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Tuesday, 13 August 2013

The Day The Heart Stood Still: Timber's Story

Posted on 14:00 by Unknown
by  Krista Magnifico, DVM

Last time I introduced you all to Ruger. I told you about the long difficult road it was to finally get him a diagnosis, and then the incredible struggle it was once we got it.

In the end, Ruger died of malignant lymphoma two months after his first sign of illness. 


His story was agonizing to watch and heart breaking for his parents. Through it we became friends and allies in a war against the disease in Ruger's body. He was an "incredibly sweet loveable dog, and he can't ever be replaced."

I wished them well, told them to call me anytime, and that they were great parents who had a dog that loved them.

A few weeks later I was elated to see Ruger's dad in the waiting room with a rambunctious bouncing curly locked Golden Retriever puppy. 

I was so happy to meet that little boy they named Timber. Timber's dad was all smiles as we smothered that puppy in kisses and compliments. I asked how his wife was doing? He said he had surprised her with the puppy and she was feeling better now that he was in the house.

They were healing and moving on. But they did have lots of questions about whether Timber was a normal puppy. 

They just didn't remember Ruger being so energetic when he was Timber's age. I told them that "all puppies are different, and that he did seem a bit more energetic than the average Golden." Secretly, I thought that he was just what they needed. The busie Timber kept them, the less time they would have to mourn. But it was apparent to everyone that they loved this pup to pieces.

At Timber's first visit he was 8 weeks old. 

We started him on his first set of puppy vaccines, flea & tick preventative, ran a fecal to check for intestinal worms, and started him on heartworm prevention. We also spent a great deal of time going over our puppy instructions. These help owners understand what we do, what we recommend you do at home, feeding guidelines, and lots of helpful hints.

I saw Timber every three weeks from 8 weeks to 17 weeks old. He grew into a beautiful bouncy adolescent. He was one of the few puppies who was always happy to come in and visit us. Which is quite a big compliment when you are getting multiple vaccines at each visit.

For his last puppy visit, at 17 weeks, I spoke to Timber's dad about what the recommendations for Timber's next few months would be.

I gave Timber his last puppy examination and then vaccinated him for his last puppy distemper combination shot, and his last Lyme disease vaccination. I then asked the technician to bring Timber back to the treatment area so he could have his blood taken for his pre-op neuter check.

Timber was in the back with the technician for about 5 minutes. While they were in the back I stayed in the exam room because I wanted to ask him for his permission to write about Ruger in this blog. He said that it would be fine. Timber was brought back into the exam room as we were talking about the magnificent dog Ruger was.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Timber squat and urinate on the floor.

I thought that this was odd, he never seemed scared or nervous around any of us before.

Then within 10 seconds his back end went limp and he sort of fell/fainted. 

Timber's dad said, "Oh, he must be tired?" But my gut knew better. I lept to the floor, put my hand around his heart, and looked at his gums. His gums were pink, but I'll be damned I couldn't feel a heartbeat. Without any word to his dad I picked up his lifeless 30 pound body and ran through a packed reception/waiting area.

I looked like a t.v. show, and I was wishing that this was one. 

I placed Timber on the surgery table, and got my stethoscope on his heart immediately. Nothing. His gums were now purple. I started CPR and swearing. How could I possibly face these owners? God, the devastation of losing Timber would be too much for them. I was thinking all of this and barking orders at my petrified staff.

Within 1 minute we had 2 i.v. catheters in. I had him intubated, and I was shoving massive amounts of life saving heart-starting drugs in his veins. 

Yes, a flashback of Pulp Fiction ran through my head. I never stopped the chest compressions and his color very quickly became pink again. Within 3 minutes he had fluids, a drug to increase his heart rate (atropine, see Pulp Fiction) and oxygen. Within 1 minute I felt his heart flutter under my fingers gripping his chest. I was determined and desperately pleading to coax him back to consciousness.

I was continuing his CPR and then his heart stopped again. 

I gave a HUGE dose of atropine in his i.v. catheter. It was my last hope and I was losing all hope. Within 30 seconds his heart regained life and started beating fast and furious. Ok, I did get really nervous here. His heart went from zero to 200 beats per minute. But he was alive! Oh! I could breathe again. Within a minute or two he was conscious.

