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Copyright 2006, Belvoir Media Group, LLC THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL |

July 2006

The Whole Dog JournalVOLUME 9NUMBER 7

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FEATURES

A monthly guide to natural dog care and training

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

2 Editors Note24 Product and Expert Resources

3 Chill PillsBehavior-altering drugs can help dogswith phobias or anxiety disorders but you have to learn which ones work

best in each case.

10 Biscuits, Not RollsWhy you should never perform thealpha roll on your dog or puppy.

14 Grandmother NatureA profile of Juliette de Bairali Levy,pioneer of natural rearing methods(and still a devoted friend to dogs).

18 Gotta DetoxHerbalist Greg Tilford describes herbsthat can help detoxify your dogs body.

20 Yo Adrenals!Adrenaline, cortisol, sex hormones . . .The adrenal glands produce many of thebodys most powerful hormones.

$5.95

A little something forchronic anxiety

. . . page 3

Herbal pioneer . . .page 14

The differencebetween beingrolled and rolling . . .page 10

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2|JULY 2006 Copyright 2006, Belvoir Media Group, LLC

EDITORS NOTEEDITORS NOTE

The San Francisco Bay Area, where Ivelived for the past 10-plus years, justmight be the center of the holistic dog-care world. You are more likely to seedogs being walked wearing head halters

or front-clip harnesses than choke chains.People trade information about the bestholis-tic veterinarians in the area not just clues onhow to find the only one in a five-county area.The pet supply stores carry a dozen differentbrands of top-quality dog foods, and raw fro-

zen diets, too. Most of the health foods storeshave pet care sections. Positive puppy social-ization classes and daycare facilities abound.

Things are about to get interesting for me,since Im sort of moving back in time in termsof dog training and care. This month, right af-ter I ship this issue to the printer, Im packingup both my home and my home-based officeof WDJ and moving 150 miles to the north andeast. Oroville is a small northern Californiatown said to contain about 13,000 people; Isuspect they have to reach pretty far outsidethe city limits to come up with a total that high.

My dad lives about 15 miles out of town,and Im looking forward to being close to him.Im also really looking forward to life in a muchquieter town. Quieter, at least, except for thebarking dogs! Thats going to take some get-ting used to (and I suspect I may get involvedin a community dog-care education project).

Where I live now, many of my neighborshave a dog; some have two. All of the dogs inmy immediate neighborhood spend most oftheir times indoors when they are not beingwalked or hanging out with their owners in theyard. But in Oroville, Ive noticed, there are

many dogs who seem to live outdoors full time,

BY NANCY KERNS

On MovingJust 150 miles away, a new dog world awaits.

in yards and chained to trees or porches. Lotsof yards contain several dogs and lots of dogsarent contained in any way, shape, or form atall! Ive never before been in a town where youcan spot several loose dogs in any given hour.On one memorable walk, as we scoped outavailable real estate, my husband and I wereconfronted on a sidewalk outside a school by ahuge, growling, collarless St. Bernard, who wasbeing egged on by a tiny, greasy, collarless Chi-huahua-mix. As I said before, its going to be

interesting.Ill still spend a lot of time in the Bay Area;

so many of WDJs models (canine and human)and friends are here. And I couldnt do what Ido without the regular help and support of myholistic vet (Dr. Jenny Taylor, of Creature Com-fort Holistic Veterinary Center) and famedpositive trainer Sandi Thompson, who hastaught thousands of puppy training classes inthe Berkeley area.

Please note WDJs new editorial office ad-dresses (above right). This is the place to sendletters to the editor (me!), questions about ar-

ticles, and product information and samples.As always, inquiries about subscriptions (suchas magazines not received, problems with pay-ments, gift subscriptions) should be directed

to the subscription ser-vices department. Ques-tions about WDJswebsite, online access,and back issues shouldbe directed to our cus-tomer service depart-ment in Connecticut.

MISSION STATEMENT: WDJs mission is to provide dog guardians with in-depth information oneffective holistic healthcare methods and successful nonviolent training. The methods we discusswill endeavor to do no harm to dogs; we do not advocate perpetrating even minor transgressions inthe name of greater good. We intend our articles to enable readers to immediately apply trainingand healthcare techniques to their own dogs with visible and enjoyable success. All topics shouldcontribute to improving the dogs health and vitality, and deepening the canine/human bond. Aboveall, we wish to contribute information that will enable consumers to make kind, healthy, and in-formed decisions about caring for their own dogs.

THE WHOLE DOG JOUR-NAL (ISSN #1097-5322)is published monthly byBelvoir Media Group,LLC, 800 ConnecticutAvenue, Norwalk, CT

06854-1631. Robert Englander,Chairman and CEO; Timothy H. Cole,Executive Vice President, EditorialDirector; Philip L. Penny, Chief

Operating Officer; Greg King, Exec-utive Vice President, MarketingDirector; Marvin Cweibel, Senior VicePresident, Marketing Operations; RonGoldberg, Chief Financial Officer; TomCanfield, Vice President, Circulation;Michael N. Pollet, Senior Vice Pres-ident, General Counsel. Periodicalspostage paid at Norwalk, CT and atadditional mailing offices. Copyright2006, Belvoir Media Group, LLC. Allrights reserved. Reproduction inwhole or in part is strictly prohibited.Printed in U.S.A. Revenue Canada GSTAccount #128044658. Canada Pub-lishing Agreement Number #40016479.

THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL makesevery effort to provide information ondog health, care, and treatment thatis authoritative, reliable, and practical.It is not intended, however, to replacediagnosis or treatment from aveterinarian or other qualified dogprofessional. THE WHOLE DOGJOURNAL does not assume any legalresponsibility. Readers should alwaysconsult qualified healthcare providersfor specific diagnosis and treatment.

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BY MARY STRAUS

Chill Pills

T

Behavior-altering drugs can help dogs with phobias or anxiety disorders

but you have to learn which ones work best in each case.

en years ago, my dog Piglet wokeme in the middle of the night, trem-bling violently and utterly terrified.It took me hours to track the sourceof her panic to a barely audible high-

pitched beep that sounded once every twominutes, coming from a smoke alarms lowbattery indicator.

Thus began Piglets long history of noisephobias. Below is the story of my struggle

to help her cope with these phobias and,eventually, generalized anxiety disorder.While I would urge anyone dealing withanxiety issues to first try natural methodsof treatment, it is important to know thereare medications that can offer your dog qual-ity of life that may not be obtainable in anyother way.

A brief historyFor years, Piglet reacted only to high-pitched beeping noises, such as cell phones,pagers, the microwave oven, the theme fromThe Twilight Zone, etc. I tried many naturaltreatments, including T-Touch, an AnxietyWrap, melatonin, flower remedies, dog ap-peasing pheromone (DAP) diffusers,counter-conditioning (scary noise = treat),and just about everything else I heard of thatcan help dogs with anxiety and phobias.Several of these helped a little, but none

solved the problem. We dealt with her is-sues mostly by trying to avoid scarynoises, including giving up some of myfavorite TV shows!

Piglet was normally a confident dog,cautious with people but not fearful, com-fortable with other dogs, eager to explorenew places. When she was frightened bybeeping sounds, she would pant, pace,tremble, try to hide, dig compulsively bothindoors and out (to the point of making her

MEDICINE

nails bleed), and come to me for attentionand comfort, though comforting her did nohelp. I knew enough not to reinforce herattention-seeking behaviors, but I did tryvarious things, such as distracting her withclicker training (which would work only aslong as I could keep it up, then she wouldgo right back to her fearful behaviors), giv-ing long, slow strokes, just putting my armaround her, sitting with her while completelyignoring her; nothing made any difference

As we could avoid scary noises mos

of the time, her anxiety attacks were not frequent and she was able to live with herphobias pretty well.

This began to change three years agowhen my next-door neighbors completelyrebuilt their house. We were out for a walkone day, soon after construction had startedwhen a stump digger close to us backfiredloudly just as we were passing. After thatPiglet became reactive to all of the construction sounds from next door, which gradually

TM

I

The Whole Dog Journal

WHAT YOU CAN DO . . .

Try natural remedies first.

Anxiety Wraps, DAP diffusers,

melatonin, and other natural

treatments have helped many

dogs with anxiety and noise

phobias.

If natural treatments dont work,

ask your vet whether medica-

tions might make sense, particu-

larly if your dogs anxieties are

getting worse or interfering with

his quality of life.

Continue to do behavior modifi-

cation, including counter-

conditioning and desensitiza-

tion, as much as possible while

your dog is on medication,

which will improve your chances

of success.

I

I

Piglet, a Chinese Shar-Pei owned by author Mary Straus, is a normally confident dogOver the years, however, she has become more and more noise-phobic, to the poinof requiring drug therapy to quell her fears enough to enjoy a normal life.

MEDICINE

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generalized to any loud noise she heardwhile on our walks.

Sounds that had never before botheredher, such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, loudtrucks, and even the sound of other dogsbarking, now frightened her. Most of ourwalks were spent trying to avoid thesenoises, and when she did hear them, shewanted to turn around and go home.

Eventually, Piglet was startled on a walkby a loud chirping noise from a groundsquirrel. After that, she began waking atdawn, reacting to the sound of birds in myyard. Soon she was spending most of thenight awake, pacing, panting, unable to restand pawing at me to get up as well. Hernoise phobias had escalated to generalizedanxiety disorder (GAD). Neither of us couldlive like this. We had to find something tohelp.

