Tackling The Veterinary Terminology: Prefixes (osteo-)

Remember the Spelling Bee? Big words are easier to tackle when you understand how they're put together. Veterinary terms are composed in the same way. Just like with other words, the main parts of a veterinary term are a prefix, a root, and a suffix. The difference is that they typically come more directly from Greek or Latin.

A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word to modify its meaning by providing additional information. It usually indicates number, location, time, or status.

osteo- [ˈɒstɪə] - from Greek - bone, related to bones


Another nice and straightforward one. When you hear this prefix, your veterinarian is talking about your dog's bone(s).

The most well known, and sadly, one of the most common diseases many dogs suffer from, is osteoarthritis. This condition is a degenerative condition of bones AND cartilage in the joints.

Osteopathy is any disease affecting bones. Osteotomy is a surgical procedure involving cutting of the bones, such as common knee surgeries like TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) or TTO (Triple Tibial Osteotomy).

Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) is a disease of the cartilage in the joints. Osteoporosis stands for porous bones, meaning bones with decreased density. Osteosarcoma (OSA) stands for most common bone cancer in dogs.

There are many more examples, but you get the picture.

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Related articles:
Veterinary Suffixes (-itis)
Veterinary Suffixes (-oma) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-pathy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-osis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-iasis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-tomy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-ectomy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-scopy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-emia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-penia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-rrhea) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-cyte) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-blast) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-opsy)
Veterinary Suffixes (-ac/-al)

Veterinary Prefixes (hyper-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (hypo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (pyo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myelo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (spondylo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (cardio-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (cervic-)

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Kolchak And Kennel Cough

by Jodi Chick, Kol's Notes

Looking back, I wish I had just trusted my gut.

You know that feeling? The one in the pit of your stomach that tells you something just isn't quite right? Why do we ignore it? Maybe if I had listened to the twinge of uncertainty, my puppy never would have gotten so sick.

It all started on a hot summer day.

Excited that our 16 week old puggle puppy, Kolchak, had his final puppy shots and the all clear from our vet to hit the town, we headed the dog park for a romp in the dog pond. We knew he wasn't feeling 100%. A few days earlier, he'd had been vaccinated for a host of canine illnesses: Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvo, Parainfluenza, Giardia, and Bordetella (Kennel Cough).

Since then, he'd been a little subdued, something our vet attributed to the hot weather and the vaccinations.

The vet assured us we had nothing to worry about. 

It never even crossed our mind really. We thought that maybe an afternoon of water and fun would bring back that fun, crazy puggle puppy we were already head over heels in love with. As Kol bounced across the park to play, he suddenly sat down and started coughing. HARD.

We bundled him up and headed back to the vet.

The vet gave him a quick once over, chuckled at how new pet owners tend to over-react and sent us home. Kolchak was just “puggy”, he said and that cough was perfectly normal for a brachycephalic breed. I felt silly – and relieved. My puppy was fine. He said he'd give him a Kennel Cough booster “just in case” and sent us off. We went home and settled into life as new puppy owners: puppy proofing, hiding our shoes and bandaging our well-nipped fingers and toes.

Three weeks later, that cough surfaced again, this time at puppy class.

Kolchak was back to his normal, bouncy self and we had started an obedience class in hopes of curbing some of his puppy antics. Every class started with some playtime and we loved watching him chase the other dogs. When he stopped playing to have what sounded to us like an asthma attack, I was crushed. Our instructor was concerned and suggested we leave class and get Kolchak checked out by the vet.

I felt a little sheepish bringing him in after the vet had already told us twice that he was just fine, but I trusted our instructor and she had scads more experience than I did. The vet listened to my story, listened with his stethoscope, snarfed something up his nose and sent us on our way. We had nothing to worry about.

But something was bothering me. 

In the pit of my stomach, I felt like something was just off, but our vet had to know better than me, right? I mean, this was his job. Of course he'd tell me if my puppy was sick? We brushed it off and I resolved to be less of a worry wart.

Over the next few weeks, that cough kept turning up.

Not every day. Not even often – when he exerted himself; when we were out being active; and when he pulled against the leash. I used to give him a stern lecture about leash pulling and how he was “choking himself, silly puppy”.

Over five months, we went to the vet six times. 

Four times, our vet gave Kolchak Bordetella booster to help “ease my fears”. Each time I left $100 poorer and feeling very silly.

But when Kolchak started to get “weepy eyes” that I had to wipe clean multiple times a day, that gut feeling that something wasn't right just wouldn't go away. We went back to the vet, who I could tell was losing patience with me.

Not to be denied this time, I insisted something was wrong. 

The vet wrote a prescription to “help take care of that cough” and diagnosed Kolchak with blocked tear ducts, recommending a pricey surgery to open them up.

We were confident that we would finally get our puppy well again.

We were excited about a surgery, but we were ecstatic that with this new medication, the cough stopped. He was healthy! We stopped worrying and started enjoying him. He was settling down into a calmer puppy that napped, relaxed on the couch and didn't run 24/7.

Until one day, about 6 months after that first coughing fit, he refused his breakfast and then his lunch. 

He half-heartedly licked at his dinner and I knew something was wrong. Kolchak has always be intimately involved with his food. This is a dog that once barked at the credenza in the dining room for three hours because a single kibble had fallen behind it!

