Okay, not like Jamie Summers, but he did have an elbow replacement. Jake is an 11-year old Labrador Retriever, he is only the eleventh dog in the world to have this surgery.  He lives in Grand Rapids, MI and was the first dog to get the procedure in the Midwest.

Sue Falk, his owner, was originally worried Jake might need to be euthanized from the pain he was experiencing. Then she was referred to MSU and met with Dr. Loic Dejardin, who performed the four-hour surgery in April.

Now, after six months of rehabilitation that includes running on an underwater treadmill, Jake is giving high fives, jumping off the bed and going without his leash.

“He’s actually acting like he’s a younger dog again, which is so cool,” owner Sue Falk said. “He’s just more playful and not as concerned about each step.”

Jake’s turnaround is a dramatic difference from several years ago, when he had a bad limp and refused to go on daily walks in the woods behind Falk’s home.

The prosthesis is a new type that reduces infection as well as wear and tear.  Surgery didn’t come cheap, it was $5000 and performed at the Michigan State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Amazingly, the elbow has worked so well in dogs that it’s being considered for use in ankle replacement in humans.

* Photo Courtesy T.J. Hamilton/Press Photo

When it comes to vaccinating your dog there seems to be a lot conflicting views in the world of veterinary medicine.  Having been to quite a few vets over the years with our dogs I have noticed that some seem to push vaccines more than others. When I’ve asked about a titer test to keep from over vaccinating some vets have dismissed it immediately without even discussing it.

Is it money or concern for our pets?  It’s hard to answer, but I do know more and more articles are coming out about the dangers of over vaccinating.

So, it was with interest I read an email that was sent to me stating there was a new protocol being accepted among vets based on Dr. Jean Dodds’ research.  I searched on the internet to see what I could find, it turns out while Dr. Dodd does have her own belief about vaccinations she has nothing to do with the email that’s been sent around claiming the change of protocol. On ItsForTheAnimals.com you can read her full response.

Dr. Dodds’ article on vaccinations is very interesting and does provide important information that every pet owner should read.  After that, it’s up to you to decide how to proceed.

CHANGING VACCINE PROTOCOLS

The challenge to produce effective and safe vaccines for the prevalent infectious diseases of humans and animals has become increasingly difficult. In veterinary medicine, evidence implicating vaccines in triggering immune-mediated and other chronic disorders (vaccinosis) is compelling. While some of these problems have been traced to contaminated or poorly attenuated batches of vaccine that revert to virulence, others apparently reflect the host’s genetic predisposition to react adversely upon receiving the single (monovalent) or multiple antigen “combo” (polyvalent) products given routinely to animals. Animals of certain susceptible breeds or families appear to be at increased risk for severe and lingering adverse reactions to vaccines.

The onset of adverse reactions to conventional vaccinations (or other inciting drugs, chemicals, or infectious agents) can be an immediate hypersensitivity or anaphylactic reaction, or can occur acutely (24-48 hours afterwards), or later on (10-45 days) in a delayed type immune response often caused by immune-complex formation. Typical signs of adverse immune reactions include fever, stiffness, sore joints and abdominal tenderness, susceptibility to infections, central and peripheral nervous system disorders or inflammation, collapse with autoagglutinated red blood cells and jaundice, or generalized pinpoint hemorrhages or bruises. Liver enzymes may be markedly elevated, and liver or kidney failure may accompany bone marrow suppression. Furthermore, recent vaccination of genetically susceptible breeds has been associated with transient seizures in puppies and adult dogs, as well as a variety of autoimmune diseases including those affecting the blood, endocrine organs, joints, skin and mucosa, central nervous system, eyes, muscles, liver, kidneys, and bowel. It is postulated that an underlying genetic predisposition to these conditions places other littermates and close relatives at increased risk. Vaccination of pet and research dogs with polyvalent vaccines containing rabies virus or rabies vaccine alone was recently shown to induce production of antithyroglobulin autoantibodies, a provocative and important finding with implications for the subsequent development of hypothyroidism (Scott-Moncrieff et al, 2002).

Vaccination also can overwhelm the immunocompromised or even healthy host that is repeatedly challenged with other environmental stimuli and is genetically predisposed to react adversely upon viral exposure. The recently weaned young puppy or kitten entering a new environment is at greater risk here, as its relatively immature immune system can be temporarily or more permanently harmed. Consequences in later life may be the increased susceptibility to chronic debilitating diseases.