Types of anxiety medicationsThere are several types of anti-anxiety medi-cations (anxiolytics). Benzodiazepines arefast-acting and can be used on an as-neededbasis, or combined with longer-acting drugsfor a quicker response and when a little morehelp is needed. Tricyclic antidepressants(TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibi-tors (SSRIs), and azapirones must be givencontinuously, and require several weeks toreach full effectiveness. Dogs with frequentor severe anxiety will benefit from theselonger-acting drugs to decrease overall anxi-ety and reactivity.

All of these are prescription medica-

tions. It is important that you work closelywith your veterinarian, or with a veterinarybehaviorist, when using anxiolytic drugs. Itis also important to do behavior modifica-tion as well, as drugs alone will rarely resolvea severe anxiety problem by themselves, justas behavior modification alone often will notwork without drugs. A dog behaviorist (vet-erinary or otherwise) can help you with this.

Following is a summary of the differenttypes of anti-anxiety drugs, what they arecommonly used for, and what you need toknow before using them. With the excep-

tion of clomipramine, the FDA has notapproved the use of these drugs in dogs, asthe drug companies have not submitted thenecessary research. However, many of thesedrugs were tested on animals before use inhumans, and they have been used off-labelby many vets.

Ive found Plumbs Veterinary DrugHandbookto have the most current infor-mation on drug dosages and interactions.Some of the following is taken from that

source, and some from various papers writ-ten by noted veterinary behaviorist Dr.Karen Overall and other veterinarians.

Benzodiazepines (BZs)Benzodiazepines are fast-acting drugs thatcan be used on an as-needed basis for dogsthat need periodic help with anxiety, suchas those afraid of thunder or fireworks. They

can also be used in combination with TCAsor SSRIs when first starting treatment tohasten the effects, or on an ongoing basis,either regularly or asneeded to prevent orlessen acute anxietyepisodes. For example,one might use a ben-zodiazepine withtricyclic antidepres-sants for a dog sufferingfrom separation anxietywith a panic component.

The effects of BZs donot last very long, usuallyonly a few hours. When usedcontinuously, they are addic-tive (create physicaldependency).

Benzodiazepines com-monly used with dogs includealprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam

(Klonopin), anddiazepam (Valium). Thesedrugs are used to treat anxiety, noise pho-bias (including thunder phobia), panicattacks, and separation anxiety. They shouldbe used with caution in fear-aggressive

dogs, as they may lower fear-based inhibi-tion and increase the likelihood of the dogbiting.

Their safety range is very wide, and theycan be combined with most other medica-tions, including TCAs and SSRIs, as well aswith pain medications such as tramadol.They can also be used together (with dos-age of each reduced). As with all anti-anxietymedications, you should start with a lowdose and increase only as needed. The keyto treatment for noise phobias and panic isto give the benzodiazepines early and of-

ten, says Dr. Overall.Alprazolam is Dr. Overalls drug of

choice for dogs with storm and noise pho-bias and dogs who panic. It takes effect veryquickly, within 20 minutes of being given,and does not tend to cause sedation.Alprazolam has some effect if given afterthe dog becomes anxious, but it works farbetter if given ahead of time. For dogs withthunder phobia, it should be given when-ever a storm is expected, rather than waiting

until it arrives, though more can be given atthat time, if needed. The recommended dos-age range is quite wide, with the highestdose being 10 times the lowest dose.

Clonazepam is used less frequently thanalprazolam, as it takes a little longer to beeffective, but it is also longer-lasting. Thereare two recommended dosage levels forclonazepam: one for seizure control, and

one for anxiety. It is important to be awareof this, as the dosage for seizure control ismuch higher than that used for anxiety. Iwas reassured to realize how high a dosecould be given without being dangerous.

Diazepam is more sedating thanthe other drugs in this class, and may

have less anxiolytic effect, so it isgenerally not recommended foranxiety. It is the shortest-acting ofthis drug class in dogs, and doesnot take effect as quickly.

In Piglets case, benzodiazepineswere a lifesaver. I found an articleby Dr. Overall that discussed the useof alprazolam for noise phobias (seeReferences, page 9). I started Pig-

let at 0.25 mg (0.017 mg/kg), but that hadlittle effect, so I went to 0.50 mg (0.03mg/kg), which did help. I started by giv-ing Piglet this dosage of alprazolam

whenever she would wake me up, which wasgenerally a couple of hours after we wentto sleep. She would usually settle downwithin an hour after getting the medication.It helped, but wasnt enough.

My vet then suggested that I give an in-

creased dosage of alprazolam at bedtime,before Piglet became anxious. Rather thangiving her 0.5 mg (barely enough to help)after she had awakened me with her anx-ious behavior, I began giving her 1 mg (0.07mg/kg) at bedtime. This made a huge dif-ference. The alprazolam did not sedatePiglet; it just relaxed her enough to be ableto sleep, without anxiety waking her up dur-ing the night. By giving it to her before shebecame anxious, she was able to sleepthrough most of the night.

After consulting with a veterinary be-

haviorist, I started giving Piglet 1 mgalprazolam every eight hours, to try to pre-vent her from becoming anxious. Her anxietywas under control, but she seemed to be onsomething of a roller coaster, becoming morereactive each hour after the alprazolam wasgiven. I generally had to get up once duringthe night to give her a dose, as it was tooshort-acting for her to be able to make it allthe way through the night without wakingand becoming anxious.

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I decided to switch to clonazepam, as itseffects last longer. Because the recom-mended dosage range of clonazepam foranxiety in dogs is similar to that foralprazolam, I tried giving Piglet the samedosage (1 mg), but quickly found out thatwas not enough. I increased the dosage to 2mg (0.13 mg/kg), still well within the rec-ommended range. I gave this amount twice

a day, at bedtime and after breakfast. Withclonazepam, Piglet was able to sleepthrough the whole night.

AzapironesThere is only one drug in this class usedwith dogs: buspirone (BuSpar). Buspirone

is used to treat cats for inappropriate urina-tion, but is now also being used to treat dogsfor phobias and other anxiety disorders, in-cluding fear aggression, especially ifaccompanied by signs of poor socialization.It is not helpful for panic disorders, but iseffective for more generalized anxiety.

Because buspirone has few side effectsand does not cause sedation, it is an excel-

lent first choice for treating dogs withaggression or anxiety that is not too severe.It must be given continuously for at leastfour to six weeks in order to determinewhether or not it will help. Again, its bestto start at a low dose and increase if needed.Buspirone can be combined with TCAs or

SSRIs, though it is questionable whetherthis helps or not.

I learned about buspirone from AmyCook, a dog trainer in Oakland, Californiawho has a special interest in fearful dogsAmy has dealt with fear and anxiety in manydogs, including two of her own, and haslearned a lot about the medications used fortreatment.

Buspirone helped a number of Amysclients, as well as the dog of a colleaguethat had developed noise phobias and wasunable to continue her flyball participationbecause of it. That dog responded wonderfully to Buspirone and was able to return toher flyball team with the help of this medi-cation.

We started Piglet on a low dose (10 mgor 0.7 mg/kg) twice a day for a month, andthen increased to 15 mg (1 mg/kg) twice aday for another month. Unfortunately, it didnot help, and I weaned her off it.

Tricyclic antidepressants(TCAs)Tricyclic antidepressants are used with dogsto treat anxiety, panic, phobias, and obses-sive compulsive disorders, such as shadowchasing and lick granulomas. They are alsoused to treat aggression that is caused byunderlying anxiety.

The tricyclic antidepressants most com-monly used with dogs are amitriptyline(Elavil) and clomipramine (Clomicalm)The general recommendation is to start witha low dose, then increase every two weeks

as needed. These drugs do not take effecimmediately, and several weeks treatmenmay be needed before their effectivenesscan be fully ascertained.

The most common side effect ofTCAsis sedation. Anorexia (loss of appetite) isalso common, but usually goes away after afew days. Giving with food and dividing thedosage between meals may decrease gastric side effects.

My own vet prefers to use amitriptylineas a first choice when treating anxiety, nobecause its the most effective drug, but be

cause it is inexpensive and he feels it is saferthan clomipramine.

Amitriptylines most common side ef-fects are dry mouth and sedation. It is welsuited to dogs with relatively mild anxietydisorders, including anxiety-related aggres-sion and submissive urination. It is not use-ful for compulsive disorders.

Amitriptyline can relieve chronic painand also has some action as an antihista-mine.

How to Treat Anxiety Naturally

Whole Dog Journal has published a number of articles on natural ways to help a dogdeal with anxiety, before resorting to the use of drugs, including the following:

Anxiety Wrap (Its a Wrap, December 2002)

Dog Appeasing Pheromone Diffusers (Please Appease Me, January 2004)

Kong Dispenser (Help for the Home-Alone Dog, September 2005)

T-Touch (A Touch Should Do It, July 1998)

Massage (Lay Your Hands On Dogs, July 2004)

Calmative Herbs (Stop the Panic, September 2003)

Flower Essence Remedies (Flower Power, March 1999)

Essential Oils (Essential Information, January 2005, and Smell This,Youll Feel Better, December 2004)

Also see the following articles on anxiety: Separation Anxiety (Relieving Anxiety, August 2001, and Learning to

Be Alone, July 2001)

Noise Phobias (When the Thunder Rolls, April 2000, and Bring In Da Noise,May 2000)

A few more suggestions: Melatonin (see main text), SAM-e (s-adenyl methionine), and magnesium are

also used to treat anxiety. SAM-e is an antidepressant and is liver-protective.I give it to Piglet to help her liver deal with the other drugs.

