My dog ate chocolate

What should I do if my dog ate chocolate?

Since chocolate is potentially deadly to canines, you should IMMEDIATELY get your pet pooch over to Hillchester Animal Hospital (708-449-6300). The sooner theobromine  (the deadly stuff in chocolate) is removed from your canine’s digestive tract,  the less your dog suffers and the less expensive the Veterinary treatments are.

For the cost of any service from Hillchester Animal Hospital, please submit the form to the right (including species and weight).

Can’t I just wait and see if my dog gets sick?

Unless you have a degree in Veterinary Medicine, you are gambling with your dog’s health and your checkbook. If is much less expensive to treat your dog  before chocolate poisoning symptoms appear.

Veterinary signs of chocolate poisoning can take up to twelve hours to develop. Once theobromine is absorbed into your dog’s body, it may remain there for up to twenty-fours causing significant damage to your dog’s health. Fatal cardiac arrest may occur in older dogs with preexisting canine heart disease. For many dogs, the most common veterinary clinical signs of chocolate poisoning are “my dog is vomiting with diarrhea”, “my dog is panting”, and “my dog is acting sick”.

Can’t I just make my dog throw up?

Again the answer is that you are gambling with your dog’s health and your checkbook by playing Animal Doctor. Veterinary treatment is based on the time, the amount, and the type of chocolate eaten by your dog. If treated early by a Veterinarian, forcing your dog to vomit may be all that is necessary. In cases where your dog ate chocolate several hours earlier, activated charcoal (designed for Veterinary Use Only) may be administered to block the absorption of theobromine in your dog’s stomach and small intestine.

Also, it is very common to provide supportive Veterinary treatments (such as intravenous fluid therapy)  to help dilute and promote excretion of the toxin. All dogs ingesting chocolate should be closely monitored for the first twenty-four hours for any signs of irregular canine heart rhythm.

Repeating, it is much less expensive to treat “Man’s Best Friend” before chocolate poisoning symptoms appear.

Schedule an appointment online at www.HillchesterAH.com

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House-soiling or feline inappropriate elimination, is the most common behavioral complaint of cat owners. The problem may be urine and/or stool deposited outside of the litter box, or marking behaviors. When cats urinate on vertical surfaces, it is known as spraying or marking. Usually the cat backs up to a vertical surface, raises its tail, which may quiver, treads with its back feet, and directs a stream of urine backwards. For more detailed information on marking see our handout ‘Marking Behavior in Cats’, and for more details on house soiling, see our handout ‘House – Soiling in Cats’.

“Therefore, even if the medical problem has been resolved, behavioral therapy may be needed to re-establish regular use of the box.”

The first step is to rule out medical causes. Any disease of the urinary tract that causes increased discomfort, volume or frequency of urination can cause house soiling with urine. Similarly any disease affecting the intestinal tract that causes increased discomfort, volume or frequency could lead to house soiling with stools. Medical problems in which the pet cannot control its urine or stool (incontinence), and conditions that cause pain or stiffness so that the cat cannot comfortably enter and use the litter box should also be ruled out. Once a cat has persistently eliminated outside of the litter box for medical reasons, the cat may learn to eliminate in the wrong location. Therefore, even if the medical problem has been resolved, behavioral therapy may be needed to re-establish regular use of the box.

What could the problem be if it is not medical?
Diagnostic possibilities for elimination problems in cats include a) aversions or avoidance of the litter, litter box, or location aversions and / or b) preferences for other substrates or locations. On occasion some cats will eliminate on horizontal surfaces when they are frustrated, stressed or anxious. In these cases the diagnostic and treatment suggestions in our marking behavior handout should be reviewed.

How do we determine the behavioral cause?
This requires a close look at the history including information about the home environment, litter box type and litter used, litter box maintenance (cleaning) and placement, and the onset, frequency, duration and progression of problem elimination behaviors. Other factors to note include other pets in the household and how they get along, any household changes and any patterns to the elimination such as the time, days of the week, or seasonal variations. The number and placement of litter boxes is extremely important in multi-cat households. Other information required is whether the cat is using the litter box at all, and the location, types of surfaces soiled and whether it is urine, stools or both.

What can I try first?
The first step is to identify the nature of the problem. There are several steps you can take until you establish why your cat is soiling outside the box:

1. Start with determining if you made a change to the litter or litter area around the time the problem started and switch back to the preferred litter or site.

2. Make sure the litter box is scooped daily and clean the box itself regularly. The litter should also be changed often since it absorbs odors and moistures. Most cats prefer a freshly cleaned box, but some will not enter a new or recently cleaned box.