I took a deep breath and walked back to the exam room. 

I tried as calmly as I could to explain what had just happened. I brought Timber's dad in the back to sit with Timber so I could keep monitoring him. I begged them to stay another hour, until we closed because I was so afraid I would lose him.

Within 30 minutes that puppy was up and jumping around like nothing had ever happened.

I went home that night feeling as if I had just lived through one of the most scary, nail biting, near death experiences of my career.

Timber is doing great. 

Although it has been too long since I ran that pre-op blood work. I bet they are afraid to come back and tempt fate again. I better call them.

***

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. 

Dr. Krista is also the founder of pawbly.com, free pet advice and assistance.

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 
Jake's Laryngeal Paralysis
The Tip Of The Iceberg: The Unexpected Dental Dilemma
The Ear Ache That Wasn't Going Away: Tottsie's Story
Cody's Eyelid Tumor
The Dog's Body Knows There Is Something Wrong Before The Labs Do: Ruger's Mysterious Illness 
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Sunday, 11 August 2013

Adoption Monday: Jenny, Rottweiler: Erin, ON

Posted on 22:55 by Unknown
Jenny is a friendly three-year-old Rottweiler who has captured the hearts of staff and volunteers at the shelter. 


Jenny knows basic commands and is good with other dogs. 

She is best suited to families with children over the age of 15. Jenny will be a wonderful addition and loyal companion to her new family.

Jenny is house trained and up-to-date with routine shots.

***

Upper Credit Humane Society helps hundreds of animals each year find loving homes. 

The original name of the Upper Credit Humane Society (UCHS) was the Erin and Hillsburgh and District Humane Society (EHDHS). The EHDHS was founded as a Branch of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Ontario SPCA) in 1991. The original founders of the Society were Robert and Anne Burr, who, with a group of concerned local citizens, began holding meetings in an Erin church basement. During the first year, the EHDHS concerned itself primarily with the welfare of local wildlife and investigating reports of cruelty to animals.

As more volunteers offered to help, the Society was able to take on more responsibilities. An office with a dedicated phone line was set up in the home of one of the volunteers. Volunteers provided foster homes for dogs and cats. A large foster home for dogs was set up on a farm following a cruelty case involving more than one hundred dogs that had to be removed from their owner. More than a dozen cats were fostered in a playhouse in the back yard of another volunteer. As the number of animals cared for by the Society increased, so did the amount of fund-raising required to support the work.

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Anemia And Blood Transfusion

Posted on 14:00 by Unknown
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Saturday, 10 August 2013

Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART THIRTEEN

Posted on 14:00 by Unknown
by Dino Dogan

The Leadership Factor

If you’ve read the Human-Dog Problem Tree series, you might have noticed that my focus is on figuring out WHY aren’t humans following certain instructions we know we ought to follow. One such instruction is the focus on being a pack leader to your dog.

While the word “leader” has a different meaning to different people, my focus will be on being a leader to one’s own self. After all, if we can’t be a leader to ourselves, what chance do we have being a leader to a dog or a group of people.

Certain people simply do not see themselves as leaders of anything or anyone. This is dangerous. We should all endeavor to be leaders; leaders of ourselves, leaders of our community, leaders of our profession, leaders of the universe.

The word “leader” in this context is defined as follows.

Leader; a facilitator of positive experience.

These internal leadership principles are way beyond the scope of this post, and I hope to explore them with you at a later time, but for now, my immediate goal is to convince you to BE a leader and show you what happens when you don’t heed the call to leadership.

To that end, I will re-tell an old story of a man who was decidedly a follower. Perhaps by seeing the way followers fair through the eyes of time, it will help us see the value of taking control of ourselves.

David and Uriah


Most are familiar with the story of David and Goliath. Few are familiar with the story of David and Uriah.

Uriah the Hittite was, by all accounts, the kind of guy most would admire. He was strong, brave, loyal to a fault, committed, dedicated, a family man, a warrior and a long time soldier in King David’s army.

Uriah was a member of David’s “mighty men” brigade. A kind of personal guard consisting of 38 men entrusted with carrying out orders and actions of the outmost importance. In fact, Uriah and David were so close that Uriah’s quarters were near David’s king-quarters.