A friend has had good luck treating her dogs thunder phobia with a high dose ofcalcium/magnesium and the Chinese herbal formula known as Calm Spirit(Modified Ding Xin Wan) from the company Health Concerns, available onlythrough veterinarians.

When giving tiny pills, I find they sometimes get stuck in my dogs lips.Wrapping them in a bit of string cheese has solved that problem for us.

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Clomipramine is best suited for situa-tions involving anxiety, including separationanxiety, as opposed to reactivity. Clomi-pramine is also very effective at treatingcompulsive disorders.

TCAs can cause bone marrow suppres-sion. Its important to do blood work acouple of weeks after starting this drug (aswell as before, for older dogs), then moni-

tor every six months to a year thereafter.I tried giving Piglet amitriptyline for hernoise phobia before she developed gener-alized anxiety disorder. With myveterinarians guidance, I started Piglet on25 mg (1.7 mg/kg) twice a day, then in-creased it to a very high dosage of 25 mgthree times a day after a month.

Piglet tolerated the drug very well, andshe did not have problems with sedation orother side effects. However, as time wenton, I noticed no improvement in her behav-ior, even after we increased the dose, so Iweaned her off it.

After Piglets anxiety worsened, my vetand I decided to try clomipramine (Clomi-calm). We started at 20 mg (1.3 mg/kg)

twice a day. After two weeks, I increased to25 mg (1.7 mg/kg) twice a day. Again, Pig-let tolerated it well; she had no stomachupset, and her blood work was normal aftertwo weeks. She was on clomipramine for atotal of only three weeks before I beganweaning her off, as I did not feel it was help-ing, but in retrospect, I realize that she gotmuch worse when I weaned her off the drug.

It is very important not to give up too soonwhen giving TCAs or SSRIs.

Selective serotonin reuptakeinhibitors (SSRIs)SSRIs are antidepressants and anxiolytics,used to treat aggression, separation anxiety,generalized anxiety, panic disorders, andobsessive-compulsive behaviors. SSRIs arestronger, more effective, and longer-actingthan TCAs, and may take longer to fully as-sess their effects. They are considered saferthan TCAs, but they can have side effects,including gastric upset and sedation.

It is important to do blood work beforestarting, especially for older dogs, andmonitor periodically after that. SSRIs can

be combined with TCAs using low-enddoses of each, which may help them takeeffect faster and lessen the chances of sideeffects.

Fluoxetine (Prozac) is the most com-monly used SSRI with dogs, and has thelongest half-life in people. Others includesertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil),all with similar potential side effects, though

paroxetine is more difficult to wean off andmay have a shorter half-life, leading to morevariation in its effects.

The usual methodology is to start with alow dosage, and then increase if no improve-ment is seen after three to four weeks.Treatment must continue for at least six toeight weeks before you can know for surewhether it helps.

Fluoxetine is used to treat aggression,obsessive-compulsive disorders, separationanxiety, and panic and avoidance disorders,including post-traumatic stress disorder.Fluoxetine works well for conditions involv-ing reactivity, including some forms ofaggression. Paroxetine is used to treat de-pression, social anxiety, and agitation

Dosages below are given in mg (milligrams) per kg (kilogram) ofbody weight of the dog. A kg is 2.2 lbs, so my 33 lb dog weighs15 kg. Ive given the most commonly recommended dosage range,followed by other ranges Ive seen, where applicable. Note thatsome of these drugs are available in liquid form if smaller dosesare needed, or you could use a compounding pharmacy.

Benzodiazepines Alprazolam (Xanax): 0.01 - 0.1 mg/kg as needed (Ive seenhigher dosages listed in one place, up to 2.2 mg/kg two to fourtimes a day, but most recommendations are within the 0.01 - 0.1range, two to four times a day)

Clonazepam (Klonopin): 0.01 - 0.1 mg/kg as needed or 0.05- 0.25 mg/kg once or twice a day for phobic or panic attacks.Note that dosage for seizures is 0.1 - 1.0 mg/kg twice a day

Diazepam (Valium): 0.5 - 2.2 mg/kg every four to six hoursas needed

I have frequently seen a limit of 4 mg/day for alprazolam andclonazepam. This limit apparently comes from human guidelines.However, dosages for dogs are relatively higher than for humans,and dosages for seizure control are higher than this. I have givenmy 15 kg dog as much as 3 mg/day of alprazolam or 6 mg/day ofclonazepam, with no side effects. I believe that a larger dog couldhandle correspondingly larger doses, based on the ranges givenabove, without regard to the 4 mg/day limit.

When using benzodiazepines for noise phobias or separation

anxiety, it is best to give them one to two hours before the antici-pated noise or stimulus, and then repeat as needed.

Benzodiazepines should not be given with the antifungal medi-cations ketoconazole or itraconazole. Cimetidine (Tagamet),erythromycin, propranolol, and valproic acid will slow the me-tabolism of these drugs and can create excessive sedation.

Antacids decrease absorption and should be given separately, atleast two hours apart.

Benzodiazepines should be used with caution in the case ofliver or kidney disease, or narrow angle glaucoma.

Side effects such as sedation or increased appetite usually goaway with continued usage.

Azapirones Buspirone (BuSpar): 1 mg/kg, one to three times a day formild anxiety, or 10-15 mg/dog every 8 to 12 hours for more se-vere anxiety and for thunder phobia (recommendations range from0.5 - 2 mg/kg two or threetimes a day)

Buspirone should be usedwith caution in dogs withsevere liver or kidney dis-ease. Side effects areuncommon. Combiningbuspirone with MAOIs(see below) may causedangerous hypertension(high blood pressure).

Drug Dosages, Interactions, Side Effects, and Contraindications

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associated with depression. Sertraline isuseful particularly for generalized anxietyand panic disorder.

After consulting with the veterinary be-haviorist, we started Piglet on fluoxetine,at a low dose of 10 mg (0.7 mg/kg) once aday, and then increased to 15 mg (1 mg/kg)after two weeks.

Piglet did have some loss of appetite

with this medication. Fortunately, afterabout a week, this problem went away. Italso seemed to sedate her for the first coupleof days, but she was normal after that. Herblood work was fine when we rechecked ita couple of weeks after starting the drug.

The fluoxetine helped, but I still felt thatshe was on edge and overly reactive.

I decided to make one further changeand switch her to sertraline instead offluoxetine. Sertraline is long-acting, simi-lar to fluoxetine, which is desirable. I diddiscover that it is much more expensive, asthere was no generic available (a genericversion is expected to be released sometimein 2006). We started Piglet on a once-a-daydose of 25 mg (1.67 mg/kg).

Other factors influencinganxiety: chronic painShortly after switching her to sertraline, Pig-let underwent surgery to remove a brokencarnassial (the largest tooth in the mouth),as well as a small tumor I had discoveredbetween her toes. Because many medica-tions can be dangerous to combine withSSRIs or TCAs, I had to be careful what pain

medication was used.I wanted to use tramadol, an effectiveprescription pain reliever, but had seenwarnings about combining it with SSRIs,due to the risk of serotonin syndrome,though I later learned that this could be donewith caution.

Instead, my vet suggested usingBuprenex (buprenorphine), which is put intothe cheek pouch and absorbed through themucosal membranes (this works very wellwith cats; they dont really know how wellit works for dogs).

After she recovered from surgery,Piglets anxiety level reduced. In fact, shebecame almost normal again. I believe thatshe must have been experiencing some

chronic pain that lowered her anxiety threshold. Although I know for certain that thetooth had justbroken, its possible it wascracked and painful for a while before it wasremoved; she had stopped being an avidchewer some time before that, although myvet could find nothing wrong with her teethI also think that the small tumor in her foomay have been bothering her for a long timethough I was unaware of it.

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) andselective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)These two types of drugs are grouped together here, as they havesimilar properties and side effects.

TCAS:

Start with a low dose and increase as needed every two weeks up

to the maximum dosage. It may take four to six weeks to seeimprovement.

Amitriptyline (Elavil): 1 - 2 mg/kg, twice a day (recom-mendations range from 0.25 - 6 mg/kg once or twice a day)

Clomipramine (Clomicalm): 1 - 3 mg/kg, twice a day (onesource said dosage could be increased to 4 mg/kg twice a day, ifneeded to be effective)

SSRIS:

Fluoxetine (Prozac): 1mg/kg, once or twice a day (recom-mendations range from 0.5 - 3 mg/kg once a day)

Paroxetine (Paxil): 0.5 - 1 mg/kg, once a day. Dosages ofup to 3 mg/kg once a day may be used for compulsive disorders

Sertraline (Zoloft): 1 - 3 mg/kg, once a day (recommenda-tions range from 0.25 - 4 mg/kg once a day)

SSRIs must be given a minimum of three to five weeks inorder to assess the effects, and may take six to eight weeks toreach full effectiveness. Paroxetine can be particularly difficult

to wean off. In humans, 50 mg Prozac is considered equivalent to20 mg Zoloft.

Both TCAs and SSRIs may cause side effects, including drymouth (which may manifest as frequent lip licking), urine reten-tion, heart rate disturbances, constipation, and gastrointestinaleffects such as vomiting or inappetence. The most common sideeffect is sedation. Loss of appetite is also common, but usuallygoes away after a few days. Giving with food and dividing the

dosage between meals may decrease gastric side effects.TCAs can cause bone marrow suppression and may affect the

liver. They may also lower seizure threshold in epileptic patientsThese side effects may be more likely with clomipramine.

