Wag Reflex

Implants and Prosthetic Limbs for Pets

Have you ever seen a 3-legged dog walking down the street? For many people this certainly is a double-take moment, and they soon see how well most dogs can get around on 3 legs. The reasons for a pet losing a limb include birth defects, serous accidents, and cancer. 

In my line of work (Veterinary Oncology) dogs with 3 legs are common, and tend to get around well provided they don’t have any other orthopedic problems. In most instances with cancer, limbs are removed due to the pain animals feel with bone cancer. Recently, however, there have been some new techniques emerging where limbs can be spared and prosthetic devises attached to help provide continued mobility using four legs. For more information on these interesting methods watch thes videos:

• Prosthetics help pets find balance (VNN)
• Pioneering implant to get dog back on all fours (MSNBC)

Photo of Maulee from onandp.com.

--Dr. Hamilton
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Dr. Hamilton is an oncology resident at Michigan State's Animal Cancer Care Clinic and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information   

Misunderstanding the Birds and the Bees

Some people really don’t understand the birds and the bees or they underestimate the power of a female in heat. For those people that are not familiar with animