered his

neck and chest,” she said. “After a course of antibiotics, the hot spot was still very inflamed and still oozing. I tried Jake’s

Remedy, and within 48 hours the oozing stopped. The hot spot healed within a week and his hair quickly grew back.”

More recently, in Dallas, Texas, Sue Murphy’s 6-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever, Louise, developed a serious ear infec-

tion. “I was not aware of how bad it was because there wasn’t any smell,” she says. “Her ear continued to itch and she

continued to scratch until the ear and ear flap became as red as a tomato. She tested positive for yeast and bacteria.”

Louise’s vet sent her home with ointment to be used with an ear flush. As Louise hates having her ears cleaned, Murphy

called Cleveland for advice.

“Frances suggested that I flush the ear with Jake’s Canine Remedy,” she says. “It was a miracle on many counts. Louise was

willing to let me put it in her ear, and when I was done, she put her paws on my shoulders and kissed my face! But the

most amazing thing was that within two hours, Louise’s ear was almost her natural pink.”

Murphy continued to use Jake’s Remedy for a few more days, and Louise’s ears returned to their healthy state. She never

had to use the prescribed ointment again. “Every morning Louise lets me check her ears and thanks me with a big kiss,”

she says. “Now I spray it on her front paws to alleviate itching and to keep her from chewing on her paws. This stuff is

awesome!”

California resident Jim Rounsavell’s eight-year-old German Shepherd Dog, Gretchen, has epilepsy, incontinence, a com-

pletely replaced left hip, and skin disorders. “She developed a rash from her prolonged use of steroids under a veterinari-

an’s direction,” he says. “We were never told that this steroid should not be used for long periods.”

When the rash around Gretchen’s genitals and lower abdomen continued to worsen, Rounsavell took Gretchen to the Vet-

erinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. “The spe-

cialist said he sees only one dog every two years with a condition as severe as hers. He recommended that we work to re-

duce Gretchen’s weight from 122 pounds to around 100 pounds and then schedule surgery to remove the area that re-

fused to heal.”

A FrogWorks distributor recommended Jake’s Canine Remedy and told Rounsavell that he could expect to see results in

seven days. “We started using the product,” he says, “and Gretchen’s sore area became quite moist. We didn’t know what

to expect so we called Frances, who informed us that this was part of the healing process. As promised, by the end of a

Jake’s Remedy helped Louise, a 6-year-old Lab, recover from a painful ear condition, and relieves her itching paws.

week we saw results, and over the next two to three weeks her condition improved even more.” Rounsavell did not have

to bring Gretchen back to the VMTH for the much more drastic procedure. Instead, he says, “Jake’s Remedy came to our

rescue. I want everyone to know about this product.”

Kari Filburn, who lives near Portland, Oregon, purchased Jake’s Canine Remedy for her dog Koda, who had hot spots on his

tail and legs. “It has really helped them heal,” she reports. In addition, Koda enjoyed Merlin’s Magic Calming Potion, an-

other FrogWorks product. “I sprayed it on a washcloth for him and he carried it around the house. He rubbed his head all

over it, then rested against the washcloth – very calm!”

Merlin was a black Lab-Great Dane adopted by Cleveland in 1999 when he was a year old. He had been severely abused

and, when rescued, had a fractured hip and other injuries. “I used many essential oils to help him adjust to his new home

and get over his past experiences,” says Cleveland. “A dog day care asked me to make a calming spray. . . . Then it hit me. I

would use all the oils I used for Merlin when we first brought him home. The blend contained vetiver, grapefruit, frankin-

cense, ylang ylang extra, and Roman chamomile essential oils in a base of water, apricot kernel oil, and dispersa, which is

an all-natural emulsifier containing vitamins C and E. It worked, and the doggy day care was happy. In 2010, when Merlin

passed away, I made it an official product to honor his memory.”

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