Ginny-Puppy's Dog Journal

The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission is preparing to hold a National SpokesPET Contest

2010-04-13T13:34:00.003-04:00

The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission (VEFM.org) is preparing to hold a National SpokesPET Contest. Since I am VEFM's official mascot, I am obviously very excited about this. Please go to VEFM's blog to participate in the discussion. They are looking for lots of ideas on how to run this important competition.
(http://vefm.blogspot.com/2010/04/we-are-taking-ideas-and-suggestions-for.html)

Could it be that fleas are getting resistant to our products? Read the article and decide for yourself.

2010-04-01T13:15:00.004-04:00

Make Your Diagnosis

Resistance to a Flea Product?

By Michael W. Dryden, DVM, PhD, Kansas State University

March 11, 2010 (Article found in Clinician's Brief, March 2010 issue)

A mixed-breed dog and 2 domestic shorthair cats were presented for severe flea infestation.

History. The owner reported that fleas were first seen 4 weeks ago on all 3 pets. He purchased several flea products from hardware stores, pet supply stores, and a local veterinarian but concluded the fleas were resistant to the products because none seemed to be effective. The owner reported that the dog sleeps indoors and is restricted to a fenced-in backyard while outdoors; the cats are kept indoors exclusively.....

[The full article can be found at this link:
http://www.cliniciansbrief.com/column/make-your-diagnosis/resistance-flea-product]

Check out this article on the wonders of a dog's nose

2010-02-08T22:42:00.003-05:00

... "Dogs live in a world of smell, not sight, writes Alexandra Horowitz, a professor of animal behavior, in her new book "Inside a Dog's Mind: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know."...
=> For the complete article, follow this link: http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/1127842.html

Photo credit:
http://faithfool.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/dognose.jpg

Training Your Dog to Settle or Relax | Cat and Dog Behavior and Veterinarian Care

2009-12-29T14:40:00.001-05:00

Training Your Dog to Settle or Relax | Cat and Dog Behavior and Veterinarian Care

Posted using ShareThis

A Doberman Helps Owner By Going For Help

2009-12-28T20:02:00.004-05:00

This wonderful article illustrates (once again) how perceptive dogs can be about things that are amiss with their owners.

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/231047

Some Behavior Techniques are Not Good for my Psyche

2009-12-17T21:30:00.004-05:00

My humans say that I have some "behavior challenges." I think that means that they think I am a little messed up, mentally. Supposedly, I am a " reactive dog." I have heard them say that I was not well-socialized as a puppy. I did not go to live with them until I was 10 months old, and I suppose that I had lived a rather sheltered existence before that. I had always been with my brother (from the same litter), so he was always my shield against danger. When I went out on my own, with my new family, there were times when I was nervous, especially around dogs or people I didn't know. I found that it made me feel more powerful if I bounced and barked at them, but this did not seem to make my people happy. They have been teaching me to relax, using something called a clicker, followed by a treat.

My human partner has been reading a lot of information, lately, about how "aversive training techniques" are not helpful or humane for a nervous dog like me, who is basically insecure. She read an interesting press release on the subject, so she wants me to share it on my blog. Here it is: http://www.dogwelfarecampaign.org/

Cat food recall originated in same plant that sickened dogs, firm says

2009-12-05T15:32:00.000-05:00

This is a disturbing news article about Diamond Foods.

Cat food recall originated in same plant that sickened dogs, firm says

Cat food recall originated in same plant that sickened dogs, firm says

2009-12-05T15:31:00.000-05:00

Cat food recall originated in same plant that sickened dogs, firm says

An Important Update on The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission

2009-11-12T19:11:00.003-05:00

As my friends know, I am the official mascot of The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission. My person writes a blog for them, just like mine. Her blog is vefm.blogspot.com. She wanted everyone to know that VEFM did receive official, tax-exempt status from the IRS several weeks ago. However, the IRS is very slow at updating their web site, so, if anyone is disturbed by the fact they cannot find VEFM listed on the IRS list of charities, they can confirm their 501(C)3 status by calling the IRS (toll-free) at 1-877-829-5500. The corporate name is: The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission LTD (EIN: 26-3396722)For more information, visit this page on the IRS web site:
http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96136,00.html

Diabetes Mellitus Part 1: Diagnosis

2009-11-05T12:02:00.002-05:00

My veterinarian/human thought has seen several cases of diabetes recently, so when this article came out in the latest issue of Clinician's Brief, she thought it would be helpful to share it. I was happy to hear that German shepherds are one of the breeds listed that are at decreased risk of diabetes.

Diabetes Mellitus Part 1: Diagnosis

http://www.cliniciansbrief.com/column/consultant-call/diabetes-mellitus-part-1-diagnosis

Important Cat Food Recall

2009-10-03T09:22:00.002-04:00

I know I'm not a cat, but my person has many cat friends, so I am passing this on.....
Certain lots of Premium Edge Cat Food have been recalled, due to a thiamine deficiency. Thiamine deficiency is treatable and reversible in cats, but can cause some alarming neurological signs, such as staggering and a strange flexing (downward) of the head and neck. Here is the recall notice from Diamond Pet Foods--http://www.premiumedgepetfood.com/promotions/66/

A New Witch Hunt In Massachusetts???

2009-08-29T10:03:00.004-04:00

This disturbing story appeared in the newsletter of Best Friends.org

"A New Witch Hunt in Massachusetts:

"The City of Mashpee will hear an alarming breed discriminatory bylaw at its Annual Town Meeting on October 19, 2009. This disturbing bylaw includes claims that certain breeds have “a strong instinct for dominance” and a prey drive that results in “aggressive pursuit of . . . human children”. These statements made in Section 1 of the proposed bylaw are reckless and entirely unfounded. Even more appalling is subparagraph (i) under Section 4 of the proposed bylaw. It reads: 'In the event [a pit bull type dog has] a litter, the owner or keeper (i) must deliver the puppies to the Town Kennel for destruction. . . . Any pit bull puppies kept contrary to the provisions of this subsection are subject to immediate impoundment and disposal. . . .'."

For the complete article, go to the following web address:

http://network.bestfriends.org/News.aspx?pID=12799

Recall of 2 lot #'s of 85 lb plus size of Iverhart Plus Chewables

2009-08-24T10:17:00.003-04:00

The following is an excerpt from an article that was posted in The VIN News Service:

Virbac recalls Iverhart Plus

August 20, 2009
By: Jennifer Fiala
For The VIN News Service

Virbac Animal Health has recalled Iverhart Plus flavored chewable tablets for dogs after routine stability tests showed that samples from two lots did not contain sufficient amounts of ivermectin to give dogs weighing 85 pounds or more six months of parasite protection.

The company, which sent out a letter to distributors last Friday, reports that lots 090093 and 090095 of the heartworm preventative, sold between March 20 and April 5, are affected.

A third lot, 090073, initially was named in the recall, but subsequent tests revealed the related product was not subpotent....

The rest of the article can be found at the following link: http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=13680

An Open Letter to Veterinarians, By a Veterinarian

2009-08-03T18:07:00.001-04:00

"The Growing Problem of Clients Who Cannot Afford Emergency Care"

After about 10 years working in emergency hospitals, it became painfully clear that, the more advanced our ability to provide adequate care became, the less the average person was able to afford it. In our recent economic downturn, it has become a real crisis. With the widespread use of specialized emergency and critical care hospitals for overnight, weekend, and holiday coverage for general practitioners, clients and their sick and injured pets are frequently caught in a desperate situation. They find themselves in the midst of a medical emergency, in a hospital where there is no ongoing relationship with the doctor providing the care, and faced with charges that are likely to be much higher than they are accustomed to, not to mention the requirement of immediate paymentFew would disagree that state-of-the art veterinary care should be available and easily accessible. It also goes without saying that facilities that provide this level of care must charge more for their services than practices with lower overhead. However, often we are dealing with owners who have chosen a particular emergency facility simply because their own vet is using it to cover emergency calls. Suddenly, they are faced with charges that could easily be three or four times when their normal vet would charge. There are some ethical questions, here. Should an emergency hospital that offers round-the-clock care, sophisticated critical care monitoring, and advanced surgical and medical treatment, be willing to offer care that is less than state-of-the-art, simply because an owner cannot afford it? Is it right to turn someone away and risk the animal's death, because they do not have enough to pay for treatment? As veterinarians, where do our allegiances lie?--to the owner and their emotional and financial needs; or to the animal and its comfort and general welfare? What about our own financial needs? It helps no one if veterinarians give so much of their services away that they go out of business. Nor does it help if we give away so much of our time and energy that we burn ourselves out and either lose our compassion or leave the profession.I would really like to get a dialog started about this important issue. My husband and I are trying to build up an organization that will help find funding for people who cannot afford emergency care. It is called The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission. Other similar organizations have fallen short because they have depended only on the generosity of individuals. I think that this issue is far too important not to get the backing of veterinarians and local communities around the country. Perhaps an internet dialog will get the word out and start people thinking about how to make change happen.

Lucy L. (Pinkston) Schroth DVM - President & Co-Founder of The Veterinary Emergency Funding Missionhttp://www.vefm.org/ (blog - http://vefm.blogspot.com/ )(vefmmail@gmail.com)

"Help me to help financially strapped owners pay for emergency vet care."

"Together, the veterinary community can make a BIG difference."

~~~

A Tribute to K-9's

2009-07-05T20:58:00.000-04:00

This is a great You-Tube Slide Show.

"Finding the Right Diet for Your Dog," an article by Darlene Arden

2009-07-05T17:46:00.003-04:00

~ ~ ~

"Finding the Right Diet for Your Dog"

(Article © 2000 Darlene Arden. First published in AKC Gazette, March 2000)

Click on the above link to read this informative article, written by behaviorist, author, and long-time dog and cat owner Darlene Ardene. It is an excellent summary of the issues involved in feeding your dog. When one talks to people in the "commercial diet" camp and the "raw diet" camp, it sounds as if they are arguing about religion.....Darlene's article discusses the pros and cons of both types of feeding and suggests that rigid adherence to any one method, especially without the nutritional education to back it up, can be quite dangerous to your dog's health.

For more information about Darlene Arden, go to her web site, www.darlenearden.com or visit her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/petxpert

Darlene's latest book is "Rover, Get Off Her Leg!" - "Pet Etiquette for the Dog Who Pees on Your Rug, Steals the Roast, and Poops in Improper Places." - (available at www.amazon.com) For more information about this informative, irreverent book, go to Darlene's "room" in The Red Room, an online writer's community (www.redroom.com) - http://www.redroom.com/author/darlene-arden/bio.

As an aside (and this is strictly from a dog's perspective, since it's MY journal and I AM a dog!), she's a really nice person. Shhhh......Don't tell anyone that I was the one who said this, since German shepherds are supposed to be aloof with people outside their family. I wouldn't want to tarnish my image.

~ ~ ~

Flu Vaccine?? Don't Jump on This One Right Away

2009-07-01T09:37:00.007-04:00

The New York Times published this article about a newly FDA approved vaccine against canine Influenza (Flu).
New York Times Article (June 30, 2009)
Of course, they make it sound as if every dog with a "pushed-in" (brachycephalic) facial conformation should have this vaccine. However, a recent article in Veterinary Practice News (June 23, 2009) stated that "Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health’s Canine Influenza Vaccine, H3N8, has been granted a conditional product license." A conditional product license is just that--"conditional." The Veterinary Practice News article goes on to say that, "During the conditional license period, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health will continue to submit data obtained in support of the product’s performance, which will be evaluated by government regulators to determine whether a regular product license may be issued. The vaccine, made from inactivated virus, has been demonstrated to reduce the incidence and severity of lung lesions, as well as the duration of coughing and viral shedding." This last statement is significant. It means that it does not prevent canine Influenza, nor does it cure the disease. "It is intended as an aid in the control of disease associated with canine influenza virus infection, a type A, subtype H3N8." So far, although it may play an important role in controlling existing outbreaks in group-housing situations (like shelters), veterinary infectious disease specialists are NOT yet recommending it for the average "dog on the street." The reasoning behind this position is explained in the Vet. Practice News article. "Because the virus is a novel pathogen, most dogs have no immunity to canine influenza. Therefore, the infection can spread quickly through animal shelters, adoption groups, pet stores, boarding kennels, veterinary clinics and any location where dogs congregate." However, in spite of the fact that it is highly contagious, it is not the "killer virus" that the media has implied. For more information on the disease itself, visit this page on Veterinary Partner, a client education site. (article)

Algae blooms close ponds in Harwich, Brewster | CapeCodOnline.com

2009-06-30T09:35:00.002-04:00

Blue-green algae is very toxic to animals and humans. This as an important issue for dogs who swim in ponds.

Algae blooms close ponds in Harwich, Brewster | CapeCodOnline.com

Posted using ShareThis

What, on Earth, is a Thundershirt???

2009-06-23T19:40:00.002-04:00

My human partner saw a Facebook Page advertisement for something called a Thundershirt, that is supposed to ease a thunderstorm-phobic dog's anxiety during a thunderstorm or fireworks. As you know, my human partner is a veterinarian, so she naturally wondered whether was any scientific basis for their claims. Unfortunately, unless she became a "fan" of the Thundershirt Facebook page, she could not ask questions there. So she looked up Thundershirt in Google, and discovered their web site: http://www.thundershirt.com/ http://www.thundershirt.com/IBS/SimpleCat/InfoPage/asp/Comp_ID/25315.html

Their web site states that it "works" for the following reasons:

"Thundershirt (patent pending) does the following for most dogs suffering from noise anxiety:

The physical sensation of wearing Thundershirt distracts the dog from focusing on her fears, and

Being wrapped in a Thundershirt gives the dog a feeling of safety and comfort.
Soon after putting on her Thundershirt, your dog will likely settle down and relax. Many dogs will lie down and weather the storms with little to no further symptoms of noise anxiety.
From a more scientific perspective, according to neurobiologists, many types of traumas can cause nerve damage, leading to dogs having exaggerated responses to stimuli such as loud noises. Applying constantly maintained pressure with Thundershirt provides an unchanging, quieting stimulus that allows the dog to relax (in other words, #1 above!)."

My human partner is, understandably, VERY skeptical about the science behind this device, and DISAGREES with physical trauma to nerves being a cause of noise phobias. Because there is no scientific basis for their claims that trauma, leading to nerve damage, leading to exaggerated responses to noise stimuli; my partner also finds it hard to believe any other claims they have made about their product. It might work or it might not work, but if it does, it is probably not because of the reasons they have stated. She will keep an open mind, however---If there start to be UNBIASED reports about its effectiveness AND safety, perhaps she will give it a different review.

My "Pet Project" Has an Important Announcement

2009-06-22T11:14:00.002-04:00

Since I am the official mascot for the Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission, I had to share an exciting new idea, because they need feedback and ideas. Please go to their blog to join the discussion: http://vefm.blogspot.com/

This is a copy of what was posted on the blog:

~ ~ ~

I think we have solved several of the biggest challenges for VEFM with one great idea.....

- VOUCHERS FOR EMERGENCY CARE -

For years, shelters and SPCA's have used spay/neuter vouchers to encourage low-income pet owners to get their dogs and cats spayed or neutered. Recently, Bayer Animal Health has started a $20 voucher program to encourage owners to go to their vets for preventative care (http://www.gettothevet.com/). It would seem to me that, in this era of gift cards and gift certificates, that we can easily establish a voucher program for emergency vet care that can go NATIONWIDE immediately, not just starting in the local area where VEFM is based.
PLEASE give ideas and feedback about this plan. Below are some sites where there is information on similar programs, where we can educate ourselves about the possibilities. We would like to have the new program fully operational well before the October date for the Seaside Festival booth.

http://www.customgiftcard.com/index.html http://www.justgive.org/give-now/gift-cards/index.jsp?gclid=CNLmu4WInpsCFVpM5Qod1DTVpA http://www.signaturecard.net/?referer=google&gclid=CJrXwZyInpsCFcxM5QodOGIdpQ

Vet-related vouchers:

Well-pet vouchers:

http://www.gettothevet.com/

Spay-neuter vouchers:

http://tlconline.org/pgm/0010app.html

http://www.schuylerhumane.org/vouchers.html

http://www.nfvsonline.org/nys_spayneuter.html http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=9698

http://www.animalrescue.net/vet_corner#9

Bayer might be willing to sponsor emergencies, too.... http://www.veterinarians.com/library/alerts/109/Bayer-$20-Vet-Voucher.html

Defense department????: "Automated Voucher Examining and Disbursing System" http://www.dodig.mil/audit/reports/fy03/03003sum.htm

Emergency food programs:
http://www.wfp.org/content/protracted-relief-and-recovery-operation-syria-107780-emergency-food-assistance-victims-drought

~ ~ ~

A Letter from a New Friend

2009-06-20T20:57:00.003-04:00

Dear Ginny,

So you have a June birthday too!
I turned 5 on June 10. see my pic here.
I am the one on the left with my friend Abby on the right.
Maybe we could go out on a date sometime, Ginny?
--Boaz (aka CH Canal-Side's Kinsman Redeemer CGC)

Does Anyone Know Any NON-Biased Reviews of the Shoo-Tag Insect Repellent System?

2009-06-03T16:48:00.005-04:00

I heard about an interesting product, today. It is called Shoo-Tag, and is supposed to repel certain insects, like mosquitoes, fleas, and chiggers, from animals and humans. It was developed by some scientists and its technology is based on electromagnetic fields. On an internet search today, I was able to find only two unbiased personal opinions about how well it worked. One person thought it was useless and the other one thought it was great. Has anyone else used it? If so, my human and I would like to hear your opinion.

I Had a Birthday, Yesterday!

2009-06-02T20:15:00.005-04:00

I turned 3 years old yesterday. I was having quite a nice day, actually---that is, until my humans decided to make an annual tradition of last year's Birthday Hat Event.

