"I wish he was here...'

I was reading a story written by Dr. Bo Brock.  He is a veterinarian in Lamesa, Texas.  He writes some very funny stories about the life of a rural veterinarian.  He has a wonderful prospective on life and just how humerus animals can be.  This story below is actually a very poignant one about his dad and his guidance.  It reminded me about a story I love to tell about my Grandpa.  My brother and I spent almost everyday growing up at our grandparents house.  As little kids we were over there playing and then as teenagers we had our show animals(pigs, sheep and steers) there.  My grandparents were so proud of me when I decided to become a Veterinarian and just beside themselves when I actually graduated!  It was not long after that Grandpa asked me what kind of animals I would be 'working on'.  I responded 'dogs and cats'.  Grandpa thought about it for a minute and said; 'Well after you been there for awhile they'll probably let you move up to the big animals'!!  I thought about trying to explain to him about the changing views on pets, but thought better of it and just shock my head yes...  My Grandpa has passed on now but I often remember those times as a kid and like Dr. Brock I get the 'I wishes'.


'I wish he were here'

Jun 1, 2002
By: Bo Brock, DVM, Dipl. ABVP
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE

"Good throw," Papaw shouted as I completed my first back-of-the-pick-up rope sling.
On the first attempt, I caught the sick calf around the neck. I was about 12-years-old and no words could have made my head swell bigger than any kind of "atta-boy" from him. I called him Papaw and he called me Tirdhead. He was my hero. He had the patience of Job with me as he taught me how to work. He had taught me to whirl that rope and size my loop. He had taught me to keep my slack until just the right moment when I should close it down on my target.

It has been more than six years since he died. Just today I remembered him deeply with the fond memories that can only come after the sting of loss has passed and reveals the voice he left to guide me. It was this little voice I heard with each item I removed from the trailer. My wife, Kerri, and I finally got a storage house. The day after he died, I loaded up all the things out of the barn that he had told me were mine when he passed on. They were all packed neatly into a stock trailer that belonged to his dad. The thing was at least 60 years old but still rolled as smooth as it had the day he built it, attesting to the way he cared for things. The trailer and all my treasures had been in storage since a few days after he died.

Pieces of history
It took me hours to move the pieces of our history together from the trailer to the storage house. Each nugget brought back a moment that he and I had spent together; him teaching me and me not even knowing that there was a lesson in progress. He made learning the lessons of life such fun that it was years later, when I had grown into a man, before I even realized how much he taught me and how much time he spent doing it.

One at a time, I blew the dust away and soaked up the memories. My first bits. Two saddle blankets that were over-used. Vintage syringes that were made of solid glass and needles that were made of stainless steel. These were the things he used to teach me how animals had feelings and needed proper care.


As I dug through the pile I uncovered a bottle of "Thermic Linement." It must be 30 years old. He used it on every sore horse we ever had. Said it "pulled out the swellin'. " When I opened it, the strong menthol medicine smell rushed into my smeller and brought back all the memories of being a kid with him and thinking he was the smartest man alive. He could fix anything that was ailing. He was so particular about how to care for our animals. Everything had to be done correctly and at the right time. Even though he had no idea, Papaw was instilling in me a lifetime mission of seeing about the needs of animals. He gave me an incredible interest in caring for critters that lives on today.



'Find the moments'
He also challenged me to find the moments. He had an incredible way of seeing the world. I would hear him describe an event and his description was much better than actually living through the moment. His way of describing brought things to mind that were generally unnoticed by a less observant person. I used to love to hear him tell someone else an event that he and I had lived through together. Listening to him made me aware that I was not watching the world close enough.


He would often ask me what I thought the horse I was on might be thinking. He would tell me that if I would look at things through the horse's eyes, it would open up an entirely new world. Through the eyes of critters I would find an entirely new perspective.


