Sherry’s Corner

More on Pugs; Read “Bark”; Sadie; and Dental Care

Last week we wrote about an anonymous New Jersey Pug that set a legal precedent when he was declared to have a “Special Subjective Value” in a custody case.  Now another New Jersey Pug has made history by inspiring his owner, a Princeton neurosurgeon, in a scientific breakthrough in the study of dog brains.  Perhaps we should look into the possibility of Pugs being Ambassadors of the Bond? 

      In the latter case, the Pug was taken to a veterinary clinic for spinal surgery.  The owner, a Princeton researcher, noted the multitude of MRIs around and immediately realized he had discovered a source of data  for research on dog brains–scientific canine phrenology!  He writes, “We began by looking for relationships between dog brain size and complex tasks.  My Pug is very sweet, but not the brightest– whereas Australian Shepherds and Poodles can do complex tasks.”  Of course, he then decided to also look into brain size in relation to behavior and temperament.  The researcher advises people  that doing Sudoku will not maintain mental fitness but doing physical exercise might!!  So how do we translate increased exercise into higher IQ’s or is this something dog trainers have known for years?

RETITLING THE BLOG. If I were to re-title this BLOG I would call it “THE DOG OWNERS READERS DIGEST”.  It seems to usually consist of  information I have read and think you would like to know or read too.  There may be an opinion or so– hopefully something for you to question 

READ THIS MONTH’s “BARK”. The latest copy of BARK is my choice of reading matter this week for everyone–it contains a list of the 100 of the Best and the Brightest, most  influential people in dogdom.  I am sure you will have some favorites who should have been there and are missing.  Notably missing for me were Drs. Alan Beck and Aaron Katcher, whose book on the human animal animal bond was and is a bible.  Dr. Beck also pioneered in dog bite research. Dr. Mary Burch is missing as well as are the others who formed and codified the Canine Good Citizen test. (Watch it being used with the Vick victims in DogTown on National Geographic.)  I also would add Jamie Quakenbush, who wrote the first book on grief and pet loss, and the late Job Michael Evans, who changed our world with “How To Be Your Dog’s Best Friend”.  And our own Ursula Kempe is missing.  If your name isn’t there–mine wasn’t, of course–we are in good company!  Do read this copy of BARK.  Some of these greats I knew personally and intend to share stories with readers as well as backstories.         

DOGS IN THE NEWS. You might call “Sadie”, the Scottish Terrier that went BIS at Westminster, an “old-fashioned dog”!  No fancy toys for her–her handler’s shoes are the favorite fun and chicken hot dogs the favorite snack.  She knows the words hot dog in 5 languages!  Plans for the future–motherhood. 

 DENTAL CARE. So much on dental care this month.  Watch for xylitol as an ingredient in toothpastes and water additives.  It can cause low blood sugar and compromise the liver.  Chlorhexidine is effective in killing bacteria but it has side effects including staining.  Oral gels are best for dogs with missing teeth.   Source: AKC Gazette

SAD NEWS FROM CESAR. Cesar Milan’s beloved “DADDY” passed yesterday.  The pit bull was 16 years old and died of cancer.  Although he had chemotherapy treatment I doubt whether those of us who watched the Dog Whisperer were aware of his illness.

Veterinary Hospitals and Clinics are Small Businesses, not Non-Profit Entities

I think we often forget that veterinary hospitals and clinics are small businesses.  Further, these are also NOT non-profit.  I note this because often we expect the veterinary hospital to perform services for free or for a reduced cost because the cause is good and the need is great.  I remind readers of this because we live in an area where many hospitals have their foundation spirit in a family of caregivers.  In the early  years of vet hospitals, many saw the veterinarian’s wife scrubbing out cages and reception area floors, doing the billing and helping when needed in the surgery. There were emergencies and everyone in the community knew where to find help.  Ruth Gunther, Belle Kamsler and the late Anne Leighow played important roles in the health of the Valley’s animals.  Dr. and Mrs. DeVoe knelt in prayer before a surgery and in many emergencies.  The veterinary hospital involved people whom we knew.  And, in Berwick Tom Kowalchick still is the North Berwick Animal Hospital. 