Something interesting happened in king’s quarters while Uriah was carrying out those actions of the outmost importance in the battlefield.

Mei, Bernardino - David and Bathsheba. Image Wikimedia Commons

David spotted and took a liking to Bathsheba, who, as it turns out, was Uriah’s wife.

David and Bathsheba copulated which resulted in Bathsheba pregnancy. No matter, David always had a plan.

In an attempt to cover-up the adultery and pregnancy David had sent for Uriah to come back and “be” with his wife, hoping they would lay down together which would in effect be convincing enough that Uriah was the father of Bathsheba’s child.

Uriah decided to stay true to the code of honor shared by the mighty men who abstain from sex before battle. Out of solidarity with his fellow soldiers, Uriah refused to lay down with his wife and instead chose to guard David’s quarters until further orders were issued.

Realizing that his plan is not going to work, David hatched another one.

David decided to send Uriah back to the battlefield with a sealed letter carrying orders for Joab, a long time commander of David’s troops. Unbeknownst to Uriah, letter had instructed Joab to put Uriah in the line of fire and order other men to retreat effectively leaving Uriah in enemy’s hands. Joab carried out the orders without question and a great man was dead as a result.


Back to Now

I don’t mean to get all biblical on your ass, but I hope this story convinces you to become a leader. First to yourself, then to your dog, then to your family, community and the rest of the universe.

The leadership principles that we practice while “leading” ourselves, are the same leadership principles that we practice when leading our dog, are the same leadership principles we practice when leading humans.

***

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
Human Dog Problem Tree - PART TEN 
Human Dog Problem Tree - PART ELEVEN
Human Dog Problem Tree - PART TWELVE
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Friday, 9 August 2013

Veterinary Highlights: Analysis Of Dog Hair Reveals Hormonal Imbalance

Posted on 14:00 by Unknown
Cushing's disease (hyperadrenocorticism) is a common endocrinological disorder in dogs.

It is estimated that one to two dogs our of a thousand/per year will get it.


The symptoms are often written off as signs of normal aging and the diagnosis is complicated.

Recent research at the Institute of Medical Biochemistry at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna has shown that glucocorticoids accumulate in the animals’ hair and that analysis of a dog’s hair can provide quick and reliable preliminary diagnosis.

The beauty with hair testing is that, unlike blood, it shows long-term levels.

I'm sure that any dog would rather have a bit of fur clipped then being stuck with needles.

The scientists compared the levels of cortisol, corticosterone and cortisone in the hair of twelve dogs with hyperadrenocorticism and ten healthy dogs. All three hormones were found at far higher levels in the hair of dogs with Cushing's diseases compared to control group. The difference in cortisol levels was particularly pronounced.

Measuring cortisol in hair is much easier and less painful for the dogs than other tests and it seems to have real promise as a new rapid and non-invasive diagnostic test for Cushing's.

Sign me up, please.

***

Source article:
The hair of the dog

Further reading:
Cushing's Disease 
Confusion with Cushing's Disease
What Exactly is Cushing's Disease

Related articles:
Medical Jargon Explained: Hypo- versus Hyperadrenocorticism
Viva Has Cushing's
Living With A Cushing's Dog: Viva's Story
Suki Doesn't Have A Tumor And She Doesn't Have Cushing's: Suki's Story
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Thursday, 8 August 2013

Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Excessive Head Shaking

Posted on 14:00 by Unknown
by Jana Rade

You might have noticed that when talking about symptoms, sometimes a qualifying word is included, such as excessive panting, excessive drinking, excessive head shaking. That is because these are normal behaviors and whether or not there is a problem is a question of degree.


Dogs will shake their heads in response to any irritation, such as pain, an itch, a tickle or a bug bite.

If your dog is shaking their head persistently, you need to pay attention and look for a cause.

On our summer walks, JD will shake his head quite often, to fend off bugs. Deer flies in particular seem to like him. I think they know they can drive him nuts. Jasmine was much less concerned about them, she was a bush dog at heart. It was me who was following her around and chasing them off. She didn't seem to care.

The other day, on the way from the farm, JD kept shaking his head.