W. Jean Dodds, DVM
938 Stanford Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403

The article is rather long, but I suggest taking a few minutes to go read the rest at ItsForTheAnimals. If you’ve been questioning your vet about over vaccinating this is a great article to print out and bring with you on your next visit.

Here’s a story you don’t see often, junk mail that’s not only a nuisance but dangerous.

Colchester, UK: A HUNGRY hound lost both his bark and his bite when a bizarre accident left his jaws glued together.

Cymbeline, a Scottish terrier, is trained to pick up the post from the doormat and hand it over to his owner Kimberly Fisher, 41.

But the faithful pet came unstuck when a high gloss finish on a fast food menu stuck his jaws closed for more than half an hour.

Cymbeline was taught to pick up the post without damaging it, however this time was different.  Ms Fisher, his owner, said  “It was a big, high gloss paper menu which had turned into a paste - the gum stuck it between his teeth.”

“He was trying very hard to open his mouth. It was funny as well as sad.”

The Roosters fast-food menu, which ironically promises “mouth-watering results” for anyone who tries their chicken, was stuck fast and eventually Ms Fisher was forced to take Cymbeline to the vet.

Luckily after about 40 minutes the vet was able to get the stuff out.

Ben Bennett, the vet who treated Cymbeline, said: “It was really unusual, I’ve never seen anything like it before in 20 years so the chances of it happening again are pretty rare.”

Glad to hear Cymbeline is back to normal, hopefully he’ll be relieved of his post duty.

Usually we hear about sharks attacking humans, not so in this case.

Here’s a story with a  twist, human attacks shark to save his dog.

ISLAMORADA, Fla., Sept. 30 (UPI) — Greg LeNoir of Islamorada, Fla., says he had to overcome his own fear before he could save his 14-pound dog, Jake, from the jaws of a shark.

Jake, a 28-month-old rat terrier, was taking his daily swim retrieving soaked coconuts when LeNoir watched a 5-foot shark swim up and pull Jake under water, The Miami Herald reported Tuesday.

I would say Greg has some big kahunas, kudos to him.

“I clenched my fists and dove straight in with all my strength, like a battering ram,” LeNoir, 53, said. “I hit the back of the shark’s neck. It was like hitting concrete.”

The shark let go of Jake, who swam to shore trailing blood from punctures in his abdomen, chest and back, LeNoir said of Friday’s attack. Jake is expected to fully recover.

Jake was adopted from an animal shelter and is now part of the family.  The LeNoir’s have no two legged children so Jake is their four legged child.

It’s so nice to post a story with a happy ending.

* There was no picture of Jake so pictured above is Rocco, a Dogster member.

The person(s) responsible for this senseless act must have a heart of glass.  A woman in Pittsburgh (PA) is claiming that someone left meat, containing ground up glass and nails, in her yard for her dogs.

Owner, Deborah Rogers,  took the dogs to the veterinarian to be examined.  Dr. Kenton Rexford  was able to get the beagle to bring up some of the material, but the husky might need surgery.

The dogs, Shadow and Pepper, are now being treated by Dr. Kenton Rexford after x-rays showed nails and glass in the abdomens of both dogs. Officials say the material was hidden within balls of meat patties left in Rogers yard.

She had one question on the way to the vet once she realized the meat was put there on purpose.

“What kind of sick unit would destroy and torture and kill an animal for no reason,” said Rogers. “They are very loving dogs.”

If  Deborah Rogers husky needs surgery it could be a very costly procedure, she’s very worried about how she’ll pay for it.  She doesn’t have the money and is afraid her dog could die without the proper treatment.

Rexford says the options for treatment are tricky because inducing the material through the throat could cause different problems.

“As that glass or that nail comes through the esophagus, if there was no damage when it went down, are you then creating damage when you bring it back out?” said Dr. Rexford. “Yes, definitely that is a risk.”

Endoscopy or surgery may be needed for the husky, a decision that will need to be made shortly.  Dr. Rexford informed Deborah Rogers about a new organization to help people in need with emergency expenses, the Animal Care and Assistance Fund.

If you would like to help:
Animal Care and Assistance Fund
c/o Robert A Meeder, 4514 Plummer St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201-3032.
Phone: 412-348-2588

We wish Shadow and Pepper, pictured above, a speedy recovery.

Most of us who have boarded our dogs have, at one time or another, dealt with kennel  cough.  According to local veterinarians, in the Winnetka (IL) area, kennel cough has been on the rise this summer and fall.

