GERROFF, THAT’S MINE! THE RESOURCE GUARDING DOG
WHAT IS RESOURCE GUARDING?
Resource guarding is term used for situations where a dog shows protective or aggressive behaviour over something. Dogs who growl when people approach their food bowl, or when a dog or person tries to take a toy from them are common examples. Less obviously a dog can show resource guarding to people, their bed, the sofa or any other things that they perceive as important to them.
WHY DO DOGS SHOW RESOURCE GUARDING?
Guarding important resources such as food is a natural behaviour for dogs. Some breeds have stronger tendencies to guard food and objects. Dogs developed for guarding are more likely to guard their people and homes, gundog breeds can be possessive over food and toys.
How puppies are raised by their breeder can influence how likely a dog is to guard food. Where puppies are fed from one bowl, especially if there is insufficient food, they need to fight for their share and are more likely to show food guarding as adults. Feeding from multiple bowls may reduce the risk of food guarding.
Adult dogs that have had to share bowls, or who have suffered periods of not being fed enough may also develop food guarding issues. Any dog may guard high value treats or food such as raw bones, or found ‘foods’ like roadkill and discarded human food.
Dogs can develop guarding whenever resources are limited. If there are multiple dogs and only a few toys the toys become valuable, the same can be true of the best bed or spot on the sofa! Where one person is the main carer they are also an important resource and a dog might worry that another dog or person is going to reduce their access to their carer.
WHAT DOES RESOURCE GUARDING IN DOGS LOOK LIKE?
Dogs might show very obvious signs of guarding food, an object, a place, or a person such as growling and barking when another animal or person approaches. However, growling and barking are the final warnings before a dog snaps and bites. More subtle signs of guarding can include yawning and lip licking, standing over an object, freezing, and stashing objects. Eating very quickly or swallowing toys or found objects can also be signs of resource guarding.
HOW CAN I PREVENT RESOURCE GUARDING IN DOGS?
Breeders can reduce the risk of resource guarding in their puppies by feeding from multiple bowls, and providing enough toys and safe sleeping spaces that puppies don’t need to fight over them. Puppies will play fight over toys and enjoy tug-of-war games, but there should always be options for them to have their own things.
When bringing a puppy into your home it is important to teach them that you aren’t a threat to the resources they need for survival. You should provide your puppy with a safe, comfy bed and never grab them from their bed. If you need to get your puppy out of their safe place lure them out for a food treat or a toy.
Spending time with your puppy or new dog as they eat is a good way to avoid food guarding. Hand feeding some of the meal, or adding extra to the bowl as your dog eats will mean that they see people near the bowl as a good thing! Never take food from a puppy or dog that is eating, if you need to move them away lure them with a high value treat or their favourite toy. Holding a chew treat to make it easier for your pet to eat is a great way to build a bond and avoid food guarding.
Teach your dog to swap toys and found objects with you. Gundog breeds especially need an outlet for their retrieving behaviours and will pick up less objects at home if you play hunting and fetching games on their walks. If your dog has something dangerous or expensive in their mouth call them excitedly and offer a delicious food treat or a favourite toy as a swap.
If your dog picks up things you would rather not touch, like roadkill or cat poop, you can teach a ‘drop’ cue. Start at home with a toy and show your dog another toy or a food treat, as they drop the one in their mouth add the cue ‘drop’ and give them the toy or treat your have. A solid ‘leave’ cue is also useful in preventing or treating resource guarding.
HOW TO MANAGE A DOG THAT SHOWS RESOURCE GUARDING
It is important never to punish a dog that shows resource guarding. Most dogs with resource guarding are already fearful that they will lose the thing they want so chasing, shouting, or grabbing the object will make them feel even more concerned. Never ignore the body language and growls of a dog that is resource guarding as the next step on the ladder of aggressive behaviour is a bite.
Confrontations with dogs that guard food or objects must be avoided. During training dogs should be allowed to enjoy their food, chews, or toys in peace except during training sessions. It is usually best for one person to work on guarding with other members of the household joining training later on. A crate, puppy pen, or stair gate may be needed to prevent dogs accessing things they shouldn’t have such as shoes and children’s toys and to reduce the risk of people, especially children, disturbing the dog.
