The safest group play environments are those that have canine visitors enjoying optimum health, and owners who understand the importance of a natural, holistic approach to health care. Group play isn’t just about behavior, socialization, and the rules of the game. There are several aspects of canine health that should be considered before engaging in group play.
Exposure to Toxins
Many dogs show symptoms related to exposure to environmental and household toxins, but pet owners do not correlate symptoms with the cause. Veterinarians may not make the correlation either. Instead of removing the offending product, more medications are prescribed to treat the symptoms, rather than curing the underlying issue. Symptoms that may indicate your dog is having a reaction to toxins include:
- Excessive drooling
- Licking paws
- Vomiting with or without blood
- Diarrhea with or without blood
- Lack of appetite
- Yeast infections/ear infections
- Chronic infections
- Lethargy
- Hiding or isolation
- Itching/dry flaky skin/red inflamed skin
- Bleeding from the nose
- Tremors/seizures
- Sudden death
Toxins are also present in drugs prescribed by veterinarians including vaccines, parasite and heartworm protection. By looking for the underlying cause, treatment can be directed toward complete healing, including removal of any offending products (over-vaccination, medications, pesticides, poor quality food).
Immune System
Dogs on immune-suppressing drugs or those with autoimmune diseases are more likely to contract infectious diseases and therefore, it may not be safe for them to attend larger-scale group play settings. Supporting the immune system, rather than suppressing the immune system, will help prevent and treat chronic and acute disease problems. A whole food, species-appropriate diet is the best way to strengthen the microbiome and support the immune system. Supplementation with natural products such as echinacea, medicinal mushrooms, colostrum, and probiotics are great immune system boosters that are generally inexpensive and easy to use.
Vaccines
Vaccinations have been a wonderful addition to the health of animals and people everywhere; however, the overuse and misuse of vaccinations has become a problem. Pet vaccination strategies are constantly changing, and there is controversy over the ideal protocol. I feel that, unfortunately, most puppies receive many more vaccinations in their early life stages than are needed. This sets those animals up for a lifetime of immune system problems, including allergies, leaky gut, chronic infections, and inflammation.
Whether a dog is adopted as a puppy or adult, a stray, or from a rescue group, most veterinarians will recommend starting the pet on a series of vaccinations as if they have never received a vaccine. This is a flawed assumption. The best way to determine whether vaccination is needed is by performing a blood titer. Titers should be considered an acceptable means of protection in lieu of vaccinations by a park or group play business. If you do choose to vaccinate, give your dog time to recover before engaging in group play. Wait 24-48 hours to make sure there are no side effects.
Parasite Prevention
Fleas and Ticks: Chemicals used to kill fleas and ticks are neurotoxins (i.e. Bravecto, Nexgard, Credelio, Simparica). Unfortunately, many dogs suffer from reactions such as increased thirst and urination, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, itching and skin eruptions. Even more severe reactions such as muscle tremors, ataxia (loss of muscle control), internal hemorrhage, and even death have been reported. Thousands of dogs have been killed with these products; I do not recommend their use. In addition to oral flea and tick medications, I do not recommend the use of chemical collars (i.e Seresto). The Environmental Protection Agency has received over 75,000 incident reports, including nearly 1,000 involving human harm. Side effects include lethargy, anorexia, muscle weakness, tremors, seizures, irritated skin, and death They are deadly if chewed and can be harmful to children as well.
If your pet has a reaction to any of these chemicals, there is no antidote. Supportive care may include intravenous fluids and hospitalization. Seizures may persist for years, even after the offensive product is no longer given. If your pet has ever been given any of these pesticides, I recommend using a detoxification protocol to help the body heal from the damage they cause. The best line of defense against fleas and ticks is to prevent them from invading in the first place. I recommend natural prevention products that do not have the terrible side effects common in conventional medications.
