Should Pit Bulls be Banned?

Mapleton City recently considered legislation specifically targeting and banning pit bulls as pets. Springville has ordinances that single out pit bull type breeds. Provo and Orem are currently debating instituting similar laws. Across the nation, isolated incidents of vicious dog attacks are sparking a wildfire of fear-induced laws banning entire breeds of dogs, especially those that comprise the group known as Pit Bulls. Is this fair? Is it right? We all want our children and pets to be safe from unprovoked maliciousness, but how is this best accomplished? Here is how I responded to our city council, trying to share my professional experience in dealing with agressive dog behaviors.


Mapleton City Council Members,

As your local veterinarian, I am concerned about the recent proposal to ban specific breeds of dogs from our communities, specifically pit bulls. I am also glad that the city has elected not to pursue that course of reasoning. Such legislation often arises out of fear and is promoted under the guise of public safety, but in reality is an indication of misinformation and uneducated decision-making. It is also questionable in constitutionality and enforceability. Please allow me, as an animal health and welfare professional working daily with a wide variety of breeds, to share my expertise should you choose to formulate a comprehensive plan that will be both fair to those pet owners that demonstrate reponsible ownership and their well-behaved dogs, as well as providing proper identification and recourse in situations where irresponsiblity and vicious behaviors truly exist.

I am freqently asked by clients as they ponder the type of new dog to get for their family "What is your favorite kind of dog ?" My answer has developed over the past couple decades of dealing with dogs of various demeanors as such: "I like the nice ones." I have found that it is not the breed, per se, that determines a dog’s demeanor toward other people, although genetics certainly play an important role. Behavior is primarily determined by proper and timely socialization and training, as well as attitudes of the dog owners themselves.

Statistics show that there are over 68 millions dogs owned as pets in the United States. There are approximately 350,000 people treated (although actual number of unreported bites could be much higher) for dog bite-related injuries annually, with only 12-15 resulting in fatalities. According to a Denver study, biting dogs are 6-8 times more likely to be male than female, 2.6 times more likely to be intact than neutered, 2.8 times as likely to be chained as unchained, with 20% of fatalities involving dogs that were chained at the time of the incident. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) records, approximately half of the people bitten are children <14>
The reasons that Pit bull-type breeds are being targeted in breed-specific legislative bans is because they currently account for >60% of bite-related injuries and insurance company claims related to dog bites have quadrupled in recent years. However, the frequency of pit bulls being involved is simply due to their increased popularity. In the 1970’s, Doberman Pinscers were the dog to fear. In the 1980’s, it became the Rottweilers. It wasn’t until the mid-1990’s that pit bull-type breeds gained popularity as increased prejudice and fear built against the other breeds. It reflects the breed of choice among people who want to own an aggressive dog. Unfortunately, it has become "cool" to own a "bad" dog.

Data in a report published in the Sept 15, 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) indicate that breed-specific legislation is not the solution to dog bite prevention. The report revealed that, during the previous 20 years, at least 25 breeds of dog have been involved in 238 human fatalities. Pit bull-type dogs and Rottweilers were identified as being involved in 66 and 39 fatalities, respectively, over that 20-year period; however, other purebreds and crossbreds caused the remainder of fatalities. Over time, the breeds involved in human fatalites have varied, and include Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and even a Yorkshire Terrier and a Pomeranian, with a different mix represented every year. Not long ago, Dalmations were listed as the number one breed for human bite wounds.

Thus, as CDC epidemiologist Dr. Jeffrey Sacks indicates, "a dog of any breed can become dangerous when bred or trained to be aggressive. Fatal attacks represent only a very small proportion of dog bite injuries and shouldn't be the primary factor driving public policy regarding dangerous dogs." In my own professional experience, and confirmed in discussions with colleagues across the nation, veterinarians and their staff are more likely to be bitten by Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Amerikan Eskimos, Akitas, Chow Chows, Cocker Spaniels and German Shepherds because of aggressive tendencies. In general, the majority of the pit bull breeds tend to be very docile and loving toward people. It is recognized, however, that the wounds inflicted by breeds bred with dog-fighting in mind do tend to be more extensive that those by the miniature breeds.