~~~

This photo is of me, still a little sleepy from a nap, but much happier than I was a few minutes later, when the Party Hat was tied onto my head.

~~~

I do try to be a good sport about things, and I did my best to be a good sport about the hat, but it is very difficult to be a dignified German shepherd with silly hat sitting on my head, tied with yellow ribbon. There was a space for my ears to stick up, but I had no desire whatsoever to lift them. I was feeling quite sorry for myself.

~~~

Here is a close-up of that silly hat!

Puppy Cam--Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

2009-05-27T20:50:00.000-04:00

Check out these new puppies on live camera: http://www.sacpaws.com/#video

Week #3 of Obedience Class

2009-05-06T21:21:00.011-04:00

First, let it be said that I am really a very clever dog. I understand all sorts of phrases and words--things that my people never even taught me--I just figured out their meaning by simple observation. For example, If one of my people says to the other, "I am getting sleepy," it doesn't take a genius to figure out that I might as well go to my crate, because they are about to go to bed. My people already know that I am smart. I do not know why they thought I needed to go to school to prove it to other people, too.

As I understand it, they want me to obey their commands when I am in public. I, myself, do not understand this. When I am in public, I feel a great compulsion to protect my people against what I perceive to be danger. The whole world outside makes me quite nervous. I do not trust strange dogs or strange people. Therefore, I feel that it is my responsibility to act tough and warn them that they better not come too close. For some incomprehensible reason, this makes my people very unhappy. When I bark or do my warning "woof-and-bounce" that is meant to make me look threatening, they speak quite harshly to me. I initially assumed that their displeasure meant that I did not do my job properly. Now that I have started going to dog class, I am beginning to figure out that the rules of social behavior are not quite what I had originally thought. This is going to require a good bit of getting used to.

I had a very quiet early puppyhood. I lived with my breeder and my brother until I was 10 months of age. It was a peaceful life. There were other German shepherds around, but my brother (who was always bigger than I was, and kept me safe from danger) was my constant companion. I loved my breeder and her granddaughter, who would come and brush me and walk me around on a leash. Sometimes I would go to see another human relative, but I never had to interact with strange people or dogs. I was happy this way. My current humans had sent some of their clothing for me to sleep with before they came to take me to my new home, so that when we first met, I felt like I had known them already. My new home was very peaceful, too, and we did not meet many strangers on our walks. I heard my humans talk about taking me to school, but it sounded as if there were some reasons they could not do this, so I assumed it wasn't important for me. I must have been wrong about this, since I am enrolled in school now. They said that I needed to know how to behave properly in public.

The first week of class, I was so anxious that I could not concentrate on anything. I know that my human partner (the female one) was saying words to me that I had heard before, but I did not even register on what they were. The one command I did do a good job with was the one to "come." My partner told me to stay on one side of the training ring. Then she walked to the other side. When she said "come," I was delighted, so I ran to her--very happy to be safe again. A few times, when I walked near another person and their dog, I woofed and bounced, and my partner scolded me. This made me even more anxious, because I did not understand why she was unhappy with what I did. It seemed to me that she needed protection. It was not my fault that she did not see the danger.

That was week one. On week 2, I relaxed enough to notice that I frequently got delicious little treats if I paid attention to my partner. I was still very anxious, but started to remember what she meant by "heel," since we had worked on that exercise at home.

Tonight, which was week 3, I finally had a breakthrough, although this new understanding did not come until the end of class. I had heard the instructor talking to my handler (partner) and suggesting that she discontinue the collar-jerk and her harsh tone of voice when I did my woof-and-bounce. She said that it seems to increase my anxiety. If I am anxious, I cannot concentrate on the obedience exercises. The goal was calm control. My handler was not to allow me to forge ahead or whine. However, instead of telling me that this was bad, she is supposed to stop walking and wait, without saying anything. When I am quiet (not whining) and can walk without pulling on the leash, we can walk ahead quietly. It took us about 20 minutes to leave the building and make it to the car, because we would go a step or two and have to stop. This was because I forged ahead or whined in my excitement to go home. However, I finally got the hang of what I was supposed to do--I don't know why it took me so long. I was just so excited about going to the car. However, I liked the fact that my partner was calmer with this approach. It made me much more relaxed.

You just wait..... I'll be an obedience graduate yet! I might even like it. After all, I AM smart.

~ ~ ~ ~

More about Whether FDA Is or Is NOT Investigating Nutro

2009-05-06T21:09:00.003-04:00

In the interest of fairness, it should be noted that the probe mentioned in my last post has been denied by both Nutro and the FDA itself. See below:

NUTRO Bites Back; Denies Probe of Pet Deaths, Illnesses (4/22/09) - http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/04/nutro_foia02.html

April 28, 2009
FDA Statement on Nutro Products, Inc.

"FDA is clarifying that Nutro Products, Inc. is not currently under investigation. FDA does not typically confirm or deny the existence of an FDA investigation. It has recently come to our attention, however, that a media report incorrectly concluded and reported that Nutro Products, Inc. was the subject of an investigation. " - http://www.fda.gov/cvm/CVM_Updates/NutroProducts.htm

FDA Confirms Probe of NUTRO Pet Food Deaths, Illnesses

2009-04-21T20:46:00.002-04:00

This disturbing article by Lisa Wade McCormick, of ConsumerAffairs.com, was posted April 20, 2009:

"FDA Confirms Probe of NUTRO Pet Food Deaths, Illnesses"

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that the agency is investigating NUTRO pet food, following a series of unexplained illnesses and deaths. Consumers have been complaining for more than two years that their pets have become ill after eating NUTRO products; many have recovered when they were switched to other foods. The company has steadfastly denied that its food is to blame." For the complete article, go to the following link:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/04/nutro_foia.html

A Worthwhile Charity to Help Study Dog Behavior

2009-04-20T16:28:00.002-04:00

Marcia Polimer Abrams Fund to Benefit Canine Behavior Studies

RALEIGH, NC – The AKC Canine Health Foundation announces the establishment of the Marcia Polimer Abrams Fund for Canine Behavior Studies. The Donor Advised Fund (DAF) was created in memory of author and CHF President’s Council Member Darlene Arden’s mother, and will benefit studies focusing on unlocking the mysteries of canine behavior.
A certified animal behavior consultant, Arden’s writing focus has been on helping dog owners in identifying and eliminating unwanted behaviors in their pets. The author of “Small Dogs, Big Hearts,” “The Angell Memorial Animal Hospital Book of Wellness and Prevent ive Care for Dogs ,” and now her new behavior book, “Rover, Get Off Her Leg!” Arden has specialized in behavior issues of dogs 20 pounds and under. Portions of the proceeds from “Rover, Get Off Her Leg!” will benefit the fund and will lead to future behavior studies as identified through the Canine Health Foundation grants review process.
“Darlene has been a tremendous asset to CHF in the past and has always been on the lookout for opportunities to help us tell our story,” says Wayne Ferguson, president of the Canine Health Foundation. “We’re pleased that she’s chosen to honor her mother is such a resounding way.”
“I couldn’t think of a better way to honor my mother and our shared love of dogs than to create this fund in her memory. Behavior is at the very core of the human-animal bond. I also know that whatever studies the CHF funds will also ultimately benefit
people. It’s truly a win/win for dogs and their human companions. I also hope it will help breeders breed dogs that are mentally as well as physically sound. I think my mother would wholeheartedly approve.”
Donations can be made to the fund online by clicking here or by contacting the Canine Health Foundation toll free (888) 682-9696.
In a recent review of Arden’s new book in “The Library Journal,” Florence Scarinci writes, “Even the most inexperienced dog owner will find her advice easy to follow. Humorous anecdotes illustrating the undesirable behavior enhance the text. While there are many helpful guides available addressing the same behavioral issues and using the same training methods… Arden’s book is easy to read, entertaining, and affordable. An excellent purchase for all public libraries.” Information about ordering Darlene’s new book can be found at Dogwise.
For more information, please visit here.
Contributions to the DAF can be made at our website.
Contact: Jeff SossamonDirector of Development & CommunicationsAKC Canine Health FoundationPO Box 37941Raleigh, NC 27627-7941(919) 334-4015 (b)(919) 334-4011 (f)(888) 682-9696 (toll free)jds@akcchf.org http://www.akcchf.org/
The AKC Canine Health Foundation, founded in 1995 by the American Kennel Club, is the largest nonprofit worldwide to fund health research exclusively for canines. Our goal is to help dogs live longer, healthier lives. The AKC Canine Health Foundation is the leader in non-invasive genetic health research, stem cell research, and biotherapeutics benefiting both canines and humans. Through the generous financial support of the American Kennel Club and the Nestlé Purina PetCare Co., we’re proud to announce we have allocated more than $18 million in canine health research through 74 schools and research institutions worldwide.

Finally--A Good Report on a Pit Bull!

2009-04-10T15:24:00.002-04:00

Here is a great story about a dog that saved his owner from an attack and very well may have saved her life.

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=107779&catid=14

An animal video that I just had to share

2009-04-10T11:56:00.004-04:00

"It's a Wonderful World"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rooyt3ptNco

~ ~ ~

My sister

2009-04-07T21:43:00.005-04:00

I have a beautiful sister, named Melody, who is from a later litter, but our parents are the same. My breeder kept her, because she liked her so much. I think she looks like me, too. Here are some pictures.

Fundraiser for Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission's 501(C)(3) Application

2009-03-31T14:41:00.002-04:00

As you know, I am the official mascot for the Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission, or VEFM. It is terribly important to me that my animal friends are able to get emergency care when they need it, and not all their owners can afford it. That is why I want so much for VEFM to succeed. It will be hard for them to succeed unless they can get 501(C)(3) status as a non-profit corporation, but they do not have the $300 they need in order to apply. In order to help, they set up a donation page at a need web site called Fundable.com, where donors can pledge $10 or more toward this fundraising drive. Here is the link: http://vefm.blogspot.com/2009/03/fundraiser-to-get-300-needed-for-501c3.html

Please tell all your friends.

Dog First Aid, from Cesar Millan's Web Site

2009-03-30T13:23:00.002-04:00

I wanted to share with you an interesting article on first aid, located on Cesar Millan's web site.