This was cause for concern and we were going to check his ears when we got home. He kept shaking and shaking ... and then we saw an ant waltz out of his ear. There was our culprit. The shaking stopped.

When an especially mean stray tick got on Jasmine's ear, her instinct was to shake her head. 

(Stray tick because it was one of the only two we ever found at the ranch.)

The bite was painful for Jasmine though, so every time she started to shake her head she'd cry a little, stop and hold her head down, tilted towards the affected ear.

This immediately alerted us to a problem and we found and removed the invader.

When your dog starts shaking their head like that, examine the ears, eyes, head, neck and skin carefully. Pay particularly close attention to the ears.

Some culprits are obvious and easy to deal with. Some require attention of your veterinarian.

A common cause of head shaking is otitis, inflammation of the ear canal. Grass awns, ear mites and other things might be at play but, allergies are also very common causes of ear inflammation.

An inflamed ear makes a great playground for bacteria or yeast. Infection often follows.

If there is redness, swelling, discharge or bad odor to the ears, it's time to see your veterinarian. If pain is involved, see your veterinarian right away. If you have a reason to suspect a foxtail, also don't delay. Those nasty little things can travel throughout your dog's body and cause serious damage.

Some breeds are also susceptible to ear vasculitis, which is inflammation of the blood vessels in the ear flap.

This condition typically comes with thickening of the ear margins, which eventually ulcerate and crust over.

Dogs with balance issues, be it from trauma, stroke, inner ear infection or vestibular syndrome, might shake their heads in an attempt to relieve their symptoms.

Not only is excessive head shaking a symptom of a problem, it can actually be a cause for one as well.

Sometimes a dog can shake their head so much that it will cause the blood vessels in the ear flap to rupture, resulting in a hematoma.

This will look like a swelling of the ear flap. It really is a pocket of blood and it will cause your dog to shake their head even more. Ear hematomas require veterinary attention if they are to heal without permanent disfigurement.

All this refers to voluntary head shaking.

This is what we typically picture as a head shake. There are such  things as involuntary head tremors, which are another story all together.

***

Further reading:
Head shaking - an ear of an issue!
Why Does My Dog . . . Shake His Head All of the Time?
My Dog is Shaking His Head


Related articles:
Symptoms: Recognition, Acknowledgement And Denial
Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Excessive Panting
Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Excessive Drinking
Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Bad Odor 
Symptoms to Watch For In Your Dog: Excessive Drooling  
What Can Your Dog's Gums And Tongue Tell You? 
Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Coughing
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Wednesday, 7 August 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Das Boot

Posted on 14:00 by Unknown








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Tuesday, 6 August 2013

The Dog's Body Knows There Is Something Wrong Before The Labs Do: Ruger's Mysterious Illness

Posted on 14:00 by Unknown
by  Krista Magnifico, DVM

Ruger’s story began when he came in because he had a decreased appetite and was vomiting. 


Ruger, a 7 year old Golden Retriever, is owned by two of the nicest people and they adore him. He is a 70 pound gentle, docile, affectionate boy. He is charming and irresistible.

On his first visit we treated him like we do many acute gastro-intestinal disease dogs. 

We took a full history, gave him a thorough physical examination, offered to run some basic diagnostics, (but didn’t force because he was “acute”) and treated conservatively with anti-nausea drugs, subq fluids, and gastro-protectants.

Three days later his owners called back to say he had begun to vomit again and now his stool was loose. 

This time his owners elected to run the recommended basic diagnostics.

We ran bloodwork, took x-rays, and went over the history again to make sure nothing had changed or been overlooked. This time we learned that his food had recently been changed, and he wasn’t on heartworm preventative.

So we ran a heartworm test, it was negative, thank-goodness, and put him on a bland commercial diet.

We also learned that Ruger had had seizures in the past. 

His bloodwork came back inconclusive (a nice way to say, thanks for paying for this but, sadly, it didn’t really help us get an answer). But the next day Ruger was feeling better; only to return 10 days later.

OK, detectives, here where the years of sleuthing pay off! So let’s go back over his history so far. Because we now have all of the clues we need to help steer us in the right direction.
  • 7 year old Golden Retriever; unfortunately for Goldens this is the time we start looking for cancer. These guys are cancer factories. They all die of cancer!

