Dogs and seniors

I’ve been reading again.

I recently saw an article on one of the Facebook Dog Groups I belong to titled “Dog ownership provides health benefits for senior citizens”. Rapidly reaching senior citizen status myself, and some say I’ve already reached it, I thought that it made perfect sense. 

The article says that research finds pet owners have a greater quantity of exercise than their non-pet owning peers plus a lower blood pressure. As far as the first part goes I can wholeheartedly concur that wind, gales, tornados, floods, snow etc. would not stop Sam & Sarah demanding to take me out for my walk – or is it the other way round? Whatever…the dogs and I get our exercise at least three times day. OK, the quantity has reduced over the years. Where they used to want to be out for 60 to 90 minutes at a time, now they turn round for the car after 30 to 45 minutes – which suits me as I’m getting senior-er with them. But at least I do get out. 

Regarding the reduced blood pressure, this has been scientifically shown to be due to an increase in oxytocin which is a hormone that reduces stress. We have a friend who has diabetes who comes round each weekend to sit with the dogs – Sarah on his left and Sam on his right. Since starting this routine his blood pressure has reduced remarkably. Ok…that is not a controlled experiment and only on one person, but it has worked for him so could well work on others. 

Recently we have had to move my mother into a care home local to us as she was suffering from frequent falls and other illnesses due to immobility. Apart from us knowing she is now round the corner it means we can take the dogs to regularly see their Grandma. One of things on our checklist when Chris and I were looking for homes was whether they accept visits by dogs as my mum always lights up when she sees Sam and Sarah. Luckily this one does. 

So when I read that other research has shown that owning a pet can slow down some forms of dementia I was even more interested. It is said that looking after a pet with all the duties like walking, feeding, and general well-being can keep the mind motivated on something rather than simply drifting off as my mum used to do. 

Now, every weekend, when Chris is not working, we take the dogs into the Day Room to visit their Grandma Peg. They get so excited seeing all their new ‘friends’ who totally adore them. On the first occasion we took them along, Sam and Sarah went from resident to resident licking any hands that were put out to pet them. I know our dogs are rather special but I’m afraid it was not purely out of their goodness of their hearts but the fact that we usually visit during tea time when all the residents have eaten biscuits and licking hands or snuffling around feet means they get crumbs. One lovely man used to save his Rich Tea and Custard Cream biscuits especially for the dogs. Guess what, he was the first person they visit after their Grandma. Our dogs are great at pretending they have never ever ever been fed by their Dads. 

When I visit without the dogs I get looks of disappointment that it is just me who is visiting and not the dogs too. 

The extra bonus with taking Sam and Sarah along is that the residents chat to each and giggle over their behaviour so they stimulate interaction. Sarah, being the Diva she is, simply lies in the middle of the room with a "Go on...you can adore me" look on her face. My Mum is now welcome at everyone’s dinner table since she is the Dog Grandma. 

Most of the residents find it hard to see so, at first, couldn’t distinguish between our twins. But then one lady said “Oh look, one of the dogs has a tail that constantly goes round and round like a helicopter while the other one wags their tail from side to side”. They have found their own way of learning to tell who is who by their tail action which must help with memory. 

So does having a dog help with seniority? It certainly seems like it does to me. Now, if only I could remember where I put my keys and why have I just come upstairs……..? 

Sam looking adoringly at Grandma Peg, Sarah simply making sure the camera has her best angle

A new benefit of canine massage

Meet Floc 

Now this was an interesting case! Of the potential benefits of canine massage that we were taught when I did my course some years ago, plus all the extra ones that I have found since, I have never thought of this one. But now…..oh yes indeed, canine massage has a new benefit. 

Karen from Helping Paws (http://helpingpaws.co.uk and https://www.facebook.com/helpingpawsuk) recommended Floc to me to see if massage could help with his problem. And that problem was that he couldn’t poo. Floc has colitis with associated scarring in his gut which causes his constipation. Sometimes it is days before he can go, sometimes even weeks. He has been to the vet and is on Lactulose to try and ease his symptoms but nothing really seems to work. Bless him, he strains and strains with no effect. His owner, Kate, said that sometimes she takes him out for a walk and they are in the same spot 30 minutes later as he is constantly straining. 

Karen suggested to Kate that maybe a session with me might help him to relax and I can also work over his abdominal area. After a massage session, dogs (and humans) frequently need to drink and then tend to wee. This is due to the effleurage moves helping the circulatory and lymphatic system to flush out toxins and waste. I discovered this effect to my detriment with my very first ever case study who walked out of the treatment room, settled down on our brand new dining room carpet and wee-d and wee-d and wee-d for what seemed like 5 minutes. Since then I have the back door ready to open so the dogs can go out into the garden. 

I don’t really follow the suggestion that massage on dogs is only for prevention or for a specific muscular issue. I like to think holistically. If I could help Floc to relax or maybe help to shift the waste and toxins in his body, then maybe that would ease his constipation. 

