pet connection

A German Shepherd named Gina was two years old when she went to Iraq as a highly trained Military Working Dog . She was trained to sniff out explosives and worked tirelessly in her missions. While deployed, Gina witnessed explosions, sometimes at close range. When she returned home after two years, she was a radically different dog. From an AP article:

She returned home to Colorado cowering and fearful. When her handlers tried to take her into a building, she would stiffen her legs and resist. Once inside, she would tuck her tail beneath her body and slink along the floor. She would hide under furniture or in a corner to avoid people. A military veterinarian diagnosed with her post-traumatic stress disorder — a condition that experts say can afflict dogs just like it does humans.

“She showed all the symptoms and she had all the signs,” said Master Sgt. Eric Haynes, the kennel master at Peterson Air Force Base. “She was terrified of everybody and it was obviously a condition that led her down that road.”

A year later, Gina is on the mend. Frequent walks among friendly people and a gradual reintroduction to the noises of military life have begun to overcome her fears, Haynes said. Haynes describes her progress as “outstanding.”

In sum, just as our soldiers face traumatic stress from their service, trained dogs do, too. It’s heartening to see that they’re receiving care, so they can return to a happier life, without deafening explosions.

Merrick expands recall: The Salmonella recalls continue. From the company’s website:

Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is extending its July 2, 2010 recall of 10oz “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs (Texas Hold’Ems)” pet treat (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10084TL7 BEST BY MARCH 24, 2012) to also include 83 cases of “Texas Hold’ems” (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10127 BEST BY MAY 6, 2012) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products. Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptacle.

Here’s the rest.

No more excuses: Christie and Kim did an outstanding job liveblogging from last weekend’s No Kill Conference. Christie covered Nathan Winograd’s keynote address here.  Afterward, Nathan was kind enough to post the complete text on his blog. To emphasize the eloquence of his words, attendees were shown the following video:

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John Sibley was also in attendance, and wrote a blog post he titled “Euthanizing the Myths“.

When ownership becomes hoarding: The Massachusetts SPCA center in the town of Methuen was suddenly overwhelmed when a man turned in 62 animals; 51 rabbits and 11 chinchillas, according to the Boston Globe. Just a heads up, reading the Boston Globe can be exasperating if you read the comments that follow the stories. Some readers just miss the point. … In any case, in the next day’s Globe, Bella English highlights the phenomenon of animal hoarding, as seen on the Animal Planet show Confessions: Animal Hoarding. The series features appearances by Dr. Gary Patronek, who is VP of the Animal Rescue League of Boston, and an authority on the problems of animal hoarding. From the Boston Globe:

The stereotypical animal hoarder is an elderly woman who lives alone with her countless cats, but the condition exists in all age groups and socioeconomic classes, and men are also affected, according to Patronek, the founder of Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium, or HARC. About 3,000 cases involving 250,000 animals are reported every year, though many others go unreported.

Saved by his dog, who bit off his toe: Jery Douthett lives in Rockford, Mich., and although he was suffering from an increasingly severe bone infection in his foot as a result of undiagnosed Type II diabetes, he wasn’t treating it — until Kiko, his Jack Russell Terrier, bit off his toe. ABC News has the story, and quoted our own Dr. Becker:

The fact that Kiko’s owner most likely had elevated blood sugar due to his diabetes would have made the appeal all the stronger, says Dr. Marty Becker, veterinarian at the North Idaho Animal Hospital and author of “The Healing Power of Pets.”

“Dogs like to lick open wounds because it has blood sugar in it. Here’s a case where the high blood sugar could have been a sweet, ambrosial smell to the dog,” Becker says.

“It’s not bad for the dog. People get freaked out because dogs are very much drawn to the smell of decaying flesh, but dogs are scavengers by nature,” he adds.

This could be the first time that an owner was grateful to his dog for biting off his toe.

Selective breeding changes dogs’ brains: As breeding trends create dogs with flatter skulls and shorter snouts, scientists are noticing a disturbing side effect. Dogs brains are being moved forward, and the brain’s smell center is actually moving.  From Science Daily:

Researchers from [University of New South Wales]’s Brain and Ageing Research Program and Sydney University’s Faculty of Veterinary Science used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at brains across a range of breeds. “We found strong and independent correlations between the size and shape of a dog’s skull, and brain rotation and the positioning of the olfactory lobe,” said study co-author, Dr Michael Valenzuela, from UNSW’s School of Psychiatry. “As a dog’s head or skull shape becomes flatter — more pug-like — the brain rotates forward and the smell centre of the brain drifts further down to the lowest position in the skull,” Dr Valenzuela said.

You can read Dr. Valenzuela and colleagues’ journal article here.