3. If you have more than one cat at home add additional litter boxes in additional locations. A general rule of thumb is to increase litter boxes to equal the cats’ number plus one (i.e. if you have 2 cats, have 3 litter boxes).

4. If your cat has a preference for one location or substrate (i.e. living room carpet) you can try blocking its access to this area or use a product to make the area less appealing.

5. Change the function of the area to a feeding, sleeping, or play area. You can place food and water in the area, your cat bed, or place furniture in the area. Using the feline appeasing pheromone (FeliwayTM) may help.

6. Make sure the litter box is placed in an easily accessible area throughout the day. Your cat should be able to enter the box without disturbances (i.e. furnace turning on, another cat or the dog preventing access

Litter aversion and substrate preference
“Test your cat’s preference for different litter types by providing two or more identical boxes with different litter inside.”

Test your cat’s preference for different litter types by providing two or more identical boxes with different litter inside (e.g. clumping vs. non-clumping). Once you clearly identify which litter your cat prefers compare this type with other types. Do so several times until you establish your cat’s preference. You can also try the substrate that in found where your cat inappropriately soils (i.e. piece of carpet, towel, floor tiles, soil, or even an empty box. Once the preferred litter type has been determined, begin to alter the depth in one of the boxes. For defecation deeper litter is often preferred. If you use an odor neutralizer you can then compare one litter with the product and one without.

Box preference
Provide your cat with two or more different boxes such as covered vs. none covered box, small vs. large box, regular vs. automatic cleaning box, etc. Based on the litter and substrate test above use the favored litter in both boxes. Make sure the boxes are consistently well cleaned

Location preference
Place several litter boxes in different locations in your house and establish your cat’s preference. You can also place a box where your cat commonly soils inappropriately. If your cat uses this box regularly you can try and move it several inches every few days, gradually moving it to acceptable location.

I’ve made the litter more appealing and the house-soiling areas less appealing but the cat continues to eliminate in inappropriate areas. What next?
“First determine whether the pet ever soils when someone is supervising or at home.”

First determine whether the pet ever soils when someone is supervising or at home. If not, the cat can be allowed free when someone is watching and any use of the litter can be immediately reinforced with favored treats (or even clicker training). A body harness can be used to insure that the cat does not sneak off. When the cat cannot be watched (or if the cat will eliminate even when you are watching), confinement to an area with bedding, water and a litter box (and away from the areas that have been soiled) is often necessary to re-establish litter box use. Generally a small room such as a laundry room, extra washroom, or bedroom where the cat has not previously soiled should be utilized. Confinement may not be required all of the time. For example, if you can determine times when the cat will not soil, then you can allow the cat out of confinement at these times or conversely you may only have to confine at those times when the cat IS likely to soil. For example some cats only soil at night or when the owners are away from home. It may also be possible to allow your cat out of confinement with minimal supervision for the first few hours after the cat has eliminated in its litter box. Allowing release from confinement and some food treats immediately following elimination may also serve to reward use of the litter box. Over time, cats that have been confined are gradually given more freedom and less supervision.

This client information sheet is based on material written by: Debra Horwitz, DVM, Diplomate ACVB & Gary Landsberg, DVM, Diplomate ACVB
© Copyright 2009 Lifelearn Inc. Used and/or modified with permission under license.

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Barking is one of the most common complaints of dog owners or their neighbors. Although barking is a normal behavior for dogs, when it is excessive or uncontrolled it becomes unacceptable to the owners or neighbors. The consequences of the dog’s barking (the response that the dog gets) may then aggravate the problem. For example, if barking is an attempt to get a person or animal to retreat and the person retreats, then the barking was successful and the behavior has been reinforced. If barking is response to new sights or sounds, or is intended as a greeting behavior, then the dog will become more anxious if it is not allowed to greet or if it leads to anxiety, yelling or punishment by the owners. Barking may also be associated with fear and/or anxiety, or as a form of aggression. For more information, review our detailed ‘Barking in Dogs’ handout and the specific handouts on these problems.

“For puppies that need more enrichment or companionship, a second dog may help reduce anxiety induced barking.”

You can reduce barking in puppies by socializing them to as many new people, dogs, places, sights, sounds and odors as possible. If there are no negative consequences and the puppy is not rewarded for barking, it should get used to these stimuli. For puppies that need more enrichment or companionship, a second dog may help reduce anxiety induced barking.

Before trying to stop your dog barking, you need to understand several things:

1. The principle is to ignore barking and reward what you do want (quiet). A favored reward or clicker saved for quiet training can be most effective.