Kennel cough is an upper respiratory illness caused primarily by a bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica. However, kennel cough can also be caused by viruses, such as canine distemper, canine adenovirus, canine parainfluenza virus, or canine respiratory coronavirus. Kennel cough is marked by a severe chronic cough, usually dry and hacking, sometimes with nasal discharge. Sometimes there’s a fever associated with the cough.

It’s highly contagious and is spread through the air by dogs coughing or sneezing near other dogs, such as in a kennel, pet store, shelter, grooming facility or doggy daycare. It can be treated with antibiotics and cough suppressants. Vaccination can prevent some strains of it.

However, not all of the cases turned out to be kennel cough. They’re actually a dog flu, a more serious viral infection.

Dog flu, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, is caused by the same virus that causes equine influenza. Greyhounds at a track in Florida were the first to be diagnosed in 2004, and cases have been turning up in other states since then, including Illinois this summer. It’s spread the same way as kennel cough.

Symptoms of mild dog flu are the same as kennel cough, such as either a dry, hacking cough or a moist cough, which last 10 to 30 days, according to the AVMA.

But, severe dog flu, according to the association, can lead to death. Symptoms of severe dog flu include a high fever, trouble breathing and pneumonia. Pneumonia may also be caused by a secondary bacterial infection, according to the AVMA.

All dogs exposed to it will become infected, according to the AVMA, with 80 percent developing clinical signs. However, according to the association, the other 20 percent, although not showing signs, can still spread it.

Unlike kennel cough, there isn’t a vaccine for dog flu. Although antibiotics don’t work against viruses, they’re being prescribed anyway to help fight off the bacterial infections.

Here’s an interesting story concerning the new mandatory sterilization ordinance in Los Angeles, CA.

When the Los Angeles City Council approved the measure in February, the hope was that pet sterilization would stem the tide of unwanted and stray animals flowing into shelters. According to the Humane Society of the United States, 3 million to 4 million animals are euthanized in shelters nationwide each year.

The new ordinance, which goes into effect in less than a week, orders all dogs and cats 4 months and older be sterilized.

The ordinance would exclude those dogs and cats that have special skills or are being trained for special activities. Also exempt, are show dogs and those trying to join the show circuit. Lastly, are those that have medical excuses. Hmm….as in, “No don’t cut those off, I may need them at a later date.”

Since spaying or neutering can be expensive the city has put into place a number of low cost options.

There are a number of reduced-cost options for sterilizing your animal. The city’s shelters and many of their private rescue partners offer vouchers — to everyone — worth $30 toward the cost of a sterilization procedure performed by participating veterinarians. Senior citizens, the disabled and low-income residents quality for a certificate for a free procedure at certain veterinary hospitals or a mobile clinic.

Interestingly, City Controller Laura Chick, released a report stating that “L.A. Animal Services was ill-prepared to implement or enforce the new law.”

She contends that animal control officers already have difficulty enforcing the other ordinances in place. While I realize it may be hard to enforce every ordinance, such as the leash law, it doesn’t mean an important issue such as this should be swept under the carpet.

It seems to me, the city controller is more concerned about the bottom line than the fact that millions of innocent animals are being euthanized each year. By putting an ordinance like this into place the number of suffering and abandoned animals will be substantially cut down.

There are  already major costs involved  to catch, temporarily take care of,  and euthanize these abandoned animals. I would think that, in the long run, the enforcement of this ordinance would be  cost-effective for the city.

Do you think that it should be mandatory for all pet owners to sterilize their pets, unless they fall under one of the exemptions ?  Or, do you think the this is something the government should stay out of ?

In July I posted an article, Leashing In Those Huge Vet Bills, which offered some money saving tips. One of the tips was about pet insurance,  it was the one that got the most reaction from our readers. Some thought it was worthwhile, while others felt it was too expensive, didn’t give enough reimbursement, and didn’t cover enough items (like hereditary conditions).

Recently Lisa and I started thinking about getting pet insurance. We never really thought about until adopting Logan, our Berner.   The reason being,  we know that Bernese Mountain dogs are very prone to hip dysplasia and cancer.  I started doing some digging around to see what I could come up with.

I came across a great independent site where you can review, side by side, many different companies and compare what they offer.

There is a relatively new plan, PetPlan, that originated in the UK and has recently become available in the US. According to one of their PR agent’s, PetPlan is different because it includes coverage of hereditary conditions.