It is best to check blood work two weeks after starting thesedrugs to make sure that your dog is not having any adverse ef-fects, then continue to monitor every six months to a year thereafter.They should be used with caution in dogs with liver or kidneyimpairment, heart problems, or seizure disorders. Older dogsshould have blood work done and possibly an ECG to check forcardiac arrhythmias before starting these drugs. The dosage mayneed to be reduced in dogs with liver or kidney disorders.

TCAs and SSRIs can be dangerous to combine with each other

or with other drugs, including antihistamines, anticonvulsants, an-esthetics, MAOIs (see below, on page 8), and even herbs such askava kava or St. Johns wort, and l-tryptophan, an amino acid.TCAs can be combined with SSRIs cautiously, using low dosagesof each, which may reduce the potential for side effects and speedthe time they take to become effective.

The most common risk when combining SSRIs or TCAs witheach other or with other drugs is serotonin syndrome, character-ized by lethargy or agitation, incoordination, fever, tremors, or

Given the facial wrinkles characteristicof her breed, it may not be immediatelyapparent how this photo of Piglet in ananxious moment differs from the one oher in a relaxed mood (on page 3). Buther muscles are tense, and her ownerdescribes her as on edge and reactive.

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For the next few months after the sur-gery, Piglet did not have a single anxietyattack. She had a few minor episodes, whereshe became restless, with some pacing andattention-seeking behaviors, but no panting,trying to hide, waking me up at night, etc.These episodes did not last very long, usu-ally only about 20 to 30 minutes, before shewas able to settle down again. At this time,

I was giving her sertraline (25 mg once aday) and clonazepam (2 mg, twice a day).

SetbackSuddenly, Piglet became progressivelyworse over several days, culminating in afull-blown anxiety attack; I dont know whatcaused it. I first suspected a defective batchof clonazepam, which I had just refilled, butwhen I switched to the name-brandKlonopin, she continued to have problems.

I spent another couple of months tryingdifferent things. I took her off Metacam (aprescription arthritis pain reliever), think-ing that it might be upsetting her stomach,

but that didnt help. I put her back onMetacam and added tramadol, in case painwas still contributing to her anxiety, but thatalso did not help. She was not as bad as shehad been originally, but she was still hav-ing full-blown anxiety attacks periodically,and was on edge most of the time.

After discussion with my veterinarianand veterinary behaviorist, we increased

Piglets clonazepam to 3 mg (0.2 mg/kg),on the high end of the range for anxiety, butstill well below the dosage used for seizures.This helped some, but not enough.

I finally decided to increase her SSRIs,though both my vet and the veterinary be-haviorist were concerned with this. Becausefluoxetine (Prozac) is considered to be two-and-a-half times as effective as sertraline(Zoloft) at the same dosage level in humans,but the dosage ranges given for dogs aresimilar, I twice tried to switch Piglet fromsertraline to fluoxetine, but both times shegot much worse and I switched her back. Ithen increased her sertraline dosage from

25 mg to 37.5 mg (2.5 mg/kg) once a day.Within a few days, she was back to normal.

That was over three months ago, and shehas continued to do great since. On the rareoccasion that she starts showing signs ofanxiety, or if I have to leave her alone fortoo long, I give her melatonin (3 mg) plus avery small dose of alprazolam (0.25 mg). Iam in the process of very slowly reducing

her clonazepam dosage (it is addictive, so Iam making only small changes every twoweeks), and she is continuing to do well withthe reduced dosage.

Dont stop too soonIn hindsight, I believe that the SSRIs(fluoxetine and sertraline) and the TCAs(particularly clomipramine) helped morethan I realized at first. Because they mustbe given for a few weeks before they reachfull effectiveness, and because Piglet neededthe addition of benzodiazepines, which arequicker-acting, I discounted the effect of theother medications.

seizures. Serotonin syndrome can be dangerous, even fatal.TCAs may lower seizure threshold, and may make glaucoma

worse. They may lower thyroid levels, which is not a problembut could lead to a misdiagnosis of hypothyroidism. They canhave cardiovascular effects, so care and monitoring is neededduring general anesthesia.

The use of cimetidine (Tagamet) may slow the removal ofthese drugs from the system, allowing them to build to toxic

levels. Cyproheptadine (an antihistamine sometimes given forallergies) may decrease or reverse the effects ofSSRIs.

Both TCAs and SSRIs have some effect against chronic pain.

Other drugs

MAOIS

Never combine SSRIs, TCAs, or buspirone with monoamine oxi-dase inhibitors (MAOIs) such as selegiline (Anipryl, used to treatsenility [canine cognitive dysfunction] and Cushings Disease),or amitraz (used in the Preventic and other tick collars, and inMitaban, which is used to treat demodectic mange).

You should wait at least two weeks after discontinuing MAOIs

before starting any SSRI or TCA. Becauseof the long half-life of drugs such asfluoxetine (Prozac), you should wait atleast five weeks after discontinuing useof SSRIs or TC As before usingAnipryl or amitraz. MAOIs may alsolead to high blood pressure whencombined with buspirone or DLPA(dl-phenylalanine, used to treatchronic pain).

TRAMADOL (ULTRAM)

While I have seen warnings against using the pain medicationtramadol with SSRIs or TCAs due to the potential for serotoninsyndrome, the veterinary behaviorist I consulted said that hercolleagues have used them together with caution, and I havedone so with Piglet. It makes sense that if high doses are notbeing used, the risk of serotonin syndrome should be reduced.Tramadol is safe to combine with benzodiazepines.

MELATONIN

Although no studies have been done, pharmacists have told meit is safe to combine melatonin with any of these other drugs, atleast on an occasional basis. Melatonin is a hormone used totreat jet lag in humans. It has been found to be effective in 80percent of dogs with thunder phobia. Recommended dosage is3 mg for dogs over 35 lbs, 1.5 mg for smaller dogs, maybe lessfor really tiny dogs, given no more than once every 8 hours, asneeded for short-term use. I am using melatonin with Piglet onoccasion when I feel a little extra help is needed.

ACEPROMAZINE

Ace should notbe used to treat anxiety or noise phobias. It isa tranquilizer that makes the dog unable to react but does noth-

ing to decrease his anxiety and can actually make it worse.I was advised by both my vet and the behaviorist that Acecould be used for emergencies, to force her to sleep if abso-lutely nothing else was working, and I did use it once, when shewas still up at midnight after being up all the night before, andafter giving both alprazolam and melatonin without success, butit is not something I am comfortable using or would recom-mend. It did knock Piglet out, but she was still groggy anduncoordinated the next day, something I had not seen with anyother medication we tried.

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I no longer question the impact of theseslower-acting drugs. I would encourageanyone who tries TCAs, SSRIs, or buspironeto not give up too soon, keep using themfor at least one to two months and prefer-ably longer, before deciding that theyre notworking and trying something else. Ifneeded, you can combine them with thequicker-acting benzodiazepines to get some

relief while waiting for the other drugs totake effect.Piglet enjoys her walks and explores new

I found the best drug prices at Costco, where even nonmembers can order onlineand shipping is only $2.00. Not all drugs are available there, but the ones I could getwere substantially cheaper than from my local pharmacy. For example, when I startedthe clonazepam, my local pharmacy quoted me a price of over $85, while Costcocharged $11 for the same prescription. I also learned that I could get 50 mg sertralinefor the same price as the 25 mg pills, and simply cut them in half with a pill splitter.

places again, and no longer avoids areaswhere she might hear loud noises. Althoughthey still disturb her a little, she doesnt tryto head for home when she hears them. Shesleeps through the night peacefully and isrelaxed during the day, even playful again.She is more interested in everything. Its asmall miracle, at her age (she is now 14), tosee such improvement.

Although only the benzodiazepines arephysically addictive, it is important to weanoff all anti-anxiety medications slowly, re-

Cost Comparison

Cost Monthly Cost forDrug Prescription Cost Per Pill Piglets Highest Dosage

ALPRAZOLAM $12.69 for 100 1-mg $ .13 $11.42 (1 mg 3x day)

CLONAZEPAM $19.79 for 100 2-mg $ .20 $17.81 (3 mg 2x day)

AMITRIPTYLINE $14.37 for 100 50-mg $ .14 $ 6.47 (25 mg 3x day)

CLOMIPRAMINE* $54.00 for 100 50-mg $ .54 $16.20 (25 mg 2x day)

FLUOXETINE $15.57 for 100 10-mg $ .16 $14.01 (15 mg 2x day)

SERTRALINE** $76.57 for 30 50-mg $2.55 $57.43 (37.5 mg 1x day)

BUSPIRONE* $34.95 for 60 10-mg $ .58 $52.42 (15 mg 2x day)

* Not available through Costco; you might be able to find a better price

** Generic for sertraline is due out in 2006 and should be much less expensive

Storm Phobias, by Karen L. Overall, VMD, PhD, Diplomate ACVB, September2004. Please note that there is a typo in this article where the dosage of alprazolamgiven; it should be 0.01-0.1 rather than 0.01-0.001 mg/kg.www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=136493

Separation Anxiety, Fears and Phobias,by Diane Frank, DVM, Diplomate ACVBwww.hilltopanimalhospital.com/separation&phobias.htm

Pharmacology and Behavior: Practical Applications, by Karen L. Overall, MA,VMD, PhD, DACVB, ABS Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, October 2001.www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00377.htm

Pharmacology and Behavior: Review of Commonly Used Drugs, by Karen L.Overall, MA, VMD, PhD, DACVB, ABS Certified Applied Animal Behavioristwww.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00376.htm

Separation and other Anxiety disorders in Dogs, by Dr. Michael Richards, DVMwww.vetinfo4dogs.com/dsepanx.html

References

ducing dosage gradually every one to twoweeks, rather than stopping abruptly. Stopping SSRIs and TCAs too quickly can resulin symptoms returning. Stopping benzodi-azepines too quickly can lead to seizuresthey must be weaned slowly as they createphysical dependence.

