Memories Of Jasmine: Camping

Jasmine loved her daily walks and hikes. Right from the start she taught me how important that was to her. So we did that, rain or shine. There was no excuse that would justify not going out.

What could there have been that was better than walks?



Camping!

WITH walks, of course.

When the bipeds started filling the kitchen with strange boxes and bags of all shapes and sizes, Jasmine was curious.

“Watcha guys doing? Are we redecorating?”

Then the truck got this big white house-like thing hooked up to it and all the boxes and bags got loaded into it.

Not redecorating, then. Feeding the white house-like thing.

We all got into the truck and went for a ride, taking the truck’s new friend along. For a long ride. For a very long ride. The furthest hiking trails were about an hour off and Jasmine knew the way. But we were going somewhere else and just kept driving. Did the bipeds forget where to go for a walk? Or were they trying to find a new place?

If they were looking for a place, though, they weren’t doing a very good job seeing them.

“Look, guys, there is a great looking stretch of woods right here! Guys! Don’t you see it? You missed it! Ok, never mind, there is another one over there. Guys? Are you not seeing it? How do you not see it?”

The bipeds must have lost their minds.

Finally they pulled over and everybody got out of the truck. It was an ok place but we passed some that looked much better. More importantly, we went for a short walk, got back into the truck and back on the road we were. But they weren’t going back to the den, they just kept going. Perhaps they realized that place wasn’t so great and went on looking for a better one? But yet again, they just kept passing them all. This started to get very frustrating. They just couldn’t tell a great hiking spot if their lives depended on it and wouldn't take an advice either.

Eventually Jasmine gave up on the bipeds making any sense and went to lay down.

After about an eternity of driving, finally they turned onto a rough, bumpy road. That was a good sign! Rough bumpy roads meant whatever fun place they were going to, we were there! Jasmine looked outside. There was a lake and a bunch of woods. Looked good!

The bipeds found a pretty good spot in the woods and parked. Finally we were there! 

To their credit, the place looked pretty awesome.

They pulled out the boxes and bags out of the white house-like thing. They put up couple of fabric domes. And while the furry biped was playing with those things, mom offered a walk. Upon further investigation the place really looked great. Ok, perhaps the long ride was worth it after all.

The biggest surprise came when it started to get dark and we weren’t going home! 

Instead, we had dinner and hung around in one of those dome-shaped things. Could it be that this was our new home? It surely looked that way, because we went to bed there too. Fantastic!

And time went on and we were staying in this great new place now! 

We got up in the morning and went for a walk to the beach. Then there was breakfast, we hung around a bit, checking out the critter smells and then went for a walk again. And that’s how the days went. Walks, splashing in the lake, perimeter patrols. The whole pack together all the time, doing all these fantastic things.

Life was good.

The dome-shaped things were quite good too. They provided shade, protection from rain and bugs, but you could see outside and all the sounds and smells could easily flow in. The ground was all sand, so one could adjust it to their liking.

***

Unfortunately, some time later, the bipeds loaded all the bags and boxes back into the white house-like thing and went for another long drive. Even worse, we ended up back at the den in the city. Jasmine could not understand how the bipeds could be so dumb. Finally they found this perfect place to live, why the heck did we go back to town?

Sometimes one just can’t even begin to try to understand the things bipeds do.

Fortunately, after the moon went across the sky certain amount of times, the kitchen started filling with the boxes and bags again!

***
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Veterinarians Answer: Heartworm Disease And Prevention

Do you think your dog might be at risk of contracting heartworm disease? Do you think it's something to worry about or not so much? Is your dog on preventative or do you think they don't need one?

I asked my veterinary friends.

Question: Have you been seeing heartworm positive dogs in your area? Do you feel that dog owners underestimate the seriousness of the issue?

***

Yes, we do see heartworm positive dogs in our area. 

Some of them are rescues coming up from the south but some are residents of Rhode Island.

I do feel that many owners underestimate the seriousness of this issue and I believe that internet sites that advise people that their dogs don't need heartworm or that the preventive medication is dangerous are a big part of the problem.

I believe it is irresponsible as a blogger or writer to be giving that type of advice.

—Dr. Lorie Huston, DVM, Rhode Island, Pet Health Care Gazette
    Dr. Lorie on Facebook and Twitter

***

Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes.  This means that heartworm disease is a regional issue which correlates to climate. When I lived in central Pennsylvania, I saw very few cases of heartworm disease.  I now live on the coast of South Carolina, where the locals joke that the mosquito is our state bird.  Unfortunately, our practice has seen 10 heartworm positive dogs this year.

A few of those dogs were from shelters, presumably not on preventative, but the rest were beloved companions, whose owners were sporadic in administering preventative, or had stopped giving it through the winter months.  Their owners, like most, underestimated the seriousness of the issue.

Treating heartworm disease is neither simple nor benign.  Treatment involves killing adult worms (which can be up to 14 inches long) residing in the dog’s heart and pulmonary arteries. It expensive for the client and painful for the dog, not to mention that the dog must be very strictly confined for one month following the final treatment.  Thankfully, prevention is simple, safe, and comparatively inexpensive!

—Dr. Julie Buzby, South Carolina, ToeGrips
    Dr. Julie on Facebook and on Twitter

***

I think that in light of the last few years of a struggling economy and many people being squeezed so tightly to try to make ends meet among a long list of demands from all sides that heartworm disease has become more prevalent.

I have spoken to many clients who have had to choose between "ideal care" for their pet which included flea & tick prevention, heartworm prevention, all recommended vaccines and high end food. For many of my clients their concerns about feeding their family and keeping a roof over their heads meant foregoing the recommendations of me, their veterinarian. I saw heartworm prevention sales decrease, and routine visits followed. I also saw an increase in advanced illness because many people took a "watch and wait approach" which in some cases caused more advanced, expensive, and more difficult to resolve diseases and illnesses.

Between the decrease in available funds for pets due to the economy and a false sense of safety about the prevalence and consequences of heartworm disease I have seen more dogs test positive for heartworm disease in the last few years.

I do think that many people do not understand how easily and unknowingly the disease is spread, how simply and economically it can be prevented, and the expense and danger treating this disease poses to their pet.

It seems that no matter how many times I tell clients about this potentially life threatening disease, the danger and expense of treating it, and the advances of modern medicine in being able to prevent it so effectively, I still see dogs that test positive.

One mention of advice (my hashtag is after all "FreePetAdvice), Please buy your heartworm prevention from your veterinarian. If you do your dog is protected by the heartworm manufacturers guarantee, IF you give it monthly (as prescribed). And please test your dog yearly. If your pet tests positive you need to know ASAP.

—Dr. Krista Magnifico, DVM, Pennsylvania,  Diary of a Real-Life Veterinarian,
    www.pawbly.com
    Dr. Krista on Twitter 

 ***

We saw three dogs with heart worm disease last year.

 I don't think that dog owners realize that the NY metro area is seeing an increase in heart worm disease due to a number of factors.

1. The natural spread of this parasite over the years
2. The importation of infected dogs by rescue groups tat mean well but don't test dogs before bringing them north
3. Potential resistant strains of the parasite emerging in the south.
4. Mild winters increasing the numbers of insect vectors

All dogs in endemic areas are at risk, even if they do not go out, as mosquitoes will come in. And cats are at ink as well, but that is another question for another time

—Dr. Keith Niesenbaum, VMD, New York, Crawford Dog and Cat Hospital
    Dr. Keith on Facebook and on Twitter

***

To first quote the OVMA website " How prevalent is heartworm in Ontario? Do I really need to worry about it in my pet?

The actual number of heartworm positive pets in Ontario varies from year to year.

While there is currently no system in place to track every case of heartworm in the province, a survey conducted in 2010 found that the number of dogs with heartworm in Ontario increased by 60% between 2002 and 2010.

Of the dogs that tested positive for heartworm in Canada, nine per cent of them were confirmed as having been imported from the Southern United States (Katrina dogs) and 12 per cent had been imported from other parts of the United States or other countries. Fifty-one per cent had never left their local area.

The take home message is that Ontario pets are vulnerable from a variety of sources, and prevention is the best approach."

Now the best information resource for this information is one's local veterinarian.

On the internet one can find opinions and information from around the world. The problem with parasites is; they behave differently depending on the local climate, and density of the hosts available to them.

Within my practice the risk of heartworm is measurably greater 10 miles away than outside my front door.  Go another 10 miles it increases again, and go 60 miles and the risk is now as close to 100 % as mother nature allows us to get.

Dog owners that have lost a dog to heartworm stay on top of testing and prevention. Those that have not been that unlucky may feel it is not a concern and under estimate the impact. The science and epidemiological information is there for heartworm, humans pay attention to things they feel are of importance to them and ignore those things they feel are not important.