"Good throw," Papaw shouted as I completed my first back-of-the-pickup rope sling. The thing he had not told me was what to do next. The calf may have been sick, but he still weighed 500 pounds and I weighed in at about 85. I watched as the coils of rope in my hand got smaller and smaller and the calf got farther and farther away. In a panic, I dallied to the nearest thing in sight, a CB antenna coming off the headache rack. Well, it wasn't a whole antenna, just the spring that made up the base. The antenna had broken off years ago. This, of course, didn't even slow him down. As the tension hit the antenna, the knot on the end of the rope hit my hand. Not wanting to disappoint my hero, I held onto that knot for dear life.


The next thing I remember was a moment of peaceful flying before me, the CB antenna, the bracket that held it on and the driver's side rear view mirror that was hung on my boot hit the ground like Johnny Bench sliding into home plate. All I could hear was, "Let go of the rope, Tirdhead!!!!!" He was saying it over and over and the sound was getting softer and softer as the calf pulled me in the direction of his momma. By now, letting go was not an option. The bracket of the antenna had wedged between my hand and the rope and I were being pulled along like a rag doll.


Ear surfing
The only thing I remember hurting while I was being pulled was my left ear. Somehow in the fall it had filled up with dirt and grass. I must have been surfing on that ear for about a hundred yards before any other part of my body hit the ground. The dragging began to slow as the calf wore down. He finally stopped well short of his momma. Being 12-years-old and made of rubber, I hopped right up and jumped on him like a rodeo clown. By the time Papaw got there, I had it tied up and was working it over. If you can tell how bad a dragging is by the amount of dirt in your underwear, this one was monumental! I had enough in my britches to grow potatoes! It was filling up my boots as I got up to walk away.


We gave the calf a few shots to get him well and then I got a total body rubdown with, what else, Thermic Linement. You remember, it "pulls out the swellin'."


Whole new perspective
I miss him. I miss his view of life. I miss being called Tirdhead. I wish I had told him how much he influenced me and how I watched him and hung on his every word. He got to see me become a veterinarian. In his own way, he displayed how proud he was without ever saying those words. I wish he were here now to read these words he spoke as we road through the weeds and mosquitoes and see how they gave me a whole new perspective. I wish he were here now to give me guidance and fill my world with his thoughts, but I guess I'll have to settle for the voice he left to guide me.

It's HOT Out There!!! "Heat Stroke"

This is a post from last year, but I just saw my first official heat stroke of the year and it's only June 28th!  We have had maybe five, 100+ days so far.  This means there are many more heat stroke dogs to come.  This was a small dog that was only left outside for 1 hour, but as I explained to the owner, it doesn't take very long to get overheated when your covered in fur!!  Everyone be careful out there, if it's too hot for you, it's too hot for your pet!

First of all Heat Stroke is an emergency!!! If you are googling because you think your pet has heat stroke, you need to stop and call your vet immediately!


I wanted to write about Heat Stroke now because here in Texas we are experiencing days and days of triple digit heat. It is miserable just walking from your car to inside the store. Even those pets that are used to being outside need some extra measures to make sure they're safe in this heat.



Causes:
Heat Stroke can occur at anytime the temperature rises above 105 F.

• When an animal is left outside in very hot/humid conditions (Texas in general).
This is made worse by; lack of shade, water or proper ventilation. Being very hairy, sick, overweight or having a short nose (pugs, bulldogs, shih tzu's) are things that can impair your pets ability to dissipate the heat.

• Exercising your pet in hot/humid weather.
I feel that it is only safe to exercise your pet very early (before 7am) or very late (after 8pm) here in Texas. And then I wouldn't walk more than 30-40 minutes depending on your pets fitness level.

• Leaving your animal in the car or in an un-air conditioned home, in hot/humid conditions.
I think I have said enough here...



Symptoms:
Signs can vary depending on the degree and duration of elevated temperature.

• Prolonged or excessive panting and increased temperature (over 105 F) are the most common
• Weak and Wobbly
• Collapse or Coma/non-responsive
• Red or blue(cyanotic) gums
• Vomit and/or Diarrhea. Can be bloody.
• Delayed Signs: Can occur 3-5 days after supposed recovery. There could be decreased urine production, yellow color to the gums or eyes (jaundice), or sudden death due to infection or heart malfunction.



