Can We Help Bear Kick Cancer?

Bear has been through a lot in the past year, and now he's battling bone cancer.

Thanks to all of you he was able to get his radiation treatments, but now needs a course or chemo. This won't happen unless enough money is raised.

Bear responded to radiation well, his swelling had gone down, the vet is very pleased with the results.

He is doing really well, eating playing and just being himself. He really doesn't seem like a sick dog, the radiation has really helped his comfort level.

He's due for a check up and x-rays, which should be followed by chemo therapy.

They made it so far ... it would be a shame if they had to give up now. (You can read Bear's detailed story: Cancer Treatment For Bear)

Let's help Bear kick cancer.

What's In The Urine? (Part II: Urinalysis)

In part one we discussed what important information you can get by paying attention to your dog's pee.

In the end, all you really need to be able to figure out is whether your dog needs to see a vet and how soon.

Your vet is much better at reading your dog's urine—after all, they’ve got the tools! Urinalysis is the technical term for a thorough examination of urine.

Veterinarians often recommend a urinalysis when presented with a dog with changes in their urinary or drinking habits (e.g., polyuria, polydipsia, dysuria, or urinary incontinence), when an owner has noticed a change in the characteristics (e.g., color) of a dog’s urine, if a dog seems to be “off” in any way, or as part of wellness screening.

If it sounds like veterinarians are willing to run a urinalysis at the drop of a hat… that’s actually a good thing!  

A urinalysis is inexpensive, noninvasive, and provides a wealth of information about a dog’s well-being.

But in order to get good information from a urinalysis, the sample needs to be fresh and uncontaminated.

To collect a sample, you can simply catch the urine in a clean container as your dog pees. It's not always as easy as it sounds, although we became quite skillful at collecting Jasmine's. Haven’t had to try with JD yet, but I bet it must be harder trying to catch it from a boy.

We usually collect a sample right in front of the vet's office, Jasmine loves to sniff around and make sure that all future visitors know she's been there.

It is important that you use a dry, clean container.

You can use a dirty old yogurt jar but don't be surprised if the urinalysis comes back with all kinds of results!

Don't laugh; this happens more frequently than you'd think!

A urine sample can also be collected by your veterinarian using a catheter or by cystocentesis (a needle inserted into the bladder).

This will ensure a fresh and uncontaminated sample but ouch! So far we’ve always gotten away with free catch samples with Jasmine. We weren't looking for infections though. When the vet is worried about the possibility of infection, the sterility of the sample is very important.

Now that your vet has the sample, they can evaluate the urine.

The first step is similar to what you might have observed yourself. The sample will be examined for color and cloudiness.

Next, the urine specific gravity (USG), concentration of the urine, will be measured. USG tests the ability of the kidneys to concentrate urine.

Dilute urine could simply mean over-hydration, but it can also indicate kidney disease or other conditions that interfere with urine concentration.

Overly concentrated urine can be caused by dehydration  or other problems.

A chemical analysis is a number of chemical tests performed using a dipstick (a specially coated test strip) or a special instrument.

The following tests are usually included in the chemical analysis: 

Urine pH may be influenced by diet and an abnormally high or low pH can be behind the formation of bladder stones or crystals.

I remember stalking Jasmine with a collection jar and a pH test strip, checking her urine a couple of times a day, when urine acidity was a suspect for some of her issues at that time.

Glucose in urine is often a sign of diabetes mellitus or stress.

Protein levels are measured to determine whether there is kidney damage or inflammation in the urinary tract.

Ketones in the urine are usually associated with diabetes mellitus.

Excess Bilirubin can be a sign of liver disease.

Other chemical tests may be included in some types of urine dipsticks.

Finally, a centrifuge is used to separate sediment, which is then further evaluated under a microscope.

A higher than normal number of red blood cells in urine can be caused by a number of issues, such as trauma, urinary tract infection, bladder stones or blood clotting problems.

The presence of white blood cells may indicate inflammation or infection.

Observing bacteria can indicate infection as long as the sample was taken using sterile technique. The urine can then be cultured to determine the type of bacteria present and which antibiotics should be most effective against them.

Crystals in the urine  can be seen with bladder stones.

A special type of urinalysis can also be used to screen for Cushing's disease. Jasmine had that done recently. Her urine cortisol : creatinine ratio was measured. While this test is not conclusive for Cushing's disease, affected dogs will usually have abnormal results.

Because cortisol is a "stress" hormone, when testing for Cushing's, it is also important (next to having a clean sample) to get a sample where you dog will be calm. If you get a sample in or after a stressful situation, it will result in higher cortisol levels in the sample. 

***

Like any other diagnostic tool, urinalysis is open to interpretation and further testing might be needed if the findings are inconclusive.

It is important that the results are viewed in light of a dog’s medical history, physical exam and other diagnostic tests.

It's your dog's health,
Jana

Further reading:
Urinalysis: Testing a Urine Sample

Related articles:
Whats In The Urine? (Part I: What You Can Notice On Your Own)

Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog now available in paperback and Kindle. Each chapter includes notes on when it is an emergency.

Poppa’s Orbit(-al) Adventure

by Dr. Patrick Mahaney, VMD

A patient suffering from one of the fastest growing canine toxicities presented with the need for rapid detoxification. No, the dog did not overdose on medical marijuana baked goods (not an uncommon, inappropriately consumed treat in West Hollywood); he snuck into his mom’s purse and found her half-full pack of Wrigley’s Orbit Strawberry Mint sugar free chewing gum.

Poppa is a very sweet Chihuahua with a reputation for dietary indiscretions. 