  • Waxing and waning disease. Big red flag. There is something going on. The dog knows it, so you better start digging, it is there lurking somewhere.

  • Vomiting and loose stool/diarrhea means you have something going on in the gut. These cases frequently wax and wane so take serial weights. The scale doesn’t lie. He was 70 pounds his first visit, 68 the second, and 64 the last.
He now needs to be watched very closely. Any small note of concern is reason for discussion.

Ruger returned 4 days later with the complaint “still not eating or drinking.”

His stools were getting even looser. His owners were offering anything and everything to peak his interest in food, but very little of the offerings were being contemplated or taken. We recommended they repeat the blood work and radiographs but they declined. (I think that initially this was acceptable to decline but now it should have been repeated. Just because the blood doesn’t indicate something on the first try doesn’t mean that it won’t later. I say this a lot; “Your body knows there is something wrong before the lab does.” Trust the dogs word over the labs!) We also recommended an ultrasound.

Ultrasounds are a much more sensitive way of looking inside the abdomen. 

Radiographs (slang = x-ray) are great for bone, but an ultrasound allows you to see the internal soft tissue architecture that is the contents of your belly. That’s why we use ultrasound for fetuses, and x-ray for broken bones.

The examination also revealed a depressed and dehydrated Ruger. 

I think most people significantly underestimate how important good hydration is. A day of not eating or drinking normally or a few episodes of vomiting can cause significant dehydration. Once the dehydration starts snowballing, every hour makes it exponentially and significantly worse. This is why we vets tell owners to bring their pet in when they call and tell us their pet has been vomiting and/or having diarrhea.

The vet who saw Ruger on this visit had only two rule outs for his possible diagnosis; gastrointestinal disease and cancer.

Three days later, Ruger still wasn't eating or drinking. At this point everyone at the clinic was worried enough to start talking about referring Ruger to a specialist. This, and repeating the bloodwork was declined. We also scheduled them for an ultrasound in 2 days, (the soonest we could get it) and we added medications for diarrhea. We offered to run the diagnostics as soon as the owners wanted. We received a few phone calls updating us on Ruger. He was doing better, eating better, and his owners believed he was back to normal: disaster averted, and ultrasound cancelled.

Then Ruger vomited bile. 

His parents scheduled an ultrasound for ASAP.

The ultrasound finally hit pay dirt! 

Thank goodness, after all of this it was time to start finding a villain to point the finger at. The ultrasound found “the mid to distal (away from) small intestine revealed a significant infiltrative pattern with loss of detail, (something is there that is mucking up the normal architecture).. strongly suggestive of lymphoma or carcinoma (bad and worse cancer). Intraoperative ultrasound would be warranted." In another words, the Internal Medicine Specialist reading the ultrasound thinks that the abnormal tissue won’t be seen grossly during an exploratory surgery. He recommends the surgeon be ultrasounding their way through the abdomen so we don’t miss the abnormal spot. Problem with that is it is waay expensive!

I discussed the ultrasound findings and suggestions with Ruger’s parents and they decided to have me just go in and do the old fashioned exploratory surgery. 

(Ok time for my personal admission, I LOVE EXPLORATORIES! I love the whole treasure hunting, never know what your-gonna-find mystery, so fun I can’t even stand it!)

One big deep breath, and all doubts of ability cast aside, the next day Ruger was in surgery. 

I made my midline ventral abdominal incision and entered Ruger’s belly.

Lucky for all of us I found a big abnormal mass in the area of the stomach. 

It was easily removed and Ruger’s worrisome surgery ended quickly and without fanfare. His intestinal culprit was put in a bottle and sent off to be fixed in formaline, shaved into little slivers, and scrutinized under a microscope.

5 days later we had a diagnosis for Ruger. It was lymphoma. 

His biopsy report read “intestinal mass: malignant lymphoma..the long term prognosis is poor.” With these words Ruger was taken to an oncologist for a treatment plan and a miracle.

Getting the already not eating Ruger to eat after having been opened and explored was not happening. He protested for days, and refused every morsel offered. We were also struggling with keeping his total protein, (specifically albumin, the tiny very important vital to life protein so that your blood actually stays in your vessels) in the normal range.