Final (I hope!) notes

Piglets current drug regimen consists ofsertraline (37.5 mg/day) and clonazepam(2 mg twice a day, and decreasing).

I have learned that when you find medications that work, you need to continue togive them for some time. A dog must betreated with SSRIs or TCAs for a minimumof three to five weeks before you are ableto assess the effects; then, you must maintain treatment until all the dogs symptomsare gone or are at the same low, consistenlevel, for at least another one to two monthsTreatment should be continued after that forat least as long as it took to achieve thalevel, before even beginning to think abouweaning them off. Total length of treatmenshould be a minimum of four to six months

One of the mistakes I made was alwaystrying to give the minimal drugs possibleevery time I would see improvement, Iwould try to reduce the amount of drugs shewas getting, and then she would get worseagain. I have learned that it takes time toovercome anxiety disorders; they do not goaway overnight.

If needed, I am prepared to keep Pigleon these drugs for the rest of her life. She is

tolerating them well, with no side effectsand continued normal blood work, and theimprovement in her quality of life is so dra-matic that I no longer fear having her onthem. I have come to realize that there is noharm in relying on drugs when they areneeded.

In hindsight, I wish I had tried usingalprazolam for our walks when Piglets reaction to outside noises first escalated; Ithink she would not have gotten so bad if Ihad treated the problem early. I would neverrecommend anxiety drugs as a first choice

before trying to address anxiety with natu-ral methods, but when a dogs quality of lifeis at stake, the drugs can perform miraclesThey have given Piglet back her life, andfor that I am grateful.

Mary Straus does research on canine health

and nutrition topics as an avocation. She

is the owner of the DogAware.com website

She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area

with Piglet.

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10|JULY 2006 Copyright 2006, Belvoir Media Group, LL

BY PAT MILLER

Biscuits, Not Rolls

T

Why you should never use the alpha roll (and what to do instead).

TRAINING

eddys owners were distraught asthey explained to me on the phonewhy they had called. Their veteri-narian had told them that theirnine-week-old Golden Retriever

puppy was dominant aggressive becausehe was biting their hands. He had advisedthem to alpha-roll the pup every time hetried to bite or otherwise challenge theirauthority. Theyd been following the vetsinstructions for a week, and Teddys aggres-sion was getting seriously worse. Theyfeared they would have to euthanize theirpup. We made an emergency same-day ap-pointment for a behavior consultation.

I found Teddy to be a somewhat asser-tive puppy, who enjoyed actively exploring

gerous interpretation of a normal caninesocial behavior. When approached by ahigher-status dog, a lower-ranking memberof the pack may first avert and lower hishead and shoulders, then voluntarily liedown on the ground and perhaps roll ontohis side or back as an appeasement or def-erence gesture. Typically, when an appease-ment gesture is used, the higher-rankingcanine has no need to assert himself by forc-ibly flattening the lower-ranking dog to the

ground; the subordinate is already there!Job Michael Evans, one of the New

Skete monks responsible for writingHowto Be Your Dogs Best Friend, later left theorder, and subsequently stated he regrettedincluding the now-controversial techniquein the book. While he didnt go as far as tosay the alpha roll was ineffective or inap-propriate, he did say he felt it wasnt safefor use by the general public.

Modern behavior professionals who are

the world with his mouth, as normal pup-pies do. Like many assertive, excitable pups,Teddy also got increasingly aroused whenhis owners protested his needle-sharp-toothed explorations on their skin. The morethey protested, the more excited (andmouthier) he got. Hence the veterinariansall-too-common misdiagnosis of domi-nance aggression and his woefullyinappropriate prescription of alpha-rollingthe pup to put him in his place.

Rolling the diceThe alpha-roll consists of physically roll-ing a dog onto his side or back and holdinghim there until he stops resisting or strug-gling, supposedly submitting to yoursuperior authority.

Popularized by the monks of New Sketein their dog-training books (such asHow toBe Your Dogs Best Friend) in the 1980s,the technique is a truly unfortunate and dan-

TM

I


WHAT YOU CAN DO . . .

Watch dogs who are interactingso you can analyze any belly

up behavior you might see.

Confirm for yourself that its

usually either offered by the

more subordinate dog or

performed as part of mutually

agreeable play, and if one dog

forces another to the ground its

likely accompanied by strong

conflict and tension.

Ask your dog to practice

deference behaviors as part of

your daily routine together.

Share this article with friends,

acquaintances, and animal care

professionals who suggest to

you that the alpha roll is an

appropriate behavior modifica-

tion tool for your or any dog.

I

TRAINING

In a real alpha roll, the dog is physically forced and pinned to the ground until he goeslimp and gives up. Weve staged a mock alpha roll with a playful dog who wasactually enjoying having his belly rubbed; however, note his tense expression when

we held him firmly for even just a moment. This is a vulnerable position for a dog.

I

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Copyright 2006, Belvoir Media Group, LLC THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL | 1

well-educated in the science of behavior andlearning go much further, denouncing therisky technique along with other methodsbased in faulty dominance theory.

The most obvious negative consequenceof techniques that encourage owners tophysically overpower and intimidate theircanine companions is the possibility of scar-ing or coercing the dog into defending him-

self. He reacts aggressively in return,angering or frightening his owner, who of-ten responds by escalating his own level ofviolence. Before you know it, the relation-ship between the two is seriously, sometimesirreparably, damaged.

Despite compelling evidence that physi-cal intimidation does more harm than good,some trainers today (indeed, some veryhigh-profile ones) are stubbornly attachedto the forced roll-over, cloaking it in new-age terms and turning a blind eye to thedamage done to relationships between dogsand their humans in the process.

Questions of appropriateness aside, ittakes someone skilled in handling dogs tobe able to alpha-roll a dog without signifi-cant risk to human safety which is at leastin part why one television show where thetechnique is frequently used includes aDont try this at home-style disclaimer.Its also why trainers who employ methodssuch as the alpha roll talk about being bit-ten as part of the job, while those whouse more appropriate, nonconfrontationalapproaches are more likely to keep theirskins intact.

Canine as a second languageAgain, the alpha roll is supposed to mimicthe behavior of the top dog in a pack, andsend the message, Im the boss of you!But one huge error in alpha-roll logic is thebelief that we can successfully pretend tobe dogs in our interactions with our caninecompanions. Dogs know were not dogs,and any attempt on our part to mimic their

language is doomed to failure.Dogs are masters at speaking and read-ing canine body language. Their communi-cations to each other are often subtle andnuanced, a furry ballet designed to keeppeace in the pack. Our efforts to use caninebody communications are oafish in com-parison and I imagine that our dogs arealternately amused, confused, nonplussed,and terrified by our clumsy attempts tospeak their language.

Violence occurs between dogs withinestablished social groups when the commu-nication system breaks down; its a sign ofan unhealthy pack relationship. Ethologystudies from the 1970s and 1980s suggestthat canine social structure holds togetherbecause appeasement behaviors are offeredby subordinate members, not becausehigher-ranking members aggressively de-mand subservience. Instead, successful packleaders were observed to calmly control thegood stuff an approach frequently sug-gested by todays modern, positive trainersas a much safer, more appropriate, and ef-fective method for creating a harmoniousmixed-species social group.

In her book, Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals, Dr. Karen Overalagrees, stating, The behavior of the lowerstatus individuals, not the higher rankingone, is what determines the relative hierar-chical rank. Truly high-ranking animals aretolerant of lower-ranking ones.

Methods that encourage dogs to offerdeference behaviors, and then reward them

for it, are a much closer approximation ofactual pack behavior and easier for us toemulate successfully than any applicationof force. Use biscuits (training treats), not(alpha) rolls!

Establishing leadershipThe Monks, and others like them, didnthave it all wrong. It is important that yourdog perceive his humans as higher-rankingmember of your collective multi-speciessocial group. It is far better, safer, and ultimately more effective, however, toaccomplish this through offered deferencerather than forced dominance.

In his text,Handbook of AppliedDogBehavior and Training, Volume Two: Eti

ology and Assessment of Behavio

Problems, Steven R. Lindsay, a dog behavior consultant in Philadelphia, says, A wiselupine leader avoids unnecessary domi-nance contests and assertions of authority.

Lindsay also cites a 1988 study (EFonberg, Dominance and Aggression)noting that dominance that is establishedwithout resorting to aggression appears tobe more stable than dominance that is main-

tained by constant vigilance and displaysof strength.

There is a multitude of ways to establish appropriate social hierarchy withouresorting to aggression. No, you dont haveto go through all doorways first, nor do youhave to eat before your dog does. You cansimply wait for and/or encourage your dogto offer deference behaviors in order tomake good stuff happen, while at the sametime you make sure that pushy behaviordoesnt result in him getting good stuff.

Your dogs driving ambition in life is to

get good stuff. Some owners and trainersexpress concern that teaching the dog thahe can get you to click! and give him a treaby offering certain behaviors elevates hisstatus because hes controllingyou. In reality, a dogs psychological response todeference behaviors appears to so hardwiredthat if a dog repeatedly performs them, hebecomes deferent. Its not just a role hesplaying, like an actor. If he does deferencehe is deferent. He cant help it.