Heartworms: Heartworm disease in dogs is a global problem. All dogs should have a blood test at least once per year for heartworms in areas where heartworms are found. Mosquitoes are the main mode of transmission. Because the life cycle of a heartworm takes a long time, diagnosis of heartworm infection is not possible until seven to nine months after the pet is bitten by the infective mosquito. I do not recommend popular conventional preventatives such as moxidectin and selamectin due to the high number of adverse reactions and deaths that have occurred. There is no antidote to these chemicals if your dog has an adverse reaction. If you live in an area where heartworms are common but choose not to use preventative medications, it is recommended to test every three to four months so that infection may be caught early before damage is done to the heart and other organs.
There are no proven natural preventatives for heartworms; however, there are several ways you can naturally repel mosquitos and reduce their population in your dog’s environment. It is important to feed a whole-food, human-grade diet. Proper exercise, lean body weight, and immune-support will go a long way to keeping your pet parasite-free.
Intestinal Parasites: There are many types of intestinal parasites that exist including tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, coccidia, giardia, and toxoplasmosis. Diarrhea is the most common symptom and may include stools containing blood or mucous. Severe infestations may result in loss of appetite and weight loss. All pets in the home should be tested, as they may easily transmit parasites to each other. Multi-drug-resistance is becoming more common which means multiple treatments may be required. Conventional treatment uses deworming medication, and many of these come with side effects including dizziness, cough, dark urine, and black tarry stools. There are safe and natural remedies for deworming your pet, and can be used to treat an active infection as well as prevent one.
Dental Care
Pets need proper dental care. Dental disease is a painful condition that occurs when bacteria, plaque, and tartar build up on the teeth and get trapped beneath the gum line. The bacteria can be absorbed into the bloodstream and wreak havoc on major organs throughout the body. Untreated dental infection can lead to heart valve disease, kidney disease, and even diabetes and cancer due to chronic inflammation and immune stress, not to mention the significant pain associated with dental infections and loose teeth. Early signs of dental disease in pets include bad breath, yellow tartar buildup on the teeth, and red and swollen gums. Early detection of your pet’s dental disease is vital. If left untreated, it will cause chronic pain and inflammation. The argument that pets need dry food to keep their teeth and gums healthy is a fallacy. I do not recommend these diets because they are made with poor ingredients. The best way to prevent tartar and plaque on the teeth is by brushing, twice a day, every day, using organic coconut oil. Pet owners that begin dental care while dogs are young find it easier to establish a daily routine with a cooperative pet, however, some pets will not allow brushing, and some owners cannot commit to brushing. Oral sprays, gels, and water additives are also available. Some have poor quality ingredients. Avoid water additives containing dyes or xylitol. There are many safe, natural products that support dental health.
I am not a fan of anesthetic-free dental cleaning. Without anesthesia, it is impossible to obtain X-rays to see what lies beneath your pet’s gumline. After examining dental radiographs of dogs with teeth that appeared normal to the naked eye, veterinarians found 27.8% of dogs had diseased teeth. In pets with abnormal-looking teeth, veterinarians found additional diseased teeth in 50% of dogs. If you choose the anesthetic-free option for dental care, most likely you are just getting a cosmetic procedure. The gold standard is an anesthetic dental cleaning.
Natural First Aid Remedies
Even in the best group play situations, accidents, wounds, and illness can occur. Having some supplies on hand may help avoid emergency veterinary visits or buy time to get the pet to the hospital for treatment.
If your dog is bitten by another dog, it is always warranted to have a veterinary examination. Puncture wounds are serious and can result in abscesses and permanent damage to underlying structures. Wounds should be cleaned as soon as possible. The worst injuries are big dog attacks on small dogs. Punctured lungs, spinal damage, and broken bones can occur without being immediately visible. Your dog should only play in groups of similar sizes and play styles.