Dog First Aid

The single most important thing you will need: a clear level head. Stay calm! If an emergency should arise, your pet is counting on you to focus and provide the necessary attention and care.This information is not intended to take the place of expert veterinary care. It is only intended as assistance to help you determine if you have a serious situation and to help you maintain your pet's life until you can obtain medical attention. [For full article, go to: http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/firstaid/]

Sago Palm Plant Kills Puppy

2009-03-20T15:36:00.002-04:00

This sad headline is from an article on the ASPCA site, published by the the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, to alert pet owners about the dangers of a common household plant. To read the full article, and to learn more about other household toxins, go to the following link: http://www.aspca.org/news/national/03-20-09.html#1

Photo of Sago Palm, from ASPCA article

Mother Dachshund Adopts Newborn Piglet

2009-02-03T19:48:00.014-05:00

This story is so neat that I have to share it with my friends. A premature piglet was given to a loving, dachshund mother, who was more than happy to raise him as her own. The pictures of this remarkable family have made the internet rounds, but I wanted to trace them back to their source. What I found came primarily from two web sites:
1) http://dailydachshund.blogspot.com/ and
2) http://puppyintraining.com/.

Both pictures featured here are from http://puppyintraining.com/dachshund-acts-as-mom-to-baby-piglet

~

~

~

~

The owner of the dachshund Tink, her pups, and the newborn pig Pink said,

"I live on a farm where we raise pigs for our kids for their 4-H projects. The one sow delivered 12 pigs and several were very small. Pink was the smallest and he was born with his eyes sealed shut. That is the first time I've had a preemie piglet. He was breathing well and was making noises, but I really didn't look for him to make it. Piglets are born with their eyes open and are very active and ready to nurse within a few minutes. He didn't have any suck reflex, so we placed him under the heat lamp. After the delivery, which took up most of the night, my husband tried to get him to nurse from his mommy. He was too weak to stand up, so he held him up and squeezed some milk down his throat to get him some colostrum.

Two of my dachshunds had had puppies a few days before. Tink had only one puppy (the other was stillborn) and Sammi had 7 a few days before Tink. I had taken 2 of Sammi's puppies and put with Tink for her to foster. I got the idea to bring the piglet up to the house to see if Tink would nurse him since she accepted the other puppies so well. She is a very loving, sweet dog. She immediately loved on him and began licking him and let him nurse." [Owner's e-mail to the Daily Doxie (http://dailydachshund.blogspot.com/)]

The complete story, with many pictures, can be found at the following locations. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

http://puppyintraining.com/dachshund-acts-as-mom-to-baby-piglet/

http://dailydachshund.blogspot.com/2008/02/new-photos-of-dachshund-and -piglet-not.html

http://dailydachshund.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-photos-piglet-and-dachshund-at-six.html

Canine Cancer Conference

2009-01-24T17:25:00.002-05:00

Here's something that might interest some of the humans out there.......

Title: Genes, Dogs & Cancer: 5th International Canine Cancer Conference

Date: Feb. 13-15, 2009

Location: Royal Plaza, In the Walt Disney World Resort, 1905 Hotel Plaza Boulevard, Orlando, Florida, USA 32830

Species: Canine, Exotics, Feline, Lagomorph, Rodent, Zoo

OrganizersAmerican Kennel Club - Canine Health Foundation (AKC-CHF),

Contact: Erika Werne

Contact Address: AKC Canine Health Foundation, 8051 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27617-3901, USA

Phone(919) 334-4010

Fax(919) 334-4011

For more information and to register, go to http://www.akcchf.org/

For hotel registration, go to http://reservations.ihotelier.com/crs/g_reservation.cfm?groupID=224671&hotelID=2070

I am the Official Mascot of VEFM

2009-01-13T18:01:00.011-05:00

I want to announce that I have been promoted to the enviable position of Official VEFM Mascot. You might wonder, "What is VEFM?" I am proud to tell you that it is the brain-child of my veterinarian human, Dr. Lucy Schroth, who previously wanted to stay anonymous in my blog, because she wanted me to get the spotlight. However, I convinced her that VEFM's goals are so important to pet owners that she really needed me to tell as many dogs and cats (and their humans) about it. VEFM stands for Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission. My two human partners, Dr. Lucy and her husband Don Schroth (an ordained minister) are establishing this organization to assist financially strapped owners whose pet is faced with a serious emergency. It is taking a long time to get all the paperwork in Massachusetts completed, so they have not yet been able to do an all-out fund-raising drive. I am trying to do my part (now that I'm "official") in telling everyone I know to find some person or company who might be interested in being a VEFM benefactor. What VEFM really needs is a large donation, that can be set aside as an endowment, so that the interest can be what is used to help these pet owners. The web site is http://www.vefm.org/ and the blog is http://vefm.blogspot.com/. The need is so great. I wish I could do more......WOOF !

I Like Joe Biden's Taste

2008-12-12T21:58:00.002-05:00

Regardless of whatever opinion I may have had previously about Vice-President-to-be Joe Biden, it has just gone up 500% by his choice of canine companions. He has just picked out a German shepherd puppy. See the full story and more pictures in Delaware OnLine: http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008812120346

First Family Will Have Tough Time Finding Hypoallergenic Dog

2008-11-15T21:38:00.009-05:00

Picture is from:

http://choosingadogbreed.blogspot.com/2008/03/hypoallergenic-dog-breeds.html

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter – Fri Nov 14, 5:03 pm ET

FRIDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- President-elect Barack Obama has inspired throngs around the world to say, "Yes, we can."
But when it comes to finding a hypoallergenic dog for the White House, allergists are saying, "No, you can't."

For the full article, at Yahoo, go to:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20081114/hl_hsn/firstfamilywillhavetoughtimefindinghypoallergenicdog
The following excerpt is from a link cited in the above Yahoo article:
http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/indoorallergens.stm

Controlling animal dander Contrary to popular belief, people are not allergic to an animal's hair, but rather, to a protein found in the saliva, dander (dead skin flakes) or urine of an animal with fur. These proteins are carried in the air on very small, invisible particles, which can land on the lining of the eyes or nose, or be inhaled directly into the lungs. Usually, symptoms will occur quickly, sometimes within minutes after exposure to the animal. For some people, symptoms may build and become most severe eight to 12 hours after they have had contact with the animal.

A cat or dog produces a certain amount of allergen per week, and this amount can vary from animal to animal. All breeds are capable of triggering symptoms-there are no "hypoallergenic" breeds of cats or dogs. People with severe allergies can even experience reactions in public places if dander has been transported on pet owners' clothing.

The most effective way to combat symptoms of animal allergy is to remove the pet from the home and avoid any contact. Keeping an animal outdoors is only a partial solution, since homes with pets in the yard still have higher concentrations of animal allergens. Before you get a pet, spend time with someone else's dog or cat to determine if you're allergic. If you already have an animal to which you or a family member is allergic, try to place it with a caring, non-allergic friend or relative. Although this separation can be difficult, it is best for the health of you or your allergic family member. You may also consider getting a pet such as a turtle, hermit crab, fish, snake, or other animals without fur or feathers.

If you cannot avoid exposure to the animal that causes your allergy symptoms, try to minimize contact. Most importantly, keep the pet out of the bedroom and other rooms where people with allergies spend a great deal of time. Some studies have demonstrated that bathing dogs or cats on a weekly basis may reduce the amount of allergens that are shed in the home. While dander and saliva are the source of cat and dog allergens, urine is the source of allergens from rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs; ask a non-allergic family member to clean the animal's cage.
Vacuuming is not effective in decreasing animal allergens, because it does not clean the lower levels of the rug. In fact, it can stir up small allergen particles, which can also move right through the vacuum. Using a HEPA vacuum filter or double bags may help. As with dust mites, the best solution is to have a hardwood floor, tile or linoleum. Although there is no conclusive evidence, some studies have found that using a HEPA air cleaner may reduce animal allergen exposure.
Replace bedding and carpeting that has animal dander in it. It can take weeks or months for fabrics to come clean of allergens, and animal allergens may persist for a year or more after the animal has been removed.

~ ~ ~

Uh, Oh....The Elections are Coming!

2008-11-03T21:18:00.001-05:00

Sometimes there is only one thing you

can do on the night before Election Day.

"Ask Ginny"

2008-10-27T13:43:00.017-04:00

Ginny invites you to write

to her with your questions......

[Submit them as a comment

on one of the "Ask Ginny" posts

and Ginny will repost them

in a new post segment.]

Q & A about health,
veterinary matters,
training, and life

~ ~ ~ ~

Q: Dear Ginny,

I am a 10 week old Labrador retriever puppy. I am full of energy but I am a little shy around other dogs and people. My vet told my owner that I should have my 16-week vaccination booster before starting a puppy class, but several dog trainers have said that it is more important to get me "socialized" while I am still young. What is your opinion?

--submissively yours,

Angus (West Chester, PA)

A: Dear Angus,

My human partner said that there was a news story published in the October 1, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) stated, "A position statement on early socialization in puppies released in July by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior encourages veterinarians to recommend puppies be socialized before the vaccine series is complete." The article said that, even though infectious disease is certainly cause for vigilance in young puppies, "the fact is that behavioral issues--not infectious diseases--are the number one cause of death for dogs under 3 years of age, according to the AVSAB." The article quoted the AVSAB president, Dr. E. Kathryn Meyer, as saying that "Puppies go through a sensitive period of socialization when they are uniquely prepared to benefit from exposure to social opportunities. From the time the owner adopts the puppy until 3 to 4 months of age, it is critical that the owner get the puppy out to meet other animals and people, and experience many different kinds of environments.... These (unsocialized) puppies may also fail to develop coping mechanisms and grow up into dogs that are unable to adapt to new situations." To see a copy of the AVSAB puppy position statement, go to http://www.avsabonline.org/ and click on Position Statements.

What Fun! - I Joined a Play Group

2008-10-20T20:27:00.007-04:00

Today, I made some new friends. My people signed me up for a play group. I heard them discussing it before hand. They said that I was not getting enough exercise and did not have enough opportunity to interact with other dogs. The group leader, whose name is Larry, came over to our house first, to meet me. I liked him right away. He took me in his van to pick up the other dogs. I got to stay in the front section, which has a barricade so I can see and sniff the other dogs as they got in, but so I wouldn't be overwhelmed in case one of them got pushy. My people went ahead to the tract of wooded land where the play group runs. I didn't find out until later that they were there to check out how I was doing. As soon as they saw that I was getting along well, they drove away. Larry kept me on a leash, to make sure I stayed with him. He says that I'll be able to go off-leash, like the others, once I get the hang of things. I think it is going to be a lot of fun.

(Pictures are from the "The Sandwich Dog"--http://www/thesandwichdog.com)

Extraordinary Dogs: In The Line Of Duty

2008-10-17T22:04:00.006-04:00

From: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=media_newsalert101708&JServSessionIdr001=twdb6jg411.app28a#4

"Missti Lavallee of Erie, ND, had been a soldier in the U.S. Army Combat Military Police Corps for nearly a decade when she was injured in the line of duty and told she would never walk again. Not one to give up, Lavallee made the life-changing decision to bring home Lara, a 12-week-old blue heeler/shepherd mix, and train her as her therapy dog.

"In the first few months, Lara learned to assist her human by reminding her to take her medicine and fetching Lavallee’s husband when she needed his assistance. Lara even figured out—all on her own—how to test the temperature of Lavallee’s bath water. But the real turning point was when Lavallee lost circulation in her legs—so badly they were turning purple—and the shepherd mix climbed into bed and lay on her legs. 'Her breathing and her soft fur heated up my legs—slow enough not to cause more pain, but fast enough to relieve the pain I was in,' Lavallee recalls.

"Lara soon knew instinctively when Lavallee needed her legs warmed, and was right there to help. Little by little, as Lavallee’s circulation improved, Lara encouraged her mom to get out of her wheelchair and walk alongside her as they played hide-and-seek with her two daughters. 'Doing the "seeking" with Lara gave me motivation to get up and walk alongside her, no matter how hard it was or how much it hurt,' Lavallee tells us.

"This former soldier believes her amazing dog encouraged her to focus on her and the kids instead of on the pain. 'Lara did what four doctors in two countries could not—after about eight months, I began to walk!' Lavallee says. 'Let me say that again because it feels so good. Thanks to my blue heeler/shepherd mix, I can now walk!' That winter, for the first time in a long time, Lavallee was able to go outside and play with her two daughters.

"Lara’s assistance extends beyond the physical. She’s also a nanny! 'I don’t have to worry about the kids fighting with each other,' says Lavallee. 'Lara is quick to get between them and tell them to knock it off with one "Woof!" She’s tough! Being a female soldier, I learned that the words "I can't" and "No" are fighting words—and Lara helped me win the fight.' "

EXTRA! EXTRA! Candidates Mittens and Rowdy Caught Canoodling

2008-10-14T16:24:00.008-04:00

ASPCA Presents: Cat vs. Dog '08

"A photo surfaced today showing presidential candidates Rowdy and Mittens clearly canoodling on a comfy sofa, drawing public outcry.

"A joint statement issued by the pets defended their decision to cross party lines. 'While we continue to differ on legalization of catnip, we have concluded that all pets agree on the important issues facing us today: preventing cruelty and ensuring safety and security. So we are officially joining forces to ensure the next human in the White House knows our stance.'

" 'We will take the signatures of everyone who pledges to fight cruelty directly to Obama or McCain this November.'
"
The statement continues: 'Also, the sunny spot on the couch is pleasant. After thoughtful negotiations, we determined that there is room for both of us.' In a press conference candidate Rowdy admitted, 'Typically I am not allowed on the sofa, but in this case an exception was made.'

"Candidate Mittens added, 'We did not anticipate having our afternoon nap interrupted by pawparazzi. But we are proud to stand together in fighting animal cruelty, and we still need your support and help.'

