Sally wearing the Tractive Dog 4 attached to her harness.
Tractive – Wearable GPS with us on every walk
Our getting ready for a dog walk routine: call dog, dress her with collar and harness, find snacks and poo bags, get my shoes and coat, pick up her leash and make a final check she’s wearing her Tractive GPS.
Sally’s been a Tractive dog since her teenage sleddog phase, when for her safety and my peace of mind I bought a first generation Tractive. We upgraded to the new Dog 4 GPS last January, so have now field and loch and going through gorse bushes tested it.
Tractive recently asked me would I like to review their dog GPS. I said “yes” because it’s an essential piece of Sally’s kit (disclosure: this is a paid partnership, Tractive made a generous contribution to Pet Blood Bank UK on Sally’s behalf, but all views and opinions in this piece are my own).
What is Tractive?
Tractive are the market leader in pet GPS tracking. They make pet wearables that couldn’t be easier to set up and use. Here I’ll be reviewing the new model Dog 4.
In the box you get the Tractive device, a stretchy collar clip and a USB charging lead. All packaging is card/paper with no plastic!
What’s in the box?
You get the Tractive GPS device, a stretchy rubber collar clip, and a charging lead that connects to a standard USB power adapter.
The GPS is small (71 x 28 x 17 mm), lightweight (35 g) and streamlined with rounded corners to prevent it from snagging on obstacles. It sits along your dog’s collar or harness, being connected by the fragile looking but tough rubber clip (it’s survived 6 months of Sally’s best efforts to dislodge it – it’s tough!). Unlike the older devices, you don’t have to unclip it for charging as the charging pins connect at one end. The LED will turn from red to green once it’s ready and it takes only 2-3 hours for a full charge.
Set-up
Each device has a unique code, to activate it download the free Tractive app (available in the Apple and Google Play stores), make a user profile, choose your subscription plan (similarly to a mobile phone you need to pay for data usage, but this is a flat fee per month) and upload your code.
You need to take the Tractive outside for it to begin location tracking. Location finding is through GPS, but information is relayed back to you through cellular connections. Unlike your own phone, the device is not limited to one network but uses any of several cellular networks, selecting the one with the strongest signal.
Tracking
The device handshakes with the GPS satellites every 10-15 mins, so, when you open the app, the map should load with a relatively recent position. Activating LIVE mode will give you constant updates, and you can also turn on a light and sound (we don’t use these options, as the LED is invisible in Sally’s fluff and the sound annoyed her, so she tried to remove the device). There’s a choice of map types – standard, satellite, OSM and there’s also a new augmented reality mode which overlays your dog’s position on your phone camera view (see screengrab below).
There’s a few seconds timelag in position updates, but this hasn’t ever been an issue. Using the “show trace and heatmap” function, I know where Sally’s been and can see the direction she’s headed.
Bluetooth, share function and limits
On a walk near her Grandpaw’s house there’s poor mobile phone connection. The Tractive device is constantly receiving GPS data from satellites, so as soon it gets even a blink of cellular connection (far sooner than my phone) it reports its location. I’m reliably informed from Grandpaw back at home (if you choose Premium subscription, you can share your dog’s location with friends/family) that he can view Sally’s whereabouts. So, if the worst happened and you lost your dog in an area with poor cellular coverage, once they re-enter coverage, the Tractive will report in, and you’ll see where they’ve been.
It will fail to get a GPS signal in dense woodland, but I’ve found it works on trails with overhead breaks in the tree canopy cover (see screengrabs above). As most animals will use paths if they find them, I feel that if Sally became lost in woodland, I’d locate her again as soon as she discovered a path. The device also uses Bluetooth to communicate to your phone at close range. This means that if your dog is close by, you’ll be able to find them even in dense woodland (or down a rabbit burrow!).
Waterproof
It is FULLY waterproof to IPX7-standard (up to 1 metre depth, 30 minutes). This has been frequently tested by Sally going into lochs, rivers and the sea. She’s not a swimmer but she does enjoy sticking her face underwater, so when on her collar the device is completely submerged.
Sally demonstrating her fishing behaviour that washes the Tractive when it’s on her collar. The stretchy collar clips will also attach to the emergency light attachment loop on most dog float-jackets.
Virtual fence & battery saving zones
You can set up a “virtual fence” and be alerted if your dog leaves. I set it around Grandpaw’s house as it’s *nearly* a completely enclosed garden and Sally likes to snooze outside the back door but will occasionally disappear on a rabbit-chasing adventure. With Virtual Fence I get an alert as soon as she reaches the neighbouring hedgerow!
To save battery, you can set a power saving zone near your home Wifi. Speaking of battery life, it’s pretty good. I’ve found it needs charged every 2-3 days. If you use LIVE tracking, it will rapidly run down the battery, but it can cover a 2 hour walk on LIVE and then survive the rest of the day on normal use. You are sent phone notifications when the battery reaches 20%. Having a longer battery life is important to me, because if Sally were to run several miles (if she got spooked by thunder or hunting gunshots) it may be some time before she would turn for home. I always make sure her Tractive is charged up before offleash walks.
