Happy Mother's Day! Just a few of the amazing moms I know..

Happy Mother's Day to you all!

Limbs Are Accessories, Until It's Yours.

This is Oscar. 

He is a Rottweiler mix who was found by Harford County Animal Control and brought to the Harford County Humane Society on May 6, 2014. He is about 8 months old, unneutered, unmicrochipped and had an obvious swollen and poorly functional right hind leg. 

There are a few dedicated veterinarians who generously give their time to help the unwanted, forgotten, and lost dogs and cats at the shelter. It is a difficult, often depressing, and sad task to see all  of those sad, anxious, afraid, or desperate for a moment of your time pets. I will be the first to admit that I cannot do it. I cannot face the pets housed there. I will only go to take a pet home, help on a fundraiser day, or to aid in a specific pets care. And, there is a small matter about how I think things should  be done, and my inability to keep my mouth shut. If there is a sick, injured, emotionally suffering pet I demand attention for them. I am not interested in logistics, lack of available funds, overcrowding, or any other encumberence or reality about the difficult predicament and situation that a shelter must exist in.

Upon delivery to the shelter Oscar was processed which  includes scanning for a microchip, assessing for injuries, behavioral problems, and any evidence of where he might belong. Pets are  also vaccinated, de-wormed, given a flea preventative and placed in a cage with an arrival date. Pets that are found as strays have 5 business days to  be claimed or they become the property of the shelter and can be either placed in general adoption or euthanized. Pets are euthanized for a large variety of reasons;

1. Not adoptable. (Definition defined by organization, labeled by staff who may or may not be trained adequately to do so).
2. Not enough room. Most shelters have contracts with the local community to keep open spaces for incoming animals. If they do not adopt out enough pets as new ones come in they have to make room by removing the less adoptable, or longest resident, or whatever the staff decides.
3. Behavioral concerns. Any pet who might be deemed a threat to people is euthanized.

With the small amount of information we have already I am afraid. 

Here's why;

1. A young dog in a shelter is at considerable risk of contracting a contagious disease. Of greatest concern is parvovirus, distemper, kennel cough, respiratory infection and the cascade of complications any one of them can cause.
2. Unneutered and concerned about this being synonymous with unvaccinated. Add number 2 to number 1 = recipe for disaster.
3. Obvious injury makes likelihood of happy ending more elusive.
4. Broken bones are expensive to treat, and shelters have mouths to feed and already very difficult decisions to make about the healthy uninjured pets.

Oscar is a young sweet gentle boy so he was sent to a local veterinary clinic for an examination to assess his leg.

Even with his gentle nature and the small amount of information we have already I am afraid for him. 

Here's why;

Oscar's radiograph quickly revealed the source of his lameness and swelling.

Oscar has what we classify as a distal diaphyseal fracture of the right femur. A radiograph can give us some answers to a few questions, but Oscar still holds a few. We don't know how long he has been injured, and we don't know if there are other injuries that we can't see so easily. For instance bruising of the lungs, tears or bleeding of internal organs, etc. 

On the lateral (side) view there is a concern about the bottom (distal) part of the femur bone having been pulled up (towards the pelvis) and back due to the muscles that run along the femur. When the bone is no longer rigidly intact the big thick muscles of the leg and thigh will contract or pull the end of the femur up.

Oscar's life was being determined by the vet who saw him initially and the staff at the Humane Society, until Dr. Hubbard saw him.

Dr. Hubbard, our resident Humane Society savior was at the shelter and inquiring about Oscar. She called me to say that the Humane Society was looking for a surgeon to help Oscar or they were going to take the advice of the original vet who stated that it would be cheaper and easier to amputate his broken leg. I have been down this road before. There are very very few instances when cheaper and easier is the right decision. This is an 8 month old dog, and this is a Rottweiler. There is a terrible chance that this boy will need an extra leg by the time he is 8 years old and has osteosarcoma on the left rear leg. Save his right leg as a spare. Rotties need spare legs. (Related article; Kelso's Christmas Wish).

