How should I introduce two dogs?
It’s important to introduce a new dog in a similar way to introducing a new person. Remember, there is never a second chance to make a first impression. How, when and where dogs meet can impact their relationship and reduce some of the stress that might accompany that meeting.

The ASPCA recommends that you, “Introduce your dogs on neutral territory, like on a short walk through your neighborhood, in a nearby park or in a friend’s yard.” Don’t go alone, have one person to handle each dog, while keeping both dogs on leashes. Walk the dogs either side-by-side or one in front of the other, walk at a relaxed pace and keep the leashes loose.

Don’t force interaction between the dogs. It’s okay if they don’t immediately bond. Let them get to know one another at their own pace.

Even if your dogs do get along great, they’ll probably need time alone once you get home. Crate train each dog or find them each a safe, private place so they both have a dedicated spot where they know they can be alone. If the dogs do get along, you can let them at least be able to see each other when you leave the house, this can often offer comfort.

Why might my first dog be uncomfortable about a new dog?
Think about it from your first dog’s perspective. The chances are pretty good that he has things the way he wants them:

• His eating and sleeping places
• His bed and bowls
• His smell
• His schedule for feeding, playing and sleeping

You may be able to think of a past situation when guests—even guests you like—overstay their welcome or assume their privileges. It can bring a lot of tension and even an end to a friendship. Now imagine having a stranger come over, plop themselves down and say, “I think I will stay forever.”

When is the right time to bring another dog into the house?
If you’ve had a change in your life—a recent move, a new roommate, a new job—that will mean a change in your dog’s routine, it may not be the best time to bring home a new dog. It’s unlikely that you’ll have time to help both dogs adapt. You may not be able to give either dog the extra time and attention that will be required for a healthy transition.  

Helping new puppies to get along with adult dogs
As anyone who has ever had a puppy will tell you, they can often be a handful. Puppies can really annoy adult dogs. They simply don’t have the social skills or limitations that come with time. (Think about the 3-year-old boy that lives next door.)

Even adult dogs with good temperaments will growl or snarl at puppies to set boundaries. This is normal and can be a good thing. Never allow a puppy and an adult dog to be left alone together though, for the safety of both dogs. Also, give your adult dog plenty of time away from the puppy, and try to give him some quality time alone with you and your family whenever circumstances permit it.
If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian -- they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.

Reviewed by: 
Dr. Celeste Clements, DVM, DACVIM
Reviewed on: 
Monday, August 3, 2015

"Getting a Second Dog" by Dr. Mike Paul DVM
(http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/new-dog-checklists/getting-a-second-dog).

• An awake animal is unlikely to allow a veterinarian to poke around in his mouth with dental instruments. A complete exam that allows the veterinarian to fully determine the extent of dental disease and oral problems can only be performed on an anesthetized patient.
• Dental X-rays should be taken prior to every dental cleaning, and anesthesia is required to keep pets still. Since 60% of a tooth is below the gumline, problems such as retained roots, root fractures, and periodontal disease can only be detected on radiographs. Without X-rays, many dental problems go undiagnosed and untreated.
• A complete dental cleaning involves evaluation of pocket depth, tartar scaling above and below the gums, and polishing. Subgingival tartar removal, which is critically necessary to prevent dental disease progression, requires the insertion of dental instruments below the gumline, which can be uncomfortable.
• Most patients will not hold still for tartar removal, which involves poking, prodding, bright lights, and sharp instruments. Even the limited cleaning that anesthesia-free dentistry permits is traumatic for a pet and may make him afraid to visit the veterinarian in the future.
• Many pets hide painful dental problems, and a proper dental cleaning can hurt sensitive teeth. Anesthesia will allow your pet to rest pain free throughout the cleaning, even if painful procedures, such as tooth extractions, become necessary.
• A thorough dental exam and X-rays may reveal dental problems that cannot be treated without anesthesia but require immediate action. If your pet is already anesthetized, problems can be addressed immediately so he returns to you with a healthy mouth.