Dogs with resource guarding issues should have a thorough vet check before training begins. Conditions which cause pain, excess hunger or thirst, or hormonal disturbances can contribute to protective behaviours. It is often preferable to have a qualified behaviourist to assess dogs with guarding behaviours, develop a treatment plan, and demonstrate exercises.
For food guarding: offer the dog low value food in their bowl. Approach from the side and without making eye contact but stop before the dog stops eating or starts eating faster. Throw higher value food or treats into the bowl. Over time your dog will associate people approaching their bowl with getting better food.
For toy guarding: teach your dog to swap toys for other toys, a tuggy game, or food. Have two of their favourite toy!
For guarding beds and sofas: teach your dog ‘on’ and ‘off’ cues. When necessary use a high value treat or toy to lure them off their resting place. Offer alternative resting places.
MY DOG WON’T LET OTHER PEOPLE CLOSE TO ME, WHAT CAN I DO?
Guarding their person can be a more difficult problem behaviour to deal with. Training your dog to move away from you to a mat or bed for a food reward is one way to get space around you. Remote treat dispensers can help you give a food reward while at a distance.
If your dog doesn’t like other members of your household coming close, having those people take on some of the caring duties can help make you a slightly less important resource.
RESOURCE GUARDING IN MULTI-DOG HOMES
Reduce the risk of guarding in multi-dog homes by providing multiples of every important resource. Dogs should have access to water, sleeping places, and toys without having to compete. If one or more dogs shows aggressive behaviour around food, chew treats, or specific toys it may be necessary to use crates, pens, or baby gates to separate the dogs.
Ensuring all dogs get sufficient quality time with their person and have their mental and physical needs met can avoid ‘jealousy’ between them.
CAN DIET OR MEDICATION HELP WITH RESOURCE GUARDING?
Dogs that struggle to learn new skills or that show other anxious behaviours may benefit from dietary manipulation to support healthy brain chemistry. Some dogs may benefit from calming supplements, or even vet prescribed medications alongside a behaviour training plan. Four Seasons Vet Vicky Payne can advise on diet, supplements, and medications.
We LOVE working with resource guarding cases! For an at home behaviour assessment and treatment plan please email health@holisticvetsussex.co.uk
THE COST OF PET CARE
PET CARE COSTS ON THE RISE!
Lots of people bought pets during lockdown, and they have brought untold benefits in terms of companionship and exercise during these very difficult times. Unfortunately the aftermath of Covid-19 along with Brexit and the invasion of Ukraine, is that there is a huge cost of living crisis looming… and it affects pet care as much as everything else.
SAVING MONEY ON PET CARE
- BUY IN BULK. If you can afford to buy larger amounts of pet food this will usually be less expensive. Choosing a cheaper brand may not be cost effective as you often need to feed more per meal so look at the per meal cost as well as the price per bag. Only buy as much as you will use before the food goes out of date.
- KEEP ON TOP OF VACCINATIONS AND PARASITE CONTROL. Cutting corners on preventative healthcare often costs more in the long run. Some owners chose cheaper flea treatments to save money when furloughed then faced an uphill struggle to control a flea infestation. Unless your pet is at high risk of adverse reactions to vaccines it will be less expensive to follow the vets programme than using titre tests to check protection.
- ASK ABOUT A PRESCRIPTION. Written prescriptions allow your to buy medications on-line from pharmacies. You will be charged for the prescription but will still be able to make savings on some parasite prevention products and medications. Vets will have individual policies on how many times you can use a prescription and how often your pet will need a meds check.
- INSURE YOUR PET. Insurance is a monthly bill you may think about dropping, but can you afford to care for your pet in an emergency without it? Ask if there are any areas of cover that can be removed to reduce the premium, or offer to pay a higher excess. Make sure you have the excess available, and remember that some specialist centres require payment at the time. A credit card is useful for this as you can pay it off as soon as the insurance pays out. Alternatives to insurance including making a pet savings account, but this may not have enough in if your young pet becomes ill.
- JOIN A PET HEALTH CLUB. Many veterinary practices have pet health clubs where a monthly fee pays for reduced cost parasite control and vaccines and unlocks other freebies and discounts.