Perhaps it is time to take a new look at the value of pet health insurance. For the 62% of Americans with pets, there are new products on the market with high standards and value that can sharply reduce the impact of continually rising veterinarian charges that can force strapped pet owners to euthanize their beloved pets or go into debt to pay the bills.

Most pet owners think they don’t think they need it - until illness or accidents happen to their cat or dog. Consumer advisors have said that the cost of the policy- generally about $300 a year - is not worth it, mainly because traditionally, most plans reject too many claims, reimburse only a small portion of the ones they accept, and don’t cover the hereditary conditions of pure bred pets that rack up the highest medical bills.

Americans spend $42 billion a year on their pets yet only 1% of pet owners have pet insurance. Overseas, in the UK and Australia, where there are quality insurance plans, about 20% of pet owners have policies.

Petplan has been a popular pet insurance in the UK, Canada and Australia for over 30 years. Now that it is available in the United States, it has raised the bar for coverage and customer service so high that some other plans are taking note and upping their service and coverage.

I took a look at PetPlan on the Pet Insurance Review site to see what other people have written about this company.  On the site both PetPlan US and PetPlan Canada were reviewed.  Surprisingly, with very different result.

Those who have used PetPlan Canada were not not happy and overall it got a 4.47 out of 10 rating.  However, those who have used PetPlan US gave it a 9.7 out of 10.  An exceptionally high satisfactory rating.

I contacted the company to find out the reason for this discrepancy. The good news is that they are entirely separate companies, not related in any way.

As a matter of fact, as of September 1st Petplan UK terminated the relationship with Petplan Canada and there is effectively no Petplan Canada as of this time.

The company has been renamed and now operates as Petsecure. The reason they receive such terrible reviews is that their policies are completely different from those offered both in the UK and in the US.

Most notable they experience rate, which means that a pet owner is punished every time they submit a claim and see their premiums raised significantly.

While we haven’t decided on anything yet, we’ll definitely keep PetPlan in mind when making a decision in the near future.

In April 2008 Joy was made aware, by Lucky’s mom, about an incident that occurred after using Sergeant’s Gold flea medication.   Joy posted an article, Sergeant’s Gold Flea Medication Almost Kills Dogsters Lucky and Nala, to make everyone aware of the potential danger.

Since that article was posted there have many comments from other Dogster members who have used this product and experienced issues, from minor to life-threatening.  Last week a comment came in from Julie, an Online Community Relations Liaison, working on behalf of Sergeant’s with some updated information as to what the company is doing in response to these complaints.

Sergeant’s is very sorry to hear about what all of your dogs have experienced. We really want to hear from each one of you who believes their pet has had an adverse reaction to any of our flea and tick control products. If you haven’t yet contacted our 24-hour consumer hotline at 800-224-7387, we strongly encourage you to do so for a couple of very important reasons:

• We want to make sure that each one of your dogs is now in good health. Naturally reading these posts are more than bothersome to us.

• Sergeant’s needs to gather information from you and your vet in order to start an investigation. Sergeant’s has a procedure in place where a complaint of a possible adverse reaction is given to a committee of independent veterinarians to review and investigate what may have caused the reaction or problem.

It’s important to remember that all flea and tick control product are pesticides and in order for these products to be as safe and effective as possible, they must be used as directed. It’s also important to understand that, just like human health care products, nothing can be 100% allergy-free, so some dogs will have a reaction. Most reactions are temporary, such as skin irritation, but some can be very serious.

Sergeant’s wants to help pet owners make safe choices, which is why we expanded our “Look at the Label” educational campaign and website www.lookatthelabel.com to educate consumers on proper application and use of flea and tick control products. Each case in this forum - and other forums - is different, which is why we think you will find the information on www.lookatthelabel.com helpful in answering many of the questions you may have at this point in time.

Sergeant’s President, Bob Scharf, wants pet owners to know this tool is available and encourages everyone to visit the website or call Sergeant’s hotline to answer any questions or concerns you may have - whether it is pre, post or after application. You can view a special message here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbONNAshrWo.

We really are very sorry to read the experiences here and want nothing but your pets to be healthy and happy! Visit www.lookatthelabel.com for useful tips. Please let us know if you have any questions at all, as we would be more than happy to assist you further.

When I read the comment I thanked Julie for sending it over. I also let her know that Dogster members, being the dog lovers they are, obviously get very upset when they  use a product that they feel makes their dog sick.

It is especially upsetting when people don’t think that a company cares what happens. I asked if there is any kind of reimbursement program if it can be proven the product is directly responsible for making the dog sick.  Or is it simply use at your own risk? According to Julie, there are measures being taken to deal with those situations.

