Our Growing Collection of Geek Dog Products

Maestro and I like to check out both local and online stores for fun dog fashion and accessories and geek dog products. We even jumped onto the DIY wagon and designed a few dog shirts on Zazzle. Although Maestro received many compliments, he didn't really like his Doggles:

Maestro at the Calgary Folk Fest

On the other hand, we both like his Ultimate Trail Pack. Due to his back problems, Maestro can no longer carry his own pack. However, we still bring it with us on day trips and visits with family and friends.

We both prefer walking with the Dogmatic FreeLeash. This useful dog accessory enables me to carry other items without worrying about where Maestro is.

Another useful item in our geek dog product collection is his Waste Manager Disposal System. With it, we can feel good about taking care of the environment, one poop at a time.

The latest addition our dog fashion collection is the Star Wars R2-D2 Dog Collar, which was ordered from ThinkGeek. The reaction has been pretty consistent: "What a neat collar....[person takes a closer look]...Hey! Star Wars! Cool."

One of the ladies from the Canine Aquafitness Centre hopped onto ThinkGeek's website after Maestro's laser appointment to order geeky Christmas gifts for her entire family.

Here's Maestro showing off his new newest geek dog product:

Maestro's First Canine Acupuncture Treatment

It has been approximately four months since Maestro was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and Inter-vertebral Disc Disease. His arthritis medication has been helping with the inflammation and pain management. The laser and infrared therapy have prevented things from getting worse. However, Maestro still has a pronounced limp due to his back issues and frankly, I don't like the idea of him taking barbiturates. I couldn't help but feel that we could do better. Dr. Maya at the Bridlewood Veterinary Clinic had mentioned a while back that Maestro would be a good candidate for veterinary acupuncture. Our first appointment was last week with Dr. Mark, Maestro's first vet (lucky guy, he has three).

The first thing Dr. Mark said is that Maestro needs to come off the medications. No argument from me! The pain inhibitors in Western medicine contravene the effects of the acupuncture, he explained. Since he recently had a dose of medication, the effects would be minimal this time round.

Well, Maestro was prancing around my students and I for two days afterward and moving like a puppy. He was more alert than he has been since being on the medication. If that's "minimal", I look forward to seeing how he does once I've weaned him completely off the Western medication.

The limp is more pronounced again, so I can see what the vet meant about the Western medication clashing with this ancient Eastern treatment. Maestro is alert enough to refuse his usual dose of Gabapentin. It's as if he's telling me to speed up the weaning process.

A Look at a Canine Acupuncture Treatment

Dr. Mark first examined Maestro from head to tail. He asked me some questions about what happens when the medication wears off. There were probably a few more questions, but that was the main one.

Next, he brought out the acupuncture needles. They were inside little straws. With a quick little movement, they were inserted at specific points, starting with one on his neck and one along his lower spine:

In the above photo, you can tell that there's some tension in his back with the way he's curved. Through it all, Maestro didn't flinch. Oh, he was frightened when we first arrived, but he didn't whimper, shudder, flinch or stink (dogs really do smell when they are frightened).

Now, I am in the process of weaning him off the medication so that he can fully reap the benefits of future acupuncture treatments. He will continue to take his Robaxin, but the anti-inflammatory and pain medications will be replaced by acupuncture and natural supplements and herbs.

First, he will have weekly appointments. These will gradually decrease in frequency to tune-ups on an ad-hoc basis. Dr Mark informed me that the end result is that Maestro will be pain free, alert, feeling better and "more puppy like". Healthier than he's been in years, I'm sure.

About Canine Acupunture

It may seem like a new concept, but it really isn't. In their article, "Acupuncture for Dogs Gaining Acceptance", Dr. Susan Thorpe-Vargas and John. C. Gargill report that the first animal to be treated using acupuncture was an elephant in India approximately 3,000 years ago.

Veterinary acupuncture was used more extensively up until the 1940s, when people turned to prescription medication to treat their ailments and those of their pets. This jives with my question to Dr. Mark about whether he treats many pets using acupuncture. He told me that more pet owners get prescription medication for their pets' ailments because it's easier.

There is a lot of information available on acupuncture and how it works. To paraphrase, I'd say that it's a complementary therapy that involves inserting small needles at specific acupuncture points to stimulate the central nervous system. The result is that the treatment kick-starts the body's ability to heal and restores the ying and yang of the patient.

Here's a neat news clip that I found, in which a vet goes into more detail about how canine veterinary acupuncture works and the various conditions it can treat:

You can also check out these sites and articles: Animal Acupuncture, Acupuncture Overview and The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society.

If Maestro's first experience is any indication, that one acupuncture treatment did more to treat his limp caused by his back issues than everything we've done up to this point. The laser therapy prevented things from degenerating, but I feel that now, we will see an improvement in his condition.

I firmly believe that it's the arthritis medication that's keeping him in stasis. My students and I want to see him improve. Never mind that, I'm sure Maestro wants to continue going on many more adventures - without the aid of medication or a doggie stroller.

Learning to Speak Dog

Sometimes, my students ask me, "What is Maestro saying?" Usually, I'm able to answer them. I've interpreted my dog's body language and vocal language as follows: Maestro's Work-Related Vocabulary

• "When's Student X coming?"

• "Who's there?"

• "You're late! Come down now. Play piano now."

• "Yuck. Your scales suck. I'm leaving."

• "You're steady! I wag in time with you."