Cheaper? Well, I am going to argue that one too. Seems the estimate the other vet gave was $1,000 to amputate. Someone hand me a paddle. I'll take your $1000 to give this dog fewer options, a longer recovery and I'll fix it for half. I got a little heated. Why are we seriously debating taking a leg off of a puppy without trying our damnedest to fix him? 

Dr. Hubbard and I were on a two woman mission to save Oscar's leg. Dr. Hubbard wanted me to fix it, (in whatever pathetic haphazard way I could). But, I know Oscar needs a bone plate which I do not have, and I leave for a weeks long vacation in one day..Oh, and in that one day I have to pack and celebrate Mothers Day, AND,,, still..I feel obligated, and stressed...very very stressed!!..(oh, yeah, that's why no one else volunteers for these).

Here is where the flood of anxiety, frustration, and feeling of "oh, god, what am I getting myself into this time begins?" For some reason I have yet to understand, I feel as if I am the only vet who is willing to throw my hat in the ring and help. To work for the simple satisfaction of trying to do the right thing for a pet. When did that become such a scarce commodity? I have the same training as my peers, I have had to learn by jumping in the ring. By being comfortable with uncomfortable surgeries. and still, no one else will even try??!! It's incredibly frustrating. 

Dr. Hubbard and I called every surgeon we knew to get Oscar's leg fixed. The  best we got was 10% off the standard surgeon cost of $3,000. Did I forget to mention that this dog is not owned? And is a resident of the Humane Society? UGH!

Now I know I am ranting. Vets get asked every single day to work for free. It sucks, and it is unrelenting. (See previous rant on Compassion Fatigue). 

After numerous frantic calls back and forth, Dr. Hubbard and I decided that, no matter what we were going to;

1. Try to save Oscar's leg. 
2. We were going to try to find someone to plate the leg and give him the best possible chance at healing. 
3. We were going to get him out of the shelter ASAP.
4. We were going to find this boy a forever home after.

I called a dear friend, client, a fellow Rottie fan. In that one phone call the myth of feeling like Dr. Hubbard and I are the only ones who cares was shattered into tiny pieces. 

I explained Oscars plight and our quest. He said to me, "I just saw Dr W (our local orthopedic surgeon) yesterday with Heidi. He has done surgery on both of her knees and was the surgeon for her sister too. Call him and tell him that Oscar needs this surgery and that I am helping to pay for it. It's only money and this dog needs help."

I cried, I seriously cried. All of the stress, the guilt, the terrible turmoil about going on vacation when there was a dog at the cshelter who needed help slipped away. 

"Oh, Mr. H, that's so incredibly generous of you. We are going to do our very best to help you with this. Jarrettsville Vet will donate, and No Kill Harford will pitch in too. And we will keep asking for help from everyone." I said, trying so desperately to get a clear Thank-You out as I choked down tears.

And then I went back to joyful tears and called Dr. Hubbard to share the news.

Oscar is expected to have his femur repaired on Tuesday. 

We will keep you all posted on his saga and hopefully there will be a happy ending to his tumultuous beginning.

And, just for the record again, amputation is not an option for quick and cheap.

If you would like to help Oscar you can send a donation, or even a Thank-you card care of "Oscar's Fund to Jarrettsville Veterinary Center, or No Kill Harford. Any funds received will go to help a pet in need to help them live a long, happy and healthy life.

May the memory of those we leave behind inspire us to do better for those we have yet to serve..

If you have a pet question, a story to share, an inspiration to help another pet and another person please meet me on Pawbly.com. Pawbly is all about pet people helping other pet people, and Pawbly is free to use.

Or find me at the clinic, Jarrettsville Vet, or on Twitter @FreePetAdvice.

Is Your Cat Safe In Your Own Home?

The most common toxicity we see at the clinic is the inadvertent application of a dog flea and tick product on to a cat. It is the accidental poisoning of the Spring and Summer season.

It happens by accident in most of the cases, as a neglectful oversight of an owner who shares their home with both a dog and a cat. Or, the simple doubtful advice of a product manufacturer who the owner believes is just trying to sell a smaller size for a wider profit margin.