This little dog has not beenrolled she hasrolled over on her own, offering anappeasement behavior in an attempt to forestall her owners intent to pick her up andleave the dog park. Some owners might perceive this as resistance and grow angry,but her gentle owner understands she wants to stay and remains good-humored.

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Deference behaviors you can use to yourrelationship advantage include:

I Wait at the door. Dog sits and waits togo through a door, even a wide open one,until you give him permission to move for-ward (good stuff = go out and have fun).

I Wait for your dinner. Dog sits and

waits to eat his meal until you give him per-mission to eat (good stuff = eat food!).

I Wait to get in car. Dogs sits and waitsoutside car while door is opened, hatchbackis lifted, or tailgate lowered, until you givehim permission to jump in (good stuff = gosomewhere in the car and have fun).

I Wait to get out of the car. Dog sits andwaits in vehicle while car door is opened,hatchback is lifted, or tailgate lowered, un-til you give him permission to jump out(good stuff = get out of car and have fun).

I Wait to get out of kennel, crate, or ex-

ercise pen. (Good stuff = get out of kennel,crate, or pen and get attention and have fun.)

I Sit for your leash. Dog sits calmly togo out for a walk while leash is attached tocollar (good stuff = go for walk).

I Ask to be petted. Dog sits and waitspolitely at your feet to be petted rather thanjumping up, pawing, or nudging you for at-tention (good stuff = petting and attention).

I Ask for permission to jump on sofa

or bed. Dog sits and waits to be invited ontofurniture instead of jumping up uninvited(good stuff = lying on soft, comfortable sur-face and getting attention).

In each case, the dog learns to offer def-erence behavior in order to get the desiredgood stuff result. Appropriate (deference)

behavior moves him closer to his goal; in-appropriate behavior makes the good stuffgo away (see Oops, You Lose! below).

Happy endingsThat phone call from Teddys owners camealmost 10 years ago, early in my career as aprofessional behavior consultant. AlthoughI had handled many aggressive dogs duringthe 20 years I worked at the Marin HumaneSociety, I had not yet worked with a lot ofaggression-modification cases profession-ally. I agreed to see Teddy, with the under-standing that I would refer him to someonemore experienced if I felt I wasnt capableof handling his case.

He turned out to be one of the simplestaggression cases Ive ever worked with. Hejust needed his people to stop frighteninghim with their unpredictable eruptions ofviolence so he could stop having to defendhimself.

We began training with clicks and treats.Teddy loved the clicker game, and caughton very quickly to the concept that a click!equals treat and even better, that hecould make the click! happen by offering

one of a growing list of desirable behav-iors. We used a tether to restrain Teddyduring training so if he diddoinappropri-ate mouthing we could simply say Oops!and step out of reach of his nasty-sharp babyteeth.

In the very first session his arousal andbiting lessened noticeably. By the time Ireturned for the second, the mouthing prob-

lem was 95 percent resolved, Teddysowners were tearfully grateful, and we hap-pily moved on with his basic training.

Since Teddy, Ive lost count of the num-ber of aggression cases Ive handledwhere the alpha roll was the clear andpresent cause of a dogs increasing aggres-sion. A frightening number of puppy/dogowners are still counseled by their veteri-narians, trainers, other animal professionals,and well-intentioned friends to alpha rolltheir uncooperative canines.

Its always better to get your dog to vol-untarily buy into your desired behaviorsthan to try to force him. Thats the challenge,the joy, and the excitement of positive train-ing. As the supposedly more intelligentspecies, we should be able to figure out howto get dogs to want to do what we want,including being deferent to us, without theuse of force. Biscuits, not rolls!

Just as a click! marks the behavior that earned a reward, amarker such as Oops! can tell your dog which behavior losthim the opportunity for a reward. Often called a no rewardmarker (NRM), Oops! means Too bad! That behavior didntearn a reward; try something else!

In fact, it might be more appropriately (and sometimes is)called a punishment marker. When we say, Oops! and re-move the treat from view, were using negative punishment, oneof the four principles of operant conditioning. Negative punish-

ment is a relatively benign form of punishment no physicalforce or harsh corrections in which the dogs behavior makesthe good stuff go away.

Because dogs want good stuff to happen, they tend to avoiddoing behaviors that consistently make good stuff go away. Many,if not most, positive trainers use negative punishment as a gentleway to let dogs known when a behavior causes a negative con-sequence when the dog has made a wrong behavior choice.

When using Oops, remember that its simply a cue, in-tended to give the dog information, not intimidate him into

Oops, You Lose! stopping the behavior. I use Oops! because its a difficult wordto say in an angry tone it always comes out cheerful and alittle silly. Heres an example of how I might use it:

Im teaching a dog to Wait! until I give him permission toeat his dinner (a good deference behavior!). The dog is on myleft side, food bowl is in my right hand. I lower the bowl a fewinches, and if he doesnt get up, I click!, raise the bowl back up,and feed a treat. I just communicated to him that he will berewarded if he remains in the sit position as his bowl movescloser to the floor.

I lower the bowl again, a few inches more than last time. If

he remains sitting, I click!, raise the bowl, and give him a treat.If he gets up, I say Oops! the instanthis doggie rear leaves theground, and lift up the bowl. I just communicated to him thatgetting up from the sit position makes the good stuff go away.

I continue this until I can set the bowl on the floor withouthim moving. After hes done that several times, I will tell him hecan eat, and encourage him to get up and get the good stuff. Asthe benevolent high-ranking member, I control the good stuff,and out of the goodness of my heart Ill be happy to share it withappropriately deferent members of my social group.

Pat Miller, CPDT, is WDJs Training Editor.

Miller lives in Hagerstown, Maryland, site

of her Peaceable Paws training center. For

book purchasing or contact information,

see Resources, page 24.

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6/06 Stress Signals Interview with Dr. Susan Wynn Arnica Teach Your Dog to Look atYou Willard Water The Canine Pancreas

5/06 Safe Pain Relief What to Do If Your Dog Is a Bully Giardia Teaching Self-Control The Canine Immune System

4/06 Commercial Raw, Frozen Diets Signs of Active and Passive Submission

Treatment for Heartworm Helping Shy Dogs How to Provide Canine Hospice Care

3/06 Preventing Canine Cancer A Dependable Stay Heartworm Prevention Shape Training Central Nervous System

2/06 Best Dry Foods Target Training Nonconventional Care for Canine Cancer Electronic Training Collars

1/06 Best Wet Foods (Body) Language Barrier Home Care for Canine Cancer Patients Adoption Advice Old Dogs

12/05 Fending Off the Flu Teach Your Dog a Perfect Recall Conventional Cancer Care Scary-Looking (But Safe) Play Behavior Best Books on Positive Training To Crop and Dock?

11/05 Preventing Great Escapes Canine Cancer Crisis Learn Canine Body Language Case History: Defeating Distemper Skin

10/05 Teach Your Puppy Well: Bite Inhibition Oral Enzyme Therapy Update The Gift of Growling Crazy About Coconut Oil The Power of Intuition Joints

9/05 Pre-Puppy Preparation Foods That Are Toxic to Dogs How to Save Yourself in a DogAttack KongTime: Help for a Home-Alone Dog Skeletal System Letters About Kidney Diets

8/05 Your Pets Pet Peeves Making Salves From Carrier Oils How to Choose Supple-ments Train Your Dog to Walk on a Loose Leash The Muscular System

7/05 Reforming a Reactive Dog How to Choose a Food for Your Dog How, When, andWhere to Feed Your Dog The Dog Bowl: Keep it Clean Miraculous Moms

6/05 Hot Shots: Deciding Which Vaccines Are a Must Oh, Baby! Preparing Your Dog for aNew Family Member When Its Not Chronic Renal Failure Girl Talk: Female ReproductiveSystem Help for Hypothyroidism Environmental Poop Bags

5/05 When to Say No to Low-Protein Diets The Collar of Money Crate Difficulties All Male Review The Holistic Paradigm

4/05 On Trial: PETA and the Pet Food Industry Polite Greetings Hydrosols What Assistance Dogs Can Teach Your Dog The Canine Kidney

3/05 Gas Attack! Barking: When a Voice Is a Vice What a Wolf Eats Gut Feelings: The Canine GI System Going Gluten-Free

2/05 Head Halter or Front-Clip Harness? Annual Dry Food Review Easing Winter Aches The FDA, Drugs, and Your Dog Scent Dog Training Cardiac System

1/05 The Difference Between Theory and Practice What Promotes Bloat? How to Custom-Mix Essential Oils Respiratory System Limber Tail Syndrome Skip This Peanut Butter

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cluding plenty of running exercise outsideany kennel enclosures;

4) hygienic kenneling, with the use of earth,grass, or gravel runs, never concrete; and

5) herbs, fasting, and other natural meth-ods in place of vaccinations and conven-

tional symptom-suppressing drugs.

Levys first rule has gained acceptanceover the years. Many holistic veterinariansrecommend feeding a home-prepared dietof raw foods, including meat and bones.Some use the diet of wild wolves as a model.Levy and her followers feed a variety offoods, including raw meat, dairy, eggs,minced herbs, and small quantities of fruit,vegetables, powdered seaweed, and grains

BY CJ PUOTINEN

Grandmother Nature

R

A profile of Juliette de Bairacli Levy, pioneer of natural rearing methods.

eaders of canine health books andmagazines, including this one, canbe forgiven for assuming that holis-tic or natural pet care is a recentbreakthrough, something developed

during the past two or three decades by ahandful of revolutionary veterinarians andresearchers.