Activity & sleep tracking
This new model has activity and sleep tracking. To use them it’s recommended you leave the device permanently on your dog’s collar and the collar on the dog (except for charging). I’m not using these features to best advantage as Sally is usually “naked dog” at home, with her collar removed.
You are encouraged to set a daily activity goal and see how your dog compares with to others using local, breed, global and friend leaderboards. If you have friends using Tractive you can invite them to your “friends” board. It’s interesting to see how Sally, who only wears her Tractive for walks, measures up against the constant wearers. I worry you could go to competitive extremes and overwalk a young or infirm dog, so I appreciate the most recent update that anonymously compares your dog against others of the same breed, age and weight, plus the recent option to opt-out of the leaderboards.
The sleep tracker is interesting and will be a good way to monitor changes as Sally gets older and may start developing doggy arthritis or dementia. I’ll be able to see if she was up during the night (but she would have to wear her collar for this). Currently she’s showing unusually high sleep efficiency as her collar is off overnight so the Tractive isn’t moving.
Activity data is downloaded via Bluetooth when the app is open. The GPS device can store about a week’s worth before it overwrites (rather annoyingly if you have just managed a 100-day streak of completing your recommended daily exercise but forgot to download it, but that’s a minor grumble).
History
The History function is a great way to relive walks later, to see where you’ve been, and if you turn on the heat trace, you can see where you’ve lingered the longest and identify the good picnic spot for next time (or the rabbit warren or squirrel tree you want to avoid!). With Premium you can go back to any past date within the last year and view your adventures – and you can share the route maps with family and friends to tell everyone about your dog’s walks. Sally likes to come home and show her Granny where she’s been on her weekend trip to Grandpaw.
Pimp your device
The Tractive comes in Snow, Coffee or Midnight blue. With usage the outer plastic will inevitably become scratched and marked – see the photo below of Sally’s Tractive after 6 months of hard wear!
Tractive sell protective sleeves and covers that protect and jazz up the device – but they need removed before charging. I found the hard cover easier to remove than the soft sleeve but wish there was one that could stay on for charging. There’s a limited choice of colours and patterns, hopefully they’ll soon bring out some more, I’d like a girly pink for the fluffy princesses such as Sally!
Overall impressions – 100% Sally approved
Tractive gets the 100% Sally Approved rating from us. The small lightweight wearable disappears into her fluff to the extent it’s usually invisible, but knowing it’s there gives me peace of mind. The battery lasts a reassuring several days, and the device and attachment clip are robust and waterproof and survive all that Sally throws at them. The app is easy to use, and the new features help you better understand your dog’s daily activity. Tractive comes with us on all Sally’s adventures and it’s thanks to them I feel more confident giving Sally some offleash freedom.
Do you use Tractive? Do you find it easy to use? Any stories or comments about dog GPS you’d like to share then please comment below! And if this has encouraged you to get a Tractive for your pet then click the link https://tractive.com/en/pd/gps-tracker-dog!
Essential First Aid Kit For Dogs – My Dog Cupboard Must-Haves
If you think your dog needs to see a vet then don’t wait around trying to fix things yourself at home, go to the vet! These are the things we use for small scrapes/ailments while I’m waiting on a non-urgent vet appointment or for things I know will clear up on their own.
Sally hurt her shoulder about a month ago, and due to deferred pain and boredom chewed a hotspot on her elbow. I’ve been treating it for the last 2 weeks (almost healed now). I realised I’ve used just about every “first aid” product I have in the dog cupboard. I’m going to talk you through what we have, because it’s a fairly short list that I wouldn’t be without. Like me you’ve probably seen “dog first aid kits” for sale. I’ve never invested in one because most contain more items than I’d ever use (if it’s that serious I’d go to the vet) and my small stock seems to fix most scrapes and cuts. I try to use natural/mostly natural products but also products where there’s some solid science behind why/how they work.
Sally peacefully snoozing with a vet wrap bandage keeping a hotspot on her elbow clean (and stopping her from chewing it)
My Dog First Aid Kit:
Leucillin
Green Clay
Lucaa+ Wound Spray
Anicura Dog Gel
Vet Wrap
Wound Dressings – And that’s all!
Green clayNon-adhesive dressingsVet wrapLeucillin antisepticLucaa+ wound sprayAnicuradog gelMy dog first aid essentials
Leucillin
Leucillin is a salt solution (not sodium chloride, but hypochlorous salt (HOCl): a chemical that is naturally produced by vertebrate white blood cells to kill bacteria). It’s strongly antibacterial (and antifungal and antiviral but is harmless to vertebrate cells). The makers claim it doesn’t sting and is safe to use near eyes, mouths and ears. I’ve found it stings slightly if applied to broken skin or sunburn (it’s not licenced for use on humans as it hasn’t undergone clinical trials but it’s highly effective for cleaning small cuts and also for curing my earache in the winter!).
Uses
You can use Leucillin to clean wounds, soothe irritated skin, wipe around crusty eyes, clean out sore ears etc. Either spray directly from the bottle or onto a cotton pad or tissue and wipe. I use it as my first go-to for cleaning any wound or scrape.