According to his mother, Poppa and his feline companion, Pumpkin, conspire in these incidences. Evidently, the Pumpkin acts as Poppa’s enabler by knocking items off of the countertop or creating a scenario where access to forbidden consumables is more easily permitted.

Pumpkin reportedly aided Poppa’s ingestion of the Orbit gum from his mother’s pocketbook.

I more commonly see dogs ingest gum encased on a paper wrapper than that in a sealed blister pack.

Orbit gum produces an appealing scent that permeates the paper wrapper containing each piece. 

Test it yourself, as there is no such detectable smell from gum where each piece is “blister wrapped” like Trident White. The strong aroma emanating from Orbit gum prompts a dog, like Poppa, to commit the act of inappropriate ingestion.

In my clinical practice I often face situations where an owner is unaware that a substance having a potentially toxic effect has been consumed by their pet.

A variety of manufactured and natural substances can cause toxicity to multiple body systems. 

The Xylitol (sugar alcohol which acts as a sugar substitute) in sugar free gum only needs to be consumed in small quantities to cause hypoglycemia (reduced blood sugar), liver damage, and diarrhea.

A dog of Poppa’s size will suffer toxic effects from consuming only a few pieces of gum. 

An estimated 7 pieces of the gum were consumed by Poppa on that fateful day.

A consultation with a board certified veterinary toxicologist at the APSCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) yielded valuable information directing the treating veterinarian (your’s truly) in providing the best treatment for Poppa’s particular condition.

Emesis induction (vomiting) was recommended to initiate the decontamination process. 

Fortunately, Poppa vomited several pieces of gum when given an injection of Apomorphine. Baseline blood testing showed normal blood glucose and liver values.

The hypoglycemic effects of Xylitol typically last for at least 24 hours, so Poppa was started on IV fluids containing dextrose (sugar) to combat the likelihood his blood glucose would drop. Additionally, Poppa received a Sam-E and Milk Thistle supplement to support his liver function.

Thanks to the immediate treatment, besides having transient diarrhea, Poppa suffered no further ill effects of Xylitol toxicity. His follow up blood tests revealed normal liver values and Poppa was discharged from the hospital.

I sympathize with Poppa, as there was no malicious intent on his part to consume the delicious smelling Orbit gum.

Thankfully, Poppa’s very concerned owner immediately brought him to a veterinarian for evaluation and treatment. 

Hopefully, Pumpkin won’t facilitate her canine housemate’s further consumption of inappropriate items.

***

Dr. Patrick uses acupuncture on his own pet. He completed the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) basic course (2006) and he is now a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA).

He earned this certification after he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (1999) and completed an internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C (2000).

Why does he believe so strongly in acupuncture for your pets, especially as a pain management tool? Because combining both Western and Eastern treatments can produce a better outcome for your pets.

Dr. Patrick also works with local Los Angeles rescue organizations to help those pets that have been given a second chance to live healthier lives, and he is currently sharing his pet care knowledge at his Los Angeles Pet Care Examiner column.

Articles by Dr. Patrick
Why Integrative Veterinary Medicine?
Battling IMHA With Integrative Veterinary Medicine (part 1)
Battling IMHA With Integrative Veterinary Medicine (part 2)
Buddha Recovers From Third Degree Burns
Keep Chewing Gum Away From Your Dog! 

Further reading:
Learn From Kelly Osbourne — Keep Your Dog Away From Chewing Gum!
Safe and healthy sweetener for people - but means more pets will die!
Xylitol Poisoning in Dogs
Keep Chewing Gum Away From Your Dog! 
Veterinary Q&A: Why is xylitol so dangerous for dogs and cats? 

You For A Ride?

If It's Got To Be A Lump, Let It Be Lipoma

The other day I met a nice family, walking their mix-breed dog; friendly fella. As I was petting him I felt quite a large mass in the tissues under his neck.

In the dog's interest, I asked whether they were aware that their dog has a lump.
“Yes, we know about it,” they replied, “we're quite sure it's a lipoma.”

First rule of lumps, don't be quite sure, be SURE!

“We're quite sure” answer only means that they made an assumption and that didn't have a vet check it out. Bad plan.

If you find a lump, anywhere on your dog, off to the vet you go.

If it is harmless, and some are, you will sleep better. If it is not, the sooner you get it diagnosed and treated, the better.

I don't know what they based their assumption on; maybe they have seen a whole lot of lipomas of the same size, hardness, shape and location.

However, even if I saw a thousand, I would still want to have it examined.

From the day our late rescue, Bruin, came to us, I was convinced that his chest looked weird.

It was apparent particularly when he was sitting. Nobody else seemed to see what I saw, including the vet.

“He's a big boy, that's just how his chest looks.”

I was never quite comfortable accepting that answer, but since even the vet was convinced that his chest was perfectly normal, who was I?


He was a big boy and he was quite obese. He looked like a beer barrel!

We gradually introduced him to Jasmine's exercise routine and he slowly started thinning out.

And then one day it happened.

Hubby and the dogs were at the friends' farm when he called, all distraught, that Bruin has a huge lump on his chest!

We decided to take him to the vet immediately. The vet suspected lipoma and a biopsy confirmed that.

The lump was the size of a baseball!

Where did it suddenly come from? Nobody grows a lump that size over night, do they? It was there, sitting on his chest all along. But as Bruin was losing weight, it must have gotten lose and shifted to the side. It definitely became apparent then!

We did discuss whether it should be removed surgically, mainly because of its size, but it was not really in the way of anything ans we decided to leave it alone.

So what is a lipoma?

If you do find a lump on your dog, lipoma is the word you do want to hear.

Lipomas are quite common in older dogs, particularly if they are also overweight.