Treatment:

• Call your vet or the closest animal emergency center!!
• Get the animal into a cooler environment. Into the shade or in the air conditioned house.
• If possible record the rectal temperature and write it down.
• Wet the pet with cool tap water. NOT ice water. The ice water actually prevents effective inner body cooling.
• Wrap the animal in a cool, wet towel and transport to your vet immediately.
• Once at your Veterinarian office, your pet with most likely be hospitalized. Blood work, intravenous fluids and appropriate medications should be started immediately. Expect a 3-5 day stay for treatment.


Prognosis:

This really depends on the severity of the heat stroke. Survival is poor for animals presented in a coma and for those with secondary organ failure.

Animals that survive heat stroke are more prone to reoccurrence in the future. Please make sure these animals keep in an air conditioned environment during the next heat wave.



Prevention:

• If you live in the south and it's 100+ degrees outside try to have those animals inside. Dogs are easily crate trained.
• If being inside just isn't something you can do, you MUST provide shade, cool/fresh water and an area with air movement.
• Some dogs love water: Get them a children’s wading pool-refill it daily.
• If you don't have shade, make some. Tarps and posts are cheap and easy to make shade out of.
• If your yard is small or if you have a wooden privacy fence the amount of air movement is almost zero. Think about investing in an industrial fan or a outdoor ceiling fan if you have a patio. Putting in grated vent areas in your fence may also help.
• Above all don't take a pet that has been inside and suddenly decide to make them an outdoor dog when it’s 100+ outside. These animals are not used to the heat and are much more susceptible to heat stroke than those that always live outside. It's like asking someone who works at a desk to suddenly change jobs and start replacing roofs for a living!

5 Most Important Things

"What does my pet need?'  Many people haven't had pets before or it has been a long time, and they don't know what they need to do for them.  Soooo, I decided I would make a list of the 5 most important things.  I feel like Dr. Oz and his 'Top 10 Daily Essentials'!!!!  This list is for dogs AND cats.

**This is in no form or way 'everything' you need to do for your pet, but this is a fantastic place to start.  I think if you do these 5 things for your pets health, you are on your way to having your pet for many, many years to come.**

1.  Yearly Wellness Exam at your Veterinarian
    Office

• This visit is so important, especially in those older pets, who could be starting to have problems with their teeth, heart, etc.
• Just a little trade secret, it helps if your veterinarian and the staff know you.  That way we already know what you want.  That makes it easier to make the right decisions about your pets care.

2.  Vaccinations

• These maybe yearly or every few years.  It depends on the vaccine.  These vaccines prevent many 'non-treatable' diseases.  Non-treatable means your pet will most likely die if infected with the disease, for example- Rabies.
• Your veterinarian can help with choosing the appropriate vaccines.

3.  Heartworm Prevention

• Yes! Cats get heartworms!
• Heartworms have been found in all 50 states.  Below is a map with the number of cases per clinic.
• In the state of Texas, where I practice, heartworm prevention is a MUST!
• Heartworms cause heart disease and eventually death.
• They are super easy to PREVENT.  It is just a once a month; topical-drop or a by mouth tablet/chew.
• TREATING heartworms is NOT super easy.  It requires a series of injections and a pre-treatment workup.
• Let me give you a cost break-down on prevention versus treatment.  A years worth of prevention for a 60 pound dog costs ~$120 versus ~$920 for treatment!!!!  You can prevent heartworms for 9 years before it even starts to even out!!

4. Flea/Tick Prevention

• Not only are they disgusting, they also spread disease.  These parasites feed on blood and spread numerous life threatening diseases.
• When it comes to flea/tick prevention I am a big brand name supporter.  There are several cheaper but less effective options out there, I don't think they work very well and they can be harmful to your pets, esp. cats.
• Every veterinarian has their favorite products.  Mine are Advantage for fleas and Frontline for fleas and ticks.  Both are safe but mostly they WORK!!!