He is a rescue Samoyed / Retriever / probably-something-else cross so Kate doesn’t really know his background other than he has arthritis, as he is now 11-ish, and colitis. 

I started the session with some palpation to get a feel of any other issues and then settled in to plenty of long sweeping effleurage moves, the whole length of his body toward the heart, to help stretch the muscle fibres passively, stimulate the general circulation and improve lymphatic function by assisting movement of that system. When I got down to his abdominal muscles he was as tight as a drum. He was, understandably, a bit wary at first but with gentle coaxing allowed me to perform lots of wringing moves over that area followed up with more flushing effleurage strokes. 

After 45 minutes he had enough so we put him out in the garden and watched through the window at what would happen. It felt a bit weird but any dog owner knows how fixated you become with your dog’s stools. At first he wee-d for a l-o-n-g time then gave a few small bits of ‘success’ (you can fill in the intended word there!). When we walked out to the car, he gave even more ‘successes’ in our front garden. Something had clearly moved. 
Yesterday Kate called me and was over the moon. The night after the massage session, Floc had really been ‘successful’… and the next day…. and the next night. She said he also seems so much happier. Not really surprising is it? That would be one huge weight off his mind. We left it that she would come back for another session if / when he shows signs of discomfort again. 

So the new benefit of canine massage…it can help your dog with their motions. 

Floc

If you have ever doubted that a dog enjoys canine massage...watch this!

This is Ralph, a handsome muscular Sussex Bulldog having his late Christmas present that his mum bought him - i.e. an AchyPaw session. What a great supporter of massage therapy - a huge grin on his face throughout.

My view of Ralph's grin for the duration of the treatment session

One big fat grin

"Well....Dr Les said...." : Maddie's story

"Well...Dr Les said......." is a phrase I ought to copyright. 

Maddie is a 12 year girl who is one of my exactly-30-minute clients. She knows when half an hour is up and simply leaves me mid-massage stroke and walks away. She is also one of my once a week clients. 

Her owners had originally been to see me over a year ago for a lesson in massage but realised that they needed help. So a couple of months ago came back to me and asked me to visit weekly so they would feel guilty if they didn't do the homework I had left them. 

As well as the importance of the benefits of canine physical therapy, I feel educating the owners is equally important as they are, after all, the principal carer. Sometimes it could just be showing them moves and techniques they can do in between scheduled therapy sessions, sometimes simple and fun active exercises they can do with their dog to keep them supple and mobile and sometimes it is about giving advice on ways they could help with their dog's ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) - things like raising the food or water bowl so the dog doesn't have to stoop. In Maddie's case one of these tips was about encouraging her owners to get some cushions or foam cuts in places where she tries to jump or land. 

Maddie loved to get up on her Mum's bed and sit beside her on the sofa but the jump up was becoming too steep. More important was the crash down again when she got off - placing enormous pressure on already senior joints and muscles. The bed in particular was very high. 

After the first session I went back to visit her and found cushions scattered all the house in the appropriate places. "She loves these" they said. "We had to tell her that Dr Les said you need to land on something soft now so she wouldn't think they were just there as obstacles" which apparently seemed to work. Maddie now can get back to her favourite places. The bed still posed a challenge though as it was really high off the ground. They could lift her up and she could then land on the scatter cushions but she wasn't able to get up of her own accord. 

Today I went for the weekly visit and her Mum said "Come into my bedroom and see what I've got".....hmm....couldn't resist that offer. As soon as I walked in I saw they had a new bed...a nice low bed. "Well...Dr Les said the bed was a bit high so we bought a new one". And Maddie loves it. I asked whether the bed was comfy. "Not really" was the response "but Maddie can now sleep with us whenever she likes so that is all we care about". 

The things we do for our dogs!!!!! 

Empathy between dogs and their owners - proven.

I always enjoy reading well conducted research articles concerning canine behaviour especially those that give further proof to the incredible bond between a dog and their owner. 

I was interested in an article I read recently (http://www.littlethings.com/secret-ways-dogs-say-love-you) which had a couple of extra references, which my geeky nature had to follow up. 

One in particular referred to the way dog owners feel they can read the emotions of their dog through their facial expressions and not just through the way they are standing, turn their head or the way they hold their tail. It appears that this is actually true. A Japanese study in 2013 (Nagasawa et al) examined the facial expressions of dogs, using a high speed camera, when they were presented with their owner and someone they didn’t know.

It is always good to have things like this verified so we are just not classed as ‘mad dog people’. The study showed that when a dog is reunited with their owner, they lifted their eyebrows, especially the left eyebrow. But when they saw someone they didn’t know, there was little facial movement. 

The research team suggested this demonstrated behavioural facial laterality in response to emotional stimuli which reflects their attachment to their owner. 