A lipoma is a benign growth, consisting of mature fat cells and fibrous connective tissue. 

Lipomas don't hurt and most of the time don't bother anything.

They can become a problem is when they're interfering with mobility or are growing rapidly. In such cases surgical removal might be necessary.

Lipomas normally grow quite slowly. I can only imagine how long Bruin's must have been growing to that size! I hardly changed after it was finally diagnosed.

The main thing about lipomas, however, is that you can't just decide that the lump you found on your dog is probably a lipoma. 

I don't care how many you might have seen in the past. Get a needle aspiration or a biopsy!

It's your dog's health,
Jana

Further reading:
Lipomas in Dogs: Benign Fatty Growths
Veterinary Q & A: Lipomas (Fatty Tumors)
The lowdown on lipomas 
Should Fatty Tumors be Removed?

Does Your Veterinarian Hear Your Concerns?

This topic is very close to home for me and I have written a number of posts on the subject. I have to admit that the numbers don't surprise me at all; if anything they are better than I would have thought. 

Dr. Nancy Kay, DVM, a respected veterinarian and author of Speaking for Spot (yes, that's the book I keep nagging you about - have you read it yet?) kindly agreed to have her post re-published here.

***

Until a few years ago it was darned near impossible to find much in the way of useful research about communication between veterinarians and their clients.  

Nowadays, several wonderful studies are surfacing.  It’s about time I say, and the results have been fascinating! The newest communication study appears in the June 15, 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and is titled, “Analysis of solicitation of client concerns in companion animal practice.”

The purpose of this study was to determine what percentage of veterinarians evaluated effectively solicited their clients’ concerns at the beginning of the office visit.  

When veterinarians did solicit concerns, the client’s responses were referred to as their “opening statement”.

What we know from research pertaining to human physicians is that only 23% to 28% of patients are allowed to complete their opening statements.  

On average, they are interrupted by their physicians within 12 to 23 seconds! Research has also documented that physicians often mistakenly assume that the first or only concern expressed by their patient is the main concern or only concern.

In addition to learning how many veterinarians effectively solicit client concerns, this study also determined if there is a difference in the way clients respond to open-ended versus closed-ended solicitations.

Open-ended questions such as “What brings you in today?” cannot readily be answered by a simple “yes” or “no”. 

Rather, they require more expansive, thoughtful responses.

Closed-ended questions such as, “Has Peanut been vomiting?” can readily be answered by “yes” or “no” and may entice a client to focus on what they perceive the veterinarian thinks is important rather than what they are truly concerned about.

Here’s what this study’s researchers learned by reviewing 334 videotaped veterinarian-client office visits:

• Solicitations for client concerns were made in only 37% of the office visits.
• Of the office visits that included solicitations, 76% of the queries were open-ended and 24% were closed-ended.
• In response to open-ended solicitations 76% of clients expressed one or more concerns.  In response to closed-ended solicitations, 40% of clients expressed one or more concerns.
• Clients spoke more than twice as long in response to an open-ended solicitation compared to a closed-ended solicitation.
• Clients’ opening statements in response to the solicitation were interrupted by the veterinarian 55% of the time, on average after only 11 seconds!
• Following an interruption, clients returned to and completed their response only 28% of the time.
• Appointments in which the veterinarian did not solicit client concerns at the beginning the office visit were significantly more likely to have concerns raised at the end of the office visit.
• Open-ended solicitations were more likely to occur during “well pet visits” than visits initiated because of a medical issue.

Are you surprised by these results?  

I’m a bit surprised by the numbers and, admittedly, as a veterinarian, I’m feeling a bit of professional embarrassment.

This study underscores the fact that veterinarians could be doing a much better job soliciting and listening to their clients’ concerns.  

By learning from studies such as these, there is so much potential for greater success, not only in terms of doing a better job for our patients (gaining an accurate assessment of all concerns is certainly in the best interest of the patient), but also in terms of our clients.

Actively listening to their concerns without interruption conveys empathy and what person worried about their best buddy’s health couldn’t use a good dose of that?

As a consumer of veterinary medicine, what is the take home message for you?  I hope this data will prompt you to be persistent in expressing all of your concerns to your veterinarian at the beginning of the office visit.

And, if interrupted, do your best to return to your original train of thought!

What is the take-home message for veterinarians?

It is clear that we could and should be doing a much better job consistently asking open-ended questions at the beginning of office visits and then actively listening, without interruption to hear what our clients have to say.

Perhaps before entering the exam room we might remind ourselves of the saying I’ve always loved, “Don’t just do something, stand there!”

Editor's note: One thing that's always worked well for me, whether for the reasons above or simply for the sake of bad memory, is writing things down before the visit. If you come in with a comprehensive list, it will keep you on track. Don't leave the office until every item on the list had been addressed.

***

Dr. Kay  is the fortunate recipient of the 2011 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award- presented by the AVMA to the veterinarian who promotes and exemplifies the human animal bond!

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.

Become a fan of Speaking for Spot on Facebook.

Articles by Dr. Kay:
Even The Best Veterinarian Can Make A Mistake
Reasonable Expectations: The Ability to Discuss Your Internet Research With Your Vet
Finding Dr. Wonderful And Your Mutt's Mayo Clinic: Getting Started
A Different Way to Spay
Making Tough Medical Decisions For Your Dog: Lily's Story

Related articles:
Veterinarians Are People First
Emailing With Your Vet And The Miracle Of Web-based Medical Records
A Word On Second Opinions
Finding Dr. Wonderful And Your Mutt's Mayo Clinic: Getting Started
Making Tough Medical Decisions For Your Dog
It's Your Dog's Health
Does Your Vet Listen To You?
Help! My Dog Is Purple!
Veterinary Drive-Thru: Coming Soon To A Veterinary Hospital Near You!

