The Atlanta Journal Constitution has an interesting article today about an experimental treatment for brain tumors in canines. The treatment may help in developing an effective therapy for humans.

On Aug. 5, Batman was the first patient to get an experimental therapy that researchers at the University of Minnesota hope will cure his brain cancer, which is the same kind that Sen. Ted Kennedy has. If it works for Batman and other dogs, they say, it holds enormous promise as an effective treatment for people, too.

Batman has joined a relatively new field of research called comparative oncology, where researchers leverage what they learn from pets for both animals and people. Advances in molecular and genetic testing show that many diseases in animals don’t just look the same in humans, they are the same, said Dr. Jaime Modiano, professor of comparative oncology at the university’s veterinary school.

It seems we have more in common with our pals than was previously thought.  The great thing about the therapy if it works?

That means the Bakers will know within three to seven months, rather than years, whether Tuesday’s surgery and the experimental treatment will prevent Batman’s cancer from returning

I urge you to read the entire article as it goes into further detail of Batman’s parents’ decision to enroll him in this program.

Finding out your dog has cancer, or as we call it in our house “Madge”, is one of the greatest fears pet owners have. If you’re wondering why we call it “Madge”, the answer is simple, doesn’t it sound a lot less intimidating.  Plus, I bet it made you smile.

I came across an interesting article to help alleviate some fears and/or answer some of your questions.

DENVER, July 11, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Dog owners and lovers in the United States view canine cancer as the greatest health threat to their beloved pets. They are correct. One in four dogs die of cancer. Cancer is the number one cause of death in dogs over the age of 2. Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has posted on its Web site, http://www.MorrisAnimalFoundation.org, a canine cancer exclusive of special interest to dog owners and dog lovers everywhere.

We can also give our support to help fight this disease.

MAF has launched an unprecedented global campaign to raise funds to cure canine cancer in the next 10 to 20 years, and while seeking the ultimate cure, to develop more effective treatments for dogs suffering from cancer today. MAF is funding canine cancer research at many of the top veterinary colleges in the world. Learn more about the campaign at http://www.CureCanineCancer.org.

If we all put our paws together hopefully we will beat this disease once and for all.

Want to help out some needy dogs but don’t really have the time? Well here’s an easy way to contribute to the well being of our canine friends that will take less than a minute .

Just visit http://www.freekibble.com, answer the daily Bow Wow Trivia question and 20 pieces of kibble are automatically donated to an animal shelter. Don’t worry, if you’re trivia challenged like me, you don’t even have to get the answer right in order for your donation to count.

It’s a great idea that surely came from a grizzly veteran of the online wars, right? Wrong. This idea was created by an eleven year-old girl, Mimi Ausland, from Oregon who modeled the site after http://www.freerice.com that donates rice to the UN World Food Program. What a smart, compassionate young lady!

So please, click on the link and help a dog in need today. While you’re at it, give some love to the kitties too at http://www.freekibblekat.com.

Thanks for helping out some needy pups and kitties, and making a little girl’s dream of helping our fuzzy friends come true.

Here’s a story that makes me feel all warm inside. It’s the release of Chocolate from the Meadow Hills Veterinary Center.

If you’re not familiar with the story, Chocolate was a stray on the streets of Pasco, WA where he had sustained two broken front legs.

When Sonia Ayala of Pasco first picked him up, his legs flopped around like broken toothpicks. He stayed in a kennel in her backyard on those cold January days, lying on his belly to keep the weight off his limbs.

He sustained the breaks several months earlier and walked on them untreated while he was a stray north of Pasco. At the time, it wasn’t clear whether any fate other than euthanasia would benefit him.

After Ayala told the [TriCity] Herald how she couldn’t find anyone to help him, the public stepped up to help, donating blankets, collars and toys, offering to adopt him and raising almost $30,000 to pay for his veterinary costs.

He’s now completed his rehab and awaits adoption from one of three families waiting in queue.  Go to the TriCity Herald site for links to a nice gallery of photos as well as a video of Chocolate in action.

What makes this story even better is the support Chocolate received from our very own Dogster.com community. On his ride back from rehab, in a limo, Chocolate lay on a quilted blanket donated by the Dawgs Just Wanna Have Fun group. In addition a basketful of fun stuff was also donated by the team. Just wonderful stuff, folks!!

I do want to give a special bark out to Mary Ann Showalter and Barbara Lambert (the quilter) for helping to organize these efforts and make Chocolate’s life that much better.  Butch and Flecken, if you’re reading this, you are very lucky to have them as owners.

Woof, woof!!

Here’s an article on what’s being done to help family pets in the flooding that’s occurring in Iowa.

As the situation deteriorated, flood victims, many staying in hotels, shelters or cars, began dropping off pets at the college. Others, who had been forced to flee without their pets, began calling in with pleas for their animals to be rescued. Within days, what had started as a makeshift shelter had grown into a sprawling operation housing nearly 1,000 animals — dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, lizards, even a red-eared slider turtle — in three buildings.

With the influx of animals came an infusion of aid. Several national chain stores donated supplies. Veterinary technicians came from as far away as California to volunteer, and legions of veterinarians, groomers and even flood victims soon arrived at the shelter wanting to help.

It’s great to see people and organizations aiding those affected in the region. Also nice to see is that we are learning from past disasters.

One of the lessons driven home after Hurricane Katrina — in which an estimated 200,000 animals were displaced — was that some residents risked, and lost, their lives rather than leave a beloved pet behind.

“The biggest thing learned by everyone from Katrina is the importance of animals in people’s lives,” said Diane Webber, disaster preparedness director for the Humane Society of the United States. “They can’t be excluded from disaster planning and response. People aren’t going to function and they’re not going to evacuate if their animals aren’t provided for.”

Still, there’s much pain and sorrow inflicted by the persistent rains. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for many an owner-pet reunion in the near future.