Thursday
Sunday
Canine "Cancer" Survivor
This is my princess Ayla Simone. She's a registered black labrador retriever born in Wilsonville, Oregon, July 17, 2001. I love her more than most people I've known. When her Veterinarian told me last December, after the 3.5 hour surgery, that she had malignant adeno-thyroid cancer with a grimm prognosis, I cried, walked around like a wounded bear and prepared for worst day of my life all the while hoping she would stay with me for another 5-7 years.
She's one of my best friends. She snores like an old man. She loves grapes, carrots and cherry tomatoes. Her favorite place is the beach where she rolls in the most foul of dead things and then shakes in my car sending the stenchy sand flying to the far corners of my vehicle. She eats seaweed and carry's it down the beach as if it were a prize from the Queen herself. I don't mind the sand in my car. That's what vacuum cleaners are for, right?
About 2 weeks ago I decided to take my precious girl to see another Veterinarian. Sure it cost me a "new patient" visit charge, but I felt it was the right thing to do. After her nails were trimmed and she had a thorough examination, the Doctor discussed with me the fact that she is still alive and really shouldn't be given her initial diagnosis. Malignant adeno-thyroid canine cancer is a killer. Even with chemo, radiation and all the latest treatments, it's unheard of for a dog to survive for more than 3 years, yet my Ayla is thriving without any of these aggressive treatments.
My new Veterinarian said to me there are 2 explanations for Ayla surviving and doing so well. One is she's a miracle girl and should be written up in doggie medical journals or the biopsy was wrong and she never had cancer in the first place. Now my cuddly canine being a miracle sounds great to me and I'll buy that, but the biopsy being wrong and she never had cancer was disturbing in so many ways.
What if I had decided to prevent Ayla any suffering and euthanized her based on a faulty biopsy report that I paid for? The thought of this is more than I can wrap my head and heart around so I'm simply grateful that I had faith in her and faith in myself.
How many dogs, cats, horses, pigs or people are misdiagnosed every year and are subsequently treated for something they don't have that causes something terrible to happen? I'm sure these numbers would cause great distress. No wonder there are so many malpractice suits these days.
The lesson in all of this is to always, always, always get a second or even third opinion. It can save a life. Maybe your dog, your cat, your horse or pig. Maybe your husband, your wife, your son, your daughter, your mother, father, sister, brother. Maybe a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle or your best friend. Maybe the life is yours.
Wednesday
Doggie Acupuncture
More and more folks are taking their canine companions in for acupuncture treatments. They say it's making a huge difference in their dog's behavior, coat and overall health. I know of one dog who survived liver disease but by the age of 8 she was moving ever so slowly. Once her human took her in for some acupuncture treatments, the cafe perro had a new lease on life. She blew out her old coat and got her prancing steps back. A different dog.
I've had acupuncture treatments and they are heaven on earth. This alternative medicine can cure many ailments. Many years ago I was having severe knee swelling problems to the point where I had trouble walking around the fair or the swap meet for any length of time. I committed to the acupuncture treatments going once a week for three months and followed the fully certified acupuncturists directions. It's been 15 years since my treatments and I can still walk all day and half the nite with no knee swelling. I'm a true believer in this ancient chinese art of healing.
If you think maybe your canine pal could benefit from acupuncture, talk with your Veterinarian. Many animal clinics now have a certified animal acupuncturist on staff or know of one in the area. Follow their directions explicitly for best results. Do some research. Talk with people in the know and arm yourself with information.
Too much fun!
A couple noticed whenever they left for a few hours, upon their return the deck by their pool was quite wet. They figured it was the neighbor kids sneaking in a little swim. They set up a video camera to catch the culprits and solve the mystery. Check out what they discovered.
Tuesday
Dog Parasite's a Killer
Obviously I'm a dog lover. I also think about many other things happening on our blue planet and do my part to make it better. I recycle, minimize my driving and am going greener every day.
Let's be real. The planet is heating up and bringing to life parasites that kill dogs like "Ebola" kills humans. Now some may say that the increase in temperature is the natural evolution of the planet. If this is true, then the newest doggie parasite is only the beginning of the coming plagues.
What exactly must occur before we all come together and say to those in charge, "You had your chance. You blew it. You continue to blow it and we want real leaders not silk suited forked tongue talkers." Sorry. Got off the subject a bit.