AntiFreeze Isn't Just A Winter Hazzard

By Lenore Holditch

When I was 15-years-old my 6 pound Chihuahua, Chico, died in my arms. 

Undergoing extreme pain and with a minuscule chance of survival (even with the very costly surgery that my parents couldn't afford), I was forced to lay him down via lethal injection to release him from his misery.

Fast forward 10 years later and I still haven’t recovered from the experience—no other dog has managed to evoke any sort of interest for me. 

And as dramatic as it may sound I probably won't ever own another dog ever again.

But since then, I've been a walking PSA about the way my poor doggie died: acute renal failure. 

No he wasn't old, his small size played no role, and he was exceptionally healthy just 3 short days before his death.

His kidney malfunction was actually the result of antifreeze poisoning. 

It may seem unlikely that your dog may ever get a hold of antifreeze—after all it’s probably safe to say that you don't keep buckets of it lying around. But it's actually more common than you may think.

In fact, according to statistics more than 90,000 domestic pets die of antifreeze poisoning each year!

Why? Antifreeze is like candy for dogs.

Its "sweet" smell and taste can easily seduce domestic pets to giving it a try.

And all it takes is a couple of licks (about two ounces to be exact) for the poison to do its dirty work.

While antifreeze poisoning is about 85 percent lethal once ingested, fortunately if caught in enough time your pet may survive.

It is vital to know all of the signs your dog may have antifreeze poisoning and to learn ways that you can prevent this from occurring.

The symptoms of antifreeze poisoning may vary and will be especially dependent on time—the first few hours may be mild and will worsen as time progresses. 

Note that if not treated within 72 hours, the damage is typically irreversible.

I personally didn't notice any symptoms until the 24-hour mark, mostly because I was busy with a school project and wasn't paying much attention to Chico during the first initial hours (something I terribly regret).

I didn't notice anything was wrong until feeding time came the very next day. 

He was hiding underneath the couch, something that wasn't too terribly abnormal because he tended to like to burrow in blankets and dark areas.

But when I poured his breakfast and he didn't dash from underneath the couch to eat like he was often liked to do, I began to worry.  

I waited a few minutes before deciding to lure him out with a few scraps of deli meat, something he never refused. I tried crawling underneath the couch to waft it under his nose. But Chico rejected it.

I then tried jingling his dog leash—a sound he knew meant it was time for his walk and by far his favorite activity—but still he would not budge.

Late for school I left Chico underneath the couch hoping that when I returned, his dog bowl would be empty.

But when I came back home, Chico never touched it. He just continued to lie lifelessly underneath the couch. I had no choice but to drag his frail body from his hiding place.

It was then I noticed his shortness of breath. I immediately took him to the vet.

Almost immediately she diagnosed him with antifreeze poisoning.  

She informed me that symptoms are more prominent with other dogs, but usually include the following:

Within the first 12 hours:

• Mild Vomiting
• Depression
• Extreme Thirst
• Loss of Appetite
• Stumbling
• Mild Seizures

Within 24 hours:

• In addition to intensive variations of all of the symptoms mentioned above, your dog may also suffer from
• Shortness of Breath
• Panting/Wheezing
• Frequent Urination

Within 72 hours:

• Inability to Walk/Decreased Motor Function
• Intense Vomiting and/or Diarrhea
• Refusal to Eat
• Dehydration

If your dog is suffering from any of the symptoms listed above take your pet to the vet immediately. 

Depending on your pet's condition and which stage it is in will determine which treatment procedures your vet will pursue.

If caught early on, typically veterinarians will administer medication to encourage vomiting and get the antifreeze out of your pet's system.

Other methods include the administration of charcoal and fomepizole—two medications that slows down the spreading of the antifreeze from seeping through the rest of the body and the kidney.

I waited too long to take Chico to the vet and unfortunately purging his stomach of the poison was not an option. 

The only option left was a risky and highly expensive kidney transplant. Because we did not have the funds and because Chico was suffering, we then decided to lay him to sleep.

The only sure fire way to save your pet's life however is to prevent it from happening all together.

*Note that if your pet is an "outside dog," pay even more special attention. I am more than positive that Chico got a hold of antifreeze the day my parents accidently let him run loose in the neighborhood.  Do not let your dog roam. With that said, here are some things you can do to prevent antifreeze poisoning:

• Do not keep antifreeze in a low area where your dog can easily reach it. Always make sure it's properly sealed and stored in a cabinet/high area
• Inspect your vehicle(s) and ensure that it does not leak antifreeze 
• Monitor garages and driveways frequently; if there is a suspicious spill, clean it up immediately
• Do not permit your dog to drink from puddles
• Lastly, do not allow your dog to drink from water features in people's gardens, especially during the winter months—some people like to add ethylene glycol (the toxic agent in antifreeze) to prevent their gardens from frostbite.

***

This guest contribution was submitted by Lenore Holditch, who specializes in writing about top online colleges. Questions and comments can be sent to: holditch.lenore@gmail.com.

Further reading:
What are the signs seen with antifreeze toxicity in dogs

Tomorrow It Could Be Your Dog!

If you don't nip evil in the bud, one day it will show up at your doorstep.

What if one morning you woke up to find out that your beloved dog made it on the list of banned breeds?

You love your dog.  You set off to do everything the law requires. You keep your dog contained and supervised, leashed and muzzled on walks.

And then another morning the police shows up and takes your dog away anyway.

They impound him with the intent to put him down.

No, this is not a theoretical example. This has happened to Lennox.