—Dr. Rae Worden, DVM, Ontario,  Fergus Veterinary Hospital
    Dr. Rae on Facebook and Twitter

***

Most of my clients understand heartworms are bad news. 

They also understand there is easy monthly prevention. The only problem we ever get into is this business of "you can skip giving heartworm and flea prevention in the winter" that some clients have been raised with.

Almost invariably, that logic causes a gap in prevention that begins innocently enough as a plan to skip December, January and February. Yet somehow, it always seems that May rolls around, the snowmen are all melted, Christmas is long forgotten, the flowers are blooming, the dog is swarming with mosquitoes, crawling with fleas, and has no heartworm or flea prevention on board because the owner was so busy enjoying spring that he forgot to protect his furry loved ones. Then we get to spend the rest of the year fighting nasty fleas that could have been easily prevented, and worrying if Fido is growing heartworms inside until that six month post-exposure recheck heartworm test.

I realize prevention is a hassle, and can get expensive. The alternative is worse.

Train yourself to a habit of giving your dogs their monthly flea and heartworm stuff on the same day every month forever, and you'll prevent a world of hurt.

—Dr. Greg Magnusson, DVM (Leo's Daddy), Indiana, Leo's Pet Care
    Dr. Greg on Facebook and Twitter 

***

No, I have not been seeing (an increase in numbers of) heartworm positive dogs in my area of veterinary practice in southern California (Los Angeles).

There was only one occasion when I diagnosed a dog as being a positive in my seven years of SoCA practice.  This occurred in a dog that was brought to Los Angeles from Louisiana (where heartworm disease runs rampant) after being rescued from the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.

As our desert-adjacent climate is typically sees very little rain and is generally quite arid, the conditions that support the lifecycle of the mosquito are not as available as other parts of the country

Yet, such conditions do exist and mosquitoes can prosper.

Plus, wild populations of changes (coyotes, etc.) have been reported by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to carry heartworm disease and could be a vector for transmission into our domesticated companion canines (and other species).

 —Dr. Patrick Mahaney, Los Angeles, The Daily Vet
     Dr. Patrick on Facebook and Twitter 


***

No, we don't see it on our area. As for prevention in endemic areas, yes, owners to underestimate the issue.

Heartworm disease doesn't show itself until the dog is quite sick.

It is easy for owners to ignore prevention and most owners don't realize the seriousness of the disease and how risky it is to treat it once it is diagnosed. All those things lead owners to underestimate the disease.

—Dr. Karel Carnohan, British Columbia, Animal Nutrition and Wellness Services
    Dr. Karel and Facebook and Twitter

Did these answers change your mind regarding heartworm prevention?  

Related articles:
Don't Let Heartworm Become A Heartbreak! 
Reading About Heartworm Is One Thing; Watching A Dog Suffer Is Another
Veterinarians Answer: What Do You Consider The Biggest Breakthrough In Veterinary Medicine?
Veterinarians Answer: Vegan Diet For Dogs? 
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Veterinary Highlights: Study To Relieve Chronic Pain In Dogs

A study targeting effective treatment of chronic pain in dogs involving a University of Colorado researcher and a Lafayette veterinarian is being expanded to include dogs with joint disease.

The study employs gene therapy to normalize glial activity to stop neuropathic pain.

Image Tumblr r

Glial cells  are non-neural cells in the nervous system that provide support and electrical insulation between neurons. They also act as central nervous system regulators. They can also excite neurons that transmit pain signals and contribute to chronic neuropathic pain.

The study is testing the effect of Interleukin-10, an anti-inflammatory regulatory protein injections.

The therapy should normalize glial activity, stimulate tissue regeneration and growth, decrease production of pro-inflammatory substances and increase production of anti-inflammatory substances and eliminate pain.

Originally, the study was focused on treating pain from spinal issues. Including joint pain in the study allows larger pool of participating dogs.

Those interested in having their dogs participate in the study can contact Mountain Ridge Animal Hospital in Lafayette at 303-665-4852. 

***

Further reading:
CU-Boulder study on chronic pain in dogs is being expanded
CU-Boulder, vet hospital team up for clinical study to treat canine pain

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Why Does My Vet Want To Xray My Dog?

by Dr. Greg Magnusson, DVM

This post is going to be part science, part philosophy.

Xrays are one of a veterinarians primary diagnostic tools. 

Side view of a dog’s knee looking for evidence of cruciate ligament ACL tear

Especially with general practice veterinarians, besides our hands, our eyes and our ears, we mostly have blood tests, urine tests, and xrays to guide our diagnostic and therapeutic plans.