Back to the dog bug. This is terrible news for our beloved canines. This parasite is called "Angiostrongylus vasorum." Also known as the French heartworm. The details are gruesome and the prognosis is typically not good. With daily worldwide travel, how long will it be before this dog killing bug is around the globe?
Try to imagine our planet with no dogs. Dogs have always been with us. By our side working with us, curling up next to us, warning us of danger, finding us when we're lost and wiggling like "Jello" when we come home. My heart would truly ache without canines on this planet. How about yours?
Our shining hope are the researchers, scientists, labratory technicians, Veterinarians and all around brilliant people who can mix up a vaccine to protect our precious furry babies. Thank you for everything you've done and for everything you have yet to do.
If you have concerns regarding the health of your dog, talk with your Veterinarian.
To fetch the whole "Angiostrongylus vasorum" story, click here
Monday
Dogs and 4th of July Celebration
Coming up tomorrow is America's Independence day celebration. They'll be parades, bar-b-ques, beers, kids, dogs and fireworks ranging from sparklers to bottle rockets. Lots of laughter, food and fun increasing the regular sound decibels in the neighborhood.
Some dogs don't mind the noise while others get buggy eyed, hide under the bed, run away, cry, jump through sliding glass doors, loose bladder control and generally freak out. These sound sensitive dogs need extra care for the upcoming super noisy 3-day holiday.
You know your pooch. You know if they'll go bananas with all the noise. If you suspect a doggie panic attack coming on, talk with your Veterinarian about mild sedatives or an anti-anxiety for the weekend.
If you just got your dog or have a puppy, please don't leave them all alone when the fireworks begin to fly. Your dog will need reassurance that it's all going to be o.k. Be careful not to reinforce panic attacks by lathering on to much attention. Just act normally like the bombs bursting in air is an everyday thing and nothing to be concerned about.
There's also the doggie music alternative. It's been shown to calm even the most anxious of dogs and may be the best few bucks you've ever spent to keep "Fido" from loosing it. For about $15 you can calm your canine. Interested? Then fetch it here!
Whatever you decide to do with your furry family member, keep them safe, make sure they have plenty of cool, clean water and love them. The rewards are endless.
Dogs With CCL Have A New Leash On Life
This year more than 1 million dogs will suffer from cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) deficiency and their humans will pay more than $1.3 billion to help out their best pal. The typical surgery for the dogs involved cutting the tibia bone in hopes of stabilizing the area. Now, a new technique called "Tightrope CCL" is available for canines.
The brilliant Veterinarians who trailblazed this technique in dogs say that not all poochers are ideal candidates. For our furry friends that do undergo this surgery, the post-operative rehab is crucial to long-term success.
This is excellent. Doctors taking what we already know works and transferring it to our loving furry friends. Thank you. For the whole story, click here
Wednesday
Dog Sociology-The Pack
Dogs are highly social animals and need a constant leader. Being the leader means the human is the Alpha at all times. Severe aggression isn't required and will not create a happy pooch. Instead be a gentle, consistent and confident presence in your dog's life. They will show you daily their gratitude.
If you have 3 or more dogs at home you have a pack and have already experienced pack behavior including snapping, snarling, growling and the like. The dogs will have their canine alpha which is typically the senior member of the pack. Keep an eye and hear out for overly aggressive behavior that needs modification from a trainer. Generally, the scuffles are a simply reminder from the Alpha that they are indeed still Alpha.
Just like humans, dogs have a specific pecking order and the baton is handed off from time to time. For further information on pack behavior Click here.
Tuesday
Dogs and Kids Stay Fit Together
"Kids and K-9's for Healthy Choices" is yet another brilliant idea created to help heal ourselves and our best pal the dog.
Kathy Wright came up with the program by first jotting down ideas on a napkin. Initially she wanted to create something to help with weight loss and soon thereafter she's getting dog's out of shelters into good homes and teaching our youth some responsibility. The bonus is it gets the kids off their backsides for a bit of outdoor activity.
Kids are losing weight, self-esteem is increasing and the dogs, well, just look at the smile in the picture. This program is working such miracles that it was featured on the "Rachel Ray" television program last month. Let's get a program like this one wherever there are shelter dogs and kids--basically everywhere.
Fetch the whole story by clicking here.
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