Green Clay
Green clay is a fine powdered clay dust, most comes from just a few quarries in France where it’s been used for wound poultices since at least the Napoleonic wars. It can also be mixed as a drink to settle an upset digestion. There are “pet” and human brands available, the clay in both is identical as long as you get a human one with nothing else added (some sold for spa face masques have essential oils added).
Uses
If you have a wound that’s not healing, then mix a little clay with cooled boiled water (or Leucillin) into a thick paste. Use a cotton pad or bud to coat the wound. Bandage and leave for 12-24 hours. Use warm water to remove the dried clay (it sticks a bit in the hair). The clay dries out the wound and prevents infection by drying out any bacteria cells. It also forms a barrier which stops infection reaching the wound. You can wash the wound with Leucillin and reapply clay if the wound hasn’t scabbed after the first application. It’s safe if your dog licks it.
Green clay can also be used similarly to Pro-Kolin to slow down food passage through the gut if your dog has diarrhoea. For a dog Sally’s size, a half teaspoonful of the powder sprinkled over food (or made into paste with water and spread onto a dog snack) once/twice a day should be enough. The large surface area of the clay particles and their hydroscopic nature mean they bind to and remove water and toxins in the gut so slow things down. If symptoms persist more than a day or two go to the vet and/or purchase Proflax Tummy Tastic (clay and lots of good probiotics and herbs including slippery elm bark) and/or slippery elm bark. But for us, the clay powder usually does the trick. I use it as a prophylactic to prevent sickness if she’s eaten a particularly whiffy dead crab. Don’t use internally if your dog is on any oral medication as the clay will bind to and remove the drugs too, rendering them ineffective.
Lucaa+ Wound Spray
Lucaa+ Wound Spray works on the opposite principle to Leucillin. Instead of killing bacteria, this is a mild soap solution that cleanses a wound, and adds a mix of probiotic bacteria that will repopulate the skin microbiota. The idea is that the natural “good bacteria” in the spray out-compete the infection-causing bacteria and replace them. So far I’ve found wounds treated with this spray are slower to heal than with Leucillin. Some infectious bacteria are infectious because they grow quickly, so I’m not completely convinced that the probiotics can get established rapidly enough on a deep or badly infected wound to make a difference.
Uses
It says to use on any wound to aid healing. I use Leucillin and green clay first, then switch to this to re-establish the healthy skin microbiota as the wound is almost healed.
Anicura Dog Gel
Anicura gel contains apple cider vinegar and sea buckthorn as the active ingredients. Soothing and mildly antimicrobial. Sally is terrible for reopening scratches and small wounds by chewing them. This gel seems to sooth the area and prevent her from chewing.
Uses
I find it soothes irritated/broken skin and speeds up healing after hotspots. I use it 1-2 times daily from when a wound is fully healed (after I swop from the Lucaa+) until I have a reasonable hair regrowth over the area.
Non-Adhesive Dressings
I buy ones for humans and the largest size I can find. I then cut to shape. I use silver dressings for the first 24-48 hours until wounds scab over then switch to standard dressings. I haven’t found non-adhesive silver dressings (yet) so just cut the silver pad out the middle away from the adhesive. Don’t use silver dressings with Lucaa+ spray as the dressings are antimicrobial.
Vet Wrap
I use vet wrap to attach the dressings and keep wounds clean. I’m lucky in that Sally doesn’t chew vet wrap, so bandaging with it stops her turning small scratches on her legs (which she gets regularly from running through gorse/brambles) into hot spots.
Other Things We Use –
Coconut oil – for sore paw pads, to prevent snowballs in the snow. To cover sore skin before water immersion.
Charcoal Tablets/Biscuits – heavy duty detoxify the gut. For use after I’ve caught her snacking on really really whiffy dead crabs or dead seagulls. I prefer tablets but these are hard to find so doggie charcoal biscuits (Betty Millar do wheat-free ones) are the next best thing.
Proflax TummyTastic and Dorwest Tree Bark Powder – My next step after green clay if she’s got a tummy upset that goes on to a second day.
Adaptil and Dorwest Valerian and Scullcap Tincture – calms if fireworks or thunderstorms
Apple cider vinegar – coat freshener after fox poo/dead seal rolling incidents, also mildly antimicrobial and anti-midge/tick deterrent.
Teef or Plaque-Off – Dental health additives, I alternate between the two.
Golden Paste – For when she’s been injured to aid muscle/joint recovery. I add a teaspoon per day until I’ve used up the packet.
Homemade bone broth – see my recipe here. All round multi-nutrient and pick-me-up if she’s feeling poorly
Stewed pumpkin – I keep boxes in the freezer in case she has a stomach upset. If so she’s on light meals of stewed pumpkin, cooked white fish and bone broth for 2-3 days.
Kefir – I use this for probiotics. She gets a tablespoon a couple of times a week, I up it to a tablespoon every day if she’s had an upset stomach.
That’s our list of must-haves. I hope you found them useful. They are enough to fix minor injuries, and buy us time to get to the vet for larger problems. What’s your doggie first aid must haves? Do you have any others not listed here? If in doubt if you can treat at home ALWAYS seek veterinary advice.
Note – I have not been paid to include any product on this list. Links are not affiliate links so I don’t gain if you purchase items. Always consult your vet before starting any new treatment. Discontinue use immediately if you see any side-effects from any of these products.