A very informative article appeared in The New Yorker, that can be found online at http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060206fa_fact, identifies the problems with generalizations against a specific breed (or group of people for that matter). One of these problems is that pit bulls are not a single breed, but include an number of related breeds, including the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the American Bulldog, and the American Pit Bull Terrier, all of which share physical characteristics of a square and muscular body, a short snout and a sleek, short-haired coat. Banning "pit bulls" then becomes a challenge in identifying what actually constitutes a pit bull. Then introduce the reaction of people to circumvent the law by breeding pit bull breeds to other breeds. Is a cross between an American Pit Bull Terrier with a Golden Retriever a pit bull or a Golden Retreiver-type dog? This line of reasoning often results in making generalizations about generalizations and eventually ends up with something totally undefineable and unenforceable. Furthermore, ostracizing a given breed will simply result in another shift toward other aggressive breeds for those who want the "bad dog" image.

The New Yorker article cites that the American Temperament Test Society has put 25,000+ dogs through a 10-part stardardized set of drills designed to assess a dog’s emotional stability, shyness, aggressiveness and friendliness in the company of people. They are judged on reactions to such stimuli as gunshots, someone opening an umbrella unexpectedly near them, and the approach of a weirdly-dressed stranger that acts threatening. In these tests, 84% of pit bull-type dogs have passed, ranking higher than Beagles, Airedale Terriers, Bearded Collies and all but one variety of Dachshunds.

A description of pit bull breeds often refer to them as having a "strong desire to please, good-natured, amusing, affectionate, extremely loyal, good family pets, and intelligent." Pit bulls were bred for the dog fighting and bull baiting sports. Thus, their "natural" aggressions are toward other animals, and not towards people. So then, which are the ones that have gotten into trouble and ellicited so much emotion over any other breed in history? The ones that have aggressive tendencies "bred into them by the breeder, trained in by the trainer, or reinforced in by the owner." However, the strongest connection of all in determining a dog’s viciousness, is certain kinds of owners. The New Yorker cites that "in about a quarter of fatal dog-bite cases, the dog owners were previously involved in illegal fighting. The dogs that bite people are, in many cases, socially isolated because their owners are socially isolated, and they are vicious because they have owners who want a vicious dog." This includes the owner of the junk yard, the drug dealer, the abusive husband, the socially outcast teenager and anyone else with issues about their self image. The article goes on to state that cities can easily prevent recurrences of dog attacks not by making generalizations about specific breeds of dogs, but on the "known and meaningful connection between dangerous dogs and negligent owners."

Insurance companies use generalizations when they charge young men more for car insurance than the rest of us, even though many young men are perfectly good drivers (teen drivers represent 8% of all licensed drivers in Utah, but they account for 28% of all crashes). Doctors use generalizations when they tell overweight middle-aged men to get their cholesterol checked, even though many overweight middle-aged men won’t experience heart problems. The problem becomes making the right generalization. Defining a handful of certain breeds as "dogs that bite" results in the assumption or generalization that all the rest are "dogs that don’t bite." Of course, we all know that anything with teeth can bite, but people who don’t deal with dogs very often may end up assuming that anything that isn’t a pit or rottie is safe to pet because they aren’t part of the banned list of breeds. It’s a little like assuming that any drug offered over-the-counter is risk-free, then becoming shocked when a dozen Tylenol tablets land someone in the hospital. You invite lawsuits when the government bans specific breeds "because they can kill you" and suddenly, a Standard Poodle attacks a child when it was thought to be a "safe" breed because it wasn’t included on the government’s list of banned breeds.