Another study from the article referred to contagious yawning. We frequently yawn empathetically when someone we are watching yawns – echoing their behaviour. But apparently, this is not limited to humans. I guess it is not too much of a surprise since dogs have always been bred to watch us and see what we are doing. 

The study by Romero et al (2013) was conducted to determine whether contagious yawning in a dog was due to mild distress related response or empathy. They studied 25 dogs faced with familiar humans (their owners) and an unfamiliar human (the researcher) and acted out a yawn or other movements used as a control mouth expression. The dogs yawned far more frequently when watching their owners than the unfamiliar human which clearly demonstrates the correlation between emotional proximity. In addition, contagious yawns in the dogs were significantly higher during true yawning than other mouth movements. To make the inference even more factual, the research team actually measured the heart rate of the dogs. This did not change throughout the experiment which demonstrated the yawning response was not due to stress. They concluded that their study showed this contagious yawning is consistent with a form of empathy between a dog and their owner. 

So next time someone tells you that your dog can’t possibly understand what you are saying, tell them “Oh yes they can” and it is now scientifically proven. 
 

Talking to my kids

Appendix 

Nagasawa M et al. (2013) “Dogs show left facial lateralization upon reunion with their owners”. Behavioural Processes, 98 September 2013, pp 112–116 

Romero T et al. (2013) “Familiarity Bias and Physiological Responses in Contagious Yawning by Dogs Support Link to Empathy”. PLoS ONE 8(8): e71365. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071365

Kyto the Warrior

Ever wondered how a dog reacts after a massage therapy session? Well...look at Kyto bounce and dance - says it all really. And this is an 11.5 year old 46.5 kg dog with nerve damage in spine, backache and arthritis behaving like a puppy. He totally loves his regular sessions with me and the additional daily work his mum gives him. 

When his owner moved to her new house with Kyto she had lovely wooden floors throughout the hall. When I first met her, I suggested maybe a few carpet runners would help stop him skittering along the floor when he defends her from The Postman. On my last visit I noticed a few carpets here and there. This time, her beloved wooden floor had been carpeted. The things we do for our dogs. 

His owner had an animal communication session with one of Elizabeth Whiter’s graduates last week. The first thing that was said was that Kyto had been a warrior and thinks of himself as such. He communicated that he used to work alongside horses and lost many of his friends. I felt a little chill as the day before I had been researching a section I am about to teach for my new Canine Massage diploma module which I am delivering with Elizabeth. The part I was researching was the History of Massage in Animals. Although the use of massage techniques in ancient human cultures is well-documented, searching for the history of animal massage took a bit longer. The article I had just read said that Julius Caesar travelled with a personal massage therapist who also worked on his war dogs. And that a full-body massage was recommended for dogs and horses by Flavius Arrianus, a philosopher and administrator under the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian. When I relayed that to Kyto’s owner she also felt a little chill and we both looked at Kyto and said “You knew Julius Caesar?” He just did his cute head tilt one way then the other as though to say “Of course….don’t you?” 

From that point, the massage session took an even more referential tone than usual. Do I address Kyto as “Your Emperorship”? or “Hail Kyto”? He didn’t seem any more warrior-like than usual and simply nuzzled my hand and nose so maybe he is happy to have left all that behind him and to be able to live his life with his wonderful caring human who covers up her slippery wooden floor for him. 

Give a dog a bone....and they will find it like we do

Research that looks into neurophysiology, behaviour AND dogs…..ooooo, right up my street!

I always knew dogs were really really smart and this was confirmed by a recent study at the University of Sheffield (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/navigating-way-through-computer-like-dog-with-bone-1.515267). The research team found that when humans navigate through computer files, the same brain structures are used as when a dog searches for their bone.

Apparently, it seems most of us search for stuff on our computers by going through folders or other pathways. (Sounds about right for me anyway!). There are two ways to search : hierarchical or query-based. Most people in the study moved through folders in a top down fashion until they reached the file they wanted rather than spending time composing a specific query-based search. This is despite advances in search technology.

So why did their sample prefer this long-winded method? They suggested that top-down navigation uses the same parts of the brain and neural processes that have evolved over millions of years for navigating in the physical world – looking for a path where we actually stored something physically.

To get technical, these parts are in the posterior part of the brain. And that is what links us to dogs. This is exactly how they use their brain to navigate instinctively to that part of the garden where they buried their bone so they can find it when they next want it.

I’m sure there will be some people who use the key word search. Ok, for you, to get even more technical, searching for a file using a key word activates a part of the frontal brain, called Broca’s area just in case you ever need that for a pub quiz. But for us ‘old fashioned’ types it is not all bad news. Apparently top-down searching makes less use of words, leaving your ‘language system available for other tasks’, the researchers said. Phew!

Interestingly, using the frontal part of the brain for searching is a function, so far, unique to humans. But watch this space. Other recent studies have shown how the brains of dogs are evolving in parallel with us as they have spent so many years working alongside humans. You may well come home one day and find your dog on Google! 

Sam Googling walks