Turns out those warning labels are real warnings.

Those big red letters that state "DO NOT USE ON CATS" doesn't seem to be enough to dissuade people from using it.

Granted, in many cases the drugs and products that we use for people are also used in veterinary medicine. Unfortunately there are a few very very important exceptions.

I get the phone call routinely, it always starts something like this, "Hey Doc, I think that Fluffy is _____,(fill in the blank, truly, the blank isn't the important part), and I gave her some ______, (again fill in the blank, also probably not important I specify the product). Do you think she will be alright?I can't come in until tomorrow."

To which I almost always have to gasp and roll my eyes silently as I try to muffle the screaming "NO!" into a more calm and less threatening voice of, "No, that is not safe for cats."

Unfortunately, in the huge number of cases the cat was given the drug hours, or even days, ago and my heeded warning is too late. 

In the hopes of saving another cat I am going to violate one of the covenants of medicine. I am going to provide broad sweeping generalization guidelines. (Disclaimer provided; Always ask your vet before giving your pets anything! Please?).

1. Charlatans: If it didn't come from your vet don't give it. This includes drugs of any and every type, supplements, vitamins, food, treats, chews, toys, etc. etc. Sound too broad, and slightly paranoid? OK, it might be, but I have seen cats die from every crazy thing imaginable. Like, a supplement recommended by a feed store, a drug store, a big box store, the list goes on. I have seen cats be injured by toys, treats, chews, leashes and clothing. Not to mention urinary tract infections, calculi, strictures, and inflammation from over zealous supplements and inappropriate diets. 
2. Accessories: When you are purchasing something for your cat ask your vet. Collars, although cute, can be functional in alerting an unsuspecting bird of your cats presence and providing a name should they wander. But they can also get stuck around a leg and become a tourniquet or a noose around their neck should your cat get caught in something. Use a microchip, it is far safer.
3. Drugs. If it didn't come from your vet for that specific pet don't give it. This includes every pain reliever, antibiotic, cream of every type. Did  I ever tell you about the client who used hemorrhoid cream for a rectal mass? No, in  fact the cat did not have a hemorrhoid..and  boy did that stuff burn his butt bad!. (People are obsessed with laxatives and hemorrhoid cream. I guess its a big human problem?)
4. Cats and Drugs: I cannot over emphasize how fragile cats are when it comes to drugs. One human sized pain reliever can kill your cat! Don't give them anything without your vets blessing. And, if the box says to "Not Use On Cats" they really do mean it. We had a client  who almost killed both of her cats last year because she thought it was a "suggestion." After spending almost $500 she was angry at us for having to pay for three days of hospitalization, emergency supportive care and all of the numerous drugs it took to save their lives. She was lucky to have been able to walk out with two cats. It was an expensive lesson to learn.

This is a good time to remind us all about the Top Ten Toxins for dogs and cats in 2013, from the Pet Poison Helpline;

Cats: Top 10 Toxins of 2013

1. Lilies: Plants in the Lilium species, such as Easter, Tiger, and Asiatic lilies, cause kidney failure in cats. All cat owners must be aware of these highly toxic plants!
2. Household cleaners: Most general purpose cleaners (e.g., Windex, Formula 409) are fairly safe, but concentrated products like toilet bowl or drain cleaners can cause chemical burns.
3. Flea and tick spot-on products for dogs: Those that are pyrethroid based (e.g., Zodiac, K9 Advantix, Sergeant’s, etc.) cause tremors and seizures and can be deadly to cats.
4. Antidepressants: Cymbalta and Effexor topped our antidepressant list in 2013. Cats seem strangely drawn to these medications. Beware – ingestion can cause severe neurologic and cardiac effects.
5. NSAIDs: Cats are even more sensitive than dogs to drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen. Even veterinary specific NSAIDs like Rimadyl and Meloxicam should be used with caution.
6. Prescription ADD/ADHD medications: These amphetamines such as Adderall, Concerta, Dexedrine, and Vyvanse can cause tremors, seizures, cardiac problems and death.
7. Over the counter cough, cold and allergy medications: Those that contain acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) are particularly toxic, as they damage red blood cells and cause liver failure.
8. Plants containing insoluble calcium oxalate crystals: Common houseplants like the peace lily, philodendron, and pothos can cause oral/upper GI irritation, foaming at the mouth, and inflammation when ingested, but severe symptoms are uncommon.
9. Household insecticides: Thankfully, most household sprays and powders are fairly safe, but it’s best to keep curious kitties away until the products have dried or settled.
10. Glow sticks and glow jewelry: These irresistible “toys” contain a chemical called dibutyl phthalate. When it contacts the mouth, pain and excessive foaming occurs, but the signs quickly resolve when the cat eats food or drinks water.

