OK, when you read the headline you’re thinking it’s a Rott, a Pit, or some other big strong dog, right? Nope, it was a 5-pound Chihuahua mix! Here’s the story from WCPO, a local TV station in Cincinnati. Continue reading Dog bites police officer, gets tasered and shot 3 times
This is CPR awareness week – do you have a plan for how to manage your dog’s emergency care? I have a couple of recommendations.
Take the Red Cross’ first aid class for pets. It’s been awhile since I took it, so I can’t remember if it includes CPR or not, but it did include a lot of valuable information on treating life’s everyday boo-boos.
Learn the location of the nearest emergency vet clinic and plot the quickest route to it. If you have the luxury of more than one clinic in your area, find out about any policies they have that might impact your choice of which one to use. Does one or the other have “forgiving” payment terms so you can get your dog treated even if you can’t pay right away? Is one or the other endorsed by your vet? Does one or the other offer follow-up care if you need it? What about hours of operation?
Ask your vet if there are certain treatments you can provide at home. Your dog is bound to be more comfortable with you touching him than the vet. (OK, that sounded bad, but you know what I mean!) If you are capable of taking care of some of his needs, whether on an emergency basis or for long-term medical issues, why not make him more comfortable by treating him in a very familiar environment.
Keep basic medical supplies on hand so you are prepared for emergencies when they arise. You don’t want to have your dog bleeding all over the floor when you find out you are out of bandages or antiseptic.
Keep an emergency kit stocked for any natural disasters that might occur in your area. Make sure you have enough food, water, and medicines for 3 – 5 days until basic services are restored.
Hoping you never need these suggestions!
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Received an interesting press release from InterVet yesterday. This may be something some of you are interested in purchasing, but even if not, they make many helpful points about keeping your dog safe.
Continue reading Protecting Your Dog Under Stormy Conditions
Dedicated to the memory of all those who served . . . Italy, France, Russia, Belgium, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Great Britain all have formal monuments and decorations dedicated to war dogs by the military organizations under which they served. War dogs in other countries have also been awarded medals and other forms of official recognition for serving their countries. Of all of the countries to employ the use and help of dogs during times of war, the United States military stands alone as the only world military to not formally acknowledge the contributions made by its canine soldiers. Due to a policy that has existed since World War II, and despite the protests of armed forces personnel, the United States military refuses to formally recognize the accomplishments of its canine soldiers, stating that such recognition is “demeaning to servicemen.”
Nearly 4000 dogs served in Vietnam and saved up to 10,000 American servicemen through their scouting and sentry duties. When withdrawing from Vietnam in 1973, the military classified the dogs as surplus equipment to be left behind during evacuation. Many dogs were left with South Vietnamese allies who were afraid of the dogs and didn’t know how to handle them. Many of the dogs were euthanized, and many more perished at the hands of their inexperienced South Vietnamese handlers. Only a handful of Vietnam war dogs made it back to the United States. Many handlers and trainers who worked with these dogs were traumatized by having to leave their faithful companions behind, stating that the dogs saved their lives and often did more work than they did.
Relegated to the status of military equipment rather than personnel, dogs in the U.S. military are drafted for life and are euthanized once they are deemed infirm and incapable of continuing their jobs. The military claims that these dogs are incapable of being retired to civilian life, despite the fact that police dogs, which receive identical training, are successfully and peacefully retired to loving homes and families upon retirement. As a result of the indifference shown toward war dogs, many of their accomplishments have been unjustly forgotten, or at best, relegated to the status of “trivia” by war buffs. Many of the records of war dogs and their handlers have been lost or destroyed, and the public remains largely unaware of the contributions by dogs in the armed forces.
The Vietnam Dog Handler Association, a veterans group, is spearheading the drive to honor America’s war dogs with a national memorial. To learn more or to make a donation, please visit their web site.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
We published a story earlier this week from BBC News about an English man who was convicted of animal cruelty because he let his dog get too fat. Which prompts the question: is your dog overweight? (Don’t worry – we won’t tell the authorities!)
An interesting story from the BBC. Seems this man allowed his border collie to gain too much weight, and he was actually convicted of cruelty!
I had never heard of hot spots (aka pyotraumatic dermatitis) until I got a Golden Retriever, but I understand other breeds get them, too. Most recently, after my dog’s surgery, her incision became infected and inflamed, developing a hot spot right where the staples were – OUCH! She has also gotten them after being groomed, where she may have been clipped too short, or maybe she jumped and the clippers nicked her skin. They look terribly painful, and she will do just about anything to try to find relief. She scratches at them, tries to lick them if she can reach, rubs on the carpet, etc.
According to canismajor.com, “hot spots are surface skin infections caused when populations of normal skin bacteria grow and overwhelm normal resistance. They are generally circular patches that lose hair, can be swollen, may exude a smelly pus, and can be painfully itchy, causing the dog to scratch, lick, or bite to the point of self-mutilation. Untreated hot spots can spread and provoke a normally even-tempered dog to growl or nip when touched.
These troublesome sores can seem to arise in a matter of hours with no warning, but they do tend to follow a pattern that helps in predicting their occurrence.
Dogs most susceptible to hot spots are those with heavy coats and histories of allergies, ear infections, flea infestations, irritated anal sacs, and grooming problems such as hair tangles and mats, but any dog can develop this infection. Dogs in warm, humid climates may develop hot spots when they shed their undercoats if the dead hair is trapped next to the skin, and dogs with behavior problems may mutilate themselves by licking and thus encourage an infection to become established.”
Our vet generally prescribes an antibiotic spray that must sting, based on Maggie’s reaction. In this case, we had to give oral antibiotics, as well, because it was right at her surgery site.
What about your dogs – have you ever gone through this with them? Any suggestions for prevention and / or treatment?
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog
We are getting into storm season here in the Midwest. Have you ever given any thought to what you would do with your dog if you had to evacuate your home due to flooding, a tornado, or some other natural disaster? One of the other hats I wear (besides blogger extraordinaire) is Red Cross volunteer. One of our campaigns for this year is to encourage people to be “Red Cross Ready,” and for those of us with pets, it means having our pets ready, too!
Continue reading Tuesday’s Top Ten: Ways to Prepare Your Dog for a Natural Disaster
Just got back the vet’s report on my Maggie’s tumor. It was, as the vet describes it, “partly bad news and partly good news.” The bad news is that the tumor was definitely malignant. The good news is that it appeared to be totally encapsulated and confined to the thyroid. Even though it looks good now, there is still the possibility that the tumor metastasized before we got it out, so we will need to keep an eye on her, but for now, it looks like she is in the clear. Thanks so much for all of your good wishes!
We just heard from the vet that he removed half of Maggie’s thyroid, as well as a good-sized tumor. He says they are almost always cancerous, but we will have to wait for the pathology report (5 – 7 days). I did a little research, and it doesn’t look all that great. I’ll follow-up with you after we hear back from the lab. Going to pick her up now.