Given a treat he loved, he'd run around the room throwing it in the air and rolling on it before gobbling it up. He had never refused food before and certainly not three meals in a row. He wasn't coughing, but he seemed short of breath and his nose was weeping, just like his eyes did.

Despite the fact that it was a Saturday night and the nearest ER vet was 25 minutes away, we packed him into the car.

I just knew he was sick.

We told the ER vet everything we knew about Kolchak's mystery illness. We showed her the medication he took and a video of his “coughing fits”.

She told us that our dog had Kennel Cough.

He had Kennel Cough and as far as she could tell, he'd had a very long time. (The video was from his second or third coughing fit, months ago.)  The medication our vet had prescribed wasn't an antibiotic, like I thought it was. He had actually prescribed cough suppressant that had likely made the illness worse!

While it's annoying, coughing serves an important bodily function of trying to expel the bacteria & secretions from your body. 

This illness had gone so long unchecked that ER vet felt it had developed into something worse. Our puppy was very, very sick. I hated subjecting him to anesthetic in that condition, but we needed to know what was wrong, in order to fix it. We did a tracheal wash to get a bacteria culture, lung x-rays to rule out a foreign object as a cause of the infection, an airway endoscopy and a blood gas analysis to determine his oxygenation levels.

The diagnosis? Chronic Bronchitis.

Watching my puppy go through all this broke my heart.

He was sick and I could have prevented it. He didn't have to go through this. If I had trusted my gut, I could have saved my dog a lot of heartache. My little guy needed IV electrolytes and antibiotics before we were allowed to take him home, promising to keep him hydrated with an electrolyte solution and feeding using a nutrient paste. We ran a humidifier with an herbal remedy in it around the clock and I took a lot of time of work, unwilling to leave him alone for even a few hours at a time, terrified that something bad could happen.

We were incredibly grateful when we saw him start to get better.

We had to attack the underlying respiratory infection with 4 different antibiotics over 50 days!

Combined with steroids, the cough slowly disappeared, though the meds made me very nervous. We sought a holistic vet to help detox his system from these harsh, but necessary drugs.

As he started to feel better and our crazy puppy returned, I realized just how sick he had been. 

What we thought was him growing up and settling down was really him showing us that he was very ill. How could we have been so blind?

A lasting reminder to trust my gut.

Worse than the all the tests and the weeks of treatment, Kolchak will always bear a permanent reminder of his illness and my failure to protect him: the months of coughing has left him with scar tissue covering a portion of his lungs and chronic bronchitis.

It doesn't much affect his day to day life, but it means we have to be careful. In the extreme cold or hot, we stay home and limit his time outdoors. We walk the fine line between good exercise and over exertion or he has breathing attacks that break my heart.

Hot, dry summer weather especially seems to irritate his lungs, so we have an air conditioner. Our friends think we're kidding when we say we run the AC 24/7 for the dog's sake, but it's the truth. Living in damp Vancouver, we're vigilant about controlling molds in our basement, as even a small spot of mold in a window frame is enough to irritate his lungs and set him off on a coughing jag.

Dusting and vacuuming are frequent chores and we wash all of our bedding and the dog bedding at least once a week. We use natural cleaning products and other household items because chemicals can irritate his breathing. It's a lot of work, but he's worth it. Thanks to our household management and our amazing holistic vet, these days, we're surprised if we hear him cough more than once a month. Some months, he doesn't cough at all.

I never want one of my dogs to be sick again.

At least not with an illness I could have prevented by being a better educated pet owner.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have known that giving my dog 4 bordetella vaccinations in 6 month was crazy and dangerous. I would have known that a cough suppressant wasn't a cure, it was a band aid to hide the problem.

The gift that Kolchak's illness gave us was knowledge and a thirst to learn more.  

I want to be an educated owner and the paths this has led me down: canine nutrition, naturopathy & holistic health have forever changed the way we treat our dogs – and our whole family. If I had known then what I know now, this all could have ended very differently.

I knew one thing all along though – trust your gut.

***

Kolchak is the driving force behind Kol's Notes blog; one dog's blog about good food, good friends and good life.

You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook.

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Adoption Monday: Simon, Retriever Mix: Deerfield, NH

Check out this adorable boy at Mary's Dogs Rescue & Adoption!

Simon says: he's looking for a family just in time for summer! 

This very handsome, 4 month old pup is sweet, loving, and playful. 

He has your typical puppy energy and enthusiasm to learn all that will make him the best member of your family. Simon requests rides in the car, trips to the park, toys to fetch, and maybe even giving swimming a try!

Simon says: give us a call. 


Want more info on Simon? Call Mary's Dogs: 603.370.7750 or send along an email: marysdogsrescue@gmail.com

Ready to bring Simon home? Tell us about yourself and your interest in Simon in the adoption questionnaire. Check out all the wonderful dogs on Mary's Dogs Facebook Fan Page.

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Mary’s Dogs rescues and re-homes dogs and puppies from Aiken County Animal Shelter, a high-kill shelter in South Carolina, USA. They also serve as a resource to communities in Southern New Hampshire and pet owners nationwide by providing education and information on responsible pet ownership, including the importance of spay/neuter, positive behavior training, and good nutrition.