That’s why nine times out of ten, if you bring your sick pet to me, I’m going to recommend all three of blood tests, urine tests, and xrays right off the bat. We vets call that our “minimum database” of baseline diagnostic tests, ie: the very least we can do in most cases to come to a proper diagnosis.

If I were a dog, I’d hate having xrays done. 

Laying on a cold hard table, with strange people restraining all my limbs, mom and dad not allowed anywhere nearby, usually holding me in awkward positions, even on my back, and doing it in complete darkness? Nuh uh, I’m not at all surprised my patients hate having xrays taken! But what’s gotta be done, has gotta be done.

Which is why, taking xrays is about my least favorite thing. 

Not because it’s technically difficult, but because for the most part, my patients hate it. I’m so glad I have outstanding technicians who patiently, gently guide my patients through the xray process. The downside, of course, is that it takes at least two technicians to take xrays, which takes up a lot of my staff’s time.

What information can xrays of my dog give a veterinarian?

Like I enjoy telling my clients, xrays are great at taking pictures of bones, really lousy with soft tissues like muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Observe the knee xray above. A trained eye can distinguish between the femur at the top, the tibia/fibula on the bottom, and the kneecap floating around in the upper middle. Can I see the tissue that connects the kneecap to those bones? Not really. Can I see the cruciate ligament between the femur and the tibia? Nope. I can see a vacancy where there should be fluid, and I can see a little cotton ball looking thing that suggests fat around the ligament, called the “fat pad”, but I can’t see the ligament itself. Many times, veterinarians aren’t looking for the ‘thing’ itself on xrays, we’re looking for surrounding evidence of the ‘thing’.

In the case of a cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in a dog, then, I’m not looking for the ligament itself, I’m looking for inflammation within the joint that suggests, but does not conclusively prove, that the ligament might be injured.

Most of the time, reading xrays is part gut feeling, part anatomy training, part art form. 

That’s why many veterinarians send all their xrays to a radiologist for “interpretation”. Radiologists spend their whole career looking at these pictures and trying to infer usable conclusions from lines and shadows. It takes a lot of practice to do it correctly.

Why might my veterinarian recommend against taking xrays of my dog?

Now we’re getting into the philosophy component of this blog post.

There are basically two reasons to ever take an xray. Either to discover what might be causing your pet’s problem (diagnostic) or to direct a treatment plan (therapeutic).

The flip side?

If I don’t think I’ll see anything on an xray that will explain a pet’s symptoms, I may not recommend an xray.

If I don’t think taking an xray will change my therapeutic plan, I may not recommend an xray.

Many times, for instance, I will not recommend xrays on an old, arthritic dog to prove they have arthritis. What’s the point? To show you a picture of your poor dog’s painful joints? Either way, I’m going to recommend glucosamine for every old limping dog just because they’re old and limping. And if your dog is visibly in pain, I don’t care what the pictures look like, I’m going to listen to the dog and treat the pain.

On the other hand, if your dog is vomiting, I will take xrays, because my other two tests (blood and urine) will probably be useless. 

Visit our blog on vomiting to learn why that is.

Xrays are hard to take, hard to interpret, hard on the pet, hard on my people, time consuming, staff consuming, and generally a pain in my butt. 

Let alone the cost of the machinery, the time, effort and challenge involved is the primary reason vets charge so much to take xrays. Yet often, there is no other test that will so clearly define your pet’s problem, and direct your veterinarian’s medical or surgical plan as a well taken xray.

***


Reprinted with permission from Leo's Pet Care, 10598 N College Ave # 200, Indianapolis, IN 46280 | www.leospetcare.com | indianapolisvet@gmail.com

***

Greg Magnusson, DVM describes himself as Leo's daddy. Public educator, mender of wounded bodies, healer of troubled souls, veterinarian in Indianapolis at Leo's Pet Care - out to change the world for one little boy...
Contact Dr. Magnusson via his Leo's Pet Care Facebook Fan Page or @IndianapolisVet on twitter.


Articles by Dr. Magnusson:
What's In The Blood? Blood Testing And Interpretation  
Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Anal Glands 
What Causes Bladder Infections in Dogs?
Indianapolis Vet On The Nose Bleeds Nightmare  

Read More

Tackling The Veterinary Terminology: Prefixes (laryng-)

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.

laryng-/laryngo [luh RING goh] - from Greek - larynx, the voice box

The larynx is the box-like structure between the back of the mouth and throat that regulates the passage of air into and out of the trachea and allows vocalization.
Source: Dictionary of Veterinary Terms

Simply put, it controls the air flow and keeps the food out of the windpipe.