Not so. Todays holistic pet care move-ment began over 70 years ago when Juliettede Bairacli Levy defined natural rearing.Now in her 90s and living in Switzerland,Levy holds a place of honor in the historyof natural pet care.

Born to a wealthy Jewish family (herfather was Turkish, her mother Egyptian)and raised in England with chauffeurs,maids, cooks, and gardeners, Levy knew inchildhood that she wanted to be a veteri-narian. She attended two universities andwas in her final year of veterinary schoolwhen she decided that conventional medi-cine had none of the answers she sought,and she embarked on a lifetime of travel

and study with nomadic people, first in En-gland, then around the world.

I realized that if I wanted to learn thetraditional ways of healing and caring foranimals, I had to be where people still livedclose to the land and close to their flocks,she says. From Berbers, Bedouins, no-mads, peasants, and gypsies in England,Israel, Greece, Turkey, Mexico, and Aus-tria, I learned herbal knowledge and thesimple laws of health and happiness. I nevertired of traveling with my Afghan Hounds,always living with and learning from those

around me.An inexhaustible writer, Levy shared

what she learned in letters, travel books,novels, poems, and books about herbs andanimals. In the 1930s, she published threecanine herbals. The Cure of Canine Distem-perdescribed protocols she developed forher highly successful distemper clinic inLondon. Puppy Rearing by Natural Meth-ods and Medicinal Herbs: Their Use inCanine Ailments were reprinted for a wider

audience in London in 1947. Allthree were soon translated intoGerman and other languages.

Just over 50 years ago, in 1955, she com-bined these works in The Complete HerbalBook for the Dog. Now in its sixth editionand called The Complete Herbal Handbookfor the Dog and Cat, this is the book thatbrought Levys natural rearing philosophyto breeders, trainers, and dog owners

throughout the world.

Five rules of natural rearingLevys basic rules of natural rearing for dogsrequire:

1) a correct natural diet of raw foods;

2) abundant sunlight and fresh air;

3) at least two hours of exercise daily, in-

PROFILE

ABOVE: Juliette de Bairacli Levyand one of her home-bred and

holistically raised TurkumanAfghans in the 1960s.

RIGHT: Juliette with comfreyand cleavers, taken on an herb

walk in May 06 by a friend shewas visiting in Germany.

PROFILE

Photo courtesy of Gunter Michaelis

Photo courtesy ofSwanie Simon

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such as oats soaked overnight in raw goatmilk or yogurt.

I introduced seaweed to the veterinaryworld when a student in the early 30s, shesays. It was scorned then, but now it is verypopular worldwide. She credits kelp andother sea vegetables with giving dark pig-ment to eyes, noses, and nails, stimulatinghair growth, and develop-

ing strong bones.In addition to provid-ing ample quantities ofpure water at all times,Levy recommends onemeatless day and one fast-ing day (no food, justwater) per week for adultdogs. Where raw bones areconcerned, Levy recom-mends feeding them afterthe days main meal, on afull stomach, so that thebone is cushioned by food, and with a smallamount of soaked bran, shredded coconut,or other fiber to help sweep bone fragmentsfrom the digestive tract.

All of Levys dietary recommendationsare accompanied by traditional herbal for-mulas for everything from daily healthmaintenance to birthing aids and weaningfoods, disinfecting herbs that help protectdogs from harmful viruses, bacteria, andparasites, and herbal first-aid for dozens ofconditions and illnesses.

Researchers who study the connectionbetween natural light and the endocrine sys-

tem agree with Levys recommendation thatdogs spend as much time as possible out-doors. They blame malillumination, the lackof unfiltered natural light, for a host ofchronic illnesses. Glass windows preventthe transmission of full-spectrum naturallight, but open windows and doorways pro-vide it.

Daily outdoor exercise, including run-ning and play, does more than burn calories;it stimulates lymph circulation, strengthensbones, improves immunity, and keeps dogshappy as well as healthy.

Levys advice about kenneling dogs inclose contact with earth or grass rather thanconcrete is interesting in light of researchcited by cell biologist James Oschman, PhD,in his bookEnergy Medicine: The Scien-tific Basis of Bioenergy Therapies. Dr.Oschman links modern health problems toour insulation from the natural supply of freeelectrons that reside on the surface of theearth. Barefoot contact with the earth, hesays, supplies free electrons in abundance.

As San Diego health researcher DaleTeplitz explains, Animals know that, andwhen given a chance they will choose to bein contact with the earth. This barefoot con-tact can improve sleep, reduce inflammationthat causes pain, balance hormones, enhancecirculatory and neurological function, andmuch more.

As one would expect,

Levy has no use forpesticides, weed killers, orother lawn chemicals, andshe recommends feedingdogs organically raised andpasture-fed ingredients.

Levy considers vacci-nations unnecessary andinappropriate, both be-cause natural methods treatillnesses successfully andbecause vaccines disruptthe bodys immune system.

You cannot discount the hundreds ofcanine distemper cures that Juliette and herstudents achieved, says Marina Zacharias,who has studied natural rearing for over 20years. And I have witnessed her parvovirustreatments first-hand with great success.When you know that these ailments can besuccessfully treated with natural methods,it removes the fear that has been instilled inus. I know that in mycase she definitelyempowered me totake an active andpreventive role in

my animals healthcare. Our societydoes not teach youthat.

Juliette encour-ages you to think foryourself and notblindly follow es-tablished methodsjust because you aretold to. Her attitudeis rare, especiallytoday. She has wit-

nessed almost anentire century, andthrough all the technological breakthroughsof modern science, she still advocates natu-ral rearing methods, as they continue toprove themselves effective.

Fasting for healingTo most of us, fasting depriving a dog offood seems unnatural. Surely the rightthing to do is to encourage a dog to eat at

every mealtime. But fasting is Levys choiceof treatment for all animals, including hu-mans, who are ill.

Well-known author and trainer WendyVolhard learned about fasting and naturarearing 39 years ago when these methodssaved her dogs life and started her on a fascinating new career.

In 1967, Volhard traveled from New

York to Germany, where she met 17- and18-year-old Landseer Newfoundlands. Itsalso where she acquired Heidi, an exceptionally healthy young female, as thefoundation of her breeding kennel.

I was in my early 20s then, saysVolhard, and I wanted to do everything inthe most scientific manner. I talked andworked with veterinarians at every opportunity, so I knew the importance ofvaccinating every dog for everything andof course, feeding the finest quality com-mercial dog food. That was the only way togo.

But instead of thriving, Heidi declinedand at age five, she was given a month tolive. She had total deterioration, saysVolhard. Her kidneys, liver, and heart werefailing, and she had skeletal problems. Herwhole body was falling apart.

In desperation, Volhard returned to Ger-many and asked for help. She learned tha

Heidis long-lived, healthy relatives werefed raw, natural foods, nothing out of a boxor can, and none were vaccinated. The En-glish breeders she visited on her way homeused the same methods, and they gave heras a parting gift Levys Complete HerbaHandbook for the Dog.

Volhard read the book on her returnflight to New York and laughed heartily a

Now in her nineties, Juliettestill loves foreign travel andmeeting people and theirnaturally reared dogs.

Heidi (Henna von Schartenberg, UD), the dog who started

Wendy Volhard on the natural rearing track.

Photo courtesy of Wendy Volhard

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Levys advice to fast sick animals and buildthem up with herbs and natural foods. Butat home with her dying dog, she thought,What else can I do? The finest veterinarymedicine wasnt helping.

Over the strong objections of her hus-band, who thought Heidi should enjoy asteak every day for whatever time she hadleft, Volhard fasted the dog for three weeks,

feeding her only fluids, honey, and herbs.I followed Juliettes guide-lines absolutely, she says. Ihad nowhere else to go. Andevery day that my dog didnteat, she got better. At the endof three weeks, we started heron a natural diet, and she re-gained her strength, recoveredcompletely, got her Utilitytitle, and lived an active, happylife until she died seven yearslater at age 12.

At the time, Volhard was aWall Street Journal reporter, with one footin the scientific prove it community. Shedecided to compare Levys natural rearingdiet, with its a-little-of-this-and-a-little-of-that approach, to the National ScienceFoundations nutritional guidelines for dogfood, the only scientifically tested pet foodstandard at the time.

It took me 12 years and many inter-views with experts, she says. Then my

veterinarian helped with final adjustments,which we made as the result of hundreds ofblood tests.

In 1984 Volhard published her diet, andthe book that resulted,Holistic Guide for aHealthy Dog, is now in its second edition.

Several years later, she met Levy at aseminar. I thought, Oh my, if I were in hershoes and met a woman who had taken my

work and fiddled with it and then publishedit, how would Ifeel? With trepida-tion, I finally mether, and she said,Ive been waitingto meet you foryears. Youve donea fabulous job.Thank you for tak-ing my work andcarrying on. Shewas incredibly gra-cious.

