I think the branches were alive. I don't know that I'd call them twigs. Some of them are up to 8 feet long. There are approximately 20 stripped branches now that I look. Also, the tree is more like 35 - 40 feet tall. I think it's 20 years old. I agree that it shouldn't hurt the tree too much, but I'm jsut wondering what I should do. Do I need to prune off all those branches? What a pain. I would definitely require a ladder or some tree climbing. Would you guys try to reduce the chances that the animal will do this to another 20 branches next time? If so how? Thanks.

Very observant floral_uk! That wire looks as if it was just recently installed to keep the branch from leaning out too much. It's going to girdle the branch and kill from that point on. The 'tree' appears to be a branch of a birch tree planted way too close to the house. I'd just leave it be until it falls away from the house when it gets larger. It will begin to lean more and more until it's removed. Ice won't do it in ken, the OP is in Phoenix. Around here aphids chew on the leaves causing a sticky soot mold on everything under it, cars, windows, and other plants. I had no idea a birch could survive in Phoenix. I've never seen one there. Mike...Birchless in Seattle

My two do bark, my response is to bring them in when they do. I did work with them and the two separate neighbours dogs to be out together and not bark. When its late or early I don't want them making noise but if others are out ie people talking or car doors slamming they will bark at this I of course feel bad, I stop the barking immediately. Unlike the neighbour who runs his loud truck for 15 to 20 min to warm up then roar up the street when he finally does leave at 6 in the morning. Their are lots of neighbours with dogs around here at any given time someone is barking. When they are all out its can be like a chain reaction. The first dog sees someone out for a walk and barks and so on down the bock until the walker is out of site. When the school buses go by from three to four there is a lot of barking. I think most are like me and try not to let barking continue. There are a few that completely ignore their barking dogs. One very yappy small dog around the corner temps me to visit the owner for a word, but I remind myself to be neighbourly cause I'm sure there is something I may do that annoys someone give and take keep the peace. My newest neighbours beside me have a trampoline, and above ground pool in their yard and three or is it four children loads of friends and no supervision other then a parent yelling out the window. It is going to be an interesting summer the dogs react to the screams and hollers and lots of crying, and them jumping being seen over the fence. and their two dogs, one who barks non stop when in the yard. I refuse to keep my dogs in all the time because their family or dogs are outside at all hours of the day. I'm going to be in my yard gardening and being with my dogs and sometimes the dogs are going to be out without me, and running them in and out constantly is not going to work. All I can do is work with mine not to bark but, on the other end why should I have to listen to screams and crying and kid hollering non stop either?

Heart rot is absolutely associated with those bracket fungi, which are the warning flag that the fungal organism is feeding on the non-living heart wood of your tree. Another certainty is that the fungus needs an opening in the bark to enter the body of the tree. These openings can be caused by insects, animal chewing on the bark, birds, branch breakage, and very commonly us. Poor pruning practices are an important cause of entry wounds. Maintain a healthy tree and it will live longer for you.