First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation courses are available for pet owners both in-person and online. They are offered through the Red Cross and many private groups. An engaging and enjoyable course is taught by Arden Moore at https://www.petfirstaid4u.com/ The Red Cross has a free mobile application/app that provides veterinary as well as everyday pet care.
When making your own first aid kit for home or travel, there are many homeopathic and herbal remedies that can be included.
Hopefully, you will never be faced with a severe accident or injury with your pet. Being prepared with simple first aid supplies may help you avoid an expensive trip to the emergency hospital. Pets with any symptoms that do not clear quickly should be evaluated by a veterinarian.
Choosing the Right Diet
Choosing the right diet is one of the hardest decisions facing pet owners. Over the years, I have become less satisfied with commercial pet food products. My distrust of the big pet food companies has escalated with the number of recalls and deaths of beloved pets dying when fed tainted pet foods. Pet “feed” has been recalled for contamination with salmonella, listeria, aflatoxins, molds, melamine, euthanasia solution, excess vitamins and minerals, and deficiencies of vitamins and minerals.
I have many reasons why I do not recommend kibble-based diets for dogs and cats.
Pet feed made with ingredients that are not human grade can include diseased meats that are classified as inedible. While diseased or decaying meat is technically not allowed in pet food, the FDA refuses to enforce this law. Rendered ingredients in pet feed are commonly sourced from animals that were dead but were not slaughtered for food purposes. Preservatives such as Ethoxyquin, Glyceryl Monostearate, BHA, BHT, and propylene glycol have been linked to cancers and illness in pets and people. Ingredients such as corn, wheat gluten, corn gluten, and rice gluten or gluten meals are cheap fillers and have no nutritional value. Dyes and colorings, sugar and high fructose corn syrup should also be avoided. Prescription diets are no better: the first five ingredients in one dry prescription diet include: corn gluten meal, animal fat, whole grain corn, soybean mill run, and dried egg product.
Moisture is needed for food to be digested, so where does the pet get the moisture for digestion if it is not in the food? Some people soak kibble in water before feeding, thinking this will replace the moisture that is lacking. Some kibble remains hard, even after sitting in water for hours.
Kibble is not very digestible. Stomach acid will help break it down, depending on how long the kibble sits in the stomach. But have you ever seen a pet vomit partially digested food where the kibble comes up whole? This is a common occurrence, particularly with cats.
Pets that have a history of kidney or bladder stone formation should not be fed kibble. The lack of moisture in kibble increases the risk of crystals forming in the urine.
Kibble is processed at very high heat; as a result, synthetic vitamins and minerals need to be added back into the food to make it “complete and balanced.” There have been many pet food recalls due to improper amounts of certain vitamins, resulting in sickness and death.
The second most fed form of pet food is a canned diet. Canned food is cooked and processed at a lower heat than dry food, so it retains more of the vitamins that naturally occur in the food. Canned food has a high moisture content, which is much healthier, and therefore makes it preferable over dry food. Most pets love canned foods and will eat them readily. However, don’t forget to read the labels! Most canned foods will contain some sort of binder or gluten such as corn, rice, or wheat, guar gum and carrageenan (recognized as a carcinogen in Europe). Avoid food with these additives as they are highly inflammatory, contributing to inflammatory bowel disease and allergies. Binders such as porcine plasma or montmorillonite clay are much better.
My recommendation is to feed a whole food, species-appropriate gently cooked or raw diet. For those wanting to prepare their own pet food, there are many balanced recipes available and there are supplements made specifically to help balance home-prepared meals. For more information regarding commercially prepared high-quality diets, visit www.truthaboutpetfood.com. All companies must provide verification of human grade ingredients and meats sourced from humanely raised animals. At the very least, add fresh food toppers to the kibble to enhance nutrient value.
Optimum Health
Following the guidelines listed above, along with proper etiquette and training for your dogs, will allow them to enjoy group play and socialization in safe environments with minimal risk.
Learn more in my book Naturally Healthy Dogs: Unleashed!