On May 19, 2010 the Belfast City Council Dog Wardens Department forcibly removed Lennox from his loving, caring family home. After measuring his rear legs and muzzle with a dress maker's tape measure they deemed him to be of a Pittbull type breed.

Yes, that's happened over a year ago.

Lennox is still impounded and living in horrible conditions, death sentence still hanging over his head.

His family is still fighting the system to get their dog back.

If you don't fight evil, one day it will show up at your own doorstep.

Pitbulls today, Rottweilers and Boxers tomorrow, which breed is next?

In Denmark there are already 13 dog breeds banned. 12 more are under observation.

One thing that BSL did? 

Caused deaths and suffering of innocent dogs.

One thing that BSL didn't do? 

Solve any problem whatsoever.

They would get my dogs only over my dead body!

Visit Save Lennox official website and help save Lennox.

Sign a petition to stop Denmark from banning dog breeds.

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

Whatever you're going to do, don't do nothing!

Or it will be your dog who's ripped from your arms tomorrow.
Jana

If you think that the day is too far away to worry about it, check out this post: A List of 75 Dogs That Are Banned Or Restricted.

All of the dogs on this list are either banned or there are restrictions on owning them one place or another in the United States.

According to this article, somebody some place even figured that a Pug should make the list!

Unless, we, the people, stop this, no dog will be safe!

Related articles:
The Massacre of the Innocents: Let's Put A Ban On Breed Specific Bans!
BSL, Man-Made Solutions To Man-Made Problems, And Which Breed Should Be First On The List
Make Bestiality a Felony: Charity's Law
Did you see me today?

Ask A Vet Online: Second Opinion At Your Fingertips

Don't you just love the internet?

There aren't so many things you cannot do over the internet. Learn, shop, bank, run a business, watch movies, socialize … and talk to a vet.

Why would you want to talk to a vet online? 

Maybe you have an urgent question and your vet's office is closed. Maybe you want to get a second opinion on your dog's diagnosis or treatment.

I can tell you that a month doesn't go by without me consulting an online vet about one thing or another.

Having such an option available at your fingertips is a great blessing.

Just the other day I was happy to have this option when I was worried whether Jasmine might have had a dangerous overdose of her thyroid medication.

Hubby was working late.

To keep this important medication on the schedule, I gave Jasmine her pill. 

Hubby is the main “pillinator” though. He and Jasmine got it all figured out, while for me it's a struggle. (She won't take it with food, it has to be shoved down her throat and she is extraordinarily good at cheeking and spitting them out later.)

Because I hate doing that to her and I'm not very good at it, we decided that he will give her the rest of her pills (supplements that are not so time-sensitive) when he comes home.

He came home three hours later and gave her the pills. 

It happened so fast, that when I noticed he was indeed giving her the thyroid medication also, before I could have said anything it was already down.

Now what?

It's a tiny little pill. But just because it's small it doesn't mean that it's not potent. And given Jasmine's history I have the right to be very paranoid.

What should we do? Will she be ok with the one-time double-dose? Should we try to make her throw it up?

It was 11PM, who do you ask?

Given the combined dose and her size, the online vet reassured me that she will be fine, just might get a little hyper. My heart could have returned from my throat back into my chest.

She indeed was perfectly fine, it didn't have any visible effect on her whatsoever.

I first discovered online vet advice almost three years ago, when I was desperately researching options for treatment of Jasmine's busted ACL. 


What I've learned had ultimately led us to our new awesome vet and stem cell therapy.

I've been using online vet advice ever since.

In the summer of the last year, a great veterinarian and a friend of mine, Dr. Laci Schaible, and her husband Dr. Jed Schaible, also a veterinarian, started their own online vet advice service - VetLive.

If your dog gets sick, how do you know for sure you're making the best decision for them?

A second opinion is often invaluable in the decision process. Back in my country we have a saying: "More brains - more wisdom". VetLive was founded to make a second opinion easily accessible to everybody. And then of course are always the urgent questions that need to be answered.

I always preach about the importance of finding the right vet for your dog. 

Well, same rule applies whether you're going to see your vet in person or whether you're consulting one online.

Having a vast experience with this type of service I can tell you that if you do have an urgent question about your dog, or if you're looking for a second opinion, VetLive is the place to go.

They are available 24/7 and their answers are thorough and exhaustive. 

I am impressed with how much information you get during your session.

You can see it for yourself. Here is an example session about an injured Pug. Check it out and judge for yourself.

It's your dog's health!
Jana

Articles by Dr. Laci

A Tale of Many Tails—and What Came Out From Underneath Stories from My Diary-rrhea (part I)
Acute Small Intestinal Diarrhea
Acute Large Intestinal Diarrhea (Acute Colitis)
hronic Large Intestinal Diarrhea
Chronic Small Intestinal Diarrhea
Food Allergies in Dogs

Related articles:
Veterinarians Are People First
Emailing With Your Vet And The Miracle Of Web-based Medical Records
A Word On Second Opinions
Finding Dr. Wonderful And Your Mutt's Mayo Clinic: Getting Started
Making Tough Medical Decisions For Your Dog
It's Your Dog's Health
Does Your Vet Listen To You?
Help! My Dog Is Purple!
Veterinary Drive-Thru: Coming Soon To A Veterinary Hospital Near You!

The Easy Answer Isn't Always The Right Answer: Buddy's Nosebleeds

Buddy's story is shared with us by Mary Kara, thank you, Mary.

Buddy is a 10 year old Golden Retriever (neutered male). He is my little brother… he is a wonderful dog.

Even as a puppy, he was always a soft, sweet-tempered gentleman, with none of the crazy, challenging puppy antics that most people expect from retrievers.