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Primer On Papillomas

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Dr. Becker is the resident proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian of HealthyPets.Mercola.com. 

You can learn holistic ways of preventing illness in your pets by subscribing to MercolaHealthyPets.com, an online resource for animal lovers. For more pet care tips, subscribe for FREE to Mercola Healthy Pet Newsletter.

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The Gross Factor: When A Dog Vomits In Your Hands

by Kimberly Gauthier, Keep the Tail Wagging

What is the measure of the gross factor?

If you really take the time to think about what we do on a daily basis, living creatures are gross. We’re pretty gross. Dogs are gross and don’t care. While I’m burying my farts in the sofa, Sydney and Rodrigo are having a Fart Off during their afternoon nap. We spend $4.50 on a bottle of air freshener and our dogs stick their noses in dog poo, because they’re curious to know who walked by today. And have you been in a ladies restroom recently? Wow!

The point is that there are so many things humans do that make me cringe, but when our dogs do it, I don’t bat an eye.

The other day the dogs were napping after a morning of running, playing and exploring (we live on 5 acres, surrounded by wooded areas). Blue sat up and started the dry heaving – I jumped into action, grabbing as many tissues as possible ... only to end up with vomit in my hands; a lot of it.

I saved the carpet though!

When Your Dog Vomits

Part of me recognizes that this is gross, but I don’t take the time to dwell on it, because I have mental work to do. Whenever one of our dogs vomits I…

• Make sure they’re okay – is it over, is there more coming, are they comfortable? Are they behaving listless or do they seem to be in pain?
• Check the vomit – yep, grossssss; but I have to check the vomit for blood or foreign objects.
• If there’s blood – what color is it?  If it’s bright red, then they probably broke a vessel during the heaving; if it’s dark, then something may be wrong.
• If there’s a foreign object – what is it? Rodrigo likes to swallow the squeaker from toys – we take them out before he gets a toy, but we’ve missed one.
• What did they eat recently? – Sydney tosses her cookies after eating raw bones, so she doesn’t get raw bones.
• What time is it? – Is the veterinarian’s office still open?

Our veterinarian trained me well; she’ll ask all of these questions when I call so I get prepared.

Over the past three years, we learned that sometimes dogs vomit. Blue was fine moments after clearing his stomach contents in my hands and once we confirmed this we had our gross out moment as I washed my hands then chased my boyfriend around the house screaming “I love you, I want to touch you!!!”

Why Dogs Vomit

Dogs vomit (or regurgitate food – food hasn’t reached the stomach yet) for various reasons:

• eating something that’s indigestible (Sydney has trouble with raw bones)
• over eating or eating too fast (this happens with Blue when he drinks water too fast)
• exercising / playing too soon after eating
• motion sickness (we give our dogs doggy frozen yogurt after a trip to soothe their tummies)
• stress

Is it Serious when a Dog Vomits

It can be serious, which is why I go through the mental routing I shared above. If our dogs vomit once and then they’re fine, I don’t worry about it. But if it’s ongoing, it could be a symptom of something more serious and it’s time for a visit with the veterinarian. 

The one thing I’ve learned not to do is to diagnose by Google. I do research for my own blog, but I try and stay away from the Internet when we’re in the midst of health drama with our dogs, because every search freaks me out.

What’s the grosses thing your dog has done recently?

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Kimberly Gauthier is The Fur Mom behind Keep the Tail Wagging.  She shares everything she’s learning as a dog mom in a multi-dog household.  Kimberly lives with three dogs (Rodrigo, Sydney and Blue) and two tolerant cats (Jaffrey and Cosmo).  She and her boyfriend live with their pack in the Pacific Northwest. You can also connect with Kimberly on Twitter or Facebook.



Related articles:
Vomiting in Dogs: Is He Actually Vomiting?
Causes of Vomiting in Dogs
What’s In the Vomit?

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Veterinary Highlights: Dr. Buzby's ToeGrips for Dogs

I already do have an article about Dr. Buzby's ToeGrips for dogs, written by Dr. Buzby herself, but I wanted to highlight it again.

Starting with her ACL injuries, followed by various mobility and strength challenges Jasmine had dealt with, it became clear how crucial sufficient traction can be.

I had reviewed and considered various products available out there, be it booties or self-adhesive traction pads. One issue I had with all these things was that I felt they interfere with the dog's sense of touch. Dogs' use their paw pads to read the terrain. It was not something I wanted to mess with.

Then I came across Dr. Buzby's ToeGrips for dogs.

It immediately made sense to me.

At home, we dealt with the traction challenge by covering all the floors with carpets and rugs. After her drug-induced hyperthermia, Jasmine was struggling with severe mobility and strength challenges. There were only couple inches of bare floor left in the whole house. I can tell you that Jasmine was able to find it and slip on it.

Having something that would have been available to provide reliable, constant support, would have been a true blessing.

Having the house slip-proof, the main challenge that remained was ice. I asked Dr. Buzby whether the ToeGrips could be helpful with that. At the time, there was no evidence that this should work. Recently, however, one of her clients had tried it under those conditions and it worked really well for them.

I was very excited to try that for Jasmine, as ice was a big concern.

Unfortunately, Jasmine didn't get to try them any more. I gave her ToeGrips to her physical therapy vet, so he can try them for one of his other patients. I hope I'll get to find out how it worked from them.

How do ToeGrips work?

The ToeGrips use dogs' natural bio-mechanics by providing traction through their toenails. Pretty clever, if you ask me. They are made from natural nonslip material that grips the floor in a way the dog's toenails cannot.



If your dog struggles on slippery surfaces, for whatever reason, why not give this a try?


Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored in any way, I simply believe that this is a great product.

***

Related articles:
New Solution To An Old Problem For Dogs With Mobility Issues

Read More

Veterinarians And Vaccines: A Slow Learning Curve

by Nancy Kay, DVM 

Am I feeling frustrated and disappointed? 

You bet I am after reading an article titled, “Vets Slowly Move to 3-Year Vaccine Protocols” in the most recent edition of Veterinary Practice News.

According to the article, approximately 60 percent of veterinarians continue to over-vaccinate their adult canine patients by administering “core” vaccinations annually. 

This in spite of the fact that, for a decade now, it has been public knowledge that these vaccines provide a minimum of three year’s worth of protection.

Current canine guidelines recommend that adult dogs be vaccinated against distemper, parvovirus and adenovirus no more than once every three years. 

Bear in mind, these are not rules or regulations (although I wish they were) they are simply guidelines. With the exception of rabies (mandated by state governments) veterinarians can vaccinate as often as they please.

The risks of over-vaccinating

What’s the downside to your pets receiving three-year vaccines once every year? My concerns extend far beyond wasting your money. (Please pause for a moment while I step up on my soapbox!) Vaccinations are so much more than simple shots. They truly qualify as medical procedures because each and every inoculation is associated with potential risks and benefits. While adverse vaccine reactions are infrequent and most are mild, every once in awhile a vaccine reaction becomes life threatening. As with any medical procedure, it is only logical to administer a vaccination if the potential benefits outweigh the risks. Giving a three-year vaccine once a year defies this logic in that the patient is exposed to all the risk of the procedure with absolutely no potential benefit. How in the world does this make sense?!

Why some vets continue to over-vaccinate

According to the Veterinary Practice News article, there are two reasons why approximately half of veterinarians continue to over-vaccinate. First, they believe as I do in the importance of annual health visits. They also believe that the lure of a vaccine is the only way to convince their clients of the need for a yearly exam, and for good reason. In 2011, the “Bayer Veterinary Care Usage Study” documented that many people continue to believe that vaccinations are the only reason to bring their overtly healthy pet in for a veterinary visit.

The second explanation provided for over-vaccinating is that veterinarians don’t want to interrupt the revenue stream derived from annual inoculations. Despicable, in my book!

A possible third explanation is that some veterinarians remain unaware of current vaccination guidelines. If so, they must be living under a rock and begs the question, why would you want such an “outdated” individual caring for your pet’s health?

What you can do

Okay, now that I’ve ranted and raved a wee bit, I invite you to join me on my soapbox! Here are some things you can do to prevent over-vaccination.

• Stand your ground! If your vet insists on administrating core vaccinations to your adult pets every year, share a copy of current canine guidelines. You may need to agree to disagree and/or find yourself a more progressive veterinarian. Remember, you are your pet’s medical advocate and you have the final say so!
  
• Bring your pets in for a yearly checkup, whether or not vaccinations are due. I cannot overstate the importance of an annual physical examination for pets of all ages. It’s a no brainer that the earlier diseases are detected, the better the outcome. The annual visit also provides a time to talk with your vet about nutrition, behavioral issues, parasite control, and anything else that warrants veterinary advice. Enough people bringing their pets in for annual wellness exams may convince more veterinarians to revise their vaccine protocols in accordance with current guidelines.
  
• Spread the word by sharing the information in this blog post with your pet loving friends and family members.

To learn more about vaccinations, I encourage you to read “The Vaccination Conundrum” in Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life.

How frequently are your adult pets receiving their core vaccinations?

***

DR. NANCY KAY wanted to become a veterinarian for just about as long as she can remember. Her veterinary degree is from Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, and she completed her residency training in small animal internal medicine at the University of California—Davis Veterinary School.

Dr. Kay is a board certified specialist in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and published in several professional journals and textbooks. She lectures professionally to regional and national audiences, and one of her favorite lecture topics is communication between veterinarians and their clients.   Since the release of her book, Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life, Dr. Kay has lectured extensively and written numerous magazine articles on the topic of medical advocacy.  She was a featured guest on the popular National Public Radio show, Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

Dr. Kay is a staff internist at VCA Animal Care Center, a 24-hour emergency/specialty care center in Rohnert Park, California. As a way of providing emotional support for people with sick four-legged family members, Dr. Kay founded and helps facilitate the VCA Animal Care Center Client Support Group.  She also facilitates client communication rounds for VCA Animal Care Center employees.

Dr. Kay was selected by the American Animal Hospital Association to receive the 2009 Hill’s Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award.  This award is given annually to a veterinarian or nonveterinarian who has advanced animal welfare through extraordinary service or by furthering humane principles, education, and understanding.  The Dog Writers Association of America selected Dr. Kay for two awards.  The first was the 2009 Eukanuba Canine Health Award recognizing Speaking for Spot as the publication that best promotes the health and well being of dogs. The second award was for the Best Blog of 2009 (www.speakingforspot.com/blog).

Dr. Kay’s personal life revolves around her husband (also a veterinarian), her three children (none of whom aspire to be veterinarians) and their menagerie of four-legged family members. When she’s not writing, she spends her spare moments in the garden or riding along the beach atop her favorite horse. Dr. Kay and her family reside in Sebastopol, California.

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Tackling The Veterinary Terminology: Prefixes (cervic-)

Remember the Spelling Bee? Big words are easier to tackle when you understand how they're put together. Veterinary terms are composed in the same way. Just like with other words, the main parts of a veterinary term are a prefix, a root, and a suffix. The difference is that they typically come more directly from Greek or Latin.

A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word to modify its meaning by providing additional information. It usually indicates number, location, time, or status.

cervic- [ˈsər-vi-k] - from Latin - neck, pertaining to the neck, also uterine cervix

It seems kind of confusing as these things are at the opposite ends of the body, with different functions, doesn't it? 

As it happens, the word is merely descriptive of the shape. That's why it means either the neck itself, or the narrow neck-like passage forming the lower end of the uterus. Of course, we are much smarter now and I'm sure we would have come up with much better names. But it was named a long time ago and it is what it is.

So how do you know which one is your vet talking about?

I bet you even money that most of the time they're indeed talking about the actual neck.

An example? Cervical spondylomyelopathy, also known as the Wobbler syndrome.

Jasmine's spinal problems were also focused at her neck, the rest of her spine was actually about as fit as a fiddle. Her file contained terms such as cervical osteopathy and cervical spondylosis deformants. Which really meant that her cervical spine was not doing great.

Image caninechiro.com

Btw, if you noticed that vertebrae are marked with numbers following a letter, the letter identifies the part of the spine. C = cervical, T = thoracic, L = lumbar

***

Related articles:
Veterinary Suffixes (-itis)
Veterinary Suffixes (-oma) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-pathy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-osis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-iasis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-tomy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-ectomy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-scopy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-emia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-penia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-rrhea) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-cyte) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-blast) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-opsy)
Veterinary Suffixes (-ac/-al)

Veterinary Prefixes (hyper-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (hypo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (pyo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myelo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (spondylo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (cardio-)

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Treatments Jasmine Benefited From The Most

We miss Jasmine painfully. She has become not only an integral part of our lives, but part of ourselves.

Objectively, considering the hand she's been dealt, it is nothing short of a miracle that she's been with us as long as she has, with the quality of life she got to enjoy.

Jasmine and her best buddy. It was a love at first sight.

We always pulled out all the stops and used everything that's been available to help her body deal with all the challenges it's faced.

Which treatments did she benefit from the most?

Of course, there were a number of surgeries. All very important, some of them life-saving. A surgery is an invasive but effective, and sometimes the only way, of dealing with some health problems. The decision to subject your dog to surgery cannot be made lightly, but one shouldn't refuse a surgery just because it is a surgery.

It is important to evaluate the situation, the options and predicted outcomes, and if surgery has the most benefit to offer, then it is the thing to do.

Then there are drugs. A drug treatment is sometimes the only option. Drugs, however, are a sharp, double-edged sword.

My granny used to say that once you start going to doctors, it is the beginning of your end. What she really meant by that was that once you start taking drugs, more drugs are needed to deal with the mess the first ones made, then more drugs to take care of the fallout of those .... and so on. She was a good example too. Eventually, she was taking so many different medications that he body was unable to deal with all that and the only treatment was taking her off all drugs.

For Jasmine, drugs were generally bad news. 

When she was put on NSAIDs, it almost killed her. When she was given a buprenorphine injection, it almost killed her. In her last months, it appears that morphine, which was supposed to be her friend, turned on her too, and somehow played a significant role in the final crisis.

Steroids? Well, I was avoiding steroids for Jasmine for 9.5 years. Perhaps deep down I always knew they were going to be a bad news for her. With her neck events, though, she needed an immediate and aggressive treatment, and that meant prednisone. And it was a good decision under the circumstances. But I do believe that the steroids did contribute to the way things played out at the end as well.

Getting used to life jackets. We're going boating! How do I look in red?

Antibiotics, such as metronidazole and amoxil, were good friends to Jasmine. We always used them discriminately, only when it was really necessary, and I don't believe that Jasmine's resistant infection was something that we brewed. The strain was resistant to antibiotics Jasmine never came anywhere near of. As it seems, she already caught it as it were.

We never refused pain management for her, but I have to say that we never observed a significant benefit of the pain drugs, with perhaps the exception of codeine.

The treatments Jasmine benefited from the most are those often considered non-conventional or alternative.

Stem cell treatments did her a world of good. 

We were very happy that we decided to go down that path. We really wanted to do IV stem cells for her neck problems as well. Unfortunately, between waiting for her to be off steroids long enough, and following active infection, we were unable to include this any more.

We believe that stem cells, acupuncture, physical therapy, hydrotherapy, chiropractic and laser therapy, along with nutritional support, were the things that took Jasmine as far as she made it. 

These were the tools we never hesitated using and never regretted doing so.

Given a choice, these were and always will be the treatments at the top of our list.