The Story of the Scaredy-Wolf Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Bangs…
Updated November 2021
“Remember, remember the 5th of November”, or so goes the rhyme. No one (and that includes us) with a firework-reactive dog is ever likely to forget. The first fireworks of bonfire-season went off near us recently and Sally went back to hiding in the (empty) bath – it’s a cold, enclosed, small space so it makes her feel safe.
Sally is firework phobic and has been since a fear period after her second season coincided with the Edinburgh Festival. She was exposed to the Tattoo and then the end of Festival fireworks at a time her hormones made her frightened of everything. Her phobia has expanded to include shotgun shots (there’s often deer and grouse shooting near Grandpaw’s house), the birdscarer guns used to protect crops, motorcycle engine backfires and any sudden sharp loud noise.
It severely impacts our quality of life. There are places we can’t walk at certain times of year, walks have to done in daylight around Bonfire Night, and no one in our house celebrates New Year as we have to stay home and comfort the dog! She’s on the leash more around firework season to protect her from bolting off and she wears a GPS tracker everytime she leaves the house. In the evenings we stay inside and all curtains are closed and I play the radio or TV to mask outside noises. So, needless to say, if there’s a remedy or treatment for noise-phobia we’ve tried it. We’ve found a few things that help, and a lot that have no effects whatsoever, and we’re still searching for that magic cure…
Remedies We’ve Tried
Spoiler for the TLDR folks:
Adaptil calming pheromone and high strength (tincture) valerian are the only two things that significantly ease Sally’s noise-phobia. We’ve tried just about every type of non-prescription “cure” on the market so I’m going to go through them systematically and give you our honest reviews.
Every dog is different so things that didn’t work for Sal might be the solution for your pet. If they are in severe distress then please talk to your vet who can prescribe tranquilizing medication (not to be taken long term but can see you through Bonfire Night or New Year etc).
Remedies that we’ve tried can be classed into:
Sound Desensitisation
Physical Comfort
Herbal Calming
Amino Acids
Pheromones
I’ll give you a rundown of what we’ve tried and whether it worked for us.
Physical comfort is important, make sure your pet has a cosy safe space during fireworks.
Why Are Dogs Scared of Fireworks?
First, why are some dogs so scared of fireworks? And just how widespread is this fear?
I did a quick survey on Sal’s Instagram Stories and found about 45% of respondents said yes, their dog was terrified. Adaptil claim up to 50% of pets show some fear of loud noises. But why? I couldn’t find any scientific studies that identify whether the trigger is the noise, the bright lights or the chemical smell. In Sally’s case, I think it’s the noise as she reacts similarly to motorcycle backfires and to shotgun blasts.
I always believed the snow dog story that it makes good evolutionary sense for some members of the pack to be scared and lead their pack away from loud sharp noises such as the cracking when an ice-sheet breaks. But then I had an interesting experience when there was forestry work up the glen and a tree was felled on the opposite hillside. The first sharp “snap” as it fell sounded like a loud gunshot and Sal was terrified. She immediately turned and tried to run for home. After this experience, I still think it’s an evolutionary adaptation, but I think it’s far more likely that she’s reacting to noises that sound like falling trees (a more likely hazard to all wolves/dogs than northern breed specific arctic ice breakup). I also think there’s higher frequency harmonics she can hear that are beyond our hearing and that aren’t recorded on tape. My reasoning is that I can play war movies (she’s happily snoozed through the whole of the Sharpe and Hornblower series) with cannon and gunshot and she doesn’t react, not even at deaf Grandpaw sound-up levels!
What Can We Do to Stop Our Dogs Being Scared?
1. Undiagnosed Pain
First of all look for undiagnosed pain. A ground-breaking study claimed a link between dogs reacting anxiously to loud noise and undiagnosed muscular or skeletal pain. Once put on a course of painkillers they were less reactive to noise. They claimed that when a dog with chronic pain tensed up in response to a scary noise, this caused additional hurt, setting up a negative feed-back loop that noise = hurt, which caused them to be fearful of noise as it caused them extra pain. So, if you have a dog who seems irrationally scared of fireworks, it might be worth booking them an appointment with your vet or vet physio to check for any underlying issues. Don’t give your dog over-the-counter medication, if your vet thinks your dog would benefit from painkillers, they will prescribe pet-safe drugs. Personally (after getting Little Miss Fluffy checked out by an excellent dog physio who found nothing wrong), I’m somewhat skeptical of the claims about untreated pain always/most likely being the cause. I do think that if you prescribe painkillers to a scared dog, you will see a reduction in anxiety – simply because drowsiness is a common side-effect of most painkillers. However, it’s a fair point that the fear *could* be the result of untreated pain, so I’d suggest a vet/physio trip to rule this out.
2. Sound Desensitisation
This is a really simple idea – play the scary sound at low (well below threshold to scare) volume and reward with their favourite treat/toy etc. The idea is to create a positive association with the sound. Start days/weeks before the fireworks are likely to occur and SLOWLY work the sound level up. The UK Dogs Trust produced a guide “Sounds Scary”, and audio tracks to play with the whoosh and bang noises of fireworks. We tried this last year. Sally lay mildly twitching her ears and showing no signs of distress while I cranked it up to full volume. Clearly for her what’s scary about real fireworks didn’t pass over onto the recording. Some vets and behavourists now advise against this method as it can cause more fear to an already terrified dog to expose them to the noise. For us this wasn’t an issue as Sal just didn’t react.