• "That's awesome! I sing now!"

• "Hey Human. I. Want. My. Bongos. Get. My. Bongos."

• "I. Want. Rainstick."

• "HOLEPUNCH!"

• "TAMBOURINE!"

• "BONGOS!"

• "No. You can't leave with my rhythm sticks. Put them back."

• "No. Don't take that prize. Take the one I don't like."

• "You stay out there. I stay in my room." (to younger siblings of students)

• "You're cool. I'll sleep beside you, belly up. K?"

• "What are you doing? Get off the floor!"

• "Come to my office...get me treat."

A Shortlist of Maestro's General Vocabulary

• "Play with me."

• "Scratch me...there."

• "I'm going out and you're not."

• "Don't touch."

• "Pet me."

• "Feed me treats."

• "Potty. Pl....lease!"

• "I feel funny. Help."

• "Please? I Want. Please?"

• "I sit pretty for the thing that makes snapping noises and flashes. Me good boy."

• "No! That's not what I said. Why don't you understand?"

• "I'm the man of the house. Not you." (He only tries to do this with really tall male visitors.)

• "My human."

• "Cuddle."

• "Stop."

• "Go."

• "More?"

• "I'm bored."

• "Where are you going?"

• "What are you doing?"

• "I'm scared."

• "Hungry."

• "I'm happy."

• "Thank you."

Some of Maestro's vocabulary is specific to his role as a Studio Canine Assistant. One could say he has a typical vocabulary for a terrier, as well.

However, there are enough "phrases" in Maestro's vocabulary that are common among dogs. I'm no expert, but having grown up around dogs, I would say that you can generally break down dogspeak to needs, wants, likes, dislikes, attempts at dominance and moments of submission.

How can one figure out what dogs are saying? Experts have various tips and tricks. I simply pay attention to Maestro's body language, the expression in his eyes and the inflection of his voice. For instance, his ears go straight back when a student plays a soft piece like a heavy rock number. He then moves away from the piano (usually to my office).

The bongos? Those are pretty obvious: Sit pretty. Look at bongos. Look at human. Look at bongos. Look at human. Bark. Repeat with anything that he wants.

As several dog behaviour experts have noted, once the hierarchy has been established, dogs get upset when others don't follow it. That's why he gets upset when some students do their homework on the floor (during their sibling's lesson).

How he figured out to keep the groom occupied at wedding music consultations, so that bride could listen to the music selections without interruptions is beyond me.

Now, the one thing that I find truly amazing is that if Maestro eats something that disagrees with him, he gives me a 30 to 45-second warning to get him to a puke-friendly surface. He touches my leg with his forepaw, sits down and looks at me oddly (I suppose the official term would be "in distress"). When I ask, "What's up?" His breathing changes. Then I know.

There are numerous resources available if you'd like to learn how to better understand dog language. Here is a short list:

Dog Language - An Encyclopedia of Canine Behavior by Roger Abrantes on Amazon | Alibri's

How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren on Amazon | Alibri's

How to Speak Dog by Sarah Whitehead on Amazon | Alibri's

Speaking Dog on Dog Breed Info's Website

Myristol Joint Health Supplement for Dogs Product Review

A couple of weeks ago, Maestro's vet from the Canine Aquafitness and Veterinary Rehab Centre recommended that he try Myristol. It's a joint care supplement for dogs. We picked up the "small" tub for $78 CAD. Thankfully, it contains 240 soy-based gluten free, chewable tablets, so it will last Maestro over half a year.

About Myristol Joint Health Supplement for Dogs

Myristol contains the following ingredients: Cetyl Myristoleate Fatty Acid Complex, Glucosamine HCl, MethylSulfonylMethane (MSM), Hydrolyzed Collagen, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn) and Copper (Cu).

The tablets are approximately .75 inches in diameter.  Not too stinky.

Dr. Catherine recommended that Maestro start with 1/2 tablet a day on an empty stomach. Let me tell you, she meant it. Feeding Maestro 1 tablet with supper meant that  he lost his supper and I had to feed him again. #lessonlearned

The History of Myristol Products for Dogs, Cats, Horses and Humans

Myristol was developed by Dr. Trotter who graduated from the University of Saskatchewan. In addition to Myristol for canines, Dr. Trotter has developed similar products for cats, horses and humans.

Myristol is available through your local veterinarian. Online, you may purchase it through Myristol's store .

Other joint supplements worth checking out include: Nutri-Pet Research Nupro Joint Supplement for Dogs, Joint MAX TRIPLE Strength SOFT CHEWS and Cosequin Maximum Strength Hip & Joint Supplements. Please note that these are a bit more potent than the $8.99 versions you see at your local pet store.

Myristol: Final Verdict

Maestro has only been on Myristol for a few weeks now. I have noticed some improvement in his mobility. Normally, I would noticed increased stiffness 10 days after a laser therapy session. With Myristol, he's a bit more agile beyond that point.

We'll give an update after he has been on Myristol joint supplement for a longer period of time. For now, our experience has been fairly positive.

Site Spotlight on the BlogPaws Community

Maestro has been following the BlogPaws Community on Twitter for a while. There have been some interesting tweets and articles regarding pet care, pet health and dog food. It's a gathering place for pet bloggers, like us. Visitors can read blog posts from community members, check out community events and check out photos and videos. Members can participate in the online chats and forums.

Recently, there was an invitation to join the BlogPaws Community. We've applied. Fingers crossed!