The scariest condition affecting the larynx is laryngeal paralysis. 

Laryngeal paralysis most commonly affects middle aged, to older large breed dogs. Usually for unknown reasons, the muscles that open the larynx begin to lose their ability to function normally. The larynx may be able to open partially or it may remain almost completely closed, in which case you’re dealing with a real emergency situation!

Noisy breathing is the first symptom of the disease that owners typically notice. 

Dogs may also be unable to exercise as they used to, tire easily, pant excessively, and the sound of their barks may change. As the condition worsens, or during times of stress or hot weather, breathing difficulties become more obvious.

To definitively diagnose laryngeal paralysis, a veterinarian has to watch the dog’s larynx move while he or she (the dog, not the veterinarian) breathes. 

This requires that the dog be lightly sedated. Mild cases of laryngeal paralysis can be treated with weight loss, medications that relieve anxiety, and modifying the dog’s environment and activity level (e.g., encouraging him or her to rest in a cool location).

Surgery is necessary for more severe cases. 

The most common type of surgery involves a procedure that permanently opens one side of the dog’s larynx. This greatly improves his or her ability to breathe, but also increases the chances that food or water will enter the windpipe and lungs, leading to aspiration pneumonia.

Image: Animal Surgical Clinic

Other common terms starting with this prefix you might encounter include laryngitis, inflammation of the larynx, and laryngospasm, which is pretty much self-explanatory.

Laryngoscope is an instrument that allows examination of the larynx, laryngoplasty is surgical repair of the larynx, and so on.

Finally, a note on a common mispronunciation… The name of the body part we’ve been talking about is “larynx” [lar INGKS] not “larnyx” [lar NIX]. Think about a guy named Larry writing in ink and you’ll get it right every time.

***

Related articles:
Jake's Laryngeal Paralysis

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-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (osteo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (fibro-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (broncho-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (hemo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (brady-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (tachy-)
Veterinary Prefixes (hepat-)
Veterinary Prefixes (gastr-)

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Jake's Laryngeal Paralysis

by  Krista Magnifico, DVM

Jake's mom showed up in tears. I had seen Jake a few months ago when they came charging into the clinic with Jake who was blue and suffocating. Jake is an older yellow Lab.

Jake suffers from a disease called laryngeal paralysis. 

This is most commonly seen in Labrador Retrievers and I see it more commonly in older Labs. It is a terrible and heart breaking disease. It lurks in the dog until without warning that one fateful day arrives.

On that day it attacks the dog’s ability to breathe.


The episodes are brought on by stress, but that stress can be in the form of excitement, fear, anxiety, or really anything. Most owners tell me that one moment their dog seems fine and the next split second they notice that their dog can’t breathe.

If you have ever felt like you are suffocating, or not been able to breathe, then you can identify. It is hell. It is torture.

These poor dogs arrive at the hospital with their head held straight forward, their eyes wide open (fear), and they will not move. They won’t walk, they won’t respond, they just stay completely frozen in fear.

Because when you can’t breathe you don’t care about ANYTHING!

They are an emergency from the first split second they arrive. We bring them immediately to the back treatment area and we give a whopping dose of intravenous valium. I want them sedated ASAP! I give sedation before I place an i.v. catheter. I give sedation before I get permission to give it. I give relief before I think about anything afterward. I sedated Jake with a large amount of valium, and then I went to talk to his moms’.

Within a minute Jake was sleeping and snoring.

Slowly snoring and he was pink again. I sighed with relief for everyone.

I explained to his mom that this disease was progressive and that over time the nerves that control Jake's vocal chords will continue to send fewer and fewer messages to the chords. So the chords open less and less. Over time he'll have to breathe through a narrower and narrower hole in his throat. And as that hole gets narrower the chords hit each other and then start to swell. It is a snowball effect.

The further the snowball rolls down the hill the bigger it gets and the more disastrous it is.  

Some lucky dogs start with a small snowflake and a long low grade hill, so they can live years without any real emergencies. Maybe one or two rough sounding panting episodes but no “I’m knocking on deaths door wearing cyanotic (blue) skin.” But the unlucky dogs have episodes more and more frequently triggered by more and more routine things. It becomes torture for everyone involved. The owners don’t want to bring their dogs anywhere, invite anyone over, go for walks, or play, etc. etc.