He became so weak and lifeless that we were forced to give him a plasma transfusion. 

As happy as I was to have a diagnosis, I was concerned I might lose my patient before we got to the treatment part. Even with the transfusion, he wouldn’t resume eating. So we turned to drugs, and within a day those drugs had him eating.

Ruger took his second wind and ran. 

He did great for a month. During this time he started his chemotherapy and we all regained our hope for his recovery. Because he was doing so well, and because there are detrimental adverse effects to long term drug use, we started to taper his drugs. But unfortunately as we started to taper him off of these drugs he started to turn his nose up to his food again. Within a few days we ended up right back at transfusions and those same steroids and appetite stimulant drugs.

Ruger spent his last three days at the emergency hospital. 

They were suggesting he continue with the transfusions. His parents called me in deep despair seeking advice for what they should do. I knew by their voices that they wanted Ruger to be cured, but understood he wasn’t going to be.

They wanted someone to give them advice based on what was right for Ruger and not what was right for the cancer. 

I told them that Ruger had given up a long time ago, and that keeping him alive in a hospital wasn’t what he wanted. He was weak, and tired and ready.

They were so grateful for the permission to let him go. They just couldn’t say it and they didn’t want to admit it.

There were many conversations exchanged between us after Ruger passed. There were words of sorrow, acceptance, and grief, and many, many tears. I was sad to say goodbye to Ruger, but I was more saddened by the thought of not seeing his parents, or worse yet, not seeing them and knowing that they didn’t want to love another dog, or love anything again, because it hurts too much to lose a pet.

A few weeks later Ruger’s dad came in with an eight week old Golden that they named Timber.
Oh, Timber, you are another story! Cutest puppy ever, but his story, that’s another tale of drama and…oh, its too good to leak..stay tuned!

***

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. 

Dr. Krista is also the founder of pawbly.com, free pet advice and assistance.

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 
Jake's Laryngeal Paralysis
The Tip Of The Iceberg: The Unexpected Dental Dilemma
The Ear Ache That Wasn't Going Away: Tottsie's Story
Cody's Eyelid Tumor 
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Monday, 5 August 2013

Adoption Monday: Brynn, Retriever Mix: Deerfield, NH

Posted on 14:00 by Unknown
Check out this lovely girl at Mary's Dogs Rescue & Adoption!


Brynn is an extremely sweet 2 year old Retriever mix. 

She is a great size at approximately 40lbs. Brynn loves the company of other dogs and likes to play. She is respectful of cats and is great with kids. 

Brynn would love a doggy sibling and lots of companionship from her new family. 

She's coming to New England soon and looking forward to meeting her new family. Fall soccer games and apple picking are on her bucket list. Have a pair of legs to spare so Brynn can lean up for a belly rub?

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

Ready to bring Brynn home? Tell us about yourself and your interest in Brynn 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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Sunday, 4 August 2013

The Wackiest Thing I Ever Did For My Dog

Posted on 14:00 by Unknown
Recently, Kimberly, over at Keep the Tail Wagging, wrote a post 11 Ridiculous Things I Do for My Dogs. As I keep going through the memories of my time with Jasmine, it got me thinking about the whackiest thing I ever did for her.


It was back when Jasmine's body was secretly struggling with a number of undiagnosed issues.

Not for the lack of trying on our part, I must add. She was generally happy and active. While things looked pretty much ok on the outside, though, inside her body was struggling with things. In spite of her vets at the time not finding anything, I felt something wasn't right. And Jasmine felt the same way.

She started to bury her pee.

When I told the vet about it, he said it was normal. No, I said, she is not ground scoring, she is burying her pee. She tries to cover it up. He, again, said, it was normal. We went on this way to no avail.

I might have been a dumb dog owner but I knew what ground scoring was and the purpose it serves.

This was not it. And the purpose was quite obviously the opposite.

With her nose, Jasmine would push material on top of her pee in order to cover it up. Then she would sniff-check it and push some more on. She quite clearly didn't want her pee to be found and inspected. To me, that was clearly a self-assessment, indicating that she considered her pee communicating weakness, a physical problem.