***

Related articles:
Treatments Jasmine Benefited From The Most 
Memories Of Jasmine: Remix 4 
Memories Of Jasmine: Remix 3
Making The Last Decision
Memories Of Jasmine: Remix 2
Memories Of Jasmine: Remix 1
Jasmine's Last Happy Days Before The Final Crisis
The Last Act Of Love: Run Free, Jasmine
Pain, Reaction To Narcotics Or Something Else? Please Pray For Jasmine
It Just Keeps Piling Up 
I Always Thought That A UTI Would Scream It's Presence
Taking A Break From Orthopedic Issues To Deal With Inappetence, Diarrhea And Listlessness That Come And Go 
Positive Update, Though Little Clarity
Jasmine's Neck Setback Update  
Jasmine's Neck Setback  
Elbow Problem Or Root Signature? 
Back To Where We Were Last May?
Jasmine's Disc Injury: Spanking New Ramp  
Jasmine's Disc Injury: The Parole Hearing
Jasmine's Disc Injury: Mom, Why Can't I Go For A Walk?
Jasmine's Disc Injury(?) Day Three 
Jasmine's Disc Injury(?) Day Two 
A Time Bomb Ought To Go Off At Some Point, I Guess: Jasmine's Neck
OK, I Am A Sucker: We're Going Through With The SLIT 
Jasmine's Episodes: Back To The Allergies Dilemma 
This Is What Jasmine's Episode Looks Like
Gotta Try Everything Once (Or Twice): On The Quest To Figure Out Jasmine's Episodes 
Thundershirt vs. Jasmine's Episodes
Jasmine's Mysterious Swelling And Another Experience With VetLiveThe Diagnosis Is In: Jasmine Has An Interdigital Cyst
Jasmine's Mysterious Swelling And Interdigital Cyst Update  
Is Crawling Under Things Some Kind Of Secret Physical Therapy?  
Is There No Place Safe? Jasmine's Acupuncture Session
Senior Sensory Systems Function: Zero Defects  
It Looks Like A Keeper: Jasmine's New Integrative Vet 
Jasmine's Acute Lameness
Jasmine Doesn't Like "Doing Time"
Our Of Jail Free Pass
When It's Looks Too Good To Be True … The Lameness Returns
The Day Of The Treatment
First Time For Everything: A Healing Crisis(?)  
From Zero To Sixty In Four Days: Stem Cells At Work
The Calm After The Storm 
If It Was Easy, It Wouldn't Be Jasmine
Practicing What I Preach: Jasmine's Semi Annual Wellness Exam  
No Skimping On Oral Care 
I'm Still Standing! (Happy Birthday, Jasmine)
How Dogs Think (Well, Jasmine Anyway)
Jasmine is Vet-Stem's poster child!
Rant About Quality Of Life Versus Quantity, And Differential Diagnoses
Jasmine Is Headed For Her Next Stem Cell Treatment
Jasmine's Stem Cells Are In
Arthritis? What Arthritis? 
Guess Who Is An Ever-Ready Bunny And Really Liking The Bit Of Snow We Got? 
Don't Knock It Until You Tried It: Animal Chiropractic 
Jasmine's Fur Analysis
Back At Chiropractic Care 
Our Own Emergency Vet Horror (Part I)
Our Own Emergency Vet Horror (Part II) 
How The Oddysey Started: Jasmine's ACL Injury
Meet Jasmine

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Adoption Monday: Annie, Border Collie/Australian Shepherd Mix: Deerfield, NH

Check out this lovely girl at Mary's Dogs Rescue & Adoption!

Annie is a fabulous girl who is 35 pounds and 6-8 years old. 

With her age comes beauty as well as great behavior. 

At this point in my life Annie has learned the things most folks want a dog to know. She has learned that people are fabulous. She is attentive to them and loves when they give her attention.

She has learned that other dogs are great and when other dogs are not being kind that she can just ignore them and all will be well. She also knows that if she rides nicely in a car then she will get to come along.

If you are looking for a super sweet good girl who would love to accompany you on errands, then give Mary's Dogs a call or shoot them an email.

Annie.is house trained, spayed and up-to-date with routine shots.

Want more info on Annie? Call Mary's Dogs: 603.370.7750 or send along an email: marysdogsrescue@gmail.com

Ready to bring Annie home? Tell us about yourself and your interest in Annie in the adoption questionnaire. Check out all the wonderful dogs on Mary's Dogs Facebook Fan Page.

***

Mary’s Dogs rescues and re-homes dogs and puppies from Aiken County Animal Shelter, a high-kill shelter in South Carolina, USA. They also serve as a resource to communities in Southern New Hampshire and pet owners nationwide by providing education and information on responsible pet ownership, including the importance of spay/neuter, positive behavior training, and good nutrition.

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Memories Of Jasmine: Remix 4

Jasmine also adored water. If there was a pond, a lake, a stream or a puddle, she had to be in it. Go around a muddy puddle? Come on, mom, what's the fun in that?

This place was a great find. 

It was an abandoned quarry. The resulting lake was spring-fed so the water was very clean. As it were, it unofficially became an official dog beach.



There were also a lot of trails around, as well as the river ran by. It was a great place to go swimming and for walks. Jasmine enjoyed many great outings to this place.

