ohmidog!

Bach is better than Judas Priest, Strauss is preferable to Slayer, and Mozart is a wiser choice than Motorhead — at least when it comes to keeping dogs calm in kennels and shelters.

A Colorado State University study suggests classical music might be the best way to calm an anxious dog, and that heavy metal — no big surprise — seems to do the opposite.

The study, reported in the latest Journal of Veterinary Behavior, found that classical music was more soothing than any other music, even “psychoacoustic” music and pet CDs designed to calm animals.

Dogs listening to classical music — whether they were rescued dogs being sheltered, or pets being kenneled — barked and shook less often, slept more and had slower heartbeats.

The authors of the study say playing classical music may help mitigate some of the stress inherent for dogs being kenneled as well as those awaiting adoption in stressful shelter environments.

Their research analyzed the behavior of 117 dogs of various breeds, all at one kennel in northern Colorado. Of the group, 83 were boarders of different breeds and 34 were rescued dachshunds. Lead author Lori Kogan and her researchers did thousands of behavioral assessments over a period of four months.

The dogs were exposed to 45 minutes of three different genres of music while their behavior was recorded every five minutes.

Classical music was linked to more relaxed and restful behavior, while heavy metal was linked to greater anxiety and unrest.

Dogs listening to heavy metal had speeded up heartbeats: Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” led to 140 beats a minute, while “Turbo Lover,” by Judas Priest, resulted in 151. In contrast to that, Beethoven’s “Für Elise” produced average heart rates of 111 and Bach’s “Air on a G String” a relatively mellowed out 100.

In addition to heartbeats, researchers recorded the amount of time the canine listeners spent sleeping, barking, shaking, and whining.

Both boarded and rescue dogs responded to all the classical music selections by sleeping more. The dogs were most silent while listening to classical music, and noisiest when no music was playing at all.

Researchers said the results are consistent with human studies showing music can reduce agitation, promote sleep, improve mood and lower stress and anxiety.

“It is suggested that shelters play classical music as a cost-efficient, practical way to enhance the environment and, therefore, the welfare of shelter dogs. Classical music can reduce dogs’ stress levels and potentially increase the likelihood of adoption.”

A Great Dane named Cooper — stepped on by his mother as a puppy — has gotten rid of his limp, thanks to a procedure that, in effect, stretched his bones.

Cooper was only 11 weeks old, and unwanted by the breeders who produced him, when Sally Stoffel adopted him through a rescue organization in Boulder.

She took him to Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, where small animal orthopedic surgeon Ross Palmer came up with a plan to repair the dog’s badly damaged right rear leg.

Palmer straightened and lengthened Cooper’s tibia using an orthopedic device not available in the U.S., and generally only used on humans.

The device, loaned to Palmer by an Italian colleague, permitted him to correct the deformity, then gradually stretch the bone as it healed, allowing it to catch up with the growing dog’s other limbs.

The device had to be adjusted daily, and Cooper spent months recovering.

The results were unveiled Monday, when the 130-pound dog bounded into an exam room at the university.

“For this to be successful, you certainly have to have the right technique,” Palmer told the Denver Post. “But you also have to have the right owner and the right dog. And in this case, we did.”

Stoffel said Cooper spent a month laying on his blanket, but when the treatment was finished, his tibia had grown about three inches as a result of corrective surgery and use of the device.

Cooper, now nearly 11 months old, appears to be healing well, and is walking  normally on all four feet. Because he’s still growing, he might eventually require a prosthetic device or a second bone-lengthening procedure, Palmer said.

The treatment required 11 visits to the CSU vet hospital, and Stoffel estimated that she has spent about $7,000.

(Photo by V. Richard Haro / Fort Collins Coloradoan)

Researchers at Colorado State University are studying the effectiveness of herbal supplements for dogs — sales of which are taking off, despite there not being much proof of whether they really work.

“Research has indicated that herbal supplements may be beneficial to humans, but that really doesn’t tell us anything about dogs,” said Narda Robinson, the leader of the research team. “There are a lot of people making money without any proof these products work.” Robinson said.

Not only may the products not work, she said, there is a risk they could cause gastric ulcers, kidney and liver damage, and diarrhea.

The Denver Post reported on the study Saturday, focusing on Edward a 4-year-old golden retriever who has had a bad hip since he was 6 months old. He’s one of 36 dogs participating in the trial, with half getting the herbal dose and the rest a placebo. Once a week for five weeks, Edward has visited the CSU vet teaching hospital for tests.

In search of some relief, Edward’s owner, Krystal Reagan, enrolled the retriever in the clinical trial at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, where dogs are receiving a supplement that includes juniper, goldenrod, dandelion, meadow sweet, willow bark and cranberry.

The herbal combination being tested is marketed by RZN Nutraceuticals Inc., which is paying for the $72,000 study — but researchers say that won’t influence the results.

“We have complete scientific independence, and whatever the findings, we are going to publish them,” Robinson said.

While the results won’t be in for a while, Edward, who has always struggled to get into the car, jumped into the back seat. “Now that was a surprise,” his owner said.