In the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC states that bite prevention is best avoided primarily through programs designed to educate children in proper behaviors and interactions around dogs. Additionally, prevention efforts should include "training, socializing, and neutering family pets. Additional strategies that encourage responsible pet ownership and reduce dog bites include "regulatory measures (e.g., licensing, neutering and registration programs, and programs to control unrestrained animals) and legislation." "Dangerous dog" laws should focus on dogs of any breed that have exhibited harmful / aggressive behavior and place primary responsibility for a dog’s behavior on its owner. The report also indicates that because other factors beside genetics (e.g., medical & behavioral health, early experience and socializaiton, training and even victim behaviors), "such laws might be more effective than breed-specific legislation."

Utah has formed the Driver License Point System Administration for drivers under the age of 21 years that assesses points for violations of safe driving rules. The points are weighted based on severity of the infraction with minor, intermediate and extreme levels, as well as the precedence of prior infractions. Consideration is taken for completion of defensive driving courses. Finally, there is a set of consequences based on the accumulation of points that reflect the driver’s risk of injury to self and others.

I propose that a similar system be implemented for ALL cases of dog aggression that takes into account ANY vicious behaviors regardless of the breed involved. Such a system would assign points according to the ability of the dog to inflict serious harm (e.g., a pit bull-type dog would score worse than a Shih tzu), whether the aggression was directed toward a human or another animal, toward a family member versus a stranger, on the owner’s premesis or off, according to the animal being properly restrained / confined as opposed to running loose. A properly implemented system would also have points assigned according to the attitude of the owner, history of prior illegal activities (especially those involving aggression), taking into account any history of prior pet-related complaints, and compliance with existing local dog ordinances. Penalties could range from a written warning to enforced use of secure enclosures and restraint devices, to bonds or penalties / fines (including damage restitution for victims’ health and veterinary fees) to removal of an animal from city limits and even mandated euthanasia. A properly formulated system could foreseeably result in a "one-strike-and-you’re-out" ruling for particularly vicious, unprovoked attacks involving unsocialized "powerful" breeds with beligerent owners, while being lenient toward random incidents involving docile pets taunted by neighborhood bullies.

The number of fatal maulings is extremely low, but still unfortunate, especially if you or your loved ones are among them, but it pales in comparison to other really dangerous things in life. Fifty-some odd kids die every year by drowning in buckets, not to mention how many die in swimming pools. An estimated 40,000 die in motor vehicle accidents. Hundreds of kids are killed by their own parents. Too many kids die being shot by other children when playing with their parents’s gun unsupervised. We’ve all heard that "guns don’t kill people, people kill people." Well, dogs aren’t inherently bad or vicious just because of their breed, but irresponsible ownership and lack of proper training and socializing create vicous dogs, of all sizes. If pet owners aren’t willing to provide the proper care, training and socialization that tend to develop well-mannered pets, they should not be permitted to own pets, or at least the large, dominant-attitute breeds that have been historically developed for aggressive behaviors.
Unfortunately, promoting and encouraging responsible ownership and compliance with local laws and judgements involves tracking compliance and follow-up by animal control officers and applying laws more exactingly rather than rash generalizations. We cannot fall into the false security mindset of "it’s always easier just to ban the breed."

We now have GROOMING! We are taking appointments from 9a.m. - 5:30p.m. Call to set up an appointment now, our schedule is already filling up! 801-489-MEOW (6369).

DOGGY DAYCARE!

We now are offering Doggy Daycare! If you have a dog that is home alone or very energetic then doggy daycare would be great for you! Let your dog come to play all day and make several new friends. We have 5 large exercise runs with shade canopies and wading pools. Our hours are from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. We are also offering discount punch passes for those of you who would like to become frequent flyer's. It is a ton of fun for all the dogs! If you want to come and see our facility and our exercise runs, please stop by any time for a tour. Remember a tired dog is a happy dog, so let your pet come and play with us today!

HEARTWORM CLINIC

We are hosting a Heartworm Clinic for the months of May and June! Our Clinic runs every Wednesday afternoon from 2:00 - 5:oopm. Spring is here and the Mosquito's are coming out so make sure you're pet is protected from this deadly disease! We have tons of information about Heartworm disease and Intestinal parasites, as well as a highly trained staff to answer all your questions. Did you know that some internal parasites can be transmitted to you and your family. These parasites are very easy for you're pet to pick up and spread to other pets. To make sure you're pet does not transmit parasites to you, you're family, or other pets make sure they are on a monthly preventative. We will be offering Health Exams, heartworm testing, monthly preventative, and a discounted blood screen, so come down and take advantage of this great deal! To set up and appointment please call (801) 489-MEOW.