What precautions make anesthesia safe for my pet?Precautions such as a thorough preanesthetic evaluation, safe medications and techniques, and anesthetic monitoring make anesthesia safe for most pets.
Prior to anesthesia, a thorough physical exam and blood tests will be performed to screen for diseases that could cause anesthetic complications. In particular, the liver and kidneys are assessed, since they break down and eliminate anesthetic medications. Patient evaluation allows the veterinarian to customize the safest anesthetic and pain management plan unique to your pet and his needs.
An intravenous catheter will be placed for fluid administration throughout the procedure, and for emergency medications should complications arise.
Sedation will be administered before anesthesia is induced to relax your pet and relieve any anxiety. About 20 minutes later, your pet will be anesthetized. He will become unconscious and completely unaware of what is happening, will feel no pain, and will have no memory of the procedure.
An endotracheal (breathing) tube will be placed in your pet for airway protection and oxygen administration, which he will receive throughout the procedure to ensure his blood stays oxygenated.
Anesthetic medications slow down the heart and lungs, and each pet is closely monitored to ensure adequate cardiovascular and respiratory function are maintained. From the moment your pet is placed under anesthesia, your AAHA-accredited veterinary team will monitor your pet’s vital signs, including:

• Heart rate and rhythm
• Heart electrical activity (via electrocardiogram)
• Blood pressure
• Respiratory rate and depth
• Blood oxygen levels (using a pulse oximeter)
• Temperature
• Mucous membrane color and capillary refill time, which indicate adequate blood flow
• Anesthetic depth

Most pets recover from anesthesia 15 to 20 minutes after the procedure. They then rest comfortably in a cage for a few hours for continued monitoring and usually go home the same day.
With proper precautions, dental anesthesia is safe as well as necessary. All pets should receive the important dental care they need to live the healthy, pain-free life they deserve.

“Should My Pet Be Anesthetized for Dental Care?” AAHA.Org, www.aaha.org/your-pet/pet-owner-education/ask-aaha/Anesthesia-and-Dental-Cleaning. Accessed 11 Jan. 2020.

Set aside time in January: We get so busy with our work and personal lives that it’s easy to put off spending time with the dog. Even playing with our smartphones and tablets can be more distracting to us than we realize. Resolve to set aside time each day of January with a “no electronics” policy. Use this time to get to know your dog and by next month, it will be a habit.

Focus on what your dog loves in February: What does he really like to do? It could be something as simple as throwing the beloved ball in the yard, laying on the couch, or brushing and cuddling with your dog. Work on creating quality time that will make your dog happy (and you will be too!).

Extra exercise in March: Good, concentrated exercise where you walk at an elevated pace to increase your dog’s heart rate is important each day. Too often we get lazy and decide the dog is fine if we have a yard. Resolve to walk your dog every day this month! Once again, you’ll quickly find it becomes a habit you can continue all year.

Make walks meaningful in April: There’s more to walks than just burning calories and energy. Try to make it a goal to fit in at least 2-3 days each week in April for a longer, slower walk that focuses on “enrichment.” In other words, allow your dog to explore the world. Sniff some flowers, investigate new smells on walls and sidewalks, and even experience new environments by going to parks or paths you may not usually go to.

Add in training in May: Even if you say— “wait, my dog is already trained!”— there’s a great reason to consider more. Training helps to build your communication skills with your dog. Michael Shikashio, CDBC, President of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, supports this idea. “Engaging in positive reinforcement based training with your companion animal is an excellent way to strengthen the bond you have with them. Just a few minutes per day can become a fun routine that your pet truly looks forward to, with the added benefit of teaching them some useful new behaviors!”

Try something new in June: There are so many fantastic options now for things you can train your dog to do. Some possibilities are scent work, agility, rally, freestyle, tricks, barn hunt, and the list can go on. Consider checking out what options are local to you and taking your dog to a class.

Keep toys fresh and interesting in July: Rotate the types of toys that your dog gets, and replace worn out toys regularly. Aside from providing novel, mental enrichment, you also want to keep your dog safe by removing any toys with ripped or torn edges that might end up inside his stomach.

Promise to listen in August: Dogs, of course, can’t talk, but they let us know how they feel in many other ways if we are willing to “hear” them. Make a practice of observing your dog. Does he have a daily routine when it comes to eating, drinking, eliminating, and more? Get to really know your dog’s patterns and watch when things seem “off.” Signs that were once subtle can turn into loud and clear clues that your dog is feeling sick, anxious, fearful or worse.

