NOTE: This column first appeared on October 8, 2003

 

Dear Lisa: My dog spends a lot of time out on my wooden deck and occasionally he chews on the corners of it. Can he get sick from eating wood? – Would Like To Know

Dear Would: Most existing decks, picnic tables and fencing are built with pressure-treated wood containing chromated copper arsenate (CCA). Arsenic is a known human carcinogen and by the end of the year all CCA-treated wood will no longer be available for residential use. This measure came about as a result of human health concerns and an agreement between the Environmental Protection Agency and the wood manufactures.

There have been reports linking CCA-treated wood with pet deaths and some pet owners reported their dogs died or developed cancer due to repeatedly drinking water that formed in pools on their decks. These reports do not seem widespread, however. 

According to a study, conducted by S.A. Peoples, MD, at the University of California, two beagle dogs were fed sawdust from CCA-treated wood for 5 days. Their urine and feces were measured for arsenic species content and they concluded that there were no observable signs or symptoms of toxicity in the dogs.

But since the EPA is taking the product off the market in regards to human health it might not be a bad idea to follow some precautions when it comes to your dog. For example:

wWash paws and fur after a pet spends time on a CCA pressure-treated wood deck.

wDo not let pets play in the soil or wood chips beneath CCA-treated wood decks unless the soil area tests negative for arsenic.

wDo not allow your dog to drink from pools and puddles on the deck. Drill holes in the wood so rainwater will not collect.  

wAvoid power-washing, sawing or sanding CCA-treated wood because this can spread arsenic in your yard.

wDo not let food touch CCA-treated wood.

For an excellent comparison of recently released statistics about CCA-treated wood visit the Wood Science Preservation Council at www.woodpreservativescience.org/facts.htm.

Dear Lisa: We just got a new Beagle puppy bitch. She is now three-and-half-months-old and I’d like to train her with our Invisible Fence® so she can go out and play with our older Beagle bitch. How old should she be before I can use the training collar on her? – Freedom From Fencing

Dear Freedom: Most companies that install invisible radio-controlled fence systems generally recommend waiting until the pup is four-months-old before training begins. They stress that each dog is an individual. Some pups may not be ready until nine-months-old while others need time to be large enough to handle the electric stimulation that the training collar delivers. I would suspect your puppy’s weight, its breed and temperament are all factors that the professionals who train dogs for these systems would consider at their initial training visit in deciding on a start age.

In addition, I would be concerned about how the older, larger Beagle is going to treat a small fragile puppy. Young pups are very susceptible to injury at the hands (or paws) of stronger dogs since their bony growth plates haven’t “set” yet. You may want to consider these questions in determining if your older dog will be a good companion at this time. How much does she weight? Does she play rough or gentle with other dogs? Is she spayed or had a litter and does she show maternal instincts toward puppies? Does she have bad habits that she might teach to the young pup like digging, barking or hunting?

While the training sessions for invisible fences usually take a month to complete, you could use this time to supervise playtime between the two dogs and watch for any inappropriate behavior and correct it accordingly. However, if the older dog is too rough with the pup, you may want to wait until the puppy is older, at least six months, before putting them together to prevent any serious or permanent injuries.

Lisa Peterson, a long-time breeder of Norwegian Elkhounds, is the Director of Club Communications at the American Kennel Club. Contact her at ask@lisa-peterson.com or Dogma Publishing, P.O. Box 307, Newtown, CT 06470.