I am a housekeeper. I have a new client, who is
new to the area she has three dogs, two Yellow Labs and
a German Shepherd. The shepherd is trained and is
very aggressive. She comes over to me with a stiff
tail, barking, and acting like she wants to bite
me.

Linda
Spokane WA

My advice is the same regardless of whether your client is in denial or actually wants you to be afraid of her dogs. Get a new client.

The person you describe is irresponsible at best, and evil at worst. It is incumbent upon dog owners to train and socialize their dogs properly. It’s one thing for a dog to growl at an intruder or prowler. But threatening a person who has been invited into the house never is acceptable.

Perhaps the dogs will not attack you. But perhaps they will. Do you want to be the guinea pig in this experiment?

Furthermore, you are entitled both morally and legally to a workplace that is safe and free from intimidation. Your client’s house hardly fits the bill.

I do not recommend that you try to befriend the dog or socialize it on your own. Based on your description, this could be dangerous. Training and socializing the German Shepherd is the responsibility of the owner. She has failed her dog in this regard.

Your best bet is to walk away from this situation. There are plenty of responsible dog owners in this world. Perhaps one of them needs a housekeeper.

Photo: Mocha’s snarl is just for show.

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Dr. Barchas, is it true that if you neuter a dog
who is already 2 years old, it will not help him
marking inside the house?

Ana
Levittown, PR

If your new dog is not neutered, the surgery may help to reduce unwanted urine marking inside the house.

Neutering or castration involves removal of a the dog’s testicles. In adult dogs, testicles produce a hormone called testosterone. Testosterone helps to drive a number of behaviors in dogs including urine marking, aggression, sexual activity, and the desire to escape into the neighborhood in search of trysts.

If you have your new dog neutered there is a very real chance that his urine marking will stop. Neutering him is a very wise step in dealing with the problem.

However, I should warn you that neutering is not a cure-all. There is a chance that your dog’s previous owners never bothered to house train him properly. Or, he may have a medical condition, such as a urinary tract infection, that is causing him to soil the house.

I recommend that you have a veterinarian evaluate your dog for medical conditions that may be leading to house soiling. If he gets a clean bill of health, neutering him is the next step. If the problem still persists, you will have to implement a behavior modification (training) protocol to properly house train your new pet.

Photo: Freedom Star has no known record of house soiling.

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What are some of the things we as dog owners can
do to help a dog with hip dysplasia?

Rosie
Humble, TX

Hip dysplasia is a syndrome in which a dog’s (or less often, a cat’s) hip joints do not develop properly. This causes premature arthritis in the hips. Hip dysplasia is most common in large breeds of dogs. It has a hereditary component. Careful breeding has reduced the incidence of hip dysplasia over the last several years.

Hip dysplasia is sometimes confused with age-related arthritis. Many older animals suffer arthritis in their hips that is not related to abnormal development of the joints. However, in either instance the outcome is the same–arthritis that causes pain, stiffness, decreased mobility and a lower quality of life.

There are several techniques (some old, some new) for managing hip displasia and arthritis in pets.

Preventing hip dysplasia is by far the best option. Careful breeding is the most important aspect of hip dysplasia prevention. Less effective, but still important, is to feed at-risk puppies (Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers and other large breeds) a diet that promotes slower growth. Talk to your vet about this.

For pets diagnosed with hip dysplasia by a veterinarian, several techniques may delay the onset of arthritis. The most effective of these is weight management. Carrying extra weight puts tremendous strain on the hip joints.

Other techniques that can delay the onset of arthritis (or help to ameliorate the symptoms of arthritis after it develops) include administration of oral or injectable glucosamine, oral omega-3 supplementation, and physical therapy (mild exercise, swimming, hydrotherapy, and range of motion exercises). Young dogs diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia may benefit from a surgical technique known as triple pelvic osteotomy.

For the unfortunate individuals that are suffering from arthritis, all of the techniques listed in the preceding two paragraphs (except for triple pelvic osteotomy) can be beneficial. Additionally, treatment with the much maligned NSAID medicines can lead to a dramatic improvement in quality of life. Other, newer pain medicines such as amantadine are emerging as well that may be highly beneficial when used in conjunction with NSAIDs. Some prescription diets may lead to clinical improvement in arthritic pets.

A new generation of treatments for arthritis in the hips is also entering use in clinical practice. These treatments include stem cell injections, stimulation with certain types of lasers, and a technique known as extracorporeal shock wave therapy (it sounds scary, but it’s quite benign).

The treatment of last resort for arthritis of the hips is surgical hip replacement. Recent clinical advances have made this option more attractive than it was in the past.

The long and short of it is that there is a wide array of treatments for hip dysplasia and arthritis in pets. Many of them are new and not widely known. Your best bet is to find a vet who is passionate about comprehensive management of the syndromes. Sit down with this vet and develop a treatment plan that is right for you and your pet.

Image credit: Joel Mills. Licensing information: CC.

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