You can also find tracks of supposedly comforting classical music to play to drown out the noise. In the UK, Classic FM schedule an evening of relaxing music on Bonfire Night with the aim of helping scared pets. My personal view is that it doesn’t matter what you play, but turning up the radio/TV volume, and shutting the windows and curtains before the fireworks start are good ideas to drown out some of the noises from outdoors.
3. Physical Comfort
As I said at the start, one of the places Sal likes to go if she’s scared is the bath tub. It’s cold (always desirable with her fluffy coat), enclosed, and she feels safe there. Many animal behaviourists advise making a safe “fireworks den”, a small space (behind the sofa, a dog crate, under a table) and encouraging the dog to view this as their safe space (put their favourite toys/chews inside and generally make them comfortable). Leave them well alone in their den so they associate this place as somewhere safe where they will be undisturbed.
The next level in physical comfort is to use a “Thundershirt” or wrap. This is a tight-fitting wrap or jacket (you can make one from a scarf tied tightly, or you can buy a special tight jacket) which puts gentle pressure on the dog’s ribcage. Being tightly held makes the dog feel safer. It sounds crazy, but it does work for many dogs. I tried the DIY version on Sal last year with a long scarf. Compressing her fluff meant it lost it’s magic thermoregulation capabilities and she started stress panting due to overheating. This year we were gifted a Thundershirt from Adaptil to try out. She doesn’t seem particularly comfortable wearing it as she stress/overheating pants with it on, whether it helps her be less reactive to the bangs I’m not sure.
But, I have found that she’s less reactive to bangs on walks when she’s wearing a harness (with a tight belly strap) than when she’s just on a flat collar. So much so that during fireworks season I’ll walk her in her harness on walks where she would normally only be wearing a collar, as the “hug” from the harness seems to be sending her fluffy brain relaxing signals. Given our experiences, I do think a Thundershirt would be worthwhile on a shorter-haired dog.
4. Herbal Calming Aids
Valerian
There are many different herbs noted for their calming properties: lavender, chamomile, valerian, lemon balm, mistletoe etc. Of all of these, only valerian has been clinically proven in veterinary medicine to reduce brain activity associated with anxiety and increase the supply of “feel-good” GABA neurotransmitters in the brain.
In the UK, valerian tablets or tincture can be purchased from Dorwest Herbs or as a spray/plug-in from Pet Remedy (where it is mixed with a number of other (supposedly) calming herbal essential oils) or as a spray “Calm and Balmy” from Bella and Duke. I first tried the Pet Remedy spray two years ago as I felt that a spray was less intrusive than administering tablets, and it came highly recommended by the owner of another scaredy Samoyed. I saw absolutely no effect after three weeks of use during the sporadic fireworks in the run-up to Bonfire Night. I tried the Bella and Duke Calm and Balmy spray this springtime during birdscarer season but I’m not convinced that it had much positive effect on Sally.
Valerian tablets (Dorwest Scullcap and Valerian) also had no noticeable effect on her anxiety, but she seemed sleepier during the daytime (whether this was because of the meds, or because she was having disturbed sleep due to her anxiety I couldn’t say).
Next I tried the Dorwest alcoholic tincture. This had a noticeable effect within about half an hour of administering, she came out of hiding and wanted treats and attention again, she was still not happy and still ran to hide with each new bang, but we had time in-between where she wasn’t terrified. But again, the next day she was wiped out and only wanted to sleep. I honestly don’t know if this is a reaction to the drug, or a comedown from the heightened fear and adrenaline during the bangs. I now use Dorwest valerian tincture, but only for the actual night of Bonfire Night/New Year/during a thunderstorm. Based on our experience, I would suggest trying valerian, but start with a spray and see if this has any effect before progressing onto the tablets or tincture if required. Spray on a cloth or toy rather than directly on the dog to begin with so they can move away if they find the smell distressing.
I worry about the effects on her liver/kidneys from taking the tincture, because as a breed Samoyeds seem prone to drug side-effects. I suspect because they are an arctic breed that evolved in an area with almost constant access to fresh water (snow in the winter, meltwater in the summer), they may have poor kidney function compared to desert dwelling breeds, so may be inefficient at drug detoxing. This brings me onto the newest herbal cure-all, CBD oil, and why I haven’t tried it.
CBD Oil
You’ve probably heard of CBD oil, derived from hemp (cannabis) plants without the psychoactive compounds. It’s used in human patients for chronic pain management. One of the very many claims made for CBD oil is that it can cure anxiety. There are at present no published veterinary studies to prove this claim and in the UK there are no listed conditions for which vets may prescribe CBD oil. However, it is freely available to buy online and there are brands marketed for use with pets, there are even “hemp infused” dog treats on sale.