When we answered the ad in the newspaper, he was the last puppy in the litter left, apparently the runt. He had been adopted once… and returned because he had diarrhea. How dumb was that? I’m so glad they were ignorant and petty, because that gave him to us.

All through his life, Buddy had been a vocal dog; always “talking” to us with whines, moans, sighs, and groans. 

So when he started snorting, that was just an addition to his repertoire. Once or twice last spring, he had a sneeze so strong that he struck his chin on the floor where he laid.

The vet suggested that he was experiencing some seasonal allergies. 

That was definitely possible. His symptoms at this point were some snorting, some sneezing, and infrequent reverse sneezing.

That April (last year), Buddy's left ear developed a hematoma. 

In his case, the ear flap inflated with fluid like a balloon.

At the vet, they decided that this was due to a mild ear infection, and the scratching was what triggered the hematoma. Ear wash cleared the infection, but nothing would clear the hematoma.

Our longtime vet, Dr. E, drained the ear several times of its fluid, but it wouldn’t stay empty for long. 

We tried binding his ear down close to his head and we tried more compression except with the ear up, but he hated it and it didn’t seem to help. Finally, after draining, compression, and then trying to leave it to resolve on its own for a month, we ended up having Dr. E surgically repair the ear flap at the end of June.

He drained it, opened a long slit on the underside, and stitched the flap in a quilt-like pattern. The ear stayed flat (but obviously a little swollen) while the stitches were in, and two weeks later the stitches were removed.

Three days after that, his ear started to fill again. 

We were leaving town for the weekend the next day, so we boarded him with Dr. E just to be on the safe side.

If we had left him in the care of our neighbor like we had planned, he would have died.

The next morning, as the techs took him on his walk, he had a big sneeze and began to violently bleed from both nostrils. 

They called Dr. E in from home and he later told us that he had never seen as much blood coming from a dog that wasn’t just shot or hit by a car in his 20+ years of practice.

Buddy got a blood transfusion and they stabilized him. 

X-rays of his head looked normal, but when monitoring his blood pressure they noticed that it was very high. So at that point, we began medicating him for hypertension and we thought that the stress of boarding and his high blood pressure had triggered the bleed when he had a powerful sneeze.

We took him home and things went back to normal for a while.

In August we adopted a three year old female Golden named Coco from the rescue SEVA GRREAT. She’s a big girl with some socialization problems but otherwise sweet and normal. Buddy loves canine company and he loves to wrestle, so while they took a little while to become friends; it is impossible to compare his happiness level before Coco and after Coco when referring to his sickness.

In the beginning of November, Buddy had another bleed. 

It started sometime in the early morning before anyone was awake. This time it was much less violent than before, but it was a steady, quiet gush from his right nostril. It would bleed for an hour and subside for an hour, which went on a few times before we could get him to the vet.

When I went to put him in the car to go, he got excited and started spurting and sneezing all over the wall.

Our house looked like a murder scene. 

In this case, he didn’t need a blood transfusion, but when we took him home he kept bleeding, so we decided to board him with Dr. E. and get a diagnostic procedure called a rhinoscopy done, which is a small scope that goes into the nose and throat under anesthesia. We went to a doctor of Internal Medicine to do this (Dr. B).


Dr. B found multiple tumors of granulated tissue in his nasal passages and a small area of the pharynx!

The right nostril was completely occluded by tumor growth and the left was in the beginning stages.

Although he took biopsies and cultures for bacteria and fungus, no definite cause was found by the pathologist.

Because all other diagnoses were essentially ruled out, we accepted possible cancer as our functional diagnosis. 

Blood and urine tests also suggested that Buddy was in the early stages of chronic kidney failure, but it was far more likely that the cancer would get him before the kidney disease would affect him.

Buddy recovered from the rhinoscopy pretty well and soon was back to wrestling with Coco.

Due to costs, quality of life concerns, and especially since we didn’t know what cancer we were dealing with, we decided against allopathic treatments like radiation or chemotherapy. 

I decided to see a new vet, Dr. C, who is a doctor of Internal Medicine and trained in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM). We started a few herbal formulas and I changed from meat+veggie dehydrated raw food (The Honest Kitchen), to only a small amount of THK and mostly raw meat.

His blood and urine panels quickly improved—you wouldn’t at all be able to suggest that Buddy had kidney disease. 

We also started acupuncture which his joints have benefited from.

Buddy has had one more bleed since then, and we are doing a course of the cancer apoptosis drug Neoplasene.

At the time of the first nosebleed, I tried to ask if there was something that caused this nosebleed, and how we could find out. 

Dr. E said that since our X-rays were clean, we would do some antibiotics to go after any possible infection in the nose.

I was sort of unprepared to ask better questions at the time, but now better informed, I wish he had done more to inform us of the different causes of nosebleeds. 

I probably would have really pushed my family to have him go for the rhinoscopy at that time if I knew it was an option. I knew in my gut that something wasn’t right with him, ever since his ear swelled up (and his nose has had a correlation to his ear hematomas.)

Make Bestiality a Felony: Charity's Law

These 3 dogs were sexually abused, and came in with severe bleeding & torn rectums. Their owner (nor his son) have NOT been prosecuted yet.

One dog died from this abuse. Her name was Charity. 

Surgery was performed, because the sexual abuse was so extreme, that it caused damage to their intestinal walls, making it so weakened, that they would have died (without the surgery).

***

My name is Charity. Though I did not know or understand when I was first born, because of my breed I was born considered “guilty” of some unknown crime by many.

I was one of a litter of several and knew nothing of the world or the people in it. 