5.  Good Food

• I get asked all the time what the best food is...  This is a very touchy question with some people, so my response is usually.                     

                 -"Buy the best food you can afford, you get what you pay for."-

• My favorite brands are Science Diet, Iam's, Eukanuba, and Purina Pro Plan or O.N.E.  All of these companies have been around fooorrreevver.  They have years of research in animal nutrition.  They also have fantastic customer support.  They guarantee all of their products, if the dog won't eat it, they give you your money back!

"Dog's Role in Osama bin Laden Raid"

I read this headline and was just awed by how amazing these military working dogs are.  These dogs are trained to sniff bombs, jump out of planes, protect the human soliders and so much more.  Most of us are just happy when our dogs use the restroom outside!!!  Here are some articles/links of military working dogs.  These pics are not from the actual raid,  they just show the dogs in action. Read below to get all the details on Osama.

-The article below is from Fox News Chicago.   There are some great pictures on this page as well.
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpps/news/dogs-role-in-osama-bin-laden-raid-dpgoha-20110506-fc_13082431
  
What Role did Dogs Play in Osama bin Laden Raid?


Updated: Friday, 06 May 2011, 9:37 AM CDT
Published : Friday, 06 May 2011, 9:37 AM CDT

Among details not yet released about the raid against Osama bin Laden's compound is what kind of breed the four-legged commando was.
NPR reported that the Navy SEAL team that headed into Abbottabad, Pakistan, included at least one canine fighter. It follows a practice more than a century old as dogs have seen combat as early as the Civil War and World War I.
Military sources told The New York Times that the SEALs' dog was likely either a German shepherd or a Belgian Malinois. The Belgian Malinois, a breed trained to herd sheep, along with German shepherds and Labradors are often used in such roles as they have the speed, agility and sense of smell valuable in war zones, according to The Washington Times .
It has launched a battle of speculation among breeders.
The New York Times stated that American Belgian Malinois Club president Suzanne Belger said she hoped it was her breed "and that it did its job and came home safe." Laura Gilbert, corresponding secretary for the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, said her breed was the best and that she was sure it was a German shepherd.
Whatever the breed, the UK Sun concluded it was likely an explosives-sniffing dog that dropped to the ground strapped to an assault team member. The SEAL unit had used dogs equipped with infrared night-sight cameras and protected by ballistic body armor in the past.
The dogs are taught to attack enemies carrying a weapon and can crawl into tunnels or rooms to search for enemy combatants, their cameras giving the troops an idea of what is ahead of them.
"Dogs are relied upon to provide early warnings for potential hazards, many times, saving the lives of the Special Operations Forces with whom they operate," U.S. Special Operations Command spokesman Maj. Wes Ticer told the New York Times.
The Sydney Morning Herald said a military dog likely was also used when former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was captured in 2003.
Dogs, NPR reported, were first officially inducted into the U.S. Army in 1942. The Army had 2,800 active-duty dogs deployed early in 2010 and numbers are expected to grow


-Here is a link to a War Dog a weekly feature by Rebecca Frankel. Awesome pictures!!

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/05/04/war_dog?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4dc9b8186a168692%2C0

Sweet June, Bug for Short

I am sorry for the time in between posts, but I have been dealing the loss of one of my pets.  This loss is something I have helped many, many clients get through, but have never really had to experience myself.  I have lost several of my childhood pets but never one that was my responsibility as an adult.  I have been so lucky that all my other pets have been super healthy.  My boyfriend and I recently had to euthanize our Labrador June.  This was a hard decision for us, and I find myself even more thankful and appreciative of my veterinary staff.  They cried with me, offered words of solace and advice.  They helped to make this as easy as it could be.  I have wanted to talk about June's disease for a long time but could never seem to find the time to write about it.  I guess now is the time...