Kennel Cough

What is Kennel Cough?
Tracheobronchitis, more commonly known as Kennel Cough, is a highly contagious canine disease that infects the upper respiratory system. This disease can be caused by viral infections such as canine distemper, canine adenovirus, canine parainfluenza virus, or canine respiratory coronavirus, or can be caused by bacterial infections such as Bordetella bronchiseptica. Kennel Cough is so named because the infection is spread quickly among dogs in close quarters, such as in kennels.
How is it transmitted?
Both the viral and bacterial causes of kennel cough are spread through the air by infected dogs as they sneeze and cough. The virus can also be transmitted through exposure with contaminated surfaces and objects. Exposure mainly occurs in environments where there are multiple dogs in close proximity, such as in pet store, animal shelters, boarding facilities, and grooming facilities.
What are the Symptoms?
Symptoms of Kennel Cough include a harsh, dry hacking or coughing, retching, sneezing, snorting, gagging, and discharge, either watery or thick, from the nose. Symptoms usually begin within 3-5 days after exposure and can last up to 20 days. Most often the dog will recover from these symptoms and medical prevention is unnecessary. However, because of the infection to the respiratory system, Kennel Cough can lead to a severe form of pneumonia.
Are treatments available for Kennel Cough?
Antibiotics are given to treat any bacterial infection present, and to prevent the development of pneumonia. Cough suppressants can be used if the cough is continuous through the night. It is not recommended to use cough suppressants unless the cough is continuous because the cough suppressants can decrease the productivity of the cough, not allowing the dog to cough up the phlegm lodged in the throat.
How do I prevent Kennel Cough?
Prevention is by vaccination with the Bordetella vaccination. Most kennels and groomers will not accept your pet unless there is proof of current vaccination. If you dog is being groomed or boarded on a regular basis, it is recommended that you update this vaccination every six months.

Preparation For Whelping

When a female dog is pregnant there are several things you should do in your home to help the whelping process. Here are some helpful tips to help you prepare for the big day.



1. A whelping box should be constructed using either plywood or sturdy cardboard. For a medium sized dog, the box should 4 feet square. Line the box with newspapers and blankets to provide some soft bedding for the puppies. The box should be built a few weeks before whelping so that the mother can become comfortable in the box. It should also be placed in a quite place where there is not a lot of traffic.



2. Radiographs or Ultrasound should be done prior to whelping. This is very helpful for several reasons. Radiographs can be taken between the 51-55 day . This will help determine how many puppies to expect and how big they are. You can take measurements of the puppy or kittens skull size and compare to the mothers birth canal. This can help predict if a Cesarean Section may need to be done. Ultrasound can be done as early as 3 - 4 weeks. Ultrasound in a great way to confirm a pregnancy early. However it is hard to get a definite estimate on how many puppies or kittens may be present.



3. There may be some pre-labor signs 8 - 24 hours before whelping. The mother can become restless, getting up, lying down, and changing her position frequently. She may paw or scratch at her bedding. This is called nesting behavior. She may also have a lack of interest in her food this is normal for most dogs. The rectal temperature will drop below 99.0 degrees 12 hours or less prior to whelping. Temperature can be taken with a rectal thermometer with lubricating jelly on the end. Milk can be expressed from the nipples near or at the time of birth.



3. Provide a warm place for the puppies to lay. Things that can be used at home are a heating pad or hot water bottle. Make sure you place the heating pad close to the mother so that they can stay warm and nurse. Keep heating pads and water bottles to a lower heat. You do not want to lay them directly on them. Covering them with a thin towel or cloth would be adequate.