I knew my mother and warmth and hunger. I knew one day something was wrong when I was ripped from my mother with two of my sisters.

We were hurt in ways we did not understand and could not make sense of what was wanted or expected of us. 

You see, we were born American Pit Bull Terriers and those who may not understand; we are a very loyal breed. We want only to please those who feed and care for us. Ideally, we would be nurtured and our sharp instincts used for wonderful things, like rescuing small children who have wandered away from a campground, or tunneling through debris at a World Trade Center when bad men do horrid things.

But I was born into a world that does not understand us. 

The most decorated military dog ever was my kind, and now... well... now some people want to kill us all because of the things men do with us.

I am not so sure what it is that makes people hate us so. I know we grow into dogs with a powerful bite and we can do a lot of damage. But, basically, we will do what it is we are trained to do. If we are with a kind person, and we learn kindness from an early age, we can be the best friends ever. Some of us have an instinct that makes us what is called animal aggressive, and I know that is not such a good thing when we need to get along in a family. I was never aggressive.

I never harmed anyone or anything... and neither did my two sisters, Faith and Hope. 

But because of what we are, bad people like to take us and make us do bad things. And those bad people make a lot of other humans hate us for what we are trained to do.

But that is another story, sort of... though that story is the reason why things happened to us as they did. Our birth was brought about by one of those bad people with bad intentions. And the more people hate us, the more those bad people want us and the worse they treat us. And it is ok because we are just “Pit Bulls” and “Dumb Dogs.” They do not seem to understand that we feel pain, we feel when someone hates us, and we do not want to be hurt.

So ... that is the world we were born into, but we did not understand all of that then. 

We just understood we had been ripped from our mother; we could not eat because we had no teeth; and, worse ... the man who bred us had a teenage son that was doing really bad things to us. I later learned that it was called sexual molestation, sodomy, or bestiality. I just knew that it hurt and I could hear my sisters crying when he would hurt them.

Faith was so small and I tried really hard to protect her. 

I cannot tell you how many times this happened, though it could not have been many or we would not have lived. But it was enough to hurt us. One day the boy was seen hurting us and his father saw what was happening too. He rushed us to this place called the County Animal Shelter. I think we were supposed to be killed there and no one would ever question what happened, because most “Pits” that go into a place like that do not come out alive.

But this was a good place with people who did care.

The man told them the big dog down the road had “gotten to us.” 

I guess they figured that is how we got all those bite marks all over our bodies where the other dogs were allowed to hurt us. But they noticed there that we were very, very still, huddled together ... and we would not eat. I was very worried about my sisters. And they seemed to look to me.

Then this woman and man came and got us and took us to a place called The Eagle’s Den.

After that, things changed. They call it rescue, and I am glad we were rescued. I wish all of my kind could be because it gives us a chance. But... anyway... we saw a vet and he sort of guessed at what had happened to us. But the man was not punished, nor his son. All I know is there is something called an investigation into all those bad people and they really want to catch them all. They should. And I hope one day there will be some justice for me and my sisters. But the people will have to work that out because well... we are just dogs. And our story has not ended.

Well, mine has, at least there where it hurt every time I went to the bathroom, but where life was so good I did not let on that I was hurting. 

You see, one day when I was 6 months old, I just felt funny and then I went to sleep. I can remember wet tears on my face as the man and woman held me and I knew they were going to try and save me again. But I was just so tired. After having been in pain for so long and knowing my sisters were I just went to sleep. I was in a coma for a very brief time and that is when my “mom and dad” held me close and told me if I was tired and if it was too hard to fight, I could let go and rest. They promised they would love me forever as their tears wet my face. They also promised they would take care of Hope and Faith and fight for justice for all animals. I finally could be free from the pain and the torture that had plagued me since I was first abused.

I went to sleep at long last and came to a place called Rainbow Bridge.

It is very nice here. I have a lot of friends here. There are all kinds of dogs and many of my kind, many that were hurt like I was, and killed. And I can watch over Faith and Hope here. They have had surgery now to help them. But they continue to need constant care and have had to go back time and again to save their lives. They deserve to have good lives and not end up here at Rainbow Bridge way too soon. Too many end up here because of men and women who do not seem to understand that dogs can and do feel. If you cut us we bleed; if you yell at us, it hurts our feelings; and if you gas us or stick us in the heart, or stick needles in our paws with poison... we die.

We are living, breathing beings.

I am rooting for Faith and Hope now and I watch over them from here. They had the first surgery they needed to fix the pain. They may not understand the pain they are in right now, but it will get better now. People care so it will get better.

There are a lot of people upset because of what happened to us. 

And I am very glad they are upset. If I could tell them anything that would help: make it stop; but not just this man. Make it all stop. Get the people who make laws to write some that will protect us. What happened to us is against the law. That is a fact.

But there are no federal laws to help us, and they get away with it time and again.

Anyone who wants to see how often this happens, just type the word Canine sexual molestation into your computers and look. But you only see the cases that get reported. And not much happens in those cases. Even when they kill us, not much happens. So if you want to help, if you want it to stop ... there is only one way. Make it illegal all over the United States.

Make uniform laws so that all animal abuse carries mandatory sentences. 

Other countries protect their companion animals.

If those of you who have prayed so hard and whose love I feel so strongly want to help ... make it stop. Make them hear you. They have never heard us. Faith’s surgery went really well, even though she was the sickest. Hope had hers and she is doing ok now. Ironically, Hope may have already been here at Rainbow Bridge, but some of the abuse actually saved her. When they did her surgery, they found a piece of metal in her intestines, surrounded by flesh. It was blocking a tear. They had to cut off a lot more of her intestines than they did Faith’s, but she will be ok now ... I HOPE.

