From BBC News: Okay, this one should have been obvious, but the RSPCA is encouraging indigent pet owners to ask for help if their pets have medical problems. It seems that Elizabeth Evans of Carmarthenshire just received a sentence of 200 hours of community service and 1000 pounds for allowing her two dogs to die rather than seeking out someone to help pay for their medical care.
Category Archives: Health
Fundraising in memory of a favorite dog
Cera Reusser of Oregon recently lost her beloved black lab, Chase, to cancer. Rather than just mourn, Cera chose to do something that would benefit other dogs by founding Chase Away Canine Cancer, a fundraiser for the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Foundation. Continue reading Fundraising in memory of a favorite dog
Dog Yoga
Dog daycare and dog massage, I’ve heard of, but dog yoga? I guess it’s all the rage on the east coast, after being developed by Suzi Teitelman, who calls it doga. Teitelman, who is a human yoga instructor, noticed that her dog seemed interested in being close to her when she did her own yoga poses. From these humble beginnings, doga has grown to where classes are now offered in at least 100 locations domestically, as well as in Europe.
Dog Flu
It appears dog flu is raising its ugly head again, this time in New Jersey. According to the Star Ledger, the virus has been found in Burlington, Mercer, and Sussex Counties. There is no cure, and as many as 80% of exposed dogs will get the disease.
Kayla’s Dog DNA Update
Loyal readers will remember I sent away Kayla’s DNA to see what she is made of on June 29th. I received an e-mail last week stating that my order had been received and was in process. Before the results are in, any guesses? She has the coat of a German Shepherd, but a curled tail like a Huskie or Chow. She’s just a bit bigger than my Golden Retriever. Also, she is on the aggressive side. We saw her mom, who I thought looked a lot like a Border Collie. From her picture above, what would you say?
Saving Pets from Smoke Inhalation
From the Dallas Morning News: What a great idea! As many as 40,000 pets are killed in fires each year, usually from smoke inhalation. The number is so high because pets, scared by the fire, smoke, and commotion, often hide from firefighters.
To help combat this problem, firefighters in McKinney, Texas now have access to special equipment that will fit over a dog or cat’s muzzle to administer oxygen. These kits, given to the fire department by Dog Scouts of America, Troup 119, cost about $55 each.
Keri Price Grant, fire and life safety coordinator with the McKinney Fire Department, says, “For years we just tried to use human oxygen masks. We tried to retrofit the mask to fit a dog, and that doesn’t work well. We are not a mobile veterinary care unit, and these kits are strictly for use in a fire. Our top priority is saving human beings, but in our society, many people consider their pets to be their children and members of their family.”
The kits come with three sizes of muzzle masks to fit most household pets. The Dog Scout Troop has donated 85 kits to fire departments all over the Dallas area, with a promise to resupply the disposable masks as needed.
Dog Scouts of America is a non-profit group which seeks to encourage responsible pet ownership. Two paws up to them for such a thoughtful gift!
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Picture Credit:
JUAN GARCIA/DMN
Morris Animal Foundation
The Morris Animal Foundation has been in business for 60 years, dedicated to finding animal health research. When I first read about the Foundation, I was surprised that they were worried about dogs, because I thought it was named for the cat food commercial Morris. Shows you what I know! The Foundation was established by a veterinarian named Dr. Morris, who wanted to improve the health condition of all animals.
Noting that cancer is the number one cause of death in dogs over the age of two, the Foundation has posted an exclusive presentation (as above + /ccexclusive) on its website featuring information and insight from leading canine cancer research centers. There is a question and answer section, facts about canine cancer, and updates on cancer research from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The site also has links to leading vet centers in the US and UK.
The Foundation has launched a global campaign to raise funds to cure canine cancer in the next 10 – 20 years, while providing more effective treatments in the meantime. You can learn more about the fundraising efforts here. And for those of you who are a bit suspicious of a charity you have never heard of, Charity Navigator ranks the Morris Animal Foundation as a four-star charity, the highest available rating.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Another problem with global warming…
As the earth warms up, it appears more slugs and snails are migrating to Scotland. Which wouldn’t be so bad, except that they carry an tapeworm known as “French heartworm”. This parasite has never before been seen in Scotland, but was confirmed by the vet finding larvae in the feces of a Weimeraner.
The dog had never left the city of Glasgow, so they are sure he contracted the disease there. Vets speculate that he may have eaten a slug or eaten grass that had a slug trail on it. (Yuck!!)
So far, there are no reports of this organism infecting dogs in North America, but symptoms include coughing, breathing difficulty, and unexplained bleeding.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Hot dog?
Summertime is upon us, and at least in the Midwestern US, it is finally starting to heat up outside.
Because dogs don’t sweat, they have to lower their body temperatures by panting, which is much less efficient. This makes them much more susceptible to heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke. Dogs with short muzzles and those with any type of airway disease are particularly affected.
Loss of a Hero
From Berea, Ohio: K-9 officer Ciro was put to sleep Saturday, two weeks after receiving a devastating diagnosis of cancer. He was just five years old. Swollen lymph nodes were found during a routine vet visit, and tests revealed a very aggressive form of lymphatic cancer.