4. Make sure the puppies or kitten are nursing. It is important that they stay warm while nursing to digest the mothers milk properly. If the mother has any abnormal discharge from the mammary glands such as bloody milk, or greenish yellow pus, she should be seen by a Veterinarian immediately. Some puppies can be shunned by a mother and will not nurse like the others. If you notice a puppy is not growing as rapid as the rest, you may want to buy a milk replacer and bottle feed the pup. When bottle feeding, puppies and kittens should be fed every 2 hours for the first 2 weeks. They should also be stimulated to go to the bathroom by taking a warm damp cotton ball and gently rubbing their bottom. You should do this after each feeding. Once the puppy or kitten is 3 weeks old you can feed them every 3 - 4 hours until they are 6-8 weeks old. At that age you can introduce dry dog or cat food. It may be easier to moisten the food with some warm water. If a puppy or kitten every becomes weak and or cold it should be seen by a Veterinarian immediately.



5. When the mother does go into labor there are a few things you will want around. You will need plenty of clean towels and a nasal aspirator for nasal mucus removal. If the mother does not seem interested in cleaning and stimulating the pups once they are born, you will need to assist. First thing is to break the membranous sac and free the puppy from inside. Then tie the umbilical cord off with some dental floss or string and cut it. Then using your dry clean towels rub the puppy or kitten gently stimulating it to breath and move. Clear the mucus from the nostrils with the nasal aspirator. Once the puppy or kitten is moving and breathing, snuggle it up to momma to stay warm and start nursing. This rarely needs to be done as most mothers give birth very naturally with no assistance.

6. After each puppy or kitten is born the mother will usually eat the placenta. They do not have to eat this, so if you want to dispose of it you may. Most puppies or kittens are born every 1 - 2 hours. They can go as long as 3 - 4 hours in between. If there has not been a pup/kitten born after 2 hours and momma seems painful and straining you should call your Veterinarian. Any sign of straining and pain usually means a problem. If momma is contracting but does not seem to be straining then she is probably fine. Most mothers do not have a problem giving birth but every once in a while a Cesarean section may be needed.

7. Once the mother is finished giving birth let her lie down with the puppies or kittens and rest. Take her out to use the bathroom and eat if she wants. Make sure she does not leave the puppies or kittens for to long. Momma and the puppies or kittens should be seen by a Veterinarian 24 - 48 hours later. With some dog breeds the tails and or the dewclaws may need to be removed. This should be done between 3 - 5 days with your Veterinarian. If any of the puppies or kittens are not nursing or thriving very well, contact your Vet.

Pet Advocacy & Treatment Plans

by Grant Madsen
I have recently been asked: Why do we send home a Treatment Plan with clients for services that they did not request?

Let me share a few thoughts that may help the explanation.

Our pets are like small children that either cannot talk yet, or clearly explain their feelings. I have a 4 yr. old daughter that sometimes cries when upset, but I cannot get her to explain whether her sister hit her, her brother teased her, she fell down, her tummy hurts, she just woke from a scary dream, or what. She just screams. My choices are to hug her and send her on her way since she’s not bleeding, stop what I’m doing to hold her until she settles down, or get mad at her for screaming for no apparent reason and send her to her room so I don’t have to listen to her. Many a mother is driven temporarily insane with helpless worry over a baby that fusses and cries at all hours of the day or night for no explicable reason. It may be colic, insecurity, a cold draft, diaper rash, a wet / soiled diaper, constipation, an ear ache, teething pain or something more serious or not serious at all. The bottom line: she just can’t tell. Sometimes a visit to the pediatrician detects a problem that is quickly resolved with simple treatments. Sometimes finding nothing at least provides some peace of mind. But how would you feel if the doctor examined the baby, thanked you for the visit and sent you on your way without explaining a thing? Or, worse, described scenarios with potentially serious consequences and then sent you home without offering any options for further testing or treatment? I have heard many a story of these exact same things happening within our illustrious medical professions.