2. Do not reward any barking behavior by giving attention or by allowing the barking to be successful e.g. allowing indoors (see our handout on ‘Behavior Modification – Reinforcement and Rewards’).

3. Do not punish barking as this can increase anxiety or may inadvertently serve as attention. Focus on teaching your dog that when it is quiet it will be rewarded.

4. To reduce departure anxiety, establish a predictable routine that provides sufficient enrichment but also provides times when your dog learns to spend time alone (see our complete handout on ‘Training Dogs – Enrichment, Predictability and Scheduling’).

5. Dogs that bark to get attention should receive no attention until they are quiet or calm (by waiting and ignoring, training quiet or by using a head halter).

6. Consider changing your dog’s environment if this is the cause of barking. For example, dogs that bark in the yard or at people passing by should be left inside the house or in a place where they cannot see people through the fence.

When you achieve good control over your dog you can start managing the problem:

1. Teach your dog the quiet command. Your dog can be taught to quiet by teaching the bark command then reinforcing quiet. You can effectively stop barking by using a food or toy lure or a head halter and then reinforcing quiet behavior. A quiet command should be paired with each session where the dog can be successfully taught to quiet. Most dogs will also quiet with a settle command such as sit/watch or down-stay (see our handout on ‘Training Dogs – Settle and Relaxation Training’).

2. Training should be done in areas where there are no distractions. Gradually shape the behavior so that your dog stays quiet for longer periods of time.

3. Other devices that may help stop barking and achieve quiet include devices that are activated by owners (shake can, ultrasonic trainer, noise devices) and those activated by the barking itself (e.g. bark activated spray collars). While these products may work as a deterrent in the short term, they are most successful if the owner is present to train and reinforce the dog each time it is quiet. During training, it is important not to leave your dog alone in situations where it might bark.

4. Identify the stimuli that initiate anxiety induced barking and gradually desensitize your dog (see our handout on ‘Behavior Modification – Desensitization and Counterconditioning’

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Behavior Modification – Why Punishment Should be Avoided

Can I punish my pet for undesired behaviors?

While punishment can be effective at decreasing those behaviors that are undesirable, if it is not administered properly it can aggravate existing problems and cause new ones. Positive punishment (the application of unpleasant stimulus) is intended to decrease a behavior and NOT to discipline the pet. It must be administered while the behavior occurs, and ideally just as it starts. The punishment must be sufficient to deter the behavior and must be timed so that it coincides with the behavior.

“Punishment that is painful is inhumane and can only be
justified when safety is an immediate issue.”

Once the behavior ceases, punishment is inappropriate and unwarranted since it will more likely cause the pet to associate the punishment with whatever it is doing at the time and is unlikely to be associated with an act that has occurred in the past. Punishment that is painful is inhumane and can only be justified when safety is an immediate issue. Punishment directed at the pet by humans should generally be avoided. On the other hand, punishment in the form of booby traps or avoidance devices that lead to unpleasant outcomes may be effective if they occur each time the pet attempts the behavior and are not associated with the owner’s presence. In effect, the pet becomes fearful of repeating the behavior or entering an area and either ceases the behavior or avoids the area altogether. For further information, see our handout on using punishment effectively, and review the punishment guidelines published by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior at www.avsabonline.org.

Why does my pet act guilty?

“Pets may act guilty if they can predict when you are about to
administer punishment.”

Pets may act guilty if they can predict when you are about to administer punishment. The guilty look is an indication that the pet knows that it is about to be punished, but not an acknowledgement that it knows that it did something that you consider wrong! A pet may act guilty (fearful, submissive) because of your tone of voice, your postures or your actions. Pets may also act guilty if they have learned which situations lead to punishment. For example, if your pet learns that whenever you walk into a room where the rug has been soiled or where damage has been done, that you turn into a dangerous person, it will soon learn to avoid you or act guilty in similar situations. However, this does not teach your pet that the behavior of chewing or soiling is undesirable, since at the time of chewing or soiling there were no unpleasant consequences (and in fact from the pet’s perspective the act was likely pleasant or necessary). It would take reasoning ability and human language skills far beyond those of any pet to learn that something you are punishing now was for an act that took place minutes or hours ago. In fact, if your pet has been punished for soiling or destructiveness, it would not be unusual for your pet to “act guilty” if you come across a soiling or damage that is several days old, or was done by another pet in the home.

Punishment stops my pet’s misbehavior – why can’t I use it?