The only treatment for this condition is surgery. 

We sew one of the vocal chords to the wall of the trachea so that the hole is open enough to breathe comfortably and the chords can’t hit each other.

There are a lot of side effects to this surgery. 

Many dogs with this surgery aspirate. This happens because your throat is sewed open and sometimes you swallow food down the wrong pipe. The consequence of having food in your trachea is that is gets dumped in your lungs. Your lungs are only supposed to have air in them. Once you put fluid, or anything else down in them, they respond by getting inflamed and angry. And a whole new snowball starts forming. This snowball is pneumonia. You really need your lungs to be clear, calm, and only contain air.

After many months of small episodes of breathing difficulty Jake had another disastrous episode. 

His mom was here to talk about ending his suffering and putting him down.

She couldn’t bear watching him struggle and was afraid the next episode would be his last. She was petrified that he would die on his way to the emergency clinic and she would be helplessly watching.

I sat down next to her as she sobbed and told me how difficult this was for her. I listened to her tell me about the episodes getting worse and the frequency increasing.

I told her that I understood everything she was saying and that we had to do something for Jake.

I didn’t want him to die during one of these episodes but I knew it was just a matter of time, and probably much sooner than later. I then told her that I was really reluctant to talk to her about this, but we had just done our first tie back surgery a few weeks ago on a dog much like Jake. I told her that this dog was doing incredibly well and that the owner was delighted with the results. I also told her that I knew I was discussing it at a really sensitive time.

I have had this “hail Mary” conversation before with owners when they come into the hospital having made a decision to put their dog down and I offer another option. I have had a few clients start yelling at me. Accusing me of only offering an opinion to make money, or harm their dog, even though I know that I would never offer any opinion that I didn’t think was in the best interest of my patients. It is a sensitive stressful time and there I am throwing a match on the fire.

After I finished explaining the surgery and the outcome of our first, (and last patient), Jake's mom put down her tissue and stopped crying. 

I could see by the look in her eye that she wanted a glimmer of hope and I had just delivered it. She said she wanted to go home and talk to her family.

I said “OK, just call me with an answer or bring him in if he has another episode” and she left.

She called the next day and said, “Sign us up as soon as possible.”

The next week we did Jake’s surgery.

He has been a different dog since. His moms say that it was one of the best decisions they ever made. They tell me that he plays and barks, and seems to be happy and calm and young again.

It has been over 6 months since his surgery and he is a marvel. 

I adore him and I am so happy his moms are as supportive and invested in his health.

***

Krista Magnifico, DVM owns a small animal hospital in northern Maryland, where she practices everyday. She wants to make quality veterinary care available to everyone, everywhere at any time; trying to save the world 1 wet nose @ a time.  Her blog is a diary of he day-to-day life & the animals and people she meets.

To contact her, you may leave a comment on her blog, email her or catch her on Twitter or Facebook.

Articles by Dr. Magnifico:
Don't Make This Mistake: Ruby's Death To Heat Stroke 
Parvo: Cora's Story 

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Adoption Monday: Paris, Labrador Retriever Mix: Deerfield, NH

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

Paris is 9 months old and ready for her family. 

Paris is gentle and lovable, easy going, and looking for adventures.

Paris is a good friend to other  dogs and everyone she meets.

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

Ready to bring Paris home? Tell us about yourself and your interest in Paris 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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Keeping Your Dog Save In The Summer

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Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART TEN

by Dino Dogan

Let’s do a quick review of the last three posts which focused on the 2nd branch of Human-Dog Problem tree.

The Nature of Modern Existence… and Dogs - Human Biology
The Nature of Modern Existence… and Dogs – Human Psychology
Transitional Nature of Today's Society

The following highlights can be extrapolated

There are two foundational principles affecting our relationship with dogs that are directly related to the conditions inherent in the nature of modern living:

Our modern lives are misaligned with our biology

• For 90% of human existence (for 90+ thousand years that is), humans have spent their time hunting, scavenging and gathering
• To deny the imprint this has left on our biology is to deny our nature

Our modern lives are misaligned with our psychology

• For 90+ thousand years, better part of our day was spent ensuring our survival.
• Surviving gave direction and meaning to our existence.
• Since “surviving” is no longer a challenge (in terms of food, shelter, procreation, etc), people struggle to find direction and meaning to their existence  
• The rest of the time we were free to pursue other interests (cave painting, tool development, etc.)  
• We are biologically and psychologically programmed to conserve energy. This was useful 90 thousand years ago. Now that modern living entails plentiful and highly nutritious food, cars that move us from place to place, and sedentary existence (office work and lack of migrations), our predispositions are working against us. We must adjust.