Learn more about dogs in September: Take some time to learn more about dog body language so that you can really understand your dog and communicate better. An excellent resource is the CD set “What is My Dog Saying” by Carol Byrnes and Jacqueline Munera. If you prefer books, learn more about dogs by reading some of the latest from scientists, such as “Being a Dog: Following a Dog Into the World Smell” by Dr. Alexandra Horowitz.

Schedule a veterinary visit in October: How long has it been since you had a visit to the vet? For many people, if everything is going well, it may be years, which is not a good thing for a dog. Just like humans, dogs benefit from a yearly physical exam. If you haven’t been to the vet with your dog in a very long time, make an appointment right away!

Practice socialization in November: Too often, dog parents think socialization is important for puppies and then tend to let it go as the dog ages. But dogs are social creatures who enjoy playing and visiting with other dogs. If your dog is friendly with other dogs, consider setting up some play dates with well-behaved dogs from family members or friends. If your dog doesn’t care for other dogs, you can still socialize him with visits to dog friendly stores, cafes, and car rides together.

Emergency preparedness in December: This is a small task that is critically important and often forgotten. Make sure each year that your dog’s ID tags are updated and clearly legible. Replace worn-out tags with new ones. Contact your microchipping company if you’ve moved or changed a phone number or email address. And take good, up to date pictures of your dog if you need to make a lost and found flyer. Likewise, if you live in an area that is disaster-prone, make sure you have a disaster plan in place for your pet. You never know when something may happen and your dog may become lost, or when you will both need to evacuate quickly. Being ready is the best way to care for your dog and continue your relationship together.

If you plan your time and activities well with your dog, you’ll find that your relationship will blossom in the new year!

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian -- they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.

Reviewed by: 
Robert M. DuFort, DVM, DACVIM
Reviewed on: 
Thursday, December 28, 2017