I haven’t tried it for Sally for two reasons: firstly, in humans, CBD oil can either help ease anxieties or in a small number of cases make them worse. I don’t think I could cope if Miss Fluffypaws became even more anxious… And secondly, more seriously, a veterinary study into CBD oil for managing arthritis pain in dogs found increased levels of liver enzymes after only 2-4 weeks, leading them to conclude that long-term use could possibly result in liver disease. As I suspect Sal’s Samoyed liver and kidneys are not the best able to cope with drug detoxifying, I’ve avoided the use of CBD oil. If you’ve used it, I’d be interested to hear about your experiences.
Bach Flower Rescue Remedy
A dilute tincture of various herbal extracts supposed to help ease anxiety. No effect on Sally, neither from the pet-specific (not in alcohol) or the standard preparation after a few weeks of usage. The dosages used are so low I feel this is a “safe” preparation to try. Sadly for us, it had no effect.
5. Amino Acids and Peptides
There are several brands of supplement that provide additional amino acids to increase the supply of GABA neurotransmitters, and the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin in the brain, which will allegedly help to reduce anxiety. One such example is YuCalm which contains the herb lemon balm which may increase GABA levels, the amino acid L-Theanine used as a precursor for serotonin and dopamine production, and fish protein hydrolysate which they claim also supports GABA and dopamine levels. It can take from a few days to up to 6 weeks to see an effect. I used one course of 60 day supply with Sal and saw no effect.
Another option is Zylkene, a peptide isolated from casein (milk protein). It supposedly has a calming effect as dogs have evolved to feel calm when (as puppies) their stomachs are full of milk, so this peptide has a role as a calming neurotransmittor. I tried a course (3 weeks) with Sally and saw no effect.
I suspect that for dogs on a limited diet of ultra-processed food, the extra boost from these tablets might help their brain activity, but for dogs such as Sally, fed a quality raw diet, the extra supplementation doesn’t amount to anything. There’s nothing in the tablets that can harm, and extra will simply be excreted, so it’s something that’s safe to try, but I’m not convinced it actually “works” (although the science behind them is sound, and they may help dogs on a restricted diet). This moves us on to the next “might work, can’t cause any harm” choice:
6. Calming pheromones
Mother dogs produce calming pheromones when nursing their pups. One is available to buy without a prescription from Ceva/Adaptil as a collar, a plug-in or a spray. Not all dogs will react to the Adaptil pheromone, but for those that do, it makes them less reactive to scary stimuli and more able to cope with life generally. It’s not possible to overdose, there’s a threshold dose needed for a reaction, more than this their brain simply ignores.
I first tried the collar (a plastic collar similar in appearance to a flea collar) as it seemed the best choice for Sal as the dog is supposed to wear it 24/7, so she would have it for reassurance in case we encountered noises on walks, and when she was home hiding from scary firework bangs.
At first, I thought I didn’t see much difference, but after three weeks I observed her starting to shy away as large lorries drove past, and jumping at small noises and I realised that I’d had three weeks of peace where she hadn’t jumped at little things (collars are supposed to be effective for up to a month, less if regularly submerged in water, and Sal had done a lot of sea and loch bathing). So, I bought a replacement collar. Within a day I noticed that she was calmer and more able to deal with scary noises. Birdscarer guns (we were now into the February planting season) were scary but she could cope and continue on her walk rather than turning and running for home every time one went off. When this second collar began to run out I saw her begin to get jumpy again, and it was at this point I realised just how much of a difference it had been making to her.
Then I bought the Adaptil travel spray (as this was into March and the main issue was birdscarer guns on walks, not fireworks at night) and sprayed her collar and a bandana before each walk. The spray is supposed to last least 3-4 hours, and there are 60-70 applications per spray bottle so this worked out more economical than the collars. Another consideration is that when pierced and washed out, the spray bottles are recyclable, the collars are not currently recycled.
I now use an Adaptil collar for Bonfire Night (starting a week or two beforehand as soon as the fireworks start) and another over New Year, but the rest of the time I use the spray on a bandana before walks. Adaptil doesn’t cure Sal’s anxiety, but it dials it down significantly. We’ve also tried the Plug-in and this also seems to add to Sally’s general resilience and ability to cope with bangs.
Happy Sal with her blanket sprayed with Adaptil.
And She Lived Happily Ever After?
These are our experiences with the main remedies being sold for pet anxiety. Nothing “cures” her fear, but valerian and Adaptil make her less terrified and more able to cope. If there’s a magic bullet cure, we’re still looking for it.
One final word – the remedies don’t work in isolation, I’ve found it just as important to try to project calm, to make a calming environment for Sal to hide in, and to prevent “trigger stacking” so she’s not exposed to the same scary stimuli again before she’s had time recover from her last fearful encounter. This means that if she’s had a bad night with fireworks, we might not go a walk the next day (as I can’t guarantee there won’t be bangs), but play games in the house/garden instead. She trusts me to look out for her, to get her out of trouble, and if I put her into scary situations I am breaking that trust. I’ve learnt not to coax “just a wee bit further Sal, it’s okay” when she’s scared, because then the next time, she will refuse to leave the house/car. Now if she wants to go home, we go home. She knows she can trust me, and this means she’s more willing to try a walk, even when she’s clearly scared. I’m proud of how far she’s come, but it’s still a long journey ahead.