Sergeant’s has a procedure in place for when a complaint of a possible adverse reaction is reported. In some cases, the complaint and information are given to independent veterinarians for further insight on what may have caused the reaction or problem.

Sergeant’s takes pride in being an extremely ethical company and stands behind all of the products offered to fellow pet lovers. Responsibility is taken for issues related to the product as long as the product was used as indicated by the label.

If the product was used as intended and instructed and then found to be the cause of the negative reaction, the customer will of course be reimbursed for any damage associated to the product.

This again is determined through a case investigation and why it is so important to hear from anyone and everyone that has had a negative experience with this product.

For anyone that has any issues with the Sergeant’s products I urge you to take Julie’s advice and go to the Look At The Label page so you can contact the appropriate party.  It is imperative that the company is able to track these incidents and that the injured party receive compensation, if so determined,  for any out of pocket expenses due to the use of this product.

One of our Dogster members, Cecilia, contacted me because she wanted to share her story in hopes that it would benefit others. Her best friend, Ginger, was recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Thanks to a radical new treatment, Cyberknife radiation, Ginger stands a fighting chance.

When everything goes wrong…and right.

“I’m very sorry, but the MRI shows a mass in Ginger’s brain.”

These words from neurologist Dr.Stephanie Kube, at the South Shore Animal Hospital in Weymouth, MA, set in motion a series of events that turned a simple trip to the vet into a mission to save my dog’s life. Ginger is a 10 yr. old Basenji/Shepherd mix, and had been incredibly healthy up until mid-August of this year. I brought her in for symptoms that I thought were signs of Lyme disease: lameness, lethargy, and tilting her head to one side. The MRI Dr. Kube reviewed showed a walnut sized tumor in the area of Ginger’s brain that affects balance and mobility. The tumor is surrounded by healthy brain tissue, so surgery was not an option.

Dr. Kube felt that Ginger was a good candidate for radiation, and mentioned a new treatment called Cyberknife. Thanks to the internet, I learned that this treatment entails only 1-3 sessions of radiation, as compared to 15-20 treatments for traditional radiation. Cyberknife also limits damage to surrounding healthy tissue, so side effects are minimized. This treatment was developed for humans, not animals. Read about it at http://www.accuray.com/patientinfo/index.aspx .

The only clinic in the US currently using Cyberknife on animals is The Animal Specialty Center in Yonkers, NY  (www.animalspecialtycenter.com) I contacted Dr. Sandra Charney on Friday, August 22nd. Dr. Charney then spent most of her weekend contacting various co-workers to arrange to have Ginger analyzed the following Tuesday, followed by 3 days of Cyberknife radiation.

We are now at ten days post-treatment, and Ginger is doing well. No side effects that are visible, and she is a happy, wagging, food monster. She’s on prednisone for the next month, to keep her symptoms at bay while the radiation takes effect. I also have her on an ‘anti-cancer’ diet (high protein/low carb), K-9 Immunity supplements (www.k9medicinals.com), and fish oil.

It’s not possible for me to properly thank all of the people at The Animal Specialty Center, from Kim at reception, to the animal handlers and doctors. Dr. Charney came in on her day off for our initial consultation with Ginger, so that we could start the radiation the following day. For us, that meant only one 4 hour drive to New York for all of Ginger’s treatments. Ginger ran in the door of the building each morning, and emerged from anesthesia happy and stress-free.

Ginger will need an MRI in a few months, so we can monitor the size of the tumor. There are no guarantees that the radiation will work, as the tumor was not biopsied, so we don’t know exactly what kind of tumor/cancer it is. I feel confident that Dr. Kube, Dr. Charney, and everyone else involved in Ginger’s care gave me the best advice available.

The Animal Specialty Center has only been in operation since January of 2008, so it’s too soon to have full data on the prognosis for animals treated with Cyberknife. Ginger was number 45 to have this treatment, including cats and dogs. I hope to tell you in another year that Ginger is still with us.

I want to thank Cecilia, and gal pal Ginger, for taking the time to write this.  Seeing as this is a very recent event, and Ginger’s prognosis is still unknown, I know how hard it must have been.  By sharing this information, and getting the word out, other dog parents in the same situation will now know they have options. An option that may very well save the life of their best friend.

If anyone has a question about this procedure you can bark back in the comment section or stroll on over to Ginger’s homepage and leave her a message. Good luck Ginger, we’re rooting for you.