 We are –as a society- in a transitional phase

• As a society we have made a clumsy move forward and away from our innate instincts, nature and biology
• Our relationship with dogs has changed in few fundamental ways. They use to be partners in hunt/migrations, alarm against intruders, etc. Now days, they are child-substitutes and pets, which is a totally new concept to both dogs and humans.

The point that will be made in future articles will be this.

We can use dogs as a connection to our past

• Our lives use to be much more active then now   
• Your dog can be your fitness trainer and a motivator to engage in Paleolithic activities, even if it is just a simulation/approximation (migrating, walking, running, hunting, etc)

We can use our dogs as a connection to the future

• In order to become better humans we need to go through a new and adjusted (for change in human and dog environment) edification process in order to deepen our understanding of dog’s needs.
• The information we need, like most information we need in life, is not learned in school. We must become life-long learners

We can use our dogs as a connection to enlightenment    

• I am not talking about new age enlightenment. Instead, I am talking about ways that will help us live closer to our biological and psychological core.

We can use our dogs as a connection to meaning

• Just as there are Service Dogs (bomb sniffing dogs for example) I am advocating that we become Service Humans to our dogs.

What happens when we put these
four factors together?

You get a fit, healthy human, who is focused on true learning (as opposed to indoctrination type learning we engage-in in schools (more on that later) who is living closer to his or her biological and psychological core and is being useful and more aware of his dog’s needs; and quite possibly being more aware of everyone’s needs.

***

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 
Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART FIVE 
Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART SIX 
Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART SEVEN
Human Dog Problem Tree - PART EIGHT 
Human Dog Problem Tree - PART NINE

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Veterinary Highlights: iPro Continuous Glucose Monitoring

The University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital now offers the iPro continuous glucose monitoring devices for their dog and cat patients. How cool is that?

Monitoring glucose levels in a diabetic dog is ever so important.

The whole treatment idea for a dog with diabetes the proper regulation of blood glucose levels. Either too much, or too little, is a bad news.

How much insulin your dog should be getting cannot be simply calculated based on their weight. There are more factors in play. Your dog's daily dose needs to be established individually. Part of the process is a series of blood tests, drawn over 12 to 24 hours at two hour intervals.

The iPro continuous glucose monitoring device has a small disposable sensor, about the size of a paperclip,
in which one end is inserted under the animal's skin to read the blood glucose levels. Once the sensor is in place, a small recorder about the size of a quarter is plugged into the other end of the sensor to collect the data. (Credit: Christopher B. Herron/UGA)

Enter the iPro continuous glucose monitoring device.

It's been commonly used in human medicine, and now the University of Georgia offers it to dogs and cats as well.

The device is quite small, with a sensor that gets inserted under the skin. Once in place, the device records blood glucose levels every five minutes for three to five days.

The data is then evaluated, and if needed, changes in medication recommended.

Your dog can stay at home and doesn't need to have their blood drawn every two hours. The information is also more accurate, because having to stay in a hospital and having their blood drawn over and over can be quite stressful and stress can artificially increase their glucose levels.

What do you say? Would you try this?

Source article:
UGA’s veterinary hospital offers take-home glucose monitors for diabetic pets

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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Heals Diamond

by Donna Addy

No dog owner wants to bare the thought of their dog suffering with chronic pain…let alone having to witness their inability to walk because of it. 

Meet Diamond…she was in the chamber receiving his treatment when we took this photo

The owner of a happy and loveable Dachshund name Diamond, sadly observed Diamond’s pain consistently return which caused her significant trouble walking. Diamond was suffering with chronic arthritis and back pain…which seemed to continuously return…even after a laminectomy which removed a portion of her vertebral bone.

Diamond’s condition affected her sense of motion including position of her body and limbs. 

She had difficulty maintaining a normal upright posture, balance, and coordinated walking. Her owners were emotionally exhausted from watching Diamond suffer and knew they had to do something different for their loved pet. They returned to their veterinarian.

Diamond was referred to SPCA in Lakeland, FL for state-of-the-art Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).

Hyperbaric oxygen is oxygen delivered under pressure.

“Hyper” means increased, and “baric” relates to pressure. It is the pressure of the chamber that allows for the increased absorption of the oxygen provided ― more than 4 times the normal amount of oxygen your pet breathes.