When you administer punishment it only serves to stop the behavior when you are present. In fact, the pet may quickly learn that when you are not present the behavior does not lead to punishment and will soon learn to stop when you are watching and continue when you are not watching. Some pets see punishment as a form of attention, which actually reinforces the undesirable behavior. Another serious concern is that if physical punishment is used (hitting, pinning, rolling over, or grabbing the pet’s collar) it may cause undue discomfort and increase the pet’s level of fear when approached in a similar manner in the future.

“Pets may become confused or conflicted if they cannot determine whether the approaching hand represents a friendly gesture or another incident of punishment.”

This is especially true for cats where any form of punishment by humans, could increase fear of people. Another problem is that pets may become confused or conflicted if they cannot determine whether the approaching hand represents a friendly gesture or another incident of punishment. Pets should always consider the approaching hand to be a positive gesture (petting, treats or play) – the hand is a friend.

Can punishment be used for training?

“Punishment may teach a pet that something is unpleasant
but it does not teach the pet what is desirable.”

Punishment may teach a pet that something is unpleasant but it does not teach the pet what is desirable. Training should focus on reinforcing what is desirable and not punishing what is undesirable. While reinforcement can increase behaviors that we want to train, punishment can only decrease behaviors that we want to stop.

Does punishment help to show the dog who is in charge?

Punishment may stop a behavior and may make the pet less likely to repeat the behavior in the future. However, even if punishment is sufficiently unpleasant for the pet to stop the behavior in the presence of one or more family members (or with a trainer), the pet may become defensive and aggressive if the same type of punishment or handling is applied by others (fight or flight). In fact, some pets will (understandably) be defensive and aggressive to anyone who raises their voice or tries to physically punish.

If I shouldn’t punish my pet, how do I stop undesirable behavior?

While punishment may be successful at stopping a behavior when you are present, it does nothing to stop the behaviors when you are not present.

“Most important, punishment does nothing to help the pet learn the proper way to behave in the situation.”

Most important, punishment does nothing to help the pet learn the proper way to behave in the situation. Training should focus on teaching the pet the desirable response, rather than punishing what is undesirable. If you see your pet engaging in an unwanted behavior, distraction (perhaps with a loud noise, hand clapping or a “no”) and redirection to a more appropriate behavior is the best intervention. Most unwanted behaviors occur because the pet is not supervised properly and has the opportunity to engage in the behavior or because the pet is anxious. For further information, see our handouts on reinforcement and training.

Can punishment cause behavior problems?

Many behavior problems are caused by inappropriate or excessive punishment. In fact, a positive situation can be turned into one that is negative and unpleasant simply by punishing the dog.  For example if the dog is punished when it barks at visitors to your home or people that pass by your property, it may become increasingly fearful of new visitors and passersby.

“In short, many times when we punish our pets for behaviors we find undesirable we make them more fearful of the situation or of the people or pets it meets at future greetings.”

If the dog pulls or lunges forward when it meets new people or other dogs on the street, punishment (in an attempt to stop the behavior) may make the pet more fearful of each new person or dog that it meets.  Similarly if the pet is punished when it starts to investigate a new baby, either by verbal or physical corrections (positive punishment) or by removing it from the room (negative punishment), it is likely to make negative associations with the baby.  In short, many times when we punish our pets for behaviors we find undesirable we make them more fearful of the situation or of the people or pets it meets at future greetings.

Another possible outcome of punishment is that some pets become confused, and may begin to exhibit unusual behaviors such as spinning, tail chasing, chewing or licking themselves or loss of urine control. These behaviors, known as displacement behaviors arise when pets are in a state of conflict. This might occur if your responses to your pet are inconsistent. For example, if some greetings and attention-seeking behavior are encouraged but others are punished, then your pet may be conflicted as to whether or not to approach. Be consistent. Teach your pet proper greeting behaviors and what behaviors earn attention (see our handout on predictable rewards and learn to earn).

Can punishment be used to correct behavior problems?

Punishment should not be used to correct undesirable behavior.

“Punishment focuses on stopping the undesirable but
does not teach what is desirable.”

Some pets may see it as a form of reinforcement, while others will become increasingly more fearful or aggressive. Punishment focuses on stopping the undesirable but does not teach what is desirable. For example, if the pet barks, lunges or is aggressive toward children, dogs or strangers, punishment only serves to make the pet increasingly more fearful and anxious each time it is exposed to a child, dog or stranger. On the other hand, calming the pet and reinforcing the desirable behavior (such as sit and focus on the owners) teaches the pet how to behave in the situation and that each new exposure might have a positive outcome. For further information, see our handouts on behavior modification.

Schedule an appointment online at www.HillchesterAH.com

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