I’d be interested to hear your stories, what remedies work for you? Can you pinpoint an event that made your dog scared, have they always been reactive, or are they one of the lucky ones that know no fear?
Note: I have bought and tried (following manufacturer’s guidelines) all the remedies discussed here after consultation with Sal’s vets. We have been gifted Adaptil products, a Thundershirt and Calm and Balmy. Please always consult your vet or a qualified animal behaviourist before medicating your dog. These are only our lived experiences, sample size one fluffy wolf, experiment duration five years and counting…
Raw Fed and Fabulous – Raw is Safer and Easier Than You Imagine
Disclaimer right here before we start – Sally is rawfed by Bella and Duke. If you click this link or use the code INSALWOLF50 at checkout you’ll get 50% off your first order (UK only) from any of their ranges and any size box up to 20kg. This is not an affiliate link, we don’t get anything extra if you sign up, just the satisfaction of knowing your pup is now on a species appropriate raw diet.
Sally with her raw food. To feed a balanced diet either look for a raw dog food supplier that provides “complete” minces (meat/bone/offal/veg and fruit) or put these ingredients together yourself – or do a little bit of both!
Raw is safe and nutritious if you follow these three simple rules:
Buy from a reputable raw supplier that batch tests for pathogens
Feed “complete minces” and/or make sure you feed a wide variety of proteins (and a small quantity of fresh fruit/veg). Use approximately 80:10:10 for 80% muscle meat, 10% offal, 10% bone.
Keep good food hygiene and follow the manufacturer’s defrost and storage guidelines.
Why Sally is Raw Fed
Sally’s breeder fed raw. This is probably the most common feeding choice among UK Samoyed fanciers. Honestly (to my shame) I’d never looked into raw feeding prior to getting Sally. I was somewhat aware that the cheaper kibble foods were designed for convenience of the owner and profits of the pet food company rather than to provide optimum nutrition. I’d fed my cats on a mix of kibble and home-cooked meals for this reason. I thought raw was a step too far – hippy nonsense and how could raw meat be more nutritious than carefully cooked meals and kibble with Science behind it (I mean it must be good if the vets sell it and it says SCIENCE in big letters on the bag)?
Sal’s breeder was adamant. She’d owned and then bred Samoyeds for most of her life. She fed raw and if I didn’t agree to feed raw then I’d likely not be getting one of her pups!
Raw can be:
more nutritious as vitamins and proteins aren’t denatured by cooking
better for dental hygiene as raw bones clean teeth and less starch means less dental plaque
result in smaller denser poops that are easier to clean up plus better for anal gland health
give a more glossy coat, brighter eyes, less hyperactivity but greater energy
I went away and researched raw feeding, and what I found was that although the majority of mainstream vets did not approve, there seemed to be a lot of good sense, and a smattering (although not nearly enough research) of science to support raw feeding.
Please bear in mind this was five years ago, since then raw has become more mainstream, there’s even a pro-raw vet society. What I found when I was starting out were some raw feeding Facebook groups full of well-meaning people, but pushing a hardline agenda “raw = good, kibble = bad, all vets are evil and only after your money”, it seemed more than a little extreme and rather intimidating to a new to raw (and dogs) new puppy owner.
Talking to Sal’s breeder and a few other Samoyed owners who fed raw helped: “ignore them (the FB groups) and all their fancy ideas, feed the pre-prepped minces as a base and add some extras if you want/afford to, remember not every meal has to be 100% balanced, but try and feed as great a variety as you can. Do you work out the exact fat, protein, and carbohydrate content of each of your own meals? No, then why get so fussy about your pup’s food? Just make sure she has a varied diet and you aim for around 80% muscle meat, 10% offal and 10% bone and add in some veg too if she’ll eat it. Otherwise sprinkle a herb mix such as Dorwest Keepers Mixor Easy Greens”. Their common sense “just get on with it and feed the dog” approaches were a great help.
After this, my main worry about feeding raw was not “would my pup get all the nutrients she needed?”. I thought if I saw her even beginning to lack in any way then I’d pop her straight onto a quality kibble and her breeder would just have to lump it. My main worry was “is it safe?”. What about the bacterial and parasite risk? I’m mostly vegetarian (for health and ethical reasons) and I live with chronic autoimmune problems. The last thing I wanted was bowls of “dirty” raw meat lying around – and a dog whose mouth (and the other end too) would be a disease-carrying risk.
Raw Can Be As Safe as Kibble
So, I researched “does raw dog food carry an additional disease risk?” I now believe the answer is “NO”. Carefully done, the risks from raw are very low and no more risk than feeding kibble.
Let me explain.
All reputable raw dog food companies batch test their food for pathogens. They should also hold the food (in deep freeze) until they have the test results back before shipping it out. This way no contaminated food should reach the consumer. When I got Sal, I phoned round all the UK brands at the time and asked them their protocols. I only bought from the brands that took me seriously and gave me a full answer. So, if you are new to feeding raw or switching raw brand then check out the brand’s website, phone them up and ask about batch testing. Ask Google to see if they’ve had any recalls. If you buy in the USA or UK from brands that batch test for pathogens, and are DEFRA/USDA registered and inspected, then the bacterial content of the meat should be so low as to cause no harm.