This went on for quite a while. When the weather was warm, in the yard, Jasmine would push wood chips on top of it. In the winter, she would cover it with snow.

One winter night, I took her out to potty. It was cold but it rained during the day. The yard was frozen solid and the wood chips turned it into a grater.

As any other day, Jasmine was determined to disguise her pee. 

But the ground wasn't budging and she was on her way to scrape her nose raw. I tried to break the ground up some to help her, but it was rock solid. It was not going to happen.

What was I to do?

Jasmine was not going to be happy with her pee out in the open. She was not going to be able to do anything about it. I could have gotten her out of the yard but, trust me, Jasmine wouldn't forget about it. She'd sit there, obsessing, asking for the door, and the first time out she would try all over again.

The only solution I could see was fixing the problem so she'd be happy with it. But how?

Then I remembered some of the Stanley Coren's books. Perhaps, if it got marked over, that would take care of it. The idea seemed sound. So out there, at night, in the cold, I pulled down my pants and peed on top of it.

When I was done, Jasmine carefully sniff-inspected it.

And then she turned back to the house. She was satisfied! It worked!

Fortunately, the next day we got a bunch of fresh snow. And then, with a new vet, new diagnoses and a new diet, Jasmine felt better about her pee and I never had to repeat this stunt again.

Eventually, she got the to point where she was proud enough of her pee that she would indeed ground score for the whole world to notice it.

Every time she did that, I was so happy. To me that was the greatest thing ever. A sign that her self-assessment was positive. She felt good about herself and about how her body was working.

What is the whackiest thing you ever did for your dog?

***

Related articles:
Today, Jasmine Would Have Been Ten Years Old
The Bond That Cannot Be Severed 
Memories Of Jasmine: Camping 
Memories Of Jasmine: The Treasure Keeper
Memories Of Jasmine: Best Buddies 
Memories Of Jasmine: The Lost Forest 
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
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The Last Act Of Love: Run Free, Jasmine
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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 
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Jasmine's Neck Setback  
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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 
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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
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First Time For Everything: A Healing Crisis(?)  
From Zero To Sixty In Four Days: Stem Cells At Work
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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

Read More
Posted in Jasmine, pawbly | No comments

Saturday, 3 August 2013

Today, Jasmine Would Have Been Ten Years Old

Posted on 14:00 by Unknown
We so wished she had made it—she was so close! 

Jasmine Rade
August 3, 2003 - April 12, 2013

We have so wished she could have enjoyed at least one more summer at her ranch. And she would have really loved it this year, with the temperatures being so nice and cool.

Jasmine, August 2003

Almost ten years is a decent age for a Rottie, particularly one who had faced all the health challenges that Jasmine has. More importantly, with the exception of short periods of medical disasters, she lived a full and happy life. She never held back, her zest for life was phenomenal.

Almost ten years, was that enough? Not to us it wasn't.

But so wouldn't have been eleven or twelve. We might have felt a bit better about the time she's got but we would have missed her just as much.

"George Bernard Shaw lived (almost) a hundred years. Is that a lot? No, because he could have lived another hundred years and he'd still have something to say."
~Jan Werich, actor, playwright and writer


That's how I feel about Jasmine. She'd still have places to go, people to see, autographs to sign (literally), things to sniff, steaks to eat, love to give, lives to change.

Boating. Not really Jasmine's favorite thing, so we didn't do it again.

She certainly changed my file.

Through her journey, she helped other dogs and her story can continue to do so. That is her legacy. She also saved Bruin's life and is about to save another—we are looking to adopt a Rottie to honor her memory.

I've learned so much because of her.

I just wish I would have known what I know now from the start. Jasmine would have deserved somebody who knew what the heck they were doing all along. But our journey, as it were, has made me what I am today. It wouldn't have happened any other way. And it had to be Jasmine.

No other dog could have ever made me love so much, try so hard, learn so diligently. No other dog could have made me what I am today.

I've put everything into making her happy, taking care of her, learning how to conquer her medical issues and how to make her life good.

Jasmine's "den" under the trailer.

However much I wish things had happened differently, the love we shared cannot be taken away from us.