- DON’T DIY. If you are concerned about your pet’s health, even if you are also on a tight budget, please seek veterinary advice. Although there is good information on the internet vets also see too many pets who have been damaged through the use of human medicines or delayed treatment.
Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care is a referral only service and we can only offer advice to registered and referred clients. We are a very small business and are not able to offer any credit on our services.
UNDERSTANDING DOG FOOD
UNDERSTANDING DOG FOOD!
What’s for tea?
DRY, WET, RAW, HOME COOKED…WHAT’S BEST FOR YOUR DOG?
There isn’t an easy answer to this question! Just as people can be happy and healthy on a variety of diets, so can dogs. And a food that suits one dog down to the ground could cause skin or digestive upsets in another. Our Vet Vicky visited Crufts last month and was bewildered by the huge number of dog foods out there, all claiming to be the very best thing for your dog to eat! So where to start?
Complete vs Complemetary
A complete food contains all the nutrients a dog requires to support daily life when fed as directed.
A complementary food needs other things added to balance the diet; meat and mixer diets, many raw foods, and treats fall into this category.
There are guidelines for nutrient levels in complete pets food, but in the UK only PFMA members formally promise to meet these levels. Small food producers balance their diets using computer programmes, larger food companies may do laboratory testing, or feeding trials.
Raw, home cooked, dry, wet, home-made, commercial….?
Buying a pre-prepared diet made by a PFMA member is the only guarantee of a nutritionally balanced diet. There are PFMA members who supply raw and lightly cooked diets as well as baked dry foods, extruded kibbles, and canned wet foods.
Although many people feel that natural raw meat diets are the healthiest for dogs, there is sadly little well researched evidence for this. There is evidence that processing can alter the digestibility of some ingredients, and that cooking or processing may make foods more likely to cause digestive or skin problems in some pets (and make others safer to eat!). There is also little evidence that dry or canned diets are particularly bad for dogs. And with a large choice of gently cooked, high meat products on the market it is possible to feed a great (or really bad!) diet from any category!
Home-cooked and raw diets have been analysed and found to be deficient in key nutrients, so take advice on what foods to include, and whether supplements are recommended for your dog.
Raw fed pets have also been found to shed more bacteria (including e.coli, salmonella, and campylobacter) in their faeces. All dogs can pick up these bacteria from the environment (and eating nasty things on walks) so although we would not recommend raw feeding where there are ‘high risk’ people (babies, the elderly, or otherwise immunocompromised) good hygiene should be practised however your dog is fed.
Other things to consider when choosing a diet include cost (but work out the price per day as an expensive bag of food might go further) and convenience. Dry diets are easy to store, but can get infested with house dust mites or go stale if you buy bags your dog can’t eat in a reasonable time. Wet diets are more expensive and go off if your dog doesn’t eat them up quickly, but are often more appetising than dry diets. Pre-prepared raw diets remove some of the concerns over unbalanced diets and should carry a lower risk of bacterial contamination than home made raw diets, but are expensive to feed larger dogs. raw feeding can be very economical, and certainly suits many owners, but requires freezer space for ingredients, ideally a separate preparation area, takes time to do properly, and needs thorough research to ensure your dog gets a balanced diet.
Finally, food is not just fuel. Your dog should enjoy eating his food! Raw bones certainly fulfil a dog’s need to chew, but if you aren’t comfortable feeding raw bones (which can break teeth and cause digestive distress in some dogs) consider stuffing rubber toys with wet food, or using dry foods with snuffle mats or puzzle toys.
THE ‘DRY MATTER’ THING
If you really want to compare different pet foods you need to understand ‘dry matter’.
If a tin of dog food says it contains 5% fat and a dry food label says the food contains 15% fat, which has more fat?
If the wet food contains 80% moisture, the dry matter fat content is 25%
If the dry food contains 10% moisture the dry matter fat content is 17%….so the wet food is much higher in fat!
THE STUFF ON THE LABELS
Pet food labels have to list the percentages of protein, crude fibre, fat, and ash. They also have to list the ingredients, but these can be somewhat vague!
