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.

Here’s another story proving dogs really are man’s best friend.  Thanks to Michelle for barking this to me.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A dog specially trained to call 911 when his owner suffers seizures grabbed the phone Wednesday morning and whimpered for help when the dispatcher answered, police said.

The 911 operator, Chris Trott, heard a cry when she picked up the phone.  Besides saying “woof” Buddy obviously can’t talk, he’s been trained to whimper when he hears the operators voice.  The 911 system is able to match where the phone call is coming from and send the needed help.

Buddy’s owner, Joe Stalnaker, was suffering one of his more severe seizures, said Sgt. Mark Clark of the Scottsdale Police Department.

Ten years ago, Stalnaker said he was in a military accident that severely injured part of his brain, leaving him prone to potentially fatal seizures.

Buddy was specially trained, by Paws With a Cause, to recognize when his owner is having a seizure and then to bring the phone to him.

“He doesn’t actually sit there and dial 911, but whenever he picks up the phone, one of his teeth inevitably hits the number, and if it’s held down for more than three seconds, it dials the police department,” Stalnaker said.

When the ambulance arrived both Stalnaker and his Buddy were taken to the hospital.  Luckily, everything is fine and they were back home within two days.

Do you think when his owner isn’t looking Buddy’s making phone calls to Fluffy across the street?

I usually focus on dog related news, but when I came across a heartwarming cat rescue story I had to share.

A firefighter rescued a cat from a burning house and gave it back one of its lives by performing mouth-to-mouth.

Al Machado rescued the cat from a burning apartment in Massachusetts on Tuesday, and told The Standard Times of New Bedford that he saw immediately that it needed air. Machado began performing mouth-to-mouth on the animal as he carried it outside.

Two trapped dogs were also rescued. To help save them they were given oxygen by the paramedics and animal rescue workers.  Although no people were injured in the fire two other cats died.  A couple, thought to be responsible for the fire, were arrested and charged with arson.

Machado was asked what it tasted like to give mouth-to-mouth to a cat.  He replied “‘Like fur.”  If I was a betting man I would have guessed his reply would have been “Like chicken.”

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.

I received a message from one of our pup pals, Bailey, about a heartbreaking incident that started with a very innocuous looking toy.  This is the story of Chai, a beautiful 10 year old lab mix. 

 On Sunday, June 22, 2008 my 10-year old lab mix, Chai, sustained a severe injury from a product that the company Four Paws Inc, produces. The toy I’m referencing is the pimple ball with bell. (Item #20227-001, UPC Code 0 4566320227 9)

While chewing on the toy, a vacuum was created and it effectively sucked his tongue into the hole in the ball. From speaking with my vet, this likely occurred because there is not a second hole in the ball preventing the vacuum effect from happening. I became aware of this when Chai approached a friend at my home whimpering with the ball in his mouth. She tried unsuccessfully to remove the ball but the tongue had swollen and could not be released.

Chai was taken to the Animal Medical Center (an emergency care facility in New York City) and was treated by Dr. Nicole Spurlock to have the ball removed. Because the size of the opening on the ball was so small, all circulation to his tongue was cut off. The doctors had to sedate him in order to remove it. Once the ball was removed, his tongue swelled to the point that he could no longer put it in his mouth. Chai was sent home with care instructions and to be observed overnight for any changes.

By the following morning his tongue continued to swell.

He was taken to his regular vet, Dr. Timnah Lee, for treatment. He was admitted and kept sedated for a period of three days during which time they were treating his wounds and waiting to determine how much of his tongue could be saved. On June 26, 2008 Chai had his tongue amputated.

He was kept in after-care for an additional three days. On Sunday June 29th I brought Chai home from the vet with a barrage of home care instructions, to last for an additional 7 days. His next visit was to have his mouth re-examined and have the feeding tube in his neck removed.

The following is a link to an animal treatment clinic that has also documented the same injury to a Shepard mix.

www.logcabinanimalhospital.com/index.php/toy-ball-stuck-on-dogs-tongue/

I sent this information along with the reference to Petunia the french bulldog to Four Paws Inc, and it is their position that there just aren’t enough instances to do anything about this. I told their Insurance company’s case manager that was not a good enough excuse, It was inferred that my dogs value wasn’t much and that his pain and suffering don’t count as he is just a piece of property.

This should never happen to another animal again!

Chai’s owner now has over $5000 in vet bills as well as countless other bills that are  associated with his care.  Please take a minute to read the entire story of Chai so that we can get the word out about the Pimple Ball with bell toy.  If the company refuses to take responsibility for its product then it’s our responsibility, as consumers, to take a stand and protect our innocent pets.

Today’s guest blogger is Michael Blacksburg, Attorney at Law. He is an expert in estate-planning, helping to ensure that a pet is cared for if a guardian dies or becomes incapacitated.

Emergency Care for Your Dog

Most of us don’t like preparing for worst-case scenarios. Unfortunately, nearly 10% of all animals dropped off at shelters got there because their owners died. It totals up to 500,000 pets each year. Below you’ll find helpful tips on how to create a safety net for your pet, just in case something happens to you.

HERE’S HOW:

1. Find a reliable emergency care person for your dogs. Ask them to agree to take on caretaking responsibilities should something happen to you.
2. Give that person limited power of attorney. You may also want to provide them with access to a particular savings account to help with expenses.
3. Write out instructions on how to care for your pets. Make sure that the emergency caretaker knows where those instructions are. Include instructions on food, medication and exercise needs, and include contact information for your dog’s veterinarian.
4. Be sure to give the caretaker keys to your home.
5. Carry a card in your wallet that says that you have pets at home. Your emergency card should include the name and phone number of your emergency pet caretaker. (I give my clients a “Pet Alert Card” that ensures that a caretaker will be contacted in case of emergency.)

An emergency caregiver’s limited power of attorney ends if you should die. At that point, a will or living trust needs to take over. For more information on how to prepare for longer-term solutions for your pet in case something happens to you, read about pet trusts.

- Michael Blacksburg, blacksburg-law.com

MORE RESOURCES:

Dog Laws & Legislation Forum
Dogster Answers: Laws & Legislation