Jasmine, my life will be forever be different because of you, and I will love you always. It was a privilege to have you in our lives and we are grateful for for every day and every minute we got to spend with you.

While we mourn Jasmine's absence, we celebrate the gift of the time we did get to share.

Because Jasmine cannot enjoy her birthday steak today, we have donated 20 pounds of dog food to our vet's pet food bank. Because we cannot take Jasmine for her birthday walk, we are taking a walk down the memory lane.

We cannot give any more good things to Jasmine but we can honor her memory in everything we do.

Jasmine celebrating her 9th birthday

From the communicator:
She is doing just fine, she tells me, and she shows me an image of her running full out in a field, her nose up in the air as if chasing a scent, her ears flopping as she runs.

Jasmine, you are in our hearts forever.

***

Related articles:
The Bond That Cannot Be Severed 
Memories Of Jasmine: Camping 
Memories Of Jasmine: The Treasure Keeper
Memories Of Jasmine: Best Buddies 
Memories Of Jasmine: The Lost Forest 
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
Read More
Posted in | No comments

Friday, 2 August 2013

Veterinary Highlights: Change In Heartworm Guidelines For Dogs - No More Slow Kill

Posted on 15:00 by Unknown
The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) has changed its guidelines for treatment of heartworm infections.

The CAPC now recommends against the slow kill method of heartworm treatment.

Heartworm cycle. Image CAPC

This change has been brought on by conclusively documented resistance to commonly used preventive medications in some heartworm populations in the Mississipi River Valley region.

The slow kill method should now be avoided.

This recommendation is supported by the American Heartworm Society. This is because continued usage of this treatment option would select for more resistant populations of heartworms, eventually making prevention difficult or impossible.

What is the slow kill method?

The slow kill method consists of a continuous treatment of a heartworm positive dog with a preventive, such as Ivermectin. The idea is that the Ivermectin keeps killing the microfilariae and larvae (baby heartworms). Over a two-year period, the adult heartworms should die off.

Should you want to use the slow kill method to start with?

The issue of creating resistant heartworm populations aside, is the slow kill method something you would want for your dog? Sounds better than injecting your dog with arsenic, doesn't it?

But perhaps it's not the best idea anyway. Listening to a Radio Pet Lady Network podcast with Dr. Donna Spector, DVM, DACVIM, a board-certified Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist, on the subject, I'm thinking that the slow method is not something I'd want to use. Why?

The treatment of choice involves adulticide therapy, with medication (immiticide) that targets and kills adult heartworms.

And yes, that is an arsenical chemotherapeutic agent. Makes the slow kill method sound like an attractive option, doesn't it?

More over, this medication kills heartworm fast and the treatment involves strict cage rest for the duration of the treatment. This doesn't mean restricting activity, this means no activity at all. According to Dr. Donna, the dog should spend the entire treatment in a cage, period, and ideally should be carried out to potty. This is because while the adult heartworms are dying, there is a high risk with lung embolism with even moderately increased heart rate.

Pulmonary embolism and sudden death is the biggest risk with this treatment.

Why on Earth would anybody want to use this option then?

Here is the thing. This treatment, with all the risk and restrictions, goes on for a relatively short period of time. You know exactly when your dog is at risk, and you know how to minimize it.

With the slow kill method, the adult heartworms can die any time during the two year period.

You don't know when this is going to happen.

You will not have your dog sitting in a cage for two years. You're running the same risk, but with no predictability. If that wasn't bad enough, starting with a heartworm positive dog with no signs and no heart or lung damage, over the two years of the slow kill method, you're virtually guaranteeing the infection causing permanent lung and heart damage and injury. And this treatment is not 100% effective.

Does the slow kill method still look like such a good idea?

Listen to the podcast here.

Heartworm is a nasty disease, with treatment that is even nastier, no matter which way you slice it.

Diligent prevention is the ideal answer.


Source article:
New change in heartworm guidelines for dogs

Further reading:
Canine Heartworm Information and Recommendations
Don't Let Heartworm Become A Heartbreak! 
Veterinarians Answer: Heartworm Disease And Prevention
Reading About Heartworm Is One Thing; Watching A Dog Suffer Is Another
Read More
Posted in | No comments
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