Volhard adjusted the ratio of calcium,magnesium, and phosphorus in Levys diet,but she calls the natural rearing philosophyas important and effective today as it waswhen Levy first proposed it. Juliette didthe very best she could with the knowledgeavailable at the time, says Volhard. Shedid a magnificent job. She is truly the grand-mother of the entire holistic animal caremovement. Shes like Adele Davis in the

BOOKS BY JULIETTE DE BAIRACLI LEVY

Natures Children (natural childrearing), Travelers Joy (find-ing the wild bounty in simple living), and Common Herbs forNatural Health (lore and uses for 200 herbs) have recently beenreprinted by Ash Tree Publishing, Woodstock, NY; (845) 246-8081; ashtreepublishing.com

The same publisher distributes (on video and DVD)Julietteof the Herbs, a beautifully produced docu-mentary filmed by Trish Streeten in 1998on location in Greece, Spain, France,Portugal, Switzerland, England, andthe United States.

The Complete Herbal Handbook

for the Dog and Cat(6th edition,Faber & Faber, 1992) and TheComplete Herbal Handbook

for Farm and Stable (4th edi-tion, Faber & Faber, 1991)describe natural rearing andare available from all book-sellers.

Resources EXPERTSMarina Zacharias, Natural RearingJacksonville, OR; (541) 899-2080;naturalrearing.com

Rosemary Gladstar

Sage Mountain Herbs

East Barre, VT(802) 479-9825;

sagemountain.com

Wendy Volhard and Volhard Top Dog Training andNutrition, Culpeper, VA; volhard.com

OTHER RESOURCESHolistic Guide for a Healthy Dog, by Wendy Volhardand Kerry R. Brown, DVM (2nd edition, Howell Books,1995)

Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis of Bioenergy

Therapies, by James Oschman, PhD (ChurchillLivingstone, 2000)

Barefoot Connections, Dale Teplitz. (800) 620-9912

Rosemary Gladstar, Juliette, andLynn Vaughan at Gladstars ho-listic pet care conference in 2004.

human health food movement. She startedit up.

Herbal wisdomTraditional herbal medicine had all but dis-appeared in the United States when, in the1960s, a new generation began turning awayfrom conventional therapies and looking foralternatives. Rosemary Gladstar, now one

of Americas leading herbalists, was part ofthat movement.Juliette has done amazing things for

dogs, cats, and farm animals, but she hasalso done wonderful things for people, saysGladstar. Her early books had an extraor-dinary influence on herbalists everywhere.She single-handedly rescued a body ofknowledge that would otherwise have beenlost or ignored, and she put it directly intothe hands of her readers.

As valuable as Levys recipes and in-structions were to her and other herbalists,Gladstar recalls that it was Levys ability toinspire her readers that changed their lives.There is no doubt about it, she says. Shesparked and awakened something in me, justas she did in hundreds of others, far morethan any other herbalist at the time. I thinkit was because she was so connected to theearth and to plants, and she was able totransmit and pass on that feeling of connec-tion. Juliette made herbal medicine fully ac-cessible to everyone.

Oneof

MarinaZacharias

naturallyreared

BassetHounds

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Gladstar has followed Levysnutritional recommendations for allof her dogs, including Deva, aBernese Mountain Dog.

Deva came to me with all kindsof problems, she says. She hadmajor personality disorders, whichI think stemmed in part from herbody being so uncomfortable from

mange and hot spots. Her coat wasin terrible shape, with huge bald ar-eas and weeping eczema. Shelooked really awful, and she was sounhappy. Deva is now over nineyears old, which for a Berner is eld-erly, and for years her healthproblems have been about 99 per-cent gone. She has a wonderfulpersonality and a wonderful life,thanks to natural rearing.

Gladstar began a correspon-dence with Levy in the 1970s afterreadingA Gypsy in New YorkandTravelers Joy. Though these werenot really herb books, she says, Iloved them and wrote to the authorin care of her publisher. To my sur-prise, she wrote back, and we became penpals.

In the 1980s, Gladstar organized anherbal tour that visited Levy in Greece,where she lived on a small island. I de-cided then and there that I wanted to bringher to the United States so that people whoused medicinal plants and raised their ani-mals with the help of her books would have

a chance to meet her.Gladstar listed Levy as the keynote

speaker at the first International Herb Sym-posium, which was held in 1988 inFramingham, Massachusetts. The responsewas overwhelming, she says. We had ahuge audience. It was especially exciting forJuliette because this was the first time inher elder years that she was able to see andmeet people whose lives had been affectedby her books. She started spending moretime in the U.S. and in fact lived here forlong stretches of time, and her books began

to sell again.One of Levys West Coast disciples wasMarina Zacharias, who imported her NR(Natural Rearing) brand of herbal supple-ments from England and sold her books. Bythe late 1980s, Levys London publisher,Faber & Faber, had run out of The Com-plete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat

but planned not to reprint the book until asufficient number of orders arrived. Thedelay could be lengthy, so Zacharias ordered

A long-time contributor to WDJ and autho

ofThe Encyclopedia of Natural Pet CareNatural Remedies for Dogs & Cats, andother books, CJ Puotinen lives in New Yor

with her husband, a Lab, and a tabby cat

Author CJ Puotinen andJuliette in August 2004.

2,000 copies and kept the book in print.Like Gladstar, Zacharias organized a

large seminar featuring Juliette de BairacliLevy, this one in Seattle. People flew infrom all over the country, she says. Theycame not only to hear her speak but to actu-ally meet her in person and hear her stories.I think every one of us that daywalked away knowing that we

had touched history and that wehad been very fortunate to meetsuch a master herbalist and ani-mal advocate.

Zacharias first read Levysbook in the mid-1980s when shewas preparing to bring home herfirst show-quality Basset Houndpuppy. At the time, she had twomixed-breed toy dogs whoseemed to have every possiblecanine disorder.

When I read Juliettes

book, she says, it was asthough someone hit me over the head witha brick. With great certainty I knew this waswhat I needed to do for my dogs. Her logicregarding natural rearing combined with herclinical experience was impressive. I imme-diately switched my dogs from Purina chowto raw food and never looked back.

Zacharias values Levys advice becauseit has stood the test of time. She will tellyou that these methods are not her diet and

herbal inventions but rather foodsand medicinal plants as they havebeen used for generations and cen-turies, she says. Juliette is anherbal historian.

Juliettes legacyWhen we asked Levy what shewould most like to be remembered

for, she replied, My Turkuman Afghan Hounds became famous fortheir vitality and speed, and I stilprize the Time magazine photograph of one of my hounds after hewon Best in Show at Westminsterwith the simple caption Best houndin all of America. I would like togo to my grave or fly to heavenbreeding Afghans.

Another thing I would like tobe remembered for is curing caninedistemper, which became my spe-cialty. Indeed, the veterinarians ofthe King of England sent me theirimportant cases to cure duringWorld War II at my distemper clinicin London.

I would also like to be remembered forcuring 3,000 condemned sheep by herbamethods in England in 1947, clearing theirdiarrhea and other symptoms with greenplants and molasses while vast numbers ofsheep in neighboring fields received con-ventional care and died. Saving the sheep

remains one of my proudest moments.

To her fans and friendsin the United States andaround the world, and especially to their dogs, shesends appreciation andbest wishes.

Levy, who lives withher daughter in Switzerland, is still a traveler. Asthis article went to pressLevy was in Germany vis-iting her remaining AfghanHound, Malika (Shirin

Shades of Velvet), wholives on a friends farm. She welcomes email messages, which can be sent to her [email protected], but regrets that she wilnot be able to send individual replies.

Photo courtesy ofPhoto courtesy ofPhoto courtesy ofPhoto courtesy ofPhoto courtesy of

Swanie SimonSwanie SimonSwanie SimonSwanie SimonSwanie Simon

Juliettes love for dogs (and theirs for her!) comes throughin every photo. In Germany, she snuggles with Cosmina,a dog rescued from the streets of Romania. Cosminasowner says the dog watches over Juliette like a hawk.

Photo courtesy ofSwanie Simon

Photo byRosemary Gladstar

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BY GREGORY TILFORD

Gotta Detox

M

Herbs can help your dogs body detoxify naturally.

ick, a five-year-old Labrador Re-triever, has flaky skin and smellsmore doggy than usual.

Katrina, a two-year-oldmixed-breed, has goopy eyes and

oily fur. She has been eating a lot of grassand vomiting almost every day. Lately herstool has been covered with mucus.

Joe, a 12-year-old Beagle, has a fattytumor on his right side. He also has a cystbehind his left ear.

All of these individuals share somethingin common: their bodies are working to pushtoxins and waste materials out by a naturalprocess called detoxification.

In mainstream medicine the mechanismsof detoxification are often viewed as un-pleasant symptoms of illness that need tobe remedied. Eye drops are administeredfor goopy eyes, dandruff shampoos for flakyskin, surgery for removal of cysts, and soforth.

However, when taken into a more holis-tic perspective, such measures only amount

to removal of outward signs of an underly-ing state of imbalance. Detoxification, asunpleasant as this natural process may ap-pear to the onlooker, is seen as a naturalpart of the healing process that should besupported, not suppressed.

In essence, the primary goal of the ho-listic healer is to help the body in its naturalabilities to heal itself and remain healthy.

Rather than ignore the causes of disease infavor of eliminating only symptoms, asmany conventional drug or surgical inter-ventions do, the natural care provider worksin concert with the bodys efforts of cor-recting itself.

Natural detoxificationThe bodys detoxification system, beingextremely complex and very efficient, hasthe job of eliminating anything that may beharmful to the body, by whatever meansnecessary.

Routine detoxification is ordinarilyhandled by waste removal mechanisms inthe digestive tract and liver, the filteringactivities of the lymph system, and at im-mune system levels where a complex armyof antibodies, toxin-scavenging cells, andspecial chemicals weed out, destroy, andeliminate toxic waste.

However, if any of these systems be

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