Read the full story here:

http://www.aspca.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=54604.0&dlv_id=45801

First Aid for Pets

2008-10-12T18:11:00.006-04:00

I saw this web page on First Aid for Pets, while my partner was browsing on her computer. It is put out by the American Red Cross and has a lot of good information.
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_10_,00.html

Pregnant Dog Adopts Hurt Squirrel

2008-09-30T18:33:00.007-04:00

"Dog Makes It Pick Of New Litter As Human Nurses It Back To Health"

(CBS) "When a very young squirrel fell from a tree, little did it know that would mark the start of a most unusual relationship. A woman found the squirrel and its sister lying on the ground. They had fallen about 40 feet out of their nest. The sister was dead. The woman asked animal lover Debby Cantlon, well known in the Seattle area for nursing injured animals back to health, to care for the squirrel, and Cantlon agreed." For more of this incredible story, including the video, go to: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/14/earlyshow/living/petplanet/main943873.shtml

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finnegan was resting in a nest in a cage just days before Giselle was due to deliver her puppies. Cantlon and her husband watched as the dog dragged the squirrel's cage — twice — to her own bedside before she gave birth. Cantlon was concerned, yet ultimately decided to allow the squirrel out — and the inter-species bonding began. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2002552799_squirrel11.html

"Finnegan" curls up with puppies from the litter recently born to "Mademoiselle Giselle", a dog belonging to Debbie Cantlon. For almost as long as she can remember, Debby Cantlon has been the person people bring sick and abandoned aminals to. On September 6, Cantlon was brought a newborn squirrel, probably less than one week old, dehydrated and orphaned, which she attempted to nurse back to health. Much to her surprise however, her Papillion, Mademoiselle Giselle, decided to nurse the squirrel along with her litter of five newborn puppies. And even more surprising was that all - squirrel and dogs - bonded.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/photography839/1.html

For the complete slide show, go to: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/living838/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For a video of the puppies and squirrel nursing together go to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9685476/

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"After goodbye visit, squirrel moves on"
The adoption story concludes with Finnegan's starting a new life.

"... When Finnegan was 8 weeks old, Cantlon decided he was old enough to be on his own and began putting him outside. He'd run around but would stay in the yard. Each night, he would scratch at the back door or at Cantlon's daughter's window to be let in for the night...."

For the conclusion see: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002705884_squirrel27m.html

Heimlich Maneuver for Dogs

2008-09-26T21:48:00.006-04:00

My humans want everyone to know what to do if their dog starts to choke on something, like a piece of rawhide, or a meatball. Several years ago, before I was born, my vet-human was working at a small vet clinic one day, when a frantic man came running in, carrying his English bull dog. The dog's tongue was purple and she was dead. After my partner had confirmed the fact that this beautiful dog had passed away, the dog's distraught owner said that he had given her a meatball--something that he had done many times before, and she had started to choke. Not knowing what to do, he had rushed her to the vet clinic, but it was too late by the time they had arrived.

Here is what to do if your dog happens to choke:

http://www.spca.org/site/DocServer/PIC-Heimlich_Maneuver_for_Dogs-English.pdf?docID=2605

Another Pet Food Recall

2008-09-22T18:09:00.011-04:00

The Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association alerted my vet partner to another pet food recall: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/marspetcare09_08.html

It is a voluntary recall by Mars Petcare US, "of products manufactured at its Everson, Pennsylvania facility. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella serotypeSchwarzengrund. This voluntary recall only affects the United States.

"Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

"Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and can potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

"The company stopped production at the Everson facility on July 29, 2008 when it was alerted of a possible link between dry pet food produced at the plant and two isolated cases of people infected with Salmonella Schwarzengrund...." [See the article for complete text.]

American pet owners had already been sensitized by the illnesses and deaths caused by food made with tainted gluten exported from China to the United States. A February 6, 2008, ABC News report (See http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Story?id=4251655&page=1) by Pierre Thomas, Jason Ryan and Scott Michels, states that, "A U.S. food importing company, its owners and two Chinese businesses were indicted today [2/6/08] by a federal grand jury in Kansas for their roles in allegedly manufacturing and importing a tainted pet food ingredient that may have killed thousands of cats and dogs.

"The U.S. company, called ChemNutra and run by husband and wife Stephen and Sally Miller, imported and distributed wheat gluten, a protein-rich ingredient commonly used in pet food. The gluten contained melamine, a poisonous chemical that is used to create plastics, cleaning products, countertops, glues, inks and fertilizers, the indictment states.

"The indictments allege that more than 800 metric tons of tainted gluten was exported from China to the United States between November 2006 and February 2007. ChemNutra and the Millers received the melamine-tainted product and sold it to their customers, who used it to manufacture various brands of pet food, according to the indictment.

"Melamine was allegedly added to make it appear that the wheat gluten had more protein than it really contained, the authorities said.

'Chem Nutra and Sally and Stephen Miller deny the allegations in the strongest of terms and look forward to proving their innocence at trial,' said spokesman Steve Stern. 'They had neither the intent to defraud or knowledge of wrongdoing.'

"The allegedly tainted products led to a massive pet food recall last year [2007]. Though it is not clear how many pets died from the tainted food, the Food and Drug Administration estimates that about 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs were killed...." [See the article for the complete text.]

A German Shepherd Saves the Day! (Again!)

2008-09-15T18:46:00.004-04:00

This is a great story....................

Dog calls 911 after owner has seizure

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080915/NEWS11/80915016&emailAFriend=1

Scary Story about a Dangerous Ball Toy

2008-08-23T19:55:00.003-04:00

This story was forwarded to my human partner's e-mail address, and it looked so scary that I had to post it for my friends to read. It is a warning about the toy seen in this picture, a ball made by the Four Paws company. Please go to this blog and read about it. It is a very dangerous toy. http://thechaistory.blogspot.com/2008/08/chai-story.html

"Ask Ginny"

2008-08-04T22:55:00.000-04:00

Ginny invites you to write to her with your questions......
[Submit them as a comment on one of the "Ask Ginny" posts and Ginny will repost them in a new post segment.]

Q & A about health,

veterinary matters,

training, and life

Q: Dear Ginny,

I, too, am a beautiful female GSD. I HATE having my nails trimmed. I snarl and carry on but mom still insists on trimming them. She has never hit even come close to making my nails bleed but I still Hate it. Mom has seen a product advertised called PediPaws. This product looks good but mom doesn't want to spend the money if it's not worth it. Do you have any opinion or experience with this product? If, not, any suggestions?

--Thanks, Natti in Ohio

A: I have never had it used on me, and my partner does not know of anyone personally who has used it. However, for curiosity's sake, she looked up some comments on Google, and it does not sound like it is much different from a dremmel tool with a cover on it. Here is a groomers' forum with some comments about the PediPaws tool: http://www.petgroomerforums.com/chat/showthread.php?p=186053#post186053 . We do know a lot of breeders who like using a dremmel tool, but it does make noise, and I (being a rather noise-sensitive dog) do not like strange noises. I went to my current home when I was 10 months old. The first time my partner trimmed my nails, I started to throw a fit, but she calmly and firmly (but gently) lay on me until I calmed down. She did not even try to start again until I was calm. I let her do all my nails after that and have not minded it since then. I think the key is for your person to be very patient and just wait until you calm down before proceeding. Even so, I know that there are dogs who have a true phobia about nail trims. Sometimes the only answer is sedation.

Dog Dressage

2008-08-04T19:35:00.000-04:00

A friend sent this incredible video, which I just had to share. It reminded me of watching the Lippizaner stallions perform. The music this dog and her handler dance to is beautiful, so make sure you have your speakers turned on. http://breathingeasy.wordpress.com/2008/03/15/dog-dance/

"Ask Ginny"

2008-08-02T13:52:00.000-04:00

Ginny invites you to write to her with your questions...... [Submit them as a comment on one of the "Ask Ginny" posts and Ginny will repost them in a new post segment.]

Q & A about health, veterinary
matters, training, and life

Q: Dear Ginny, I recently had a litter of puppies. They are 8 weeks old, and doing great. My question is, at about 3 weeks, I started losing hair. It started low around my stomach and chest, but has since gone farther, and is traveling up my side. I am now losing much of my beautiful thick and soft coat. It has been uncommonly hot this year. Could that be a cause, or is it perhaps something more serious?

Thanks,

Eric S.

(profile link below) http://www.blogger.com/profile/13214969358950690069

A: Well, assuming that you are not significantly itchy (i.e., scratching or licking yourself), then it is very likely that the hair loss is due to normal hormone fluctuations following whelping (delivery of pups). The scientific name for this condition is telogen effluvium. Again, it is NORMAL and the hair will grow back after several weeks. Now, if the hair is lost in patches, if the skin is itchy, or you see bumps or areas of redness, it may be something else entirely, and you should see your vet. Sometimes other hormone imbalances can mimic this post-whelping hair loss, so if there are any additional symptoms, you should definitely see your vet. For example, hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormones) can cause weight gain, sluggishness, and symmetrical hair loss, among other things; Cushings syndrome (excessive internal steroid hormones) can cause increased thirst and urination, a pot belly, and numerous other signs. Again, if there are any questions at all, see your vet.

"Ask Ginny"

2008-08-01T14:20:00.000-04:00

Ginny invites you to write to her with your questions...... [Submit them as a comment on one of the "Ask Ginny" posts and Ginny will repost them in a new post segment.]

Q & A about health, veterinary

matters, training, and life

Q: Dear Ginny,

I recently heard something about palm trees being poisonous. Do you have any information about this?

A: Well, not all palm trees are toxic, but one important one is: the Sago Palm, scientific name Cycas revoluta, of the Cycad palm family. ALL parts of this palm tree are poisonous. For a complete discussion on the toxicity of Sago and other cycad palms, see the excellent ASPCA Poison Control Center article on the following page:
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=media_newsalert080108#1.

There are several other helpful lists on toxic and non-toxic plants and flowers:

1) ASPCA Toxic plants list: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_toxicplants
2) ASPCA 17 most common poisonous plants: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_common
3) ASPCA Non-toxic plants list: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_nontoxicplants
4) ASPCA Non-toxic flowers and bouquets: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_flower
5) Univ. of Calif. at Davis, Toxic plants list--by common name and toxicity class: http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/ce/king/poisplant/tox-com.htm

Routine Surgery is Not Always Routine.

2008-07-25T20:39:00.001-04:00

Even though my human partner is a vet, she does not like doing surgery on her own animals. I have heard that this is true for human doctors, too--not wanting to practice on their own family. Anyway, my person took me to the veterinary hospital where she works, to have a spay and a gastropexy. I knew what it meant to be spayed, but I had never heard of a gastropexy, so I kept my ears open while my partner was telling her husband what it was. She explained that it is a procedure that is done to "tack" the stomach to the body wall, to prevent that really dangerous situation where the stomach fills with air and then twists--called gastric dilatation with volvulus, or GDV, for short. (See these two previous posts: http://ginnypuppysdogjournal.blogspot.com/2008/05/bloat-mother-of-all-emergencies.html and http://ginnypuppysdogjournal.blogspot.com/2008/03/surprising-bloat-prevention-findings.html) A gastropexy is "standard procedure" after repositioning the stomach during GDV surgery. As she said, it is much better to do this as an elective procedure than in an emergency, when a dog is in critical condition. So..... I was taken in for "routine surgery." My two humans took this opportunity for a trip out of town for a few days, figuring that I was going to have to be separated from them anyway.

Little did they know that my surgery was going to be anything but routine. Here's the story, as I experienced it. Any gaps in my memory were filled in by hearing my two humans discuss everything later, when I turned out to be fine. Apparently, the surgery had gone fine and I was soon back in a recovery cage, getting intravenous fluids and morphine. At some point, someone saw that I was bleeding more from my incision more than I should be and that my gums looked a little pale. My blood pressure was also too low. Someone checked my hematocrit (red blood cell percent) and saw that it had dropped. My surgeon got worried that I was bleeding somewhere and took me back to surgery. Apparently, he saw a disturbing amount of blood in my abdomen, most likely related to the spay procedure, but no obvious "bleeders." The gastropexy site was not bleeding at all. They ran some blood clotting tests and, even though my clotting times were normal, my blood platelets were a little lower than normal. Platelets form the initial plug on which a blood clot attaches. Anyway, my condition was stable overnight and during the next day, but by that night, my blood count had dropped little lower, so they gave me a blood transfusion. The other complication that was occuring at this time was a type of heart arrhythmia called "accelerated idioventricular rhythm," that occurs rather commonly after an episode of hypotension (low blood pressure). It resembles a string of premature beats called VPC's (or PVC's), but is actually not serious unless the heart rate is extremely fast. Nevertheless, it concerned my surgeon enough that I was put on a continuous IV infusion of antiarrhythmic medication. I gather that everyone was very worried about me, but I didn't know this until later. I was getting pain medicine, so I was pretty happy. I just slept a lot and waited for my people to come back to get me.

They finally came back and all was right with the world again. There was one more blood test they were waiting for, to see if my platelets had a defect caused by something called von Willbrand's Disease. The next week, when that test came back normal, my partner did some other test that involved pricking the inside of my lip with something, to see how long it took to stop bleeding. I guess that was normal, too, because after that, everyone had decided that there was nothing wrong with my platelets. I overheard my partner talking with one of the other doctors. Both seemed to agree that the "routine spay" on a large breed, mature female dog (which I guess I am) was sometimes anything but routine.

~ ~ ~

Oh, yeah........ In case anyone is wondering---I'm fine now.

My Baby Sister

2008-07-04T20:57:00.000-04:00

Remember those little puppies I showed you a few months ago? Here's the one my breeder-mom kept. Her name is Melody. I am so proud. . . . . . .

The Trouble with Swimming. . . .

2008-06-21T16:49:00.000-04:00

The trouble with swimming, is that you have to get wet. I do love chasing the ball, but when my people throw it into the water, there is only one way to get it----to swim. And so, I have grudgingly learned to swim.