Jasmine was an awesome, strong swimmer and just loved it. 

She wasn't much into a game of fetch on dry land—got bored easily as there were more interesting things to do. Fetching in water, though, that was another story. She could keep doing it until she'd drop.

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Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART FIVE

by Dino Dogan

The issue of detachment, or is attachment the issue?

Dog professionals are detached from the process of dog training. This may sound like a bad thing or even an accusation, but as you will see, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Let me ask you a few question.

• Would you say that your behavior is at least slightly different at work then it is at home?
• Perhaps you are more in control of your emotions at work?
• Perhaps you are more hyper at work which causes you to veg-out in front of the TV when you get home?

Did you know that dog trainers are at work when they are trying to help you address your canine quandary?

Ok, so that was kind of a snarky remark, so let me back track a bit.

When I’m working with a client I MUST project confidence, high energy and intelligence.

• I MUST stay on my toes and be at my sharpest.
• I CAN NOT let emotions cloud my judgment,
• I MUST think in terms of the best possible outcome.
• I CANT take anything a dog (or the owner) does personally and to heart.
• I must “detach” myself from the process and assume a birds eye view of the situation, get the big picture and act in everyone’s best interest. After all, this is what I get paid to do.

Now let’s consider the way a typical owner approaches a walk or a training session or any situation involving his dog.

The dog owner may be quite capable of projecting confidence, high energy and intelligence while at work, but let’s face it, after he gets home who could muster enough energy to do all that just for that damn mutt?

Besides, the dog owner wants to relax when he's with his dog and “be himself”.

• He is too tired to think about the outcome,
• He is still thinking about that thing that happened at work, and that meeting he had with the client.
• He provides food and shelter for this dog, isn’t that enough?
• How dare he be disobedient, doesn’t he know what I go through to keep a roof over his head?
• Taking care of this dog feels like a job and I don’t even get paid for it…this sucks.

This time its personal

Everything a dog does -in the view of the dog owner- is personal.

The dog owner takes everything to heart and often reacts emotionally when facing a misbehaving canine. So let me say this again.

The extent of your success will depend directly on the extent to which you are able to replicate these attributes inherent in the nature of dog training profession.

I maintain that the extent of any dog owner’s success will depend directly on the extent to which a dog owner is able to replicate these invisible attributes possessed by dog trainers.

These attributes are inherent in the relationship between a dog, dog owner and dog trainer.

Dog trainers get paid to be calm, cool and collected.

I bet that you (the dog owner) would do much better with somebody else’s dog with which you have no emotional attachment all the while making money for doing it. Don’t you think?

How do we get past this? Here are few suggestions.

• Detach yourself from the outcome.
• Enjoy the process.
• Don’t expect perfection or blind obedience.
• Understand that your dog will perform only to the level to which you’ve met his (the dog’s) needs.
• Bring MORE to the table (confidence, energy, intelligence, knowledge, etc).
• Don’t take things personally, it’s just a dog.
• Would you be mad at a human baby for pooping his pants? So why are you mad at a dog for being a dog?

The issue of detachment is a subtle one. I hope I’ve been able to relate it in a useful fashion.

What did you take away from this chapter?

***

Dino Dogan is a blogger, writer, biker, dog trainer, singer/songwriter, Martial Artist. Dino is now busy with his DIY Blogger Net blog. He is also behind the great social media tool, Triberr. Hopefully one day he'll return to dog blogging. Meanwhile, you can connect with Dino on Twitter or Facebook.

Related articles:
Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART ONE
Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART TWO
Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART THREE
Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART FOUR

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Memories of Jasmine: Remix 3

This one doesn't need commenting. Just overload of cuteness, sweetness and happy times.

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Making The Last Decision

I am not going to get into how terribly hard making the last decision for your dog is. Words cannot describe it. Only those who had to have made such decision can truly appreciate that.

I am merely going to explain the criteria we considered when making the last decision for Jasmine, and really when making any medical decisions for her.

I was going to title this post Making The Ultimate Decision but then I have changed my mind. Why? Because you never know which decisions you make for your dog might in fact be ultimate. The only difference is that with the last one you KNOW it is the ultimate one. Often you can be making one without knowing it.

Example? When she's torn her knee ligament, we were deciding between conservative management, various surgeries and stem cell treatment. Had we gone with the original recommendation of the TPLO, Jasmine's other medical problems, such as her IBD would likely continue to go undiagnosed and Jasmine's life would have likely been quite shorter than it has been.

We did not know then, how crucial that decision actually was.

I believe that choosing the path we did gave Jasmine five more happy years she might not have had otherwise.

Ultimately, every decision you ever make for you dog, inevitably sets the course of the future events. 

The food you feed, the vaccines you give, the treatments you choose ... Even if the outcome of such decision can be mended, you are on a path you wouldn't have taken otherwise.

We have always made all decisions for Jasmine, medical or otherwise, only with her best interest in mind.

That part was easy. I KNEW I wanted to do what was best for her. Determining what that actually had often been a challenge. Only the outcome can validate your decisions and then, you still don't always know whether the outcome would have been better had you decided something else. And sometimes, even if the outcome is bad, it might have still been the best decision you could have made with the information you had at the time.

I can tell you I used to sweat every smallest decision I ever made for Jasmine.