Ritzy digs in the land of the Mouse: Next time you visit Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., bring your dogs, cats, birds, and potbellied pigs. The newest hotel is the Best Friends Pet Resort, opening later this month. CBS has the details:

The luxury facility will accommodate way more than 101 Dalmatians. With more than 50,000 square feet of space, half of it outdoors, it has room for 270 dogs, 30 cats and assorted other animals, including birds, potbellied pigs and small mammals like hamsters and guinea pigs. (Sorry, no turtles, snakes or lizards.) Standard indoor boarding for dogs runs $37 nightly. For additional fees, you can get services like doggy play group or bedtime stories for pooches accustomed to snuggling up with children while a parent reads aloud. (On the Best Friends reading list: “The Poky Little Puppy.”)

Upgrades for dogs include vacation villas with outdoor patios and flat-screen TVs for watching videos like “Homeward Bound” ($59), or 226-square-foot luxury suites ($76) with private outdoor play yards and personal pet concierges. Cats can choose between two- and four-story condos.

For more information, go here, and if you book a stay at Best Friends Pet Resort, could you please do us a favor and send a review?

Even better than Ted Nugent:
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see more Lolcats and funny pictures

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories.  Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Photo credit: Gina with Staff Sgt Chris Kench, AP Photo/Ed Andrieski.

Ryan Clinton is the head of FixAustin.org and involved with the recent successful effort to reform how homeless animals are handled in Austin, TX. He’s discussing “Reforming Animal Control.”

Austin City Council recently unanimously voted to mandate that Austin animal control implement the programs and policies of no kill. Also, regressive shelter director was re-assigned, and a downtown adoption center will not be closed when the shelter is relocated to the edge of town. (more…)

Hi, everyone! I’m here in Washington DC with our own Kim Thornton right next to me, waiting for the welcome and keynote addresses for the 2010 No-Kill Conference.

Just a general note about liveblogging: This is really live, so there will be typos. Anything in quotation marks is a direct quote, other things are a paraphrase, but as close as I can get them. From time to time refresh the page to see new material. When each post is done, I’ll put the body of it behind a “cut” so as not to mess up the main page.

Throughout today and tomorrow, Kim and I will be liveblogging the sessions we attend, so keep coming back!

Now, we wait…

Nathan Winograd takes the stage to much applause.

(more…)

Cats and dogs are taking over the world. Don’t believe me? Just ask Neil Genzlinger, television critic of The New York Times.

I don’t mean the world as in the physical planet; no cataclysmic explosion is imminent. I mean the world as in the ecosystem that features humans as the dominant creatures. Without realizing it, we have been ceding ground for some years now to cats and dogs. They were fine when they were merely our pets, but lately they have been slowly hypnotizing us by taking over the things we humans love most of all: our screens. And, as history has taught us repeatedly, those who control the screens control the masses.

Neil sees the recent increase in animal-centric movies, cable tv shows and Internets sensations like this and this as proof positive that They’re Taking Over. And he’s come to two conclusions…

• One: this is no accident or fad. Cats and dogs are doing this on purpose: behaving cutely whenever they sense that a camera is running. Anyone who has owned either type of animal knows that these beasts are not stupid; they are evil masters of manipulation — cats with their haughty indifference, dogs with their unrestrained enthusiasm.[...]
• Two: these dog and cat videos are sapping the United States, and civilization in general, of its greatness. Notice how we can’t seem to get anything done anymore? The Second Avenue subway is unbuilt; the World Trade Center site is a wasteland; the century-old water and sewer systems under our cities are unreplaced. Look back through history and you realize that the great eras of human accomplishment — the Roman Empire; the Renaissance; the Industrial Revolution — had one thing in common: no videos of cats playing pianos or dogs going down sliding boards.

He’s right. You know something, that’s it. I’m done here. I quit. See you later…….relax, I’m just kidding. Jokey jokey.

Delaware protecting animals in landmark law: Congratulations to the First State for signing into law the Delaware Companion Animal Protection Act (CAPA). Nathan Winograd tells us what it means:

A shelter cannot kill an animal if a rescue group is willing to save that animal’s life. But that is just the beginning. It also makes convenience killing illegal—shelters can no longer kill an animal when there are available cages or the animals can share a cage or kennel with another one….The law also requires posting “all stray animals on the Internet with sufficient detail to allow them to be recognized and claimed by their owners,” requires shelters to maintain registries of rescue groups willing to save lives, and requires shelters to post statistics (intake, adoption, reclaim, transfer and killing rate).

In other words, killing is the absolute last resort throughout the entire statewide system. This is one of the most significant animal protection bills to be signed into law in recent years, and a road map to show how it’s done. Ironically, as YesBiscuit points out, once the law was signed there was a deafening silence from the very organizations you’d think would be trumpeting the news for all to hear.

Last week I talked about the increased use of advanced veterinary care.  Two medical updates highlight the trend:

Pacemakers in use for animals: Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital is one of the best in the country if your little buddy needs heart surgery, and in this Coloradoan article, pacemakers for pets are spotlighted.