Now for some evolutionary theory (No, it’s not Darwinism!). Pets, particularly dogs, developed as pack animals with a very defined social order and hierarchy. Cats have packs too, just more loosely defined and harder for us humans to recognize. Just look at a pride of lions: definitely pack animals with social hierarchy. It is not in a pack animal’s best interest to manifest or display behaviors that could put his social standing within the pack at risk. Animals higher up the social ladder, even the pack leaders, will have their positions challenged by younger, stronger, healthier rivals if weakness or illness should make them appear unable to maintain their position and lead the group. If a lesser position animal acts sick, it is often left behind, avoided, pushed out of the pack, or even attacked and killed, to prevent putting the entire pack at risk of attack by other predators or rivals. So, in order to maintain their social standing, animals camouflage their illnesses and symptoms, learning to cope with underlying pain or diseases (that often develop gradually to begin with) until the condition is so far advanced that they cannot compensate any longer.

Although dogs and cats have been domesticated into family settings for millennia, they have retained several traits of their wild ancestry to preserve their position within their modern pack, our family. Do not be mistaken. Dogs do not consider themselves as part of our family, as just another child with fur and four legs. They consider the family members their pack and see themselves somewhere within the social hierarchy with an assumed role. Just ask yourself if the dog obeys certain family members and ignores others. Usually our pets recognize either or both parents as pack leaders, while realizing that certain children (often the younger ones) are not their superiors and do not need to be obeyed, while another child may be idolized and followed regardless of age.

How often have you gone on a trip, even for a couple weeks, and upon return notice how much taller the kids have gotten, or how much the grass has grown, or how dusty the house is. Yet these changes are often not noticed amid our daily activities, even though they are happening right before our eyes! Only, with our pets it is happening at a more rapid rate. You’ve heard the adage that dogs age seven years for every human year. Over the course of a lifetime that is true. Yet, a dog’s first two years are the equivalent of our first 24-30 years, and even more for a cat. Later things slow down, but the fact remains that animals age more rapidly than you and me.

So, you have a pet that cannot speak, aging unnoticeably at an accelerated rate, developing painful and/or degenerative conditions with which they learn to cope without obvious symptoms, in order to instinctively retain their standing in the family. As a veterinarian, I have taken an oath to be your pet’s advocate, recommending those treatments, tests, nutritional changes and services that will maintain optimum health and longevity in the hopes of preserving a long and healthy relationship in your home. So when I detect conditions that could be painful or that indicate the possibility of underlying diseases, or detect a condition that would benefit from a special medication, better nutrition or diagnostic testing, I am duty bound to stand as an advocate for your pet, voicing what I feel would be in their best interest. I always present first the treatments that I consider to be the optimum level of care. Anything less that that is sub-optimum and it would reflect poorly on my reputation if I were to recommend anything less than what I felt would be the best course of action. Sadly many veterinarians subconsciously x-ray a client’s pocket book before recommending treatments, judging whether the client can afford care based on how they dress, the kind of car they drive, where their address is located, or what kind of job they have (if they even know), and often limit their options without even explaining them. My job is to determine what needs to be done and then let you choose whether you want the recommended level of care. Should you elect a lesser or more conservative level of care, whether for financial or emotional reason, it then becomes my duty to assure that you get the most value for your chosen level of investment. But you must first know what would be the best course of action.

If you are personally diagnosed with a joint problem, a dental problem, a chronic illness, or a nutritional imbalance, you can choose to pursue it further or not. You can choose to treat it or not. You can select the food that ends up in your grocery cart. These choices have many influences, including personal finances, health insurance options, family health history, personal fears, and individual lifestyles. The point is, you have a choice: your pet does not. They rely entirely on your goodwill and judgement for everything.

I will do my part in keeping you informed of your options and the best course available given our current understanding and then try to fit that within your personal guidelines. I try not to leave surprises that surface only when it’s time to pay the bill, but endeavor to prepare you for the reality of what good pet care costs ahead of time. So, the next time we present a Treatment Plan for your review, rest assured that we are recommending what we truly feel is best for your pet, but we will respect your decision if you can’t do it all today. We hope you will come to trust our recommendations and trust us enough to tell us where you need to draw the line.