“Every January, we examine our records to see what toxins contributed to the most emergency calls from pet owners and veterinarians the previous 12 months,” said Ahna Brutlag, DVM, MS, DABT, DABVT and associate director of veterinary services at Pet Poison Helpline. “We hope that by sharing these lists, more pet owners will become educated about how to avoid problems and protect their pets in 2014.”

The best thing concerned pet owners can do is get educated on the most common pet toxins, which are listed above, and then pet-proof their homes. However, accidents happen and if a pet may have ingested something toxic, Pet Poison Helpline recommends taking action immediately. Contact a veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline at 1-800-213-6680. Pet Poison Helpline also has a helpful iPhone application with an extensive database of over 200 poisons dangerous to cats and dogs. “Pet Poison Help” is available on iTunes for $1.99.

Pet Poison Helpline

If you have a pet question or want to share any of your cat photos, antics, or even a cute little story about how precious your cat is to your life you can find me and a bunch of other cat-enthusiasts at Pawbly.com. Pawbly is dedicated to the love of pets and provides free help to any pet in need. Please join us today. Maybe you can save a pet's life with your knowledge and lifetime experience?

Or you can find me on Twitter @FreePetAdvice. Or at the clinic Jarrettsville Vet, in Jarrettsville Maryland.

National Pet Week 2014

This week is National Pet Week.

Always the first full week of May, National Pet Week was started in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association. The hope of this week of celebration is to remind us all how important our pets are in helping us live a long, happy and healthy life.

What do our pets mean to us? Well, for many of us they are our friends on the long dark days, our comic relief on the days that can't break a frown, a warm bundle of companionship when the shoulder of a friend to lean on is needed. They are the unconditional love when we need a break from the rigorous demands of life, and they are the ones that we share our greatest joys with and deepest sorrows with.

In honor of this week I wanted to introduce our pets to you, and share what they mean to me.

For me, my puppies are my confidants, the hand to hold so I never feel alone, my protectors, my home alarm system, my bed warmer and bed hogger, blanket stealer, and house mates so that I never feel alone.

Charlie and Jekyll

I can tell what my puppies are thinking. What they are looking forward to and what they want to do all by the tiny shifts of their eyes, their ears, their tales and their expression. I don't need a linguist, a word, or an interpreter. I know them as well as they know me.

When I am sad they stay close. When they are bored and anxious for a walk we go together. We keep each other motivated to play on the cold snowy mornings, and rainy muggy evenings. We have a mutual obligation to look after each other, even on those days where the comforter calls me to sleep a few minutes longer.

This year the AVMA has chosen the theme of  "Love your pet, see the vet." to remind pet parents that one of the most important ways we can show our pets that we love them is to provide them with veterinary care. Your veterinarian is an expert on detecting and treating disease, injury, and illness, and assisting you in maintaining optimal care for your pets. They can often detect early signs of disease before the parent can. Even for those of us parents who spend almost every single waking moment with our pets. Pet care has too often taken the back seat to pet accessories but I know first hand that the knowledge and advice that I give my clients about our patients every single day helps them to live longer, happier and healthier life.

Charlie yawns,, a bit bored with the whole photo-thing.