June was only 2 years old when she died; she was born with a liver condition.  The fancy name for her condition was a Congenital Portosystemic Shunt.  What happens is; the blood from the puppy's intestines bypasses the liver.  During pregnancy it is normal for the puppies’ blood to bypass the liver (i.e., the mother's liver filters out the toxins for the fetus).  Normally this shunt (the vessel bypass) closes within 3 days after birth.  In animals like June, the shunt doesn't close and the blood continues to bypass the liver.  Because the liver filters toxins, the toxins build up in the body.  This results in the puppy having slow or nonexistent growth.  June was only 50 pounds; she should have been more like 70-80 pounds.  If this is left untreated, puppies are not likely to survive.



June at diagnosis-12 weeks old
So sad...



Signs we saw:

June was diagnosed very early; she was only 12 weeks old.  She was having symptoms like not growing well, not eating well, sleeping alot and drinking and peeing alot.  We diagnosed her when she had more severe symptoms after eating a large meal, she become temporarily blind and had a seizure.  June had alot of symptoms and they occurred rapidly.  This is not a disease that occurs very often in Labradors, it is really more common in little Yorkie Terriers. 

Tests:

We took June for some testing at a specialty veterinary clinic.  They were able to take pictures using an ultrasound and used nuclear medicine to diagnosis and stage her disease.  This step is very important because it can determine if the dog is a candidate for surgery.  This is a disease that is usually very fixable in Yorkies, with appropriate surgery and care.  The problem with June was, she wasn't a Yorkie...  Her shunt was much more involved and deemed a very poor surgical risk.  We contacted numerous specialty clinics and university's to see if anyone had any surgical cures for June.  The answer was the same every time, they all felt that she would either die during surgery or do very poorly following surgery.

Decision Time:
By the time we had went though the tests and talks with specialists, June was doing great on her medical management.  We had a very active and loving puppy.  She was in no shape or form 'normal' but she played and terrorized all the other pets, much to their displeasure....  We decided we would treat her medically as long as she was active and healthy.  I cautioned my boyfriend that she may only make it a couple of months before she began feeling sick again.  But June surprised us all and just kept on doing great!  She went through all her puppy shots, got spayed, and became a beautiful adult dog. 

Medical Treatment:
June's medical treatment consists of by mouth medications to help prevent protein absorption in the intestines.  These proteins are what become toxic to the liver.  Some dogs do great with just one drug.  June was on 4 drugs!  We added drugs as her symptoms progressed.  These dogs are also on special diets.  These diets are very low in protein.  June's was on a prescription food from Science Diet.
Medical management is more a matter of avoiding certain things.  If June ate anything other than her food it would prompt a bout of not feeling good and usually a trip to the clinic for fluids and intensive care. 

Being a Labrador, June was always trying to, and sometimes succeeding in eating things she shouldn't....  She woke us up once at 5am, during a snow storm, wearing the kitchen trash can lid around her waist(she was in the bed)!!!  She had got up very early in the morning and quietly eaten and spread garbage all over the kitchen floor!!!  We so badly wanted to be mad at her but it was just too funny....  Needless to say, eating garbage doesn't make a normal dog feel good, June ended up in the clinic once again on fluids...

Prognosis:
The dogs that are able to have surgical repair of their shunt have a very good long-term prognosis.   Most of those dogs go on to have normal life expectancies.
Those dogs like June, whose shunts aren't surgically repairable live an average 10 months.  There are new studies out there that are saying that with new understanding and medical treatments they maybe able to extend that average to 3 years.  June was right in the middle. 
This is considered to be an inheritable problem.  This means that a dog with a shunt should never be bred because it can pass it on to its puppies.  I would also never breed the parents of the dog affected with the shunt.  There is a very good chance another puppy will be affected.
After my experience with June, I would whole-heartedly encourage people to medically treat those dogs who aren't candidates for surgery.  We had a wonderful 2 years with June!  She was a dog like no other! She had everyone who ever met her falling in love with her!  We will miss her and think of her often... 