Keep an eye on the blood sugar: Ongoing research at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine is creating a device that can monitor a diabetic pet’s blood sugar profile continuously. From Science Daily:

“Our research has found that continuous glucose monitoring devices can be used in dogs, cats, cows and horses,” said Charles Wiedmeyer, assistant professor of clinical pathology in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. “Use of this system alleviated the need for multiple blood samples. It also reduces the stress associated with obtaining those samples. This system may provide greater monitoring capabilities in animals with diabetes and promote the diagnostic and research potential of glucose monitoring in veterinary patients.”

The device is implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades (exactly where you would apply topical flea and tick medication) and records data every five minutes. For owners of diabetic pets, this represents a big step forward.

Photos from Full Cry: I love to mosey around the blogroll, checking in with our wide community of friends.  When I do, I end up finding gem like this post from Glenye and Lilla at Full Cry.  If only for this one picture, go check it out.

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories.  Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Photo credits: Suprised Kitty, youtube. Paper, HoundWelfare.

You may have heard about the annual Pride Parade held last week in San Francisco. You probably didn’t hear about this confrontation between our friends at BadRap and some PETA representatives who happened to be on the adjacent float. It has to be a little bit strange to hear a person who’s allegedly a staunch supporter of animals arguing loudly about how the two peaceful, happy dogs you’re sitting with should be killed.  OK, not “strange,” exactly, but this is a public forum, and that’s the best word I can use without getting in trouble.

Fortunately, the dogs had perfect manners, even if the PETA fanatics didn’t.

Must read commentary from KC Dog: In my most recent news wrap, I pointed you to a post by Nathan Winograd where he vented his disappointment with Best Friends’ refusal to support Oreo’s Law’s passage in New York.  Since then the fallout from Oreo’s Law has reverberated around pet blogs.   I think the best, most rational post summing up the whole affair can be found over at KC Dog Blog.   I usually tell you he’s worth reading, but this one puts a tangled story into crystal clear context. Ultimately, it all comes down to this:

I want to say, I’m all for everyone being on the same page when it comes to creating new laws — it is certainly helpful that way. But if recent history has told us anything, sometimes the national organizations need to be dragged along to new ways of thinking. It wasn’t because of collaboration that HSUS began supporting TNR programs or deciding that all dogs from fight busts should NOT be immediately killed. Oh sure, EVENTUALLY they got there through collaboration, but only after loud public outcry.

At some point we cannot let the organizations with the money and the big names continue to dictate animal welfare policies (or in this case) hold back a progressive one.

At some point you have to just push for what is right — regardless of who agrees with you. And while collaboration is always preferred, we can’t wait around forever, forgoing solid policies while animals die in uncooperative shelters because one organization’s feelings were hurt and doesn’t want to go along with it.

Incredible rescue in an Arizona canyon: From MSNBC, a video that I had to watch a couple times to believe….

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I’m not sure what’s more amazing — that the rescue took place at all, or that it was captured on camera.  Thanks to Patti S. for the link.

All hail the humble Epsom Salt: Before sitting down to compose this post, I took Cami and Harry on a long walk through tough, hilly wooded trails on a blazing hot day. On our walk, we came across a big golden retriever who looked like her paws were sore (as well as being hot and tired). She wanted a rest in the shade.  Had I read this post from our BFF Dr. Patty Khuly’s Fully Vetted blog beforehand, I could have offered her owner a solution when they got home: soaking the tired tootsies in a bath of Epsom Salt. In this gotta-get-the-newest-thing era, we oftentimes forget the oldest cures can still be the best.

Heavy petting in Osaka: As of a few years ago, Osaka, Japan, had a population of 8.8 million people.  A sizable percentage live in apartments where cats aren’t allowed, so how do they get their fix of quality kitteh time?

This cafe, highlighted in a Time Magazine video piece.  Just like hotels in the United States where you can rent a dog, this is simply brilliant. Furry snuggles for those who can’t have a pet full-time!   If I were a cat fancier in Osaka, I’d be at this place every day.

Portraits for the neediest: Mary Swift is highlighted in a Baltimore Sun article.  She’s a photographer who makes terrific portraits of pets waiting for adoptions at shelters.   How could you possibly resist this face? You can’t, right?  That’s the idea. Hey, I’m a dog person and I’m smitten.

Three-legged dogs aid robotics: It’s not unusual to encounter a 3-legged dog who can run faster (much faster, sometimes) than their four-legged counterparts.  I have no idea how that’s possible, but scientists in England are trying to get at the bottom of that exact question: how do dogs who’ve lost a limb compensate so well? According to the BBC, they want the answer because it will help them build better robots.

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories.  Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Photo credits:  Top Hat, BadRap. Tulip, Mary Swift Photography.