Links to DietFay regrets that when Lucy was a puppy with a sensitive stomach, she asked for advice at a boutique pet store and started Lucy on a grain-free food now being investigated by the FDA.
“You want to do the best for your dog baby and we got caught up in the hype of all of it,” she said. “We did a boutique dog food thinking we were doing the absolute right thing by her.”
Allison Heaney, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology), cardiologist at several Petcardia Veterinary Cardiology locations, including AAHA-accredited Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, diagnosed Lucy with DCM in June 2018 and recommended switching from the grain-free food.
She’s treated numerous patients whose conditions have improved with medication and a diet change—and some with just a diet change. In one instance, a dog with DCM and heart failure was referred by another veterinary cardiologist who had already advised medication, taurine supplementation, and other protocols. The only thing left was to change food, which she did. On the next visit, the dog’s heart was dramatically smaller.
“We always stress that we only want the best for the pet and the clients. We often praise the clients for wanting what is best and then talk about concerns with their current diet.”
—CASSIE PANNING, BS, CVT, VTS (Nutrition)
“Now we’ve had enough cases in which we switch foods and they improve,” she said. “I definitely know there’s something happening and it’s for real. I don’t know exactly why that food switch would make a difference. What is the deficiency? Is it a toxicity? Is it a malabsorption? I have no idea, but we’ve seen enough that have reversed that it’s not . . . propaganda.”
While some clients are quick to follow Heaney’s recommendations—one woman feeding a vegan diet to her two-year-old dog with DCM immediately asked where to get traditional pet food when she learned the diet might be contributing to her pet’s heart disease—others resist or flatly refuse to alter their pet’s diet.
“It’s really frustrating,” Heaney said. “A client [I had] yesterday wouldn’t change the food. She said, ‘I’m not going to change until I have a specific answer as far as what the problem is.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know why people are dying of vaping, but you know what habit I’m not going to pick up right now? Vaping.’”
Public PerceptionHeaney is concerned that perceived expertise on nutrition seems to have shifted to pet stores.
“That has not done us any favors,” she said. “I think that as a profession we’re going to have to, in some way, shape, or form, take the reins back and define what is good pet food for dogs.”
Talking to clients about pet nutrition can be a daunting task with the increased interest over the past decade or so—potentially sparked by the FDA’s 2007 recall of melamine-tainted pet food—in feeding pets what were once considered “unconventional” or “nontraditional” diets, such as raw, vegan, homemade, and grain-free. Many boutique pet foods are now marketed with buzzwords like organic, natural, grain-free, nongenetically modified, and human-grade.
So perhaps it’s unsurprising that the FDA’s 2018 announcement of an investigation of a possible link between canine DCM and certain foods, many of which were labeled “grain-free,” has received strong pushback from consumers. (A representative from the FDA declined to comment on the status of the investigation for this article, instead referring to previously published material on the FDA’s website.)
Cassie Panning, BS, CVT, VTS (Nutrition), at the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Medical Center, has been a veterinary technician for more than 16 years. She’s seen increased interest in grain-free diets for pets as gluten-free diets have grown popular with humans.
“In the last 10 years, there have been many more dogs and cats harmed by issues with conventional diets—melamine/cyanuric acid, vitamin D, aflatoxin—than reported with unconventional diets.”
—JOE BARTGES, DVM, PHD, DACVIM, DACVN
“There are many people who think that the alerts by the FDA are made up and a big conspiracy from the big pet food companies,” she said. “When you are on the front lines and seeing dogs die from something that is preventable, it is really sad. While the research is ongoing and we still don’t know a cause or the exact link, until we know more, it seems silly to not feed something else.”
Panning noted that veterinary technicians can be the front lines of communication with clients. They can go over nutrition recommendations for new puppies and kittens, and they should feel comfortable discussing feeding management and foods. She said they should also be able to teach clients body condition scores so that pet owners feel empowered at home. 
She suggests a nonjudgmental approach when discussing nutrition with clients.
“We always stress that we only want the best for the pet and the clients. We often praise the clients for wanting what is best and then talk about concerns with their current diet,” said Panning. “Really listening to a client’s goals and finding a diet that works best for their pet and their lifestyle will help you get much further; any time a client feels that they are being shamed, they will put up a wall.”
Other Problematic DietsAngela Rollins, DVM, PhD, DACVN, clinical associate professor of small-animal clinical services at the University of Tennessee, is glad researchers are working on finding answers about the potential link between DCM and grain-free diets. With legumes being examined as a possible cause, until a study proves otherwise, she’s hesitant to recommend vegan diets for dogs because legumes are often the primary protein source in such foods.
However, she said there is plenty of evidence about the risks associated with raw diets. When communicating with clients about raw-food issues, she suggests emphasizing that they can introduce pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Listeria, and Campylobacter.
“All of these potential bacteria can make our pets sick, but they can also make the humans in the household sick as well,” she said. “These will be spread in your pet’s saliva and feces. Think about a cat on a raw-food diet. They’re then going to groom their entire hair coat, so they can be this walking ball of Salmonella all through your house. . . . I think there’s a significant risk of liability as a medical professional if we’re not warning our clients about those risks.”
Joe Bartges, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DACVN, professor of medicine and nutrition at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, served on the task force that created the 2010 AAHA Nutritional Assessment Guidelines for Dogs and Cats.
He said the guidelines included “unconventional” diets such as homemade, vegetarian, and raw as a nutritional screening risk factor primarily because veterinarians were less familiar with the diets at the time. He noted that what were once considered unconventional diets have become major parts of the pet-food market and do not pose more potential danger than conventional diets. (He posited that a better term than conventional might be heat-processed grain-containing diets.)
“In the last 10 years, there have been many more dogs and cats harmed by issues with conventional diets—melamine/cyanuric acid, vitamin D, aflatoxin—than reported with unconventional diets,” he said.
Bartges stated that obesity is the “number one” nutritional problem in dogs and cats (and people), so it should be the biggest nutritional concern for everyone.


"To Grain-Free or Not to Grain-Free: The Shifting Dialogue Surrounding Grain-Free, Vegan, Raw, and Boutique Diets" by Jen Reeder 
(https://www.aaha.org/publications/trends-magazine/trends-digital-archive/free-trends-article/?fbclid=IwAR3SgTKNqQ6ZG-sZ1xfKIbH2YLWx8uyCVL73Tc0yjmz9NdGjJuuViXJneE8).