My pets are a daily reminder of how vital the role of a veterinarian is in taking care of my family. There is never a day where I am not feeling grateful and blessed to have my pets beside me. They are my greatest joy and my deepest sense of responsibility. To help protect them and provide them the stepping stones to achieving a lifespan into their late teens, like Savannah had, or their early 20's like the first generation my kitties got, I know that it takes a team effort. A full examination every 6 months, vaccines as needed, monthly heartworm, flea & tick, yearly fecals and blood checks, and the daily teeth, ears, coat and nails regimen.

And as much love as they will tolerate...

Even when this is the face I get in return..sometimes it's tough to have a slightly overbearing mother...

And for my kitties. Who are the center of my heart. 

I know that some of you have a pet preference, and that perhaps you are not privy to the complex nature of a feline..but to truly know a cat whose trust you have earned, (because everything in the cat world is on their terms), is to truly know what loving something unconditionally implies. 

Jitterbug, who is his own man on his own terms. He is loud, demanding, and in charge.. He can also be the most submissive docile love bug..Who wants an easy transparent cat?I love him for his independence and fierce sense of entitlement.

Jitterbug

 Magpie, a rescued kitten who came to me with a badly broken ankle. One month of strict cage rest and it healed beautifully. However, in the one month I got a bit too attached..my Achilles heel is a kitten, no doubt.

She is the most daring, adventurous, spirited little thing. Always hidden inn the shadows, you will never see her as a guest in my house, but she is there watching you. Sometimes under a blanket, barely visible  as a tiny wrinkle in a sheet, and sometimes a flash of black at your heels. But if you are quiet enough and trustworthy enough she will melt in your arms when you pick her up. And purr louder than you can believe a little 5 pounds could produce.

Magpie

 Wren. Most definitely the peaceful gentle foundation of my heart. The first words out of my mouth every morning and every day I come home are for her. "Wren-wren!" and there she is at my feet. Little "mew" to greet me and a belly flop to say she missed me too. No kitten had a harder start in life and no cat ever asked as little in return. She is the official greeter of the home and loves and trusts blindly and without reserve. Not one single person can resist her charm.

Wren

 Oriole. The abandoned orange chick who was lucky enough to be friendly even after having been cast away, brought to the clinic for vaccines and a spay, and purred her way into our house. She remains an energetic, spastic, effervescent, dynamo. She can often be heard running like a water buffalo through the house. Making as much noise as she can, disrupting as much furniture as she can only to arrive traveling full tilt to full emergency stop at your face with a little "MEWK!" to announce that she's here for a short pet before the engines fire up again and she's off!

Oriole and Wren...

Oriole, She knows she's hard to resist.

Pets come in all sizes and shapes. This is our pet pig Strawberry. A rescue from the Johns Hopkins heart study. She was bred and raised to donate her heart valves to science. But her study ran out before her number came up. So she came to live with us. She reminds me every single day that love knows no boundaries. No lines of species, no definition of "normal" or "acceptable." She is her own person, with her own thoughts, feelings, preferences, fears, and I love her in spite of her hooves, her lack of fur, and her bratty attitude. How can I be a vet to all species if I can't see the unique qualities of pets in all things?

Strawberry

Go hug your pets this week! Or call your vet and ask for their help in taking even better care of your beloved, two, three, four, eight, or no legged pet..

With love to all of your pets from my clan to yours!

Please join us in sharing the love of all things pet at Pawbly.com. Free to use, Pawbly is all about helping pets live a longer, happier, and healthier life!

You can also find me on Twitter @FreePetAdvice, or at the veterinary clinic, Jarrettsville Veterinary Center in Jarrettsville Maryland.

The Terrors of Spring

My puppies,
Jekyll and Charlie.

We all wait anxiously for the winter grip to release us. To catch a little breathe of Spring, raise our chins to the sun, and feel the soft grass under our feet.

Spring is here and it is GLORIOUS! And for as much as I adore the chirping songs of the birds preparing to build nests for the next generation of winged mezzo-soprano's it is also always intimately coupled with the evil sides of a new cast of players. Where there is abundant burgeoning life there are also the threats of culprits and predators both large and small. All of those new creatures support the complicated and yet fragile web of life with mouths to feed both up and down the food chain.