Cicada Songs

2008-06-11T12:14:00.000-04:00

"They sound like a thousand cars with bad power steering, all turning in tight little circles." At least, that's what one of my humans said to the other. They were talking about cicadas--periodical cicadas--and they have emerged on Cape Cod. In our town, there are not a lot of them. However, in the next town over, the sound can be deafening. Cicadas made the front page of today's Cape Cod Times. They were discribed as "what sounds like a chorus of police and fire sirens headed to a massive accident." http://www.capecodonline.com/_images/pdf/a1.pdf --

(To see the front page of the Cape Cod Times, go to: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=NEWS)

-----------------------------------------

A couple of days ago, I witnessed a curious phenomenon: my human partner was outdoors with this small, odd-looking box that occasionally made clicking noises. She was staring at one of those cicada bugs that there has been so much fuss about. Then she found something on a tree to stare at. Afterwards, she started working on the computer and a bunch of different cicada pictures came up on the computer screen. I thought they were rather interesting, so here they are.

----------------------------------

"....No other insects in North America excite as much curiosity and wonder as do periodical cicadas when they make their sudden appearance every 13 or 17 years. These cicadas are widely distributed in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, but occur nowhere else on earth. There are seven species of periodical cicadas—four with 13-year life cycles and three with 17-year life cycles, distributed over several broods (see map below). The best way to identify individual species is by sound because each cicada song is species specific. After years of living in underground tunnels, thousands of periodical cicadas emerge from the earth, as if by a predetermined signal, shed their nymphal skins, and spread out through the nearby trees and bushes. Up to 40,000 can emerge from a under a single tree!

The cicada's precise but prolonged time schedule revolves around survival for the masses. When a large population of juicy insects appears on the scene, predators make the most of the situation, but simply cannot eat all the insects. Thus, a significant number of cicadas live to reproduce. Long-lived predators may actually remember the feast and return to the scene in subsequent years. Short-lived predators, being well fed from the cicada banquet, reproduce successfully and often leave a larger population to await next year’s emergence. However, "next year" doesn’t happen for at least 13 years, so the periodical cicada is able to outlast and escape most of its enemies.

From morning till night the males fill the air with their loud, droning song. The song is like the familiar sound of the common dog-day cicada so typical of summer evenings, only it is louder and heard at the end of spring. The males are the only ones singing...." [From: "A Trill of a Lifetime"(originally published in The Illinois Steward, Summer 2004)text by Susan L. Post. For complete text, go to: http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/highlights/periodicalCicada.html]

-------------------

"What is a periodical cicada?

Cicadas are flying, plant-sucking insects of the Order Hemiptera; their closest relatives are leafhoppers, treehoppers, and fulgoroids. Adult cicadas tend to be large (most are 25-50mm), with prominent wide-set eyes, short antennae, and clear wings held roof-like over the abdomen. Cicadas are probably best known for their conspicuous acoustic signals or "songs", which the males make using special structures called tymbals, found on the abdomen. There may be as many as 3000 different cicada species worldwide.

All but a few cicada species have multiple-year life cycles, most commonly 2-8 years (de Boer and Duffels 1996). In most cicada species, adults can be found every year because the population is not developmentally synchronized; these are often called "annual" cicada species. In contrast, populations of the periodical cicada species are synchronized, so that almost all of them mature into adults in the same year. The fact that periodical cicadas remain locked together in time is made even more amazing by their extremely long life-cycles of 13 or 17 years.

Periodical cicadas are found in eastern North America and belong to the genus Magicicada. There are seven species -- four with 13-year life cycles (including one new species described in 2000), and three with 17-year cycles. The three 17-year species are generally northern in distribution, while the 13-year species are generally southern and midwestern. Magicicada are so well-synchronized developmentally that they are nearly absent as adults in the 12 or 16 years between emergences. When they do emerge after their long juvenile periods, they do so in huge numbers, forming much denser aggregations than those usually achieved by cicadas. Many people know periodical cicadas by the name "17-year locusts" or "13-year locusts", but they are not true locusts, which are a type of grasshopper.

Magicicada adults have black bodies and striking red eyes and orange wing veins, with a black "W" near the tips of the forewings. Most emerge in May and June. Some of the annual cicada species are sometimes mistaken for the periodical cicadas, especially those in the genera Diceroprocta and Okanagana; these other species emerge somewhat later in the year but may overlap with Magicicada. The Okanagana species are the most potentially confusing because of their similar black-and-orange coloration. The best way to identify cicada species is by the sounds that they make, because cicada songs are nearly always species-specific. ----------------

Magicicada life cycles

Cicada juveniles are called "nymphs" and live underground, sucking root fluids for food. Periodical cicadas spend five juvenile stages in their underground burrows, with each stage ending with eclosion (shedding of the old nymphal skin). Their burrows are found anywhere from several inches to a few feet underground, depending on nymphal age and the nature of the soil.

In the spring of their 13th or 17th year, a few weeks before emerging, the nymphs construct exit tunnels to the surface. These exits are visible as approximately 1/2 inch diameter holes, or as chimney-like mud "turrets" the nymphs sometimes construct over their holes. On the night of emergence, nymphs leave their burrows around sunset, locate a suitable spot on nearby vegetation, and complete their final molt to adulthood. Shortly after ecdysis (molting) the new adults appear mostly white, but they darken quickly as the exoskeleton hardens. Sometimes a large proportion of the population emerges in one night. Newly-emerged cicadas work their way up into the trees and spend roughly four to six days as "teneral" adults before they harden completely (possibly longer in cool weather); they do not begin adult behavior until this period of maturation is complete.

It appears that the particular night of emergence may be determined by the soil temperature; nymphs emerge when the soil temperature inside the exit tunnel (and therefore the body temperature of the nymph) exceeds approximately 64 degrees F (Heath 1968). Because emergence is temperature- dependent, periodical cicadas tend to emerge earlier in southern and lower-elevation locations. For example, periodical cicadas in South Carolina often begin to emerge in late April, while those in southern Michigan do not appear until June. The best way to predict the time of emergence for your area is to check records from the prior emergence in that location, by asking longtime residents or by searching local newspaper archives. The date of emergence does not vary much between generations, although unusual springtime weather conditions may accelerate or delay the emergence by a week or so.

After their short teneral period, males begin producing species-specific calling songs and form aggregations (choruses) that are sexually attractive to females. Males in these choruses alternate bouts of singing with short flights until they locate receptive females (see the Magicicada behavior section below). Contrary to popular belief, adults do feed -- by sucking plant fluids; adult cicadas will die within days if not provided with living woody vegetation on which to feed. Magicicada feed from a wide variety of deciduous plants and shrubs, but usually not from grasses.... Mated females excavate aseries of Y-shaped eggnests in living twigs and lay up to twenty eggs in each nest (Marlatt 1923). A female may lay as many as 600 eggs (Marlatt 1923)....

Why are there so many of them?

Periodical cicadas achieve astounding population densities, as high as 1.5 million per acre (Dybas 1969). Densities of tens to hundreds of thousands per acre are more common, but even this is far beyond the natural abundance of most other cicada species. Apparently because of their long life cycles and synchronous emergences, periodical cicadas escape natural population control by predators, even though everything from birds to spiders to snakes to dogs eat them opportunistically when they do appear. Magicicada population densities are so high that predators apparently eat their fill without significantly reducing the population (a phenomenon called "predator satiation"), and the predator populations cannot build up in response because the cicadas are available as food above ground only once every 13 or 17 years. Periodical cicadas do have a specialized fungal parasite (see the Magicicada diseases and deformities section), but its effects on Magicicada population density are not well understood. Individual periodical cicadas are slower, less flighty, and easier to capture than other cicadas, probably because the safety afforded by their great numbers means that the risks of predation for an individual are low. Explaining the evolution of such an unusual life strategy is one of the most difficult problems for periodical cicada biologists.

This year (2008), the large Appalachian 17-year Brood XIV will appear. As is true for most of the 17-year broods, all three 17-year species will be present in many locations. A web-based effort to map the distribution of this brood in more detail is underway.... Sometimes periodical cicadas emerge "off-schedule" by one or more years. This phenomenon is called "straggling," although straggling cicadas can emerge either later or earlier than expected. The most common form of straggling is one-year premature or delayed emergences, usually involving small numbers of cicadas. Unexpectedly, the next most common form of off-schedule emergence is four-year premature appearances by 17-year cicadas, and these events sometimes involve many thousands at once. In 2000, many cicadas emerged four-years early across the range of Brood X. A similar event was observed in 1969 in the Chicago area, four years before the normal emergence in 1973 (Dybas 1969). These events help us to understand the origin of the various same-cycle broods as well as the developmental mechanisms underlying Magicicada speciation, which tends to involve permanent shifts between life cycle types (see details on the seven species and their relationships below). Straggling makes it difficult to construct accurate maps of periodical cicada brood distributions (Marshall 2001), partly because historical reports of off-schedule emergences often contain little or no information about how many cicadas were seen.

Magicicada behavior

As in nearly all cicada species, male periodical cicadas produce "songs" using a pair of tymbals, or ridged membranes, found on the first abdominal segment. The abdomen of a male cicada is hollow and may act as a resonating chamber; the songs of individuals are loud, and large choruses can be virtually deafening. Females of most cicada species do not have sound-producing organs. Both sexes hear the sounds of the males as well as other sounds using membranous hearing organs called "tympana" found on the underside of the abdomen.
Over the course of an emergence, males congregate in "choruses" or singing aggregations, usually in high, sunlit branches. Females visit these aggregations and mate there, so choruses contain large numbers of both sexes.

Males of all Magicicada species (each described individually below in the Magicicada species section) produce alarm calls when handled, calling songs that attract males and females to the chorus, and one or more courtship calls when approaching and attempting to mate with females. Five different male acoustic signals have been described for the -decim and -cassini cognate species. Samples of most of these sounds are included below. These species have calling and courting signals that differ in pitch (frequency) and other characteristics, but the signals have have similar structures, so they can be described together. The functions of these signals are not entirely understood, but they have been given names to indicate their suspected function. The acoustical behaviors of the -decula species have not been as well characterized.
Female Magicicada produce timed "wing flick" signals in response to male calls, and the timing of this signal in relation to the male call is species-specific for species of the same life cycle. The signal consists of a quick flip of the wings that creates a broad-frequency sound that can vary from a soft rustle to a sharp snap. Males are able perceive both the visual and acoustic components of the wing-flick.

A chorusing male perceiving a female signal increases his number of calls relative to movement distance, increasing the odds that he will elicit further responses from any nearby female. If the male receives multiple responses, he ceases sing-fly behavior, begins CI courtship, and engages in a signaling duet with the wing flicking female, evidently for the purpose of locating her. Between calls, duetting males often walk towards the signaling female, and while approaching, begin CII calling. After contacting the female or while preparing to mount, the male begins CIII calling, which he continues until he mounts and copulates. Under some circumstances, males engaged in duets acoustically obscure the downslurs of potential competitors, reducing the likelihood of a female response and increasing the likelihood that competing males will continue chorusing, depart and search elsewhere. Although female wing-flick signaling is known in some Australian and New Zealand cicadas (e.g., Lane 1995), this is the first reported incidence of female signaling in North American cicadas.... " [For complete text, go to: http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/Michigan_Cicadas/Periodical/Index.html]

For pictures of the May 29th, 2008 Cicada Brood: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rotcav/2535636246/

If you now have "Cicada Mania," go to: http://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/

Happy Birthday!

2008-06-01T20:51:00.001-04:00

Today, June 1, 2008, is my second birthday. Why humans make such a big deal of birthdays is quite beyond me. Nevertheless, my personal humans felt the need to have me wear a birthday hat, in spite of the fact that it actually stayed on top of my head no more than 3 seconds! So, here I am, showing what a good sport I can be. However, do note the ears...........

"Bloat - The Mother of All Emergencies"

2008-05-16T21:25:00.000-04:00

Ginny thought that this was a very important article to post. It was published on VeterinaryPartner.com In order to view the excellent images that go along with this article, go directly to the web address listed below.

Title: Bloat - The Mother of All Emergencies
Source: The Pet Health Care Library
Authors:
Address (URL): http://www.VeterinaryPartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=672

There are many injuries and physical disorders that represent life-threatening emergencies. There is only one condition so drastic that it overshadows them all in terms of rapidity of consequences and effort in emergency treatment. This is the gastric dilatation and volvulus - the bloat.

What is it and Why is it so Serious?

The normal stomach

The normal stomach sits high in the abdomen and contains a small amount of gas, some mucus, and any food being digested. It undergoes a normal rhythm of contraction, receiving food from the esophagus above, grinding the food, and meting the ground food out to the small intestine at its other end. Normally this proceeds uneventfully except for the occasional burp.

In the bloated stomach, gas and/or food stretches the stomach many times its normal size, causing tremendous abdominal pain. For reasons we do not fully understand, this grossly distended stomach has a tendency to rotate, thus twisting off not only its own blood supply but the only exit routes for the gas inside. Not only is this condition extremely painful but it is also rapidly life-threatening. A dog with a bloated, twisted stomach (more scientifically called gastric dilatation and volvulus) will die in pain in a matter of hours unless drastic steps are taken.

What are the Risk Factors for Developing Bloat?

Classically, this condition affects dog breeds that are said to be deep chested, meaning the length of their chest from backbone to sternum is relatively long while the chest width from right to left is narrow. Examples of deep chested breeds would be the Great Dane, Greyhound, and the setter breeds. Still, any dog can bloat, even dachshunds and Chihuahuas. Dogs weighing more than 99 pounds have an approximate 20% risk of bloat

Classically, a dog who bloated had eaten a large meal and exercised heavily shortly thereafter. Still, we usually do not know why a given dog bloats on an individual basis. No specific diet or dietary ingredient has been proven to be associated with bloat. Some factors found to increase and decrease the risk of bloat are listed below:

Factors Increasing the Risk of Bloating Feeding only one meal a day Having closely related family members with a history of bloat Eating rapidly Being thin or underweight Moistening dry foods (particularly if citric acid is listed as a preservative) Feeding from an elevated bowl Restricting water before and after meals Feeding a dry diet with animal fat listed in the first four ingredients Fearful or anxious temperament History of aggression towards people or other dogs Male dogs are more likely to bloat than females Older dogs (7 - 12 years) were the highest risk group

Factors Decreasing the Risk of Bloat Inclusion of canned dog food in the diet Inclusion of table scraps in the diet Happy or easy-going temperament Feeding a dry food containing a calcium-rich meat meal (such as meat/lamb meal, fish meal, chicken by-product meal, meat meal, or bone meal) listed in the first four ingredients of the ingredient list. Eating two or more meals per day

Contrary to popular belief, the presence of cereal ingredients such as soy, wheat or corn in the first four ingredients of the ingredient list does not increase the risk of bloat.