It is often stated that foods which list the ingredients individually are higher quality, and that the food is good if meat is the top ingredient. But again, things might not be so simple! Terms like ‘meat and animal derivatives’ can look off putting, but all dog food in the UK is made from animals suitable for human consumption. Dog food just uses the parts we don’t like to eat! A premium food might list ‘beef’ rather than ‘meat and animal derivatives’, but both could include beef tongue, heart, lung, and tripe. Although ingredients are listed by weight if beef is the top ingredient don’t assume the diet is mostly beef; if the next three ingredients are rice, oats, carrots these could add up to more than the beef. To confuse matters further some products use dehydrated meat, which weighs less but obviously makes up a larger proportion of the finished product than fresh meat would gram for gram.
Protein
Adult dogs need 20-40% dry matter protein. Protein can come from both animal and vegetable sources, but animal sources are easier for dogs to digest and provide essential amino acids (EAAs) which high vegetable protein diets may lack. Lack of EAAs can lead to poor behaviour, poor coat, or even to heart problems.
Fat
Adult dogs need 10-65% dry matter fat. Very high fat diets are required by dogs doing extended hard exercise such as sled dogs, and may cause digestive upsets or even pancreatitis in normally active dogs. There are essential fatty acids which must be taken in from the diet, and many foods have added omega 3 fatty acids which can have anti-inflammatory properties.
Carbohydrates
Adult dogs don’t need to eat carbohydrates as they are able to make glucose from fat and protein. However, carbohydrates are digestible by dogs and offer a cheaper source of calories than animal protein and fat. Even some dogs on raw diets benefit from some carbohydrates in the diet to maintain weight or improve behaviour. Our Vet Vicky is Veterinary Adviser for Breakthrough, which uses carbohydrates to raise serotonin levels and improve behaviour.
Fibre
Fibre is not just a ‘filler’ as some websites suggest. Soluble and insoluble fibres help with a feeling of fullness (important for dogs on a restricted diet to prevent weight gain), control gut transit time, and can act as pre-biotics improving the gut microbiome.
Ash
“They put ash in pet food!”. No, ‘they’ don’t! ‘Ash’ is just a legal term for the residue left after a pet food is incinerated as reflects the mineral content. The correct balance of calcium and phosphorus, as well as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and trace minerals including copper are important for health.
Vitamins
Added vitamins will be declared on the pet food label, but vitamins will come from food ingredients too. It is important not to over supplement with vitamins or minerals, especially fat soluble ones, as excess can cause illnesses. Unbalanced home prepared diets can also cause vitamin and mineral excesses or deficiencies, as can giving more than 10% of a dog’s daily food ration in treats, or cutting food back below the lowest guidelines to try and get a dog to lose weight.
DO I NEED TO CHANGE MY DOG’S DIET?
If your dog is fit and well, with good teeth, a shiny coat, and a good quality stool….probably not!
If your dog has skin, behaviour, or digestive problems then a change of diet could help improve things, but always take the advice of a vet or nutritionist rather than chopping and changing foods.
At Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care we take feeding and nutrition very seriously and think that a healthy gut is the foundation of a healthy dog. But we don’t have a ‘one size fits all’ policy and will help owners choose the vest diet for their pet and lifestyle from raw, wet, or dry diets.
Brain Food
CHANGE THE DIET, CHANGE THE BEHAVIOUR?
If you spend any time on the internet, reading dog magazines, or in pet shops, you will be aware of the huge range of foods out there promising your dog a longer, happier life. But could a change of diet really help change your dog’s behaviour?
CAN DIET FIX BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS?
Some behaviour problems may actually be related to a dog’s diet. Take the case of a collie who was attacking his owners when they tried to sit on the sofa. Initially it was thought that the dog was guarding the sofa, but when the behaviourist visited in the daytime there was no attack… careful questioning revealed that his behaviour was more related to the time of day, than the sofa. His owners were very active people and only tried to sit on the sofa in the evening. They were only feeding their dog in the mornings and then he was having long, exciting walks. By the evening the collie was tired and had low blood sugar which made him extremely grumpy. He would curl up to sleep on the sofa and when woken by his owners he was so confused he would snap at them. This dog didn’t need retraining….just food at tea time as well as at breakfast!