      Today some hospitals and clinics are owned and managed by a large organization, such as the VCA animal hospitals and Banfield, which has over 100 hospitals in its conglomerate.  The employee veterinarian often does not set policy or determine how your pet is treated.  And, if the hospital has signed a contract with an animal emergency center, your pet will not even see his veterinarian when he needs him most. This makes for many interesting situations in pet care.  For example, I once was appalled to learn that veterinarians could refuse to treat and care for certain breeds of dogs.  Naively, I believed that if a dog was in pain or needed help, that the hospital staff would treat him and not discriminate because of his breed or that hospital’s previous history with animals of that breed. Not so, explained a veterinarian who was also a lawyer.  A veterinarian can refuse legally to treat any animal.  Also, I was amazed once to enter a reception area and see a well-known puppy store owner waiting.  She had four or five cages of puppies.  It never occurred to me that veterinarians had puppy store and puppy mill owners as clients.  Again, they are small businesses and treating animals is their choice and their business.  Also, reporting suspected cruelty and neglect is not part of their business nor is it part of the veterinary practice act in Pennsylvania (in some states it is).  The AVMA believes that it is the veterinarian’s responsibility to document and report such cases to the proper authorities.  On the other side of this policy is the fact that not all members of the veterinary profession are members of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).  And, most importantly, many veterinarians believe they should treat victims of abuse and “don’t tell”.  Their reasons are good.  If the owner believes the abuse will be reported he will not seek medical treatment for his animal. Also, having the patient under treatment gives the veterinarian the opportunity to educate the client.  Thus, “do no harm” isn’t as simple as it sounds.  Finally, what about the owner who removed a fatty cyst from his dog?  When it became infected and a veterinarian needed to treat the infection the owner was cited for cruelty. The cyst was probably benign, the veterinarian said.  Could this just have been a frugal owner who was up against the economics of a veterinary small business?  A thought:  In today’s economy it might be a good-will gesture and humane for area animal hospitals to offer low-cost health clinics.  Meanwhile, a bow to our area’s retired and past caregivers.  At lunch once with veterinarians I commented on the fact that they all ate soup as a first course.  An old trick, one told me.  If the phone rings and I can’t finish dinner at least I have some food in my stomach!  Good to the last drop.

NEW JERSEY COURT SAYS PETS HAVE A “SPECIAL VALUE” IN CUSTODY CASES. The N.J. court continued to maintain that the pet was “property” but that its value was in a different category which they termed a “SPECIAL SUBJECTIVE VALUE”.  The pet was “unique personal property”, according to a precedent-setting decision by the court.  A pug was the dog in dispute.

RED CROSS ENTERS INTO NEW PET AGREEMENT. The American Red Cross has entered into an agreement with the American Veterinary Medical Association to provide temporary housing for pets in case of house fires.  The Chicago chapter has been concerned about the number of pet owners who have been sleeping in their cars after these disasters.

FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL PET DENTAL HEALTH MONTH

If Anything Happened to Me, What Would Happen to My Pet(s)?

      The other day during an appointment at the Geisinger Medical Center a doctor told me that when his mother-in-law died, he and his wife promised her they would give her cat a home.  She is a calico, he told me, and now she sleeps in bed between him and his wife.  When he gets home she greets him with a demand for a special neck massage.  She knows the word for treats, too.  No, he didn’t pull out a picture of the newest family member  for me to see but did tell me that he and his wife had purchased a new vacuum cleaner especially for the cat hair.  It is great on upholstery, he said.  As I left, his cell phone–or perhaps it was his pager–sounded.  It is probably the cat, I commented.  He smiled at me and nodded.  She knows our voices on the phone, he said, and can tell if it is his or his wife’s. 

      And so this question.  I wonder if more cats than dogs go into forever homes when their owners pass or can no longer care for them?  After all, cats are easier to care for–or so we have been led to believe. ( I wouldn’t be surprised if that was a feline myth.)  But, it may be the reason we see more pictures of older dogs in need of homes–the picture of two ten-year-old Beagles haunts me as do the other pictures of geriatric dogs.  BUT if dogs had  canine good citizen certificates they would be more adoptable!  And, if more puppies had Marjean AKC S.T.A.R. 6 weeks of classes they would be easier to re-home.  Keep the CGC certificates and all training/graduation papers with your valuables.  They may just  guarantee your pet a “forever home” if you can’t.    

GATHERINGS. Westminster celebration begins on Sunday the 14^th with an art show, with the lead exhibit being the brass and leather collar worn by Charles Dickens’ dog!  It is valued between $4,000 and $6,000.  

FISH OIL REDUX. I received an e-mail from a Cornell nutritionist who said he believes fish oil helps arthritis more than glucosamine! 

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER CONFERENCE. There is a BEST FRIENDS FOREVER CONFERENCE scheduled for August 5-8.   Pia Silvani is one of the participants.  For those of you who own a copy of the CGC videotape she is a participant and was an early advocate of the program–along with her then “boss” Ed Sayres Jr.   Sayres is now the president of the ASPCA.  When the CGC tape was made they both were at St. Huberts Giralda.  Pia helped to write a series of training manuals.  Puppy kindergarten included the CGC.  You might call it the first S.T.A.R. program.  The ASPCA has joined the animal relief coalition of Haiti (ARCH) with plans to deploy mobile clinics to help serve the estimated 5 million head of livestock as well as the stray and companion dog population and native wildlife affected by the recent earthquake. 