I also believe that the decision of treating her neck event with steroids ultimately set the course for the series of events that followed. (I'll get into that in more detail in another post) However, there was no other choice. At the situation as it were, treating with steroids was the only choice that could have been made. Sometimes one has to deal with the biggest problem at hand and let the rest play out as it will.

The point I'm trying to make here is that all any decision might be of the ultimate importance, whether you realize it or not.

It's important not to make any of them lightly.

The main criteria we considered for all decisions on Jasmine's behalf were always about the same, with perhaps one exception.

There were situations when we would have considered her age as a criteria.

Example? She has torn her cruciate ligaments at the age of five. At that time, we have decided surgical repair(s) was the best course of action. Should that have happened recently, we would have likely opted for conservative management instead. Why? Considering her age and expected life span for her breed, we wouldn't have wanted her to spend half a year in rehabilitation from surgery. Rather, we would want a solution that would allow her to enjoy her life without interruptions, such as a brace.

For the final decision we made for her, though, we did not take her age into consideration. We based our decision on two criteria only.

Suffering versus prognosis

After her drug-induced hyperthermia, Jasmine was suffering at least as bad, if not worse than during her last days.

The situation was different, though. The prognosis was highly positive. We had all reasons to believe that, however great, her suffering was only temporary and she would recover and have her life back. So we decided to fight. I took a month, which to her must have felt like eternity, but she indeed recovered and pulling through the pain got her four more years of full life. It was certainly worth it, and I'm sure she'd agree.

This time, however, her suffering was great and the hope of her making it through all she's been facing was minimal.

The vet said we could hospitalize her, have on on IV and under sedation for 36 hours and see. When I repeatedly asked what the odds were he just wouldn't give me a number but it was clear that the odds were very slim. Jasmine wouldn't have wanted to spend her last 36 hours in the hospital just to be let go at the end anyway.

And even if she did make it through that biggest crisis, she still had the resistant infection to deal with, antibiotics that were taking their toll on her, stomach ulcer and liver that was now shot dealing with all that and not getting a break any time soon.

Her spirit was as bright as ever and wanted to live, her body was in agony.

Thursday afternoon I got hold of our animal communicator. Jasmine's suffering was great, but we knew that. We were told she wasn't quite ready to give up yet but was very close, very tired of fighting …

At that time we still hoped that getting her off all narcotics might turn things around for her.

By Friday morning it was clear that was not going to happen. We were expecting at least some improvement but things were getting worse instead.

I did try to get hold of the animal communicator once again but couldn't. We had a long talk with Jasmine's primary vet about her prognosis.

Her suffering by far outweighed her odds. That were the only two criteria we considered. Yes, she might have hung on for a little longer but to what end?

I wish there was something else we could have done which would have improved the odds. I would have cut off my arm if it was going to help her. I would have given anything to had been able to turn things around for her one more time.

Suffering versus odds. That was the only thing that really mattered.

Based on that, and only that, we did the last loving thing we could have done—set her spirit free from her ailing body.

Jasmine, we miss you!! All things were ever did, including the last one, were out of love for you!

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Memories Of Jasmine: Remix 2

This footage is very special to us, because it followed the first blow of medical disasters. Jasmine was five years old when her knee cruciate got torn, and it was at that time when for a horrid week we though the might have cancer when a mass in her abdomen was found. The mass turned out being from IBD. Arthritis was found all over her body.



Two knee surgeries, stem cell treatment, some serious dietary changes, and intensive rehabilitation, that was the first time when we brought her back to having a full life.

I was so exciting to have our puppy back after all that!

This photo was taken after her cruciate tear diagnosis, waiting for biopsy results.
We didn't know whether that was going to be her last happy photos.
She had five full and happy years after that.

That was our first major battle, which we won. We won many battles after that, except the last one, which couldn't have been won any more.

Baby, I so wish we could have brought you back just one more time!

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Common Raw Feeding Mistakes

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Dr. Becker is the resident proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian of HealthyPets.Mercola.com. 

You can learn holistic ways of preventing illness in your pets by subscribing to MercolaHealthyPets.com, an online resource for animal lovers. For more pet care tips, subscribe for FREE to Mercola Healthy Pet Newsletter.

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Memories Of Jasmine: Remix 1

I hope you can run at least as happy and free now, as you did then, baby.

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First Aid Can Save Lives

Courtesy of: 1800PetMeds.com

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Jasmine's Last Happy Days Before The Final Crisis

Friday to Monday, after she recovered from her bad reaction to anesthesia, and before the final crisis, Jasmine had got to have a few last happy days.

She wasn't well, but was well enough to enjoy the things she loved the most.

She got to go for some nice walks and spent a day at the farm, things she loved doing the most--spending time outside with her pack. She lived for her walks and outings. Nothing made her happier than that.



Her stomach was too upset to eat her meals but she still enjoyed her treats. She was so happy to be outside with all of us.

I did keep her on the leash for her safety, but because all the ice and crusty snow was gone, I let her go anywhere she wanted, just following her, not controlling where she could go and where she couldn't. When she fell like trotting, I ran with her, I wanted as little limitations for her as possible.

All I ever wanted was for her to be happy. I always did everything for that.

 

I will love you always, Jasmine.

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