Another case involved a rescue springer spaniel who suffered badly with shadow chasing which meant he could only be exercised at certain times of day. Being a springer this meant he had lots of pent up energy and could be destructive in the house. To help, a trainer recommended a very low protein diet…which made the poor dog worse. Reducing the protein in his diet meant that he wasn’t getting the raw materials to make the brain chemicals that make dogs (and people!) happy. Against his owners expectation switching him onto a diet of raw meat, vegetables, and bones didn’t send him crazy, it improved his behaviour a lot. And chewing on large, meaty bones not only provided essential amino acids, it gave him a very satisfying activity to do when it was too sunny to take him out for walks.
One of the advantages of a behaviour consultation with our holistic vet is that she will consider your dog’s diet, health, and exercise when assessing problem behaviours. Key areas she will consider are the quality and quantity or protein, and how often the dogs is fed. Not all protein sources are the same; muscle meat is important in a dog’s diet to supply essential amino acids. These can’t be manufactured in the body and are vital building blocks for proteins, hormones, and messenger chemicals in the body and brain. Some diets seem to have sufficient protein, but it comes from vegetable sources, or from feet and feathers which don’t have the right levels of essential amino acids. Some dogs cope well when fed once a day, but the very active dog, young dogs, and toy breeds can suffer from low blood sugar on once a day feeding. Low blood sugar can cause confusion, grumpiness, and in severe cases collapse or fits.
A DIET TO RAISE SEROTONIN
For some dogs low serotonin is the cause of their problem behaviours, or makes it difficult for them to learn new behaviours. Serotonin levels in the brain can be raised through the use of drugs usually used for depression in people. Unfortunately these drugs can have side effects and getting the right drug for the dog (or human!) can be a case of trial and error. In many dogs, switching from a diet with low protein quantity or quality (like the springer we discussed above) to a diet with higher muscle meat levels, or a raw meat based diet can lead to improved behaviour. In others behaviour does not improve enough. Various supplements are sold containing tryptophan, the essential amino acid which is needed to produce serotonin. These have a limited effect on brain serotonin levels however, as tryptophan is often broken down before enough of it can enter the brain as it competes with other amino acids to cross the blood-brain barrier.
The good news is that our clever colleagues have designed a diet that allows plenty of tryptophan to enter the brain, which in turn means higher serotonin levels, and a happier dog!
We have been recommending this serotonin raising diet to our clients for several years and we have used it with owners who are raw feeding, as well as those who prefer prepared wet or dry foods, Sadly the DIY version we recommend has proved difficult for some owners as it involves feeding four times a day. For owners who raw feed, or who have very fussy dogs we will still recommend the DIY serotonin raising diet (please book as consultation for details!). However, for those owners who would prefer to feed a kibble food twice a day we will recommend Breakthrough ™.
If you think your dog might benefit from either the DIY serotonin boosting diet, or from Breakthrough™, we would strongly advise you to book a behavioural assessment. If you decide to try Breakthrough™ before a consultation, please thank us for making you aware of it by choosing 02301 Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care as your referring behaviour practice.
KIBBLE? BUT AREN’T YOU PRO RAW FEEDING!!!!?
We don’t judge our clients. We aim to help as many pet owners as possible improve the physical and mental health of their pets through a truly holistic combination of conventional diagnostics, conventional medicines, acupuncture, physical therapy, behavioural assessment and treatment, herbal medicines, nutritional supplements, and dietary changes, as appropriate for each client and pet.
We do love raw feeding as it allows owners to feed high quality protein, and to know exactly what their pet is eating. Some dogs don’t do well on grain based diets, and others become intolerant of processed meat proteins so raw feeding can be ideal for these pets. It can be a cost effective way to feed, and when whole meaty bones are fed there is ample opportunity for chewing and food play. However, raw feeding isn’t for everyone! It may not be safe for those who are immunocompromised, and may not be practical for those without room to store meat and bones. It is also unsuitable for dogs with food guarding issues until these have been addressed. If our clients want to feed raw we will help them every step of the way, even adapting the serotonin raising diet to suit raw feeding. However, for those who can’t or won’t raw feed, we will work with our client to find the best alternative.