      PAWABILITIES 2010 is March 13-14 at the PA Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. 

      The CANINE PARTNERS PROGRAM FOR MIXED BREED DOGS starts April 1^st.  Dogs with AKC partners listing will be eligible to participate in the SAME AKC agility, obedience and rally trials as purebreeds and earn the same titles.  Dogs must be enrolled in AKC canine partners.  ($35 fee) 

      TAKE YOUR DOG TO WORK DAY 2010 will be June 25th.      

Health Matters; DWAA Hall of Fame Inductees

FIRST CASE OF HIN1 FLU REPORTED IN N.Y. DOG. A 13-year-old neutered, mixed-breed male has tested positive for the 2009 novel H1N1 influenza virus, according to IDEXX laboratories.  Test results were confirmed by the Iowa State Laboratory.  The N.Y. dog appears to have been infected by his owner and recovered after treatment by a veterinarian.  The symptoms included a dry cough, lethargy, a temperature of 103.6 and loss of appetite.  

CANCER RESEARCH. A well-known human cancer research institute–Van Andel Research Institute in Michigan, a recipient of a National Cancer Institute grant–is asking for help from practicing veterinarians and dog owners.  The research is on five main tumor types: ostecosarcoma, lymphoma , melanoma, hemangiosarcoma and malignant histiocytosis.  The Institute is asking for fresh tumor samples and blood samples.  The researcher is also doing cheek swabs on healthy dogs at dog shows.  http://www.vai.org.  I have forwarded this information to veterinarians I know and perhaps others would like to do so also.  

HALL OF FAME. Two authors in the area of dog training books are being inducted into the Dog Writers Association of America Hall of Fame this February before Westminster.  Don Arner founded Off-Lead magazine and has been active in the American Rescue Dog Association as well a a charter member of the American Boarding Kennel Association.  His writing background extends back to 1974 and he is known for developing prototype programs in the use of dogs for detection of pollutants.  Bob Self Sr. founded Front and Finish, a magazine devoted to companion and performance sports.  He is author of such books as Dogs Self Trained and Puppy Manners.  Self was one of the active consultants in the development of the Canine Good Citizen evaluation.

      Writers, or as I like to think of them–“communicators”, play an important role in the world of animals and people.  More than ever their talents and time are needed as we face ongoing animal welfare problems, as well as a lack of print space to reach dog owners.  Many dog owners do not have Internet access and magazines are ever and ever more expensive or specialized.  Recently, for example, my daughter sent me an article on the personality profiles of dog and cat owners.  It is to be published this spring in Anthrozoos.  This publication has not been published for a decade and since rarely do publications resurface the spring issue will be interesting.  It is a global publication with authors from all over spectrum of animal interest.

      And there is a new AKC publication that I haven’t seen a copy yet called CITIZEN CANINE, about the AKC Canine Good Citizen!!  For the average dog lover club newsletters play a very important role in connecting members with the world of dogs. However, newspapers–both daily and weekly and letters to the editor–are also very important, and you trainer/writers might consider sending your training story to the Daily Item.  No pay for your effort, but I understand a picture will be published and of course it would be great club publicity!  Also,  this might be a good time for local dog writers to form an organization to help each other improve their skills in order to reach the vast audience of area pet owners. 

IT STARTS AT HOME. On Monday I purchased a bag of the usual food for Bacall and Heppy.  (Cagney, my senior, receives a special diet of j/d and b/d). On Tuesday I opened the new bag and poured it into a pink plastic bin with a lid.  The freshly purchased dry food was their usual dinner.  Wednesday morning there was vomit in the x-pen shared by the girls.  I fixed them breakfast and two hours later there was again vomited food  in the x-pen.  I called my vet and she said she would  report this immediately to the manufacturer and to keep the bag in case either she or the company needed more information.  She also said it was important to report this type of problem promptly. By noon I received a call that the company and hospital would replace the food with a different lot number and would deliver it in time for dinner.  They took away the bag and the first batch of food.  There have been no further problems.  This is one reason pet owners should discuss feeding upsets with the veterinarian.  This is the only way we can protect and safeguard what our pets eat.  I will continue to feed the same product because in five years of using this food this was the first and only problem–if indeed the vomiting was caused by the food.  As pet owners it is up to us to be proactive.