In a study done by the Perdue University Research Group, headed by Dr. Lawrence T. Glickman:

The Great Dane was the number one breed at risk for bloat.

The St. Bernard was the number two breed at risk for bloat.

The Weimaraner was the number three breed at risk for bloat.

A study by Ward, Patonek, and Glickman reviewed the benefit of prophylactic surgery for bloat. Prophylactic surgery amounts to performing the gastropexy surgery (see below) in a healthy dog, usually in conjunction with spay or neuter. The lifetime risk of death from bloat was calculated, along with estimated treatment for bloat, versus cost of prophylactic gastropexy. Prophylactic gastropexy was found to make sense for at-risk breeds, especially the Great Dane, which is at highest risk for bloat.

How to Tell if Your Dog has Bloated

Radiograph showing typical gas distension of the stomach in a case of bloat The dog may have an obviously distended stomach, especially near the ribs, but this is not always evident depending on the dog's body configuration.

The biggest clue is the vomiting: the pet appears highly nauseated and is retching but little is coming up.
If this is seen, rush your dog to the veterinarian IMMEDIATELY.

What has to be Done

There are several steps to saving a bloated dogs life. Part of the problem is that all steps should be done at the same time and as quickly as possible.

First: The Stomach must be Decompressed
The huge stomach is by now pressing on the major blood vessels carrying blood back to the heart. This stops normal circulation and sends the dog into shock. Making matters worse, the stomach tissue is dying because it is stretched too tightly to allow blood circulation through it. There can be no recovery until the stomach is untwisted and the gas is released. A stomach tube and stomach pump are generally used for this but sometimes surgery is needed to achieve stomach decompression.

Also First: Rapid Intravenous (IV) Fluids must be Given to Reverse the Shock
Intravenous catheters are placed and life-giving fluid solutions are rushed in to replace the blood that cannot get past the bloated stomach to return to the heart. The intense pain associated with this disease causes the heart rate to race at such a high rate that heart failure will result. Medication to resolve the pain is needed if the patient's heart rate is to slow down. Medication for shock, antibiotics, and electrolytes are all vital in stabilizing the patient.

Also First: The Heart Rhythm is Assessed and Stabilized
There is a specific, very dangerous rhythm problem called a premature ventricular contraction or "PVC" that is associated with bloat and it must be ruled out. If it is present, IV medications are needed to stabilize the rhythm. Since this rhythm problem may not be evident until even the next day, continual EKG monitoring may be necessary. A disturbed heart rhythm that is already seen at the beginning of treatment is associated with a 38% mortality rate.

Getting the bloated dog's stomach decompressed and reversing the shock is an adventure in itself but the work is not yet half finished.

Surgery

All bloated dogs, once stable, should have surgery. Without surgery, the damage done inside cannot be assessed or repaired plus bloat may recur at any point, even within the next few hours and the above adventure must be repeated. Surgery, called gastropexy, allows the stomach to be tacked into normal position so that it may never again twist. Without gastropexy, the recurrence rate of bloat may be as high as 75%!

Assessment of the internal damage is also important to recovery. If there is a section of dying tissue on the stomach wall, this must be discovered and removed or the dog will die despite the heroics described above. Also, the spleen, which is located adjacent to the stomach, may twist with the stomach. The spleen may also need to be removed.

If the tissue damage is so bad that part of the stomach must be removed, the mortality rate jumps to 28 to 38%.

If the tissue damage is so bad that the spleen must be removed, the mortality rate is 32 to 38%.

After the expense and effort of the stomach decompression, it is tempting to forgo the further expense of surgery. However, consider that the next time your dog bloats, you may not be there to catch it in time and, according the study described below, without surgery there is a 24% mortality rate and a 76% chance of re-bloating at some point. The best choice is to finish the treatment that has been started and have the abdomen explored. If the stomach can be surgically tacked into place, recurrence rate drops to 6%.

Results of a Statistical Study

In 1993, a statistical study involving 134 dogs with gastric dilatation and volvulus was conducted by the School of Veterinary Medicine in Hanover, Germany.

Out of 134 dogs who came into the hospital with this condition: 10% died or were euthanized prior to surgery (factors involved included expense of treatment, severity/advancement of disease, etc.) 33 dogs were treated with decompression and no surgery. Of these dogs, 8 (24%) died or were euthanized within the next 48 hours due to poor response to treatment. (Six of these 8 had actually re-bloated) Of the dogs that did not have surgical treatment but survived to go home, 76% eventually had another episode of gastric dilatation and volvulus. 88 dogs were treated with both decompression and surgery. Of these dogs, 10% (9 dogs) died in surgery, 18% (16 dogs) died in the week after surgery, and 71.5% (63 dogs) went home in good condition. Of the dogs that went home in good condition, 6% (4 dogs) had a second episode of bloat later in life. In this study, 66.4% of the bloated dogs were male and 33.6% were female. Most dogs were between ages 7 and 12 years old. The German Shepherd dog and the Boxer appeared to have a greater risk for bloating than did other breeds.

(Meyer-Lindenberg A., Harder A., Fehr M., Luerssen D., Brunnberg L. Treatment of gastric dilatation-volvulus and a rapid method for prevention of relapse in dogs: 134 cases (1988-1991) Journal of the AVMA, Vol 23, No 9, Nov 1 1993, 1301-1307.)

Another study published December of 2006 looked at 166 dogs that received surgery for gastric dilatation and volvulus. The point of the study was to identify factors that led to a poor prognosis. A 16.2% mortality rate was observed. The mortality rate for dogs over age 10 years was 21%. Of the 166 going to surgery, 4.8% were euthanized during surgery, and the other 11.4% died during hospitalization (2 of dogs died during surgery). All dogs that survived to go home were still alive at the time of suture removal. 34 out of 166 dogs had gastric necrosis (dead stomach tissue that had to be removed). Of these dogs 26% died or were euthanized. Post-operative complications of some sort occurred in 75.9% of patients. Approximately 50% of these dogs developed a cardiac arrhythmia. Risk factors significantly associated with death prior to suture removal included clinical signs of bloating for greater than 6 hours before seeing the vet, partial stomach removal combined with spleen removal, need for blood transfusion, low blood pressure at any time during hospitalization, sepsis (blood infection), and peritonitis (infection of the abdominal membranes).

(Beck, J.J., Staatz, A.J., Pelsue, D.H., Kudnig, S.T., MacPhail, C.M., Seim H.B, and Monnet, E. Risk factors associated with short-term outcome and development of perioperative complications in dogs undergoing surgery because of gastric dilatation-volvulus: 166 cases (1992-2003). Journal of the AVMA, Vol 229, No 12, December 15, 2006, p 1934-1939.)

In is crucially important that the owners of big dogs be aware of this condition and prepared for it. Know where to take your dog during overnight or Sunday hours for emergency care. Avoid exercising your dog after a large meal. Know what to watch for. Enjoy the special friendship a large dog provides but at the same time be aware of the large dog's special needs and concerns.

"ASK GINNY"

2008-05-04T23:44:00.000-04:00

Ginny invites you to write to her with your questions...... [Submit them as a comment on one of the "Ask Ginny" posts and Ginny will repost them in a new post segment.]

Q & A about health, veterinary
matters, training, and life

Q: Dear Ginny,

I have heard rumors that there have been some problems with a dental chew bone that goes by the name of Greenies. What are these problems and are they true or just an exaggeration?

A: There is truth to at least one of these rumors--that there are cases where a Greenie, or a piece of it, has caused an obstruction of the esophagus, which is the tube that takes food from the throat to the stomach. An article in the April 1, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) described "Esophageal foreign body obstruction caused by a dental chew treat in 31 dogs (2000-2006)."[1] This article evaluated 30 cases between March 2003 and January 2006, and one case from July 2000. All were evaluated either at a university teaching hospital or a private specialty hospital. Each dog included in this retrospective study had been given the treat shortly before onset of clinical signs and a green object was identified during endoscopy or surgery. All but four of the dogs were small dogs. In all but one of the 31 dogs, there was moderate to severe damage to the esophagus. Five dogs required surgery to open the chest. Complications of the esophageal damage were seen up to 25 days after diagnosis. Of the 31 dogs treated, only 15 dogs recovered without major complications. Six of the 31 dogs (or 25.8%) died or were euthanized as a direct result of the esophageal obstruction caused by the chew treat.

Certainly Greenies[2] are not the only treat, chew toy, or other material, that can cause damage or obstruction to the esophagus in dogs (or cats). The JAVMA article states that "Bones are the most common esophageal foreign bodies that have been reported in dogs, although fish-hooks, rawhide, pieces of plastic or metal, and other miscellaneous objects have been described. Small breeds of dogs are often affected. Common clinical signs include regurgitation [3] or vomiting, anorexia [or loss of appetite], salivation, and signs of depression [or listlessness]. Esophageal obstructive foreign bodies, such as bones, most commonly lodge in the distal portion of the esophagus [closest to the stomach], whereas the second most common location is at the level of the heart base. Diagnosis is usually made via ... radiography." The article goes on to say that, in 2004, Greenies "received the seal of acceptance for plaque and tartar removal from the Veterinar Oral Health Council of the American Veterinary Dental College." The Greenies web site reported sales over over 300 million of the chew treats in 2005, but,in June 2005, a group discussion sponsored by the Comparative Gastroenterology Society at the Medical Forum of the ACVIM [American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine] decribed difficulty in removing the esophageal obstructions caused by the dental treats, so further investigation was pursued.

It would seem logical that ANY hard chew treat that could break off pieces are large enough to get stuck in the esophagus, especially if they have corners or sharp edges, should not be given to dogs to chew on. One suggestion is to do some on-line investigation of a treat before you give it to your dog, regardless of how wonderful a manufacturer makes it sound.

[1] "Esophageal foreign body obstruction caused by a dental chew treat in 31 dogs (200-2006)," Michael S. Leib, DVM, MS DACVIM, and Laura Lee Sartor, DVM, DACVIM; published in JAVMA, Vol 232, No. 7, April 1, 2008, p.1021

[2] Greenies, S&M NuTec LLC, North Kansas City, Mo.

[3] "Regurgitation" = passive expulsion of ingested material from the mouth. It differs from vomiting, in that vomiting is an active process.

[Disclaimer: Any advice (or implied advice) found on this blog is no substitute for the clinical relationship that your pet has with his/her own veterinarian. You should ALWAYS seek the advice of your veterinarian before making any decisions about the health care of your pet.]

If I were sick.....

2008-04-14T15:50:00.000-04:00

"If I were sick or injured, where would the money come from?" I have heard my friends and their owners talk about that. In this time of living from paycheck-to-paycheck, with many people on the brink of foreclosure, what do people do when their pet has an emergency? My primary human has been working as an emergency veterinarian for a number of years, but she has recently seen a significant increase in people who simply cannot afford to pay for emergency care for their pets. At the very least, they find it extremely difficult to find ready money to put down for the kind of deposits that the typical veterinary emergency hospital requires in order to begin treatment. This has become such a big concern to both my humans that they are preparing to start a non-profit organization to address this problem in three important ways. The first will be to find resources for people to pay for the short-term emergency care that their pet needs. The second is to help them learn better financial management so that they can get out of debt and put money aside for life's emergencies. The third is to reach out to assist other people, like themselves. In this way, the gift that they receive turns around and becomes a gift for another. This project is still in the early planning stage, but my partner is looking for people who might be interested in helping it get off the ground in local communities. More information will be posted as the idea develops.

Ginny and her toy "Stuffy"

2008-04-03T21:54:00.001-04:00

Dogs Helping Kids With Autism

2008-04-02T15:34:00.000-04:00

There are times when the talents of the canine species overwhelm even me. I just watched an inspiring Yahoo video of an interview on ABC's Good Morning America. The title was:"Canine Companions for Autistic Kids." Here is the video link: http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=7212210

For more information on the dogs and how to obtain them, go to abcnews.com and click on Good Morning America.

Looks? Shmooks!

2008-03-29T19:58:00.000-04:00

I must admit that I wasn't really paying attention to what my two humans were talking about until I heard my name mentioned. Then my ears perked up. They were discussing whether it was really reasonable to drive several hours to have me evaluated by the professional handler that they had been talking with. For one thing, they said, even if I had the "perfect body," according to the AKC standard, it still costs a lot to get a championship. There's the handling fee, which, from their research, is about $70 per show, plus mileage, plus training and conditioning, plus entry fees (about $25), etc., etc. Not only that, there's not predicting how many shows it would take to earn a championship, because there are specific rules about how points toward the championship are earned. It could take as few as 3 shows (very rare) or it could take dozens. There are also plenty of dogs who simply don't get a championship, no matter how many shows they compete in. The investment in getting a champioship can't be recouped until puppies are sold. Certainly, it is possible to breed without a championship, but the puppies are not worth as much. Then, there's the expense of getting my hips and elbows certified as structurally sound by the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals), because it would be unethical for them to breed me without this.

Oh, and about that "perfect body"---They are noticing that mine has a few imperfections! One of my back legs tends to turn out a bit when I stand or walk. What do I care? It works fine for me. I can run and leap for a ball like a gazelle! Anyway, the end result of their discussion is that they have decided not to put me on the dog show circuit. That's fine with me. I say, "Looks? Shmooks!"

-----------------------

That's my dad, at the

show where he finished

his championship.

-----------------------

Why do German Shepherds Make Good Police Dogs?

2008-03-15T21:34:00.000-04:00

Pssst........ because they lo-o-o-ove doughnuts!