Fun Dog Activities

As more places become pet friendly, the opportunities for new activities has sky rocketed.  Dogs are now welcomed everywhere from bookstores to yoga classes!!  I have compiled a list of fun and different activities, along with some helpful websites.  I personally take my dogs just about everywhere but their favorite places are, of course the P-A-R-K (gotta spell this at our house or a riot occurs) and visiting their grandpa and grandma!

-This is a video of June and Ebby waiting not so patiently to go to the park!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RalfCIcJlk&feature=youtube_gdata_player


The first thing I found was some suggestions for children.  This is from the ASPCA website, if you want to check out the entire article.  I always caution people to monitor their pets and children.  You have to look at it from both sides.  To the pets the children are a bit scary! They have these long things(arms) with little pincher's on the ends!!  Then you gotta see it from the kids point of view...  Here is the super soft and fuzzy thing that resembles their stuffed animals, that they chew and pull on!

Activities for kids 6 months to 2 years:

• Your child can lie on the floor and your dog or cat can jump over him.
• You and your child can hide and then call your pet to come find you.
• Young children love peek-a-boo games.  Try holding up a cloth so that your pet is concealed.  Let your child pull the cloth aside, making the pet 'appear'

Kids 3-8 years old:

• Your child and dog can race with each other to a designated finish line.  If necessary, you can run with your dog on a leash.  My 6 year old neighbor and June(my lab) love to race on opposite sides of the fence!!
• Armed with treats, your child can hide while you stay with your pet.  When your child calls out, let your pet go search for him.  When your pet finds him, let your child give the treats as a reward.
• Your child can blow bubbles for your pet to catch.  You can purchase a bubble toy made especially for dogs, such as the Fetch A Bubble Blaster or the Bubble Buddy.  These toys produce flavored bubbles that are safe for dogs to ingest.  Please do not use regular bubble solution.  It can cause mild stomach upset and can sting your pets eyes.

Kids 9-13 years old:

• Children of any age can benefit from attending basic dog obedience classes with their dogs.
• Your child can play soccer-type games and Frisbee with your dog.
• Some children appreciate the challenge of competing with a dog in agility or in games such as flyball.  Your child can search the Internet of library to find new tricks to teach your pet, such as Roll Over, Shake, Sit Up and Beg.

Create a sidewalk pet portrait, and show the world the great pets that live in your neighborhood. Dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, birds --whatever the pet you can create its portrait on the sidewalk.

You just need some chalk, a sidewalk, and your favorite pet as a model.  I need to see if I can get my neighbor boys to come and help me with my sidewalk.

-There are several off lead dog parks in the DFW area.  Make sure your pets are current on all shots and on flea and heartworm prevention before frequenting these places.  Everyone may not be such a good dog owner as you....  Some of the parks are maintained by the city and also require your dog have a city license.  I would check before going, they can/will write you a ticket for non-compliance.  Below is a link with a pretty good list of of parks.  The first on the list is the indoor dog park in Dallas, I've heard that it's closed....  I know there is also a park in Arlington, near the Animal Shelter off Green Oaks, near Collins St.

http://dallas.about.com/od/recreation/tp/Dallas-Dog-Parks.htm


-Here is a site that lists animal friendly businesses.  I personally called Half-Price Books and they told me they were indeed pet friendly!
http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/uscities/guides/us/cities/usonlinecityTXFort_Worth.shtml

-Lastly, I wanted to put a link for doggie yoga- "Doga".  I wasn't able to find any links locally but if your into yoga you may know about one.  Here is a very informational link to a studio in Florida.
http://dogadog.com/

More Dental Products

I just found a great site with Dental Products that have been awarded the Veterinary Oral Health Council Seal of approval.  Some are found only at veterinary offices and some over the counter.  I always make sure people know, not to assume the products at your vets office are more expensive than at Petsmart or Petco.  I have personally comparison shopped and found our prices to be competitive if not cheaper than the pet stores!!

Site for dental products:
http://www.vohc.org/accepted_products.htm