Ask yourself, what do you think is the most lethal animal on the planet?
Bet, you wouldn't guess right on your first instinctual answer.. It is the mosquito! 

The most feared culprit in my veterinary experience..Well, I have seen the most heartbreaking cases and outcomes from 3 Spring time opportunists;

1. The flea. Capable of incredible re-population explosions, I have seen whole lives be sucked out of existence. NOTHING is more heartbreaking than losing a kitten to death by preventable vampire.
2. The tick. One tiny pinpoint tick can transmit diseases that can render the kidney cooked. The effects of Lyme disease are real and the consequences can be dire. Here again another preventable disease. I may not have the research study stats to prove this, but my experience has been; If you keep your pet on a good monthly flea and tick preventative AND IF you keep your dogs vaccinated for Lyme disease the chance of your pet getting Lyme disease is almost negligible. And I have never seen a pet who is either vaccinated OR treated monthly die from Lyme disease. The dogs who die, and YES, they can and do die, are those that get neither.
3. Parvo. Nothing is more awful than watching a puppy die. Those little bundles of joy, who play, wag, bark, and snuggle become lifeless bony skeletons so sad and pitiful that the sight of them suffering is worse than the act of putting them down. Again, another preventable disease that we should have eradicated by now.

How do you protect your puppy?

• Start vaccinating at 6-8 weeks old,
• Keep your newborn away from unvaccinated OR sick puppies and dogs,
• Keep ALL puppies out f shelters,
• Get your puppy to the vet the minute they act ill,
• If they do get sick, keep them in the hospital until they are back to eating, drinking, playing and barking.

Cora, The story of parvovirus and a puppy.

Here is the latest parvovirus outbreak in the news...gosh, I hope that one day soon these aren't stories we still have to report on. 

Adeadly outbreak of parvovirus at Lake County Animal Services this week prompted 16 dogs to be put down and forced officials to temporarily shut down the facility until further notice.

The outbreak began Tuesday afternoon when one dog started showing symptoms of the disease. Several others followed.

On Wednesday, the county's veterinarian recommended shutting down the shelter, dog adoptions were suspended and new animals turned away. By Thursday evening all a

doptions, including those of cats, were suspended.

The 16 dogs euthanized were infected with the disease that affects dogs' intestinal tracts, causing exhaustion, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. The virus is highly contagious. When it attacks puppies, it can damage the heart and cause lifelong problems.

Workers spent Thursday scrubbing down and disinfecting kennels at Lake County's animal shelter located on County Road 561 south of Tavares.

Shelter workers thoroughly disinfected all surfaces in the building, including floors and walls, while dogs were closely monitored, said Brian Sheahan, director of the county's Community Safety and Compliance Department.

"We're in complete disinfection mode right now," Sheahan said. In a prepared statement Sheahan later said by closing the shelter staffers were "erring on the side of caution" to minimize spreading the virus.

Sheahan said dogs are vaccinated against the disease when they get to the shelter but the vaccination does not take effect immediately. Dogs with no symptoms Wednesday night were given booster vaccines. As of Thursday afternoon, Sheahan said, no dogs were showing signs of the infection.

The outbreak is the latest blow for the embattled shelter. The facility this week is losing its second director in a year amid sharp criticism from animal lovers who say the shelter should do more to curb euthanasia. Thursday evening county manager David Heath announced in an email to commissioners he would request an auditor to review Lake's Animal Services intake and vaccination procedures.

During the closure staffers are redirecting dogs to other shelters. Officials say shelter staffers also called those who recently adopted dogs to alert them of the outbreak. They are asking anyone who recently adopted a dog showing parvovirus symptoms to take it immediately to a vet.

For the full article please see; Parvovirus outbreak at Lake County Animal Services.

If you have a pet question of any sort you can find me on Pawbly.com. Pawbly is all about pets. Dedicated to helping you find information about your pets and free for eveyone to use.

You can also find me on Twitter @FreePetAdvice. Or at the clinic, Jarrettsville Vet. Stop in and say "Hello!"