Surprising Bloat Prevention Findings

2008-03-14T17:27:00.000-04:00

After I heard about a nasty disease that could kill me, I decided to listen very carefully to everything my people said about it. The disease is "Bloat" or Gastric-Dilatation-Volvulus syndrome (GDV). It can be a serious killer of large and giant breed dogs. After I heard my partner say that there were some new findings on prevention of GDV coming out of Purdue University's veterinary school, I made sure I found out what they were all about. Some of the findings were opposite to what I had originally learned. Here is the summary:

"Dietary Risk Factors for Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (Bloat) in 11 Large and Giant Dog Breeds" http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/dietrisk.htm

(1) Having a raised food bowl increases the risk of bloat (GDV). This is opposite to what most people have thought in the past.
(2) If the dry food has fat listed in the first 4 ingredients, the risk of bloat is increased. In fact, one-third of all cases of bloat in this study could be attributed to feeding dry foods containing fat among their first 4 ingredients.
(3) The risk of bloat is increased dramatically if the dry food fed contained citric acid and was also moistened prior to feeding. Almost one-third of all cases in this study could be attributed to this.
(4) Dry foods containing a rendered meat meal with bone among the first four ingredients significantly decreased GDV risk.

Wow....This is pretty dramatic. My partner has told me that she has seen a lot of bloat cases in her life. If caught early, surgery can be very successful, but the studies on prevention have not been terribly helpful in the past.

Here is a list of articles about GDV: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&DbFrom=pubmed&Cmd=Link&LinkName=pubmed_pubmed&LinkReadableName=Related%20Articles&IdsFromResult=15683769&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA

Ugh...So much rain....

2008-03-08T15:39:00.000-05:00

There is not much to do inside in the rain. I tried to get someone to take me outside for a romp, but all my partner would say was, "Not now." It's not that I like going out in the rain, because I hate getting rain drops inside my ears. Even so, it is so boring inside. A couple of times, I would pick up the Snowman and take it to my person to throw it, but it gets pretty dull to trot across the room and back, even for a toy. So, I just padded back to my crate and flopped down. From my crate, I can see through the sliding glass door to the deck. It is pouring out there. Even if it stops raining soon, I know that it will have to dry out a bit before I am allowed to run, because it's too easy to slip. My people had quite a scare, a few months ago, because I slipped while galloping on some wet leaves and trying to turn quickly. One of my back legs slid out and it really hurt, so I yelped and held my leg up. You'd have thought I'd died! Both humans ran over to me and felt my leg all over. They looked really scared. It wasn't THAT bad. I limped for a few minutes, and I was completely fine in an hour. Even so, they would not let me run at all for a week and now I'm not allowed to run when it's wet outside.

Do You Know How to Poison-Proof Your Home?

2008-03-07T17:47:00.000-05:00

"Ready to do a little homework, pet parents? National Poison Prevention Week is almost here─March 16 to March 22─and because our pets depend on us to keep them safe, we think it’s the perfect time to review the harmful substances your furry explorers may encounter at home. Here are just a few ways to ensure that your household is pet poison-proof: ......." [continued at the ASPCA's web site: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=media_newsalert030708#1]

Now THAT's funny!

2008-03-07T16:43:00.000-05:00

I overheard my human telling someone a story that she heard on the internet. My ear's perked up because I heard the word "German shepherd." It's really quite funny.

I pulled into the crowded parking lot at the Super Wal-Mart Shopping Center and rolled down the car windows to make sure my German Shepherd Pup had fresh air. She was stretched full-out on the back seat and I wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there. I walked to the curb backward, pointing my finger at the car and saying emphatically, "Now you stay. Do you hear me?" "Stay! Stay!"The driver of a nearby car, a pretty young lady, gave me a strange look and said, "Ummmm--why don't you just put it in park????"

Names of Toys

2008-03-03T12:44:00.000-05:00

Eureka! After months of having different sounds of gibberish said to me whenever I wanted to play with one of my toys, I have had an educational breakthrough. I now realize that each set of sounds refers to a different toy. For example, in the picture on the left, I am staring at my "Log." Between the Log and my chest is my "Snowman." At my right elbow is the "Stuffie." By my right paw are my "Tennis Ball" and my "Football." To my rear is my "Red Bone." For a long time, I've known that I should pick up my "Dumbbell" if I needed to go outside. Yesterday, though, my partner started something different. She started having me pick up the Football when I wanted to go for a "romp." (That's a trip outside solely for the purpose of play.) I guess the Dumbbell is going to be reserved for just going "outside." (That means a very uninteresting "bathroom" trip.)

Yawn....Learning things makes me sleepy.

Waiting for Spring.....Sigh....

2008-02-29T13:28:00.000-05:00

No matter how many times I bounce around and look hopefully at the door and at my leash, I simply cannot get my people to take me on a walk when it's cold outside. A few days ago, it was sunny and pretty warm, so my partner and I did take a short walk, and I got to say hello to my neighbor Macy (a Saint Bernard) and this old beagle who always runs down his driveway to bark at me. I would think that a dog as old and as fat and as short as he is, would think twice about challenging me, but he does. I don't know why I'm not allowed just to pounce on him and put him in his place, but my partner won't let me. Hmphh! Macy and I always sniff noses and then we bounce and woof a little, but it's all just bluster. We both like to pretend we're tough dogs. Oh, I do hope Spring comes soon. The robins are already here. Spring can't be too far away. I can't wait!

Winning Friends

2008-02-24T23:03:00.000-05:00

Now, I'm no expert, but I saw this suggestion on what must have been one of those self-help web sites, so I thought I'd post it. It just goes to show how important it is to give a gift that the other person will truly value!

"ASK GINNY"

2008-02-23T12:30:00.000-05:00

Ginny invites you to write to her with your questions...... [Submit them as a comment on one of the "Ask Ginny" posts and Ginny will repost them in a new post segment.]

Q & A about health, veterinary

matters, training, and life

Q: Dear Ginny,

I have a dog who is generally well house-broken, but whenever my husband comes home and greets her, she pees right on the floor. I have scolded her, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. What can I do?

A: The reason it doesn't help to scold her is that you are not dealing with a house-training problem. What your dog is doing is called "submissive urination." In the language of the dog pack (which all dogs feel a part of), the lowest dog(s) of the dominance hierarchy shows certain body language to indicate respect and submission to a dominant dog in the pack. This includes putting the ears back, lowering the head, averting the eyes, presenting the groin region, and urinating slightly. Because submissive urination is a way to showing respect to the "top dog," any reinforcement of dominance will just encourage submissive displays, such as urination. Scolding just reinforces dominance, so will induce even more submissive urination. In a dog's mind, dogs don't become members of our family; we become members of their pack. Therefore, we must understand dog language, which is primarily a language of the body. Greeting times in the dog pack, such as when your husband comes home from work, are times when the hierarchy is reinforced. The most effective thing you and your husband can do is to be very low-key when he gets home. Even though it's difficult, he should ignore your dog altogether until the excitement is past. He should avoid direct eye contact and avoid bending toward her. Both these gestures are dominant gestures in dog body language. If you and he are reluctant to give up an excited greeting, then just put down a mat at the front door, which you don't mind getting urine on. However, be sure to pick it up after the greeting is over, since you don't want to confuse the dog and have her go back to that spot and think it's all right to pee on it again.

"When Hedgehogs Fly"-Daydreams-Part 3

2008-02-18T12:16:00.000-05:00

I suppose it's a good thing that I have such a vivid imagination, because I do like being able to continue daydreams at will.
------------------------------------------------
They were going up and up for what seem like forever. Piggy still had his eyes closed, but when he sensed Harmon slowing down, he opened one eye just a crack and saw that they were approaching a big, flat field near the top of a mountain. With a sickening swoop, Harmon deposited him surprisingly gently onto soft grass. Piggy unrolled himself and stretched out all four legs and every quill. He went to join his two companions, who were also stretching out after the long flight. The captain of their unit stepped onto a nearby log and cleared his throat. "The purpose of today's exercise is to learn the basics of rolling. Hedgehogs are unique in this ability, but rolling with precision takes practice. Hedgehog armaments are non-lethal weapons, used primarily as distractors, to disrupt enemy ranks. The roll is maximally effective if your quills are pointed backward during the rolling phase and, at the last minute, as you give your body a quick twist, you point your quills forward for the moment of impact. At this speed and rotation, quills won't embed in the enemy, but they will inflict a nasty enough scratch that the troops toward which you are rolling will do everything they can to avoid you. Today, each team will learn just the Release-And-Roll. This field is perfect, since the grass is short and there are very few bumps and rocks. Hogs, approach your partner and turn so you are facing away. Roll up so your front legs are close enough to your partner's legs to grasp each one just above the talons. You hold on only long enough for him to get airborne. He can hold onto your wrists with a grip that is much more secure than you would be able to maintain by yourself. Hawks, you will fly toward that large pine tree at the north end of the field; then circle around and fly back toward this spot. Make your release about three inches from the ground, opposite this log. Hogs, to avoid injury, maintain your roll-up until you have come to a complete stop. I will go first, with my partner Willy, so you can watch. Then I want you to try it. Here we go.........

---------------------------------------------
I came out of my reverie by hearing the mail car stop in front of the mail box. I was curious to know more about these "hedgehog bombs," but it was going to have to wait.

Photo from: www.peteducation.com

Virginia visits Virginia

2008-02-15T17:21:00.000-05:00

It does seem like a good thing to be visiting the state after which I was named. My humans and I arrived in Staunton, VA, last night, after a rather boring trip, during which I spent the entire time in my travel crate. We did stop and walk around a few times, but, all in all, it was quite dull. We are here to visit my main human's mother, who is 89 years old. I have to be careful around her, because I don't want to knock her over. She is not very big. We went for a walk this afternoon and I got to do one of my favorite things, which is to show my human how to get back home. We walked about 10 blocks and made at least 5 different turns. I'm sure that this human cannot smell well enough to have found the way back. Anyway, at the end of the walk, I was told, "Let's go home," and I went into work-mode. These tasks are so easy that a puppy could do them, but my humans need me, so I pretend that it is difficult, just so they don't feel inadequate. All I have to do is to put my nose up and sniff the breeze and it's a piece of cake. It's a little harder if the wind is at our backs, but that doesn't mean I can't do it. I just have to be more careful and check a few scent pockets around bushes and walls. Anyway, we were home in no time. My human always acts so proud of me when I do this. It's worth it to pretend that I have to work at it!

HERE ARE SOME
PICTURES OF DOGS
USING THEIR NOSE TO
SHOW HUMANS WHERE

SOMETHING IS.

Photo credits:

Left = from westjerseyk9.org;

Right = southjordancity.org/publicsafety

For Sale: One Useless Cat!

2008-02-13T09:45:00.001-05:00

Words of Wisdom

2008-02-12T02:26:00.000-05:00

I heard my person read this out loud. Someone sent it by e-mail and it definitely needed to be shared!

----- A Dog's Purpose, (from a 6-year-old)

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life-- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
--When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
--Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
--Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
--Take naps.
--Stretch before rising.
--Run, romp, and play daily.
--Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
--Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
--On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
--On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
--When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
--Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
--Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.
--Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.
--If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
--When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
--Be always grateful for each new day.

My Sisters are Soooo... Cute!

2008-02-11T12:30:00.000-05:00

Here are some recent pictures of my sisters, from Ground-Hog Day---How appropriate!

ASPCA Guide To A Pet-Friendly Valentine’s Day

2008-02-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

I want to share with you this helpful article from the ASPCA on how to have a pet-friendly Valentine's Day.

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_valentine

Multi-Tasking in the Animal Kingdom

2008-02-09T11:30:00.001-05:00

This morning, while my humans were eating, I heard one of them make an odd comment........ He said, "Look how only one of Ginny's ears turned toward you when you went into the kitchen, while the other one stayed turned toward the television." What did he expect?--There was a 2-hour special interview with Eddie Murphy on Bravo--You know, Dr. Doolittle?! (A dog hero, if I ever met one!). Of course I'm going to keep listening. Even so, that wasn't what he was surprised about. He seemed surprised that I could listen to two things at once. That's like being surprised that a human can use his hands and his feet when driving a car. I have two ears--It seems mighty obvious to me that I could use them for two different things. This, my friend, is just simple multi-tasking. Not that I want to sound negative, but humans are always thinking that they are the only species with any real talent. Well, let me give you a few more examples: (1) Dogs can separate out individual odors, when they are mixed, whereas humans smell only one conglomerate; (2) Crabs use their large claws for both tools and weapons; (3) Elephants use their trunks not only for smelling (obviously), but also for scratching, bathing, drinking, moving objects, and play-wrestling; and (4) (This one's my favorite!) Dolphins and whales sleep with one-half of their brain at a time!--Take a look at this web page to read about this: http://science.howstuffworks.com/question643.htm

"On land, human beings and other mammals breathe involuntarily: If we don't make a decision to breathe or not to breathe, our body will take in air automatically. Because of their undersea environment, whales and dolphins must be conscious breathers: They have to actively decide when to breathe. Consequently, in order to breathe, they have to be conscious. This presents a problem, since mammalian brains need to enter an unconscious state from time to time in order to function correctly (see How Sleep Works to find out why this might be).

"There's plenty of time for a dolphin to catch a catnap between trips to the ocean surface, of course, but this isn't a viable option. When you're a conscious breather, it's just not feasible to be completely unconscious -- what if you don't wake up in time? The solution for whales and dolphins is to let one half of the brain sleep at a time. In this way, the animal is never completely unconscious, but it still gets the rest it needs.

"Scientists have studied this phenomenon in dolphins, using electroencephalography. In this process, electrodes hooked up to the head measure electricity levels in the brain. The resulting electroencephalograms (EEGs) of dolphin brains demonstrate that in the sleep cycle, half of the dolphin's brain does indeed "shut down" while the other half is still active. Researchers have observed that dolphins are in this state for approximately eight hours a day."