That piece of metal stopped poison from spilling into her body at least, even though it did damage, it helped her to stay alive long enough to get the surgery to save her life.

***

Both Hope and Faith continue the fight to live a quality life. 

They are loved and respected now and they have all of you. They have both had to return for more surgery and they will always need to be monitored closely to make sure they are not in pain and that they are doing well.

***

Eagle’s Den, Faith, Hope and all the other animals there need your help to survive. 

For so many of the animals there, this is not a second chance, but the only chance they have ever been given. They need your understanding, your love and your prayers. Also, Eagle’s Den survives through donations, and 100% goes to the care of the animals.

Things have been really tough over the last year with Faith and Hope needing so much medical care, as well as several others that came in hurt, abused and tortured by sub-humans.

You can help Faith & Hope continue their fight for their lives with your prayers and your donations.

Your donations will also help many others at the Den who need you. They each have a story to tell and somewhere in their past they were abused, dumped, unloved and forgotten. If you can help Eagle’s Den care for them, your donations go to pay for medical care as well as their daily needs. Your prayers, love and compassion are always appreciated and needed.

If you can help, you can donate here.

I am watching, and I am hoping this will make people wake up and realize what goes on with us when we are bred for all the wrong reasons.

I hope people will stop punishing our breed for what these people do and realize what we go through. 

I wish they all could be rescued. I wish there was no reason to rescue. There is one more thing I have seen since I came to Rainbow Bridge. All of you are very caring and good people. My sisters were able to have their surgery because people cared enough to help them live. They have a long way to go, but thank you for helping them. I’ll be watching... and one day I will see all of you here at the Bridge; because I am everyone’s dog who had a part in saving my sisters. Thank You.

Thank You for Loving Us,
Charity

There are numerous ways you can donate and help Eagle’s Den and the animals there. You will find a list here.

You can sign one of the petitions for Charity’s Law here. You can also "Like" Charity's Law Facebook page.

Thank You, and Great Love, Hope & Faith...
See you at the Bridge one day.
Charity

Understanding Chronic Inflammation In Your Dog

by Jennifer Febel of Avivagen Animal Health Inc.

You get a paper cut and within minutes you experience pain, redness and swelling.

Not very pleasant, but you can thank your immune system for mounting the proper response to keep your body safe from harmful bacteria.

Unpleasant as it might be, this physiological response is a critical part of the body’s immune process. 

Underneath that red, sore skin is a complex biological reaction that is aimed at keeping you safe and harmful pathogens out of your body.

When it comes to inflammation, our pet’s bodies are not much different from our own. The same telltale signs of inflammation seen in ourselves can also be seen in our furry companions.

Is your pet's body sending out an S.O.S?

When the body detects harmful pathogens, the damaged or injured cells in the immediate area send out distress signals that set the inflammatory response into action.

Nearby cells also get involved, releasing a series of biochemical signals, known as cytokines, which radiate from the site of inflammation and form an important road map to allow immune cells (such as macrophages) to locate the site of injury.

Once on the scene these white blood cells go to work engulfing and destroying the harmful pathogens and eliminating the associated threats.

Do you know the difference between acute and chronic inflammation?

In acute inflammation, such as our paper cut, the immune system will mount an appropriate response, send out white blood cells and destroy any harmful microbes.

Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, is the result of an immune system that has run amok and continues to send out distress signals even in the absence of any pathogens.

Chronic inflammation is a sign your pet's immune system is out of control

In chronic inflammation there is a faulty distress signal causing the body to continue to release cytokines and the immune system to send out white blood cells unnecessarily.

In the absence of any actual pathogens, the white blood cells will start to attack healthy tissue, which then prompts the release of more cytokines. And the cycle continues, wreaking havoc on healthy cells and causing widespread damage to tissue.

Excess fat and environmental pollution may trigger chronic inflammation

An important potential trigger for chronic inflammation is excess weight.  In the past, fat was thought to be an inert tissue that didn’t have any specific biological significance other than to provide insulation and quick energy.

New research suggests that fat plays a larger role than once believed.

In fact, fat is now considered to be an active part of the endocrine system and has direct influence over the release and regulation of hormones.

Environmental pollutants are another potential common cause of chronic inflammation, constantly bombarding the body with harmful substances that may send the immune system into overdrive.

Chronic inflammation: the silent disease that might be hurting your pet from the inside out.

When there is acute inflammation it is easy to spot: redness, swelling, heat and pain are all telltale signs that an acute inflammatory response is underway.

Identifying chronic inflammation, however, can be trickier as there are often no specific symptoms present.

In some cases, the chronic inflammation can cause specific diseases, such as arthritis and allergies; however, in many cases the symptoms of chronic inflammation can be too subtle to detect.

In fact, often the only way to detect chronic inflammation is using in vitro methods to detect the presence of certain proteins.

But while chronic inflammation might not be outwardly apparent, on a cellular level the damage can be severe.

Fighting the invisible killer by strengthening your pet's immune system.

Since chronic inflammation causes very few outward signs at first, how can we fight it?

The key, it seems, may lie in altering the balance of the immune system, including helping regulate the inflammatory response to prevent it from spiraling out of control.


***

Avivagen Animal Health is a new Canadian company dedicated to developing science-based, natural health products for companion animals and offering veterinarians alternatives to traditional treatments.

Their aim is to increase an animal’s protection against disease by helping it attain optimal health by supporting its own physiological defenses, including immune function. Based on strong scientific fundamentals, we are developing innovative products and therapies that harness nature’s inherent ability to maintain and promote animal health and well-being.

To stay up to date with Avivagen news, check out their blog.