When your dog is in the chamber, the increased pressure causes the blood plasma and other liquids of the body to absorb much larger quantities of oxygen, greatly increasing oxygen uptake by the cells, tissues, glands, organs, brain and all fluids of the body.

The concentrated intake of oxygen stimulates stem cells and helps to repair organs.

HBOT is a “goldmine” of oxygen, which can then be utilized by the body for all of its vital functions.

HBOT has shown positive results in conquering Ischemia, Edema, Hypoxia, Infection, Poorly Healing Wounds, Snake Bites, Reduction in Swelling, just to name a few.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been recognized in human medicine for over 20 years and now is available for our pets. 

(View Hvm’s hyperbaric chamber below for small animals below)

Diamond began receiving her hyperbaric treatments at SPCA, in Lakeland, Florida. 

She started showing significant improvement after the third treatment. Her guardian said she was amazed at the results. According to medical records, Diamond’s previous treatments included pain, anti-inflammatory and joint lubricant medications as well as acupuncture, but nothing seemed to provide consistent results until the HBOT treatments.

Unbelievable…Diamond after HBOT!

Overall, Diamond received four hyperbaric treatments. 

Four months after her last treatment, Diamond’s guardian said Diamond is still walking without any pain or trouble. Diamond’s guardian said she wants to spread the word about HBOT because of the dramatic difference.

“She has no issues. People need to know about this incredible technology” said Diamond’s guardian. She was impressed with not only the treatment success, but the level of professionalism, compassion and knowledge of hyperbaric oxygen therapy from the veterinary practice. “Diamond’s veterinary doctor went above the call of duty…by recommending hyperbaric oxygen for our Diamond” remarked Diamond’s guardian.

***

HVM is the first company to partner with Emergency & Critical Care Veterinary Hospitals. Sharing in the same interest of promoting animals quality of life and relieving them of their pain and suffering, HVM places the Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber with partnership to Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Hospitals. Oxygen treatments given in the Chamber allow Veterinarians to consistently deliver the most cost effective, yet, positive results in most challenging cases.

Conditions which HBOT have good success rates:

• Internal Medicine
• Surgery
• Dental
• Neurological
• Dermatology
• Pathology
• Oncology
• Rehabilitation
• Central Nervous Systems
• Musculoskeletal
• Infectious Diseases
• Cardiovascular
• Respiratory
• Gastrointestinal
• Genito-urinary
• And many others

Oxygen therapy is particularly well suited to treating animals. Research indicates that animals have around five times the accelerated rate of tissue healing than humans. Your Veterinarian can provide treatments in the Chamber which are customized according to condition. These treatments are in duration of approximately 1 to 2 hours. HBOT is a non-invasive and well tolerated approach. 100% oxygen breathed at 2 bar for 60 minutes is a remarkable safe regime for treatments.

Safety Information
100% oxygen breathed at 2 Bar for 60 minutes is a remarkably safe regime for treatment. Animals tolerate this therapy extremely well.

List of Veterinary Practices with a HBOT Chamber

1. Veterinary Helathcare Associates, Winter Haven,
   FL, 33884 - (863) 324-3340
2. Holistic Veterinary Care & Rehabilitation Center, Oakland,
   CA, 94611 - (510) 339-260
3. VCA Advanced Veterinary Care, Fishers,
   IN, 46038 - (317) 578-410
4. Pet Emergency & Specialty Services of Jupiter, Jupiter,
   FL, 33458 - (561) 741-404
5. Saint Francis Animal Hospital, Jacksonville,
   FL, 32207 - (904) 674-722
6. Animal Emergency & Critical Care of Brevard County, Melbourne,
   FL, 32935 - (321) 725-536
7. University of Florida School of Veterinary Medicine, Gainsville,
   FL, 3260
8. Homestead Animal Hospital, Homestead,
   FL, 33030 - (305) 247-384
9. Critical Care & Veterinary Specialists of Sarasota, Sarasota,
   FL, 34231 - (941) 929-181
10. Lakeland SPCA/McClurg Animal Medical Center, Lakeland,
    FL, 33813 - (563) 646-772
11. Ravenwood Veterinary Clinic, Port Orange,
    FL, 32129 - (386) 788-155
12. Peace Love Pets Veterinary Clinic, Long Island,
    NY, 11725 - (631) 499-330
13. Calusa Veterinary Center, Boca Raton,
    FL, 33847 - (561) 999-300
14. Veterinary Specialty Care, Mt. Pleasant,
    SC 85021 (843) 216-7554

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