Interestingly (and good ammunition if your vet is anti-raw) the largest contaminated pet food incident was from a Salmonella-infected kibble, and kibble recalls are far more frequent than raw recalls over bacterial contamination fears.
A recent study asking raw feeders to self-report any times they/their pet got sick from suspected food poisoning found only 39 cases out of over 16,000 households surveyed (less than 0.2%). Out of these 39, only 3 were confirmed by vet/medical laboratory analysis. This survey was conducted by the DOGRISK group at the University of Helsinki, who continue to investigate and publish in veterinary journals.
So far, I haven’t seen any research that makes me question the safety of feeding raw here in the UK from UK-based suppliers that source only UK meat and batch test for pathogens.
However, it is RAW meat so you should always handle it with the proper care and hygiene. Clean all utensils with hot soapy water, disinfect surfaces, and if your dog is a messy eater then wipe their face after meals. Store food in the fridge/freezer and follow manufacturer’s guidelines on defrost times/temperatures. Don’t leave raw food bowls sitting out after feeding. Please use common sense and good food hygiene.
The main risk as I see it is when you start buying meat (even human grade) that is not from a raw dog food supplier. This does not undergo the same batch testing for bacterial load, and fresh unfrozen meat and fish can carry parasites such as flukes and tapeworms. If you are going to DIY from the supermarket or butcher, then be aware of the increased risk and ALWAYS freeze first for 2-3 weeks to kill any parasites.
This all sounds like quite a fuss, so why did I continue with raw? Well my puppy thrived on it. I saw all the supposed benefits of healthy coat, skin, eyes, health and stamina. Plus the poo, we need to talk about the poos (it’s true, raw feeders are obsessed with their dogs poo). Smaller, less frequent and more “kickable” offerings than from my friends dogs on kibble or canned food diets.
Also, when I was researching raw food what I found out about some kibble was frankly horrifying. Of course, all dog foods claim they are wonderful (it’s not good marketing otherwise is is?), but some are better than others. The nutritional standards for pet foods have not been updated since the 1970s. In the USA and the UK, you can market kibble as “chicken” if it contains only 4% chicken by dry weight. So, the other 96% of the kibble pellet can be made up of starchy carbohydrates that some dog breeds find hard to digest and rendered meat (the left-overs boiled off the carcasses, abattoir waste…). Not all kibbles are equal, in some the main ingredient IS human-food grade meat as named on the bag. If you are curious then the impartial website All About Dog Food rates the UK (and some USA) most popular foods, and gives you the lowdown on what they contain.
Samoyeds Thrive on a Low Carb Diet
Sal being a Samoyed is one of the dog breeds the least able to digest starchy foods.Virtually all kibbles (grain free or grain-rich) use starches to bind the pellets together. Carbohydrates (starches) are digested by an enzyme called amylase, we humans have this enzyme in our digestive tract and saliva. So, we begin to digest starchy foods as we chew and swallow them. Wolves and dogs mostly produce amylase in their stomachs. Wolves tend to have low amylase levels and are poor at digesting starches. Some European dog breeds that evolved alongside farming societies for thousands of years have far higher amylase levels and are more efficient at digesting starches (so much so that Bella and Duke have recently developed a new Premium Range with a higher percentage of veg to suit these breeds), whereas many northern and “primitive” breeds including Samoyeds have wolf-like starch digestion. I’ve seen the results whenever a well-meaning friend has fed Sal too many starchy dog treats and it isn’t pretty! For her digestive health I’ll stick to raw thank you! She’s raw fed and fabulous.
Sal is Raw Fed and Fabulous
She’s fed on a diet of complete minces from a UK-based supplier (Bella and Duke) who run batch checks as part of their standard safety protocols. I supplement with meaty bones and offal from other safety-conscious UK suppliers and a small amount of fresh veg and fruit. I like to know that her meat is locally and ethically sourced and I’ll still phone up new companies and ask them awkward questions!
For anyone thinking of starting out on raw I’d strongly advise that you copy our feeding plan. Start with the minces where someone else has done the hard work for you to ensure it’s balanced. As you get more confident you can add in some DIY extras or go full DIY.
Sally’s food. Most meals are Bella and Duke mince (now 50% off with the code INSALWOLF50), but for variety I’ll DIY the occasional meal.
Look out for a more detailed article coming soon on what nutrient groups should be included in a complete raw diet. I’ll tackle should we feed veg, grain-free and potential DCM risk, and which supplements I think are beneficial and which are marketing hype, plus why I don’t feed either “lightly cooked” meals or dried raw.
Note: I’m NOT a vet or a dog dietician, I’m a PhD immunologist trained in critical thinking. All views are my own, talk to your vet before making any major changes to your dog’s nutrition. If you are interested I recently wrote a longer piece for HelloBark on raw feeding, and the Bella and Duke Facebook Group is a good place to go for information and advice.
Finally to end with (as I know you’ve been expecting a photo of Sal unleashing her inner wolf/polar bear), here you go:
Bon appetit! Sally enjoying some lamb ribs.
Any questions or comments? Do you raw feed? Shoot me a message and let’s chat (but keep it civil please).