Now There's a GPS Locator for Dogs

2008-02-06T01:51:00.000-05:00

I heard of an interesting new product to help owners find lost dogs. It's a GPS tracking collar for dogs. I've heard about wild animals getting radio collars so that researchers can track their movements, but imagine a dog wearing a collar like that. I guess it's not quite like the ones the wild animals wear, because this one is not a real radio. Even so, it makes it so that a dog like me can be found if we get loose and go off some where to have a good time. I heard a crazy story about my sister Dixie getting lost in a blizzard last year. She was lost for 3 days and was found 10 miles away from home, frantic and exhausted. She was located because her owner had put a story about her on the radio and a man called saying that he saw this German shepherd running back and forth at the other end of his snow-covered field, but he couldn't get near it, because it was so scared. He called the number given on the radio and, sure enough, it was my sister. I heard that when Dixie heard her owner calling her name, she went barreling toward her and leaped into her arms.

Anyway, I'm off the subject of these new collars. They are made by Zoombak and their web site information is at http://www.zoombak.com/products/pet/. I have a microchip implanted under my skin, which has an advantage of not being removable, but it still has to be scanned and called into the proper place for me to be located. I like the idea that I can be located directly. I think my person is going to find out a little more about it. One thing I do know is that the Zoombak collars cost $200. (Well, really $199.99, but that's an awful lot like $200 in my book.)

Something Called the Super Bowl

2008-02-04T12:29:00.000-05:00

There were some strange goings-on at my house last night. It had something to do with a game humans play, using a football. Now, I have a football toy--in fact, I have two, although one is small and soft and yellow and squeeks a lot and the other is brown and kind of hard and used to have a rope through it until I chewed off the knots and my person-partner threw away the rope. For humans, though, a football is WAY more than just a toy.

I know that this game has been on their television before. Why everyone was in such a state about it last night was quite puzzling. I'd be nice and relaxed on my bed and then one of my humans would jump up and scream "Yes!" and other exclamations. Then, just as I was getting settled again, something else would happen--sometimes, good--sometimes, bad. All I know is, that when the game was over, I thought someone had died. In fact, I had to go sniff everyone, just to make sure they were all OK. Why can't humans be more like dogs? After all, a game is just a game, right?

Photo credits: Football--from: morethanderby.com; hobieWithFriends--3 dogs carrying football, from hobietails.com

Hedgehog Day-Dreams Continue

2008-02-01T22:01:00.000-05:00

Well.... My daydream continued this afternoon. I was staring out the glass slider and listening to the wind and freezing rain hit the window. I started drifting toward sleep and remembering the story my mind had concocted the other day. The next thing I knew, the tree branches whipping around outside started to look like large, soaring birds, carrying objects in their talons. And so, another daydream was born.
-------------------------------

Piggy rolled up into his self-protective ball and kept his eyes closed. This time he didn't think he was about to die, but he was not about to look down at the ground! He could hear the other three hawks nearby, and then one more pair of wings, that flapped more slowly than the hawks, and he realized that Golda had taken off just after they did. In several minutes, they were in a quiet stand of stately, tall trees with huge, spreading branches. The bird that was carrying him settled onto a branch and held him gently until he unrolled himself, so that he wouldn't roll right off the branch and fall to the ground. When he was back to his normal shape and looked around, he saw that he and his hawk partner, whose name was Harmon, were lined up on one branch, along with each of the other 3 hedgehogs and their respective partners. Directly in front of them and on a slightly higher branch, was Golda the eagle.
-------------------------------------
Golda cleared her throat and addressed the hedgehogs first. "Young men. We are asking you to participate in an endeavor that could be critical to maintaining the stability of the entire human race, perhaps even of this planet. However, I want you to know that you will completely free to go after I have explained the role we are asking you to play. We want no one to stay against his will. Should you choose not to participate, your partner will take you back to where you were picked up and you will not be approached again."
-----------------------------------
The boys shifted excitedly, eager to learn what was going on. There perspective on the world had been quite limited until this point, so they were ready to begin a new adventure. Golda continued: "There are powers in the universe about which humans know very little. Some of them are very, very good and some are extremely evil. We have learned that some of the forces of evil are accumulating great strength in the far northern regions. We need to fight them before it is too late. Your mission will be dangerous, but it is vital to our success in the North. That is all I am permitted to tell you. If you choose to accept this mission, you will learn all the details, but you will be sworn to secrecy. It is imperative that humans not learn of the danger they are in, because they are totally unprepared to handle it, yet they would try. And, if they try, they will be destroyed. If you want to join with us, now is the time. Proceed toward the trunk of this tree, where we can talk more privately.
---------------------------------
Piggy did not know what to expect from the other three, but he himself felt in his heart that he was made for this moment. Immediately, he stood up and started moving toward the trunk. One at a time, two of the other three followed. Only one stayed behind. Without another word, the hawk who had been with him lifted him gently and flew off.
==========================
After a sharp crack and a crash as a branch broke off and landed on the deck, I was suddenly fully awake. This time, I really looked forward to another day-dream. Maybe I'd find out what happened next.

Photo credits: (in order) Harris' Hawk in flight--from picasaweb.google.com--DSCN1039b, Hedgehog--rolled--from stedmundscollege.org, goldeneagle--from hampshirecam.co.uk, Young hedgehog--sarabel, from talltalesaudio.com, Harris' Hawk, from webshots--2107209600048216361mkSPgJ_fs, Hawk high in tree--from falcontryconcepts.com--IM000036

Financial Aid For Urgent or Emergency Veterinary Care

2008-01-31T21:56:00.000-05:00

I heard my human partner talking with a friend about how awful it is, when someone has an emergency with their dog or cat, and can't afford to pay for it. Veterinary bills in emergencies, they were saying, can easily run into thousands of dollars, especially if the animal has to spend days in the ICU (intensive care unit) or has to have major emergency surgery. What do "normal" people do? Most people don't have that kind of money unless they can "max out" a credit card. Well, my partner did a little research and there are a few organizations that can sometimes help. The best one appears to be IMOM.org: http://www.imom.org/ They have a great web site, with discussion boards where the cases that need help are described. In an emergency situation, they can tap into a fund for initial care and then post requests for further funding.

Another site she found is only for cats, but still could be helpful, is the Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program: http://www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/door/

Anyway, I thought that if I told all my friends about this need for people who can help other people pay for this vet care they can't afford, then maybe lots of people will donate lots of money and lots of animals will be helped. It's so sad that there are so few resources.

Photo credit: http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/55/87/22768755.jpg

Day-Dreaming of Hedgehogs

2008-01-30T20:09:00.000-05:00

Today, after a rousing game of throw the stuffed- hedgehog-into-the-air-and-try-to-kill-it-before- it-hits-the-floor, I felt myself fighting sleep, which was no fun because I really didn't want to go to sleep. I tried keeping my head up, but I kept nodding off. One time, I actually bopped my nose on the floor--That woke me up for a minute, but then I began to nod off again. During that half-sleep stage when you don't know if you are awake or asleep, I had the most bizarre day-dream. It was about a secret organization of animals trying to save humans from destruction. It began with a family of hedgehogs (of course),
and it went something like this .....................

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Herbert was a young hedgehog who had been orphaned after a dog killed his mother. He was raised by a family of gardeners in England. His real name was Herbert, but the family's youngest boy, Sammy, couldn't say Herbert, or any other name with an "H" in it, so he called him Piggy, instead. The new name stuck. Now, everyone called him Piggy. One afternoon, Sammy took Herbert into the back yard for a little fresh air. Piggy was really sleepy, being a nocturnal animal and all, so he wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a huge hawk swooped down, grabbed him by his quills, and flew off with him. Sammy started screaming and crying and his Mummy went running outside, but there was nothing anyone could do. Piggy was whisked away in a matter of seconds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Piggy was sure he was about to die, so he just closed his eyes and waited. However, in a few minutes, the hawk landed on a branch and Piggy dared to open his eyes again. What he saw amazed him. First of all, he had been gently placed next to 3 other hedgehogs close to his own age. But the most remarkable thing was that they were surrounded by all sorts of other animals, all high up in a huge tree. There were many animals that should normally be wanting to eat one another, but here they were, assembled as if they were about to have an important meeting. The large, somber-looking owl sitting on the highest branch appeared to be ready to address the entire assembly.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Good afternoon, citizens and guests. Welcome to this emergency meeting of the Animal Air Reserves. I will make this brief, since owls, I remind you, are NOT used to being up and about during the day. As you know, a national crisis is occurring, and the humans are in grave danger. Fortunately, they still have no idea what is going on. Because of the urgency of this crisis, it has become necessary for the Reserves to be called into action. We have four new weapons-recruits who need to be assigned to a partner. I need four unpaired hawks from our heavyweight group to volunteer. Please step forward. Golda, the colonel in charge of armaments, will see to your training." To Piggy's surprise, Golda, a huge golden eagle, turned to him and the other four hedgehogs and told them to follow her to the middle of a large branch. Her harsh eyes softened slightly as she reassured them that they would be perfectly safe. With that, four large Harris hawks swooped down, one at a time, from a higher branch, each grasping one hedgehog gently between his talons and soaring away.
=========================================

Then, when I was just about to find out where they were going and why, some noise outside woke me from my day-dream. Darn! I promise to keep writing if any more of the story comes to me.

I do LOVE a little humor...........

2008-01-30T13:01:00.000-05:00

I think that it is really important for the world to understand that big dogs are inherently superior to small dogs and nothing illustrates this point more clearly than these pictures.

-----------------------------

Now, what German shepherd

would ever be caught in

this predicament?

My Sisters

2008-01-29T12:44:00.001-05:00

My real dog-mom had four girl-puppies a couple of weeks ago. They have the same father that I did, so they're like real sisters! I'm so excited. I think the one on the right is going to look a lot like me. Black and tan German shepherds start out much darker as puppies that they turn out to be as adults. Take a look (below) at what I looked like at different ages.

"ASK GINNY"

2008-01-26T22:05:00.000-05:00

Ginny invites you to write to her with your questions...........

Q & A about health, veterinary

matters, training, and life

Q: Dear Ginny: I have heard that grapes and raisins are poisonous. Is that true? If it is, how many can a dog eat without getting sick?

A: Yes, it is true, but the toxic dose varies with the individual dog. The toxic substance has not been identified, but recent information indicates that it is water soluble and is in the flesh of the fruit, not the seeds. The result of consuming a toxic dose of grapes or rasins is acute kidney failure. The lowest reported toxic doses are 0.7 oz/kg body weight, for grapes (0.32 oz/pound body weight); and 0.11 oz/kg for raisins (0.05 oz/lb). Because of the wide variation in an individual dog or cat's susceptibility to the toxin, it is best not to feed grapes or raisins in any quantity. Vomiting is one of the first signs usually seen with grape or raisin toxicity. Unfortunately, vomiting is such a non-specific symptom that, unless you know that the animal has consumed grapes or raisins (or you see it in the vomited stomach contents or in the feces), it is difficult to know what the culprit is. However, 5-6 hours after exposure, other signs may start to develop, including diarrhea, lethargy, and increased water drinking (thirst). Signs of acute renal (kidney) failure may develop within 24 hours or take as long as several days. Signs include loss or appetite, lethargy, weaakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. The urine volume may be increased or decreased, depending upon the severity of the kidney damage. The most complete information on these or any toxic substances can be found at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in Illinois. If your dog or cat has ingested raisins, grapes, or any toxic substance, call their hot-line at (888) 426-4435. A $60 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card. If a credit card is not available, they may be able to have the fee charged directly to your phone, using a 900-number. Their web site can be accessed on the ASPCA site: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc .

For more information on raisin and grape toxicity, go to the following web pages:http://www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/McKnight-Tox_Brief-Feb_VT_05.pdf?docID=3782 http://www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/grapes.pdf?docID=189 http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc

An excellent web site for many veterinary questions. The site is geared toward pet owners.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/

Disclaimer: The comments posted here are for information purposes only. Every individual is different, so if you have any health concerns at all about your pet, you should always consult your veterinarian.

Why dogs are better than children.

2008-01-25T21:31:00.000-05:00

I know this list has been around a while, but it's always good to remind your people of these facts, because their memory is not as good as a dog's:
Remember: Dogs and Cats are better than kids because they.....
1. Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3 Are easier to train (except Terriers and ShihTzu)
4. Normally come when called
5. Never ask to drive the car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't have to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't want to wear your clothes
10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and...
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children!!!

Sigh....My human is showing off pictures

2008-01-25T14:11:00.000-05:00

I don't know why humans feel the need to brag about their dogs. What do looks matter, anyway? Isn't it brains that count? My human partner got these pictures back from somewhere and just had to include them in my journal. I don't know what's so great about them, since I had lost a lot of my hair after my heat cycle. My partner says that losing hair is normal for that stage, but I do know that it was a bit chilly. Oh well, here are the pictures.

Squirrel Wars

2008-01-24T17:46:00.000-05:00

I don't know what kind of terrorism is going on in the world of squirrels, but I think it was coming to a head this morning! I was outside under some tall oak trees when I heard all sorts of commotion--chattering and name calling. I saw at least 4 or 5 squirrels on one tree, chasing each other up and down the trunk, with occasional pairs facing each other and flipping the end of their tail furiously. I couldn't understand all they were saying (since I don't speak Squirrel as well as some other animal languages), but they were NOT pleased with each other! You would think that they would realize that there are plenty of oak trees and MORE than enough acorns to go around. Ahhhh.... I just thought of another thing that might have been happening...... Maybe they were fighting over girls!
(photo credit: http://www.umt.edu/voices/Abaidoo/uploaded_images/squirrel-711058.jpg)

My early life.

2008-01-23T12:36:00.000-05:00

I used to live in a very snowy place, before I went to live with my current people. It was summertime when I was born, but I was so little that I don't remember much about that time. I remember my dog-mom and my sisters and brothers. I remember eating and playing and not much else.

Last winter, they had snow that was up to my chin! I was a silly adolescent then, and my brother Montana was still living with us. We played and wrestled a lot in the snow.

In the early Spring, I went to live with my new people. I fell in love with them right away, although I did miss my brother and our former master for a while. It's fun being the center of attention, too, although I have found that this role comes with a lot of responsibility--AND it requires a lot of rest! Anyway, after a few months, we moved somewhere that must be near the ocean, because I can smell it sometimes. One day we went walking on the beach and I made the mistake of tasting the water there--Yuck!--No one told me it was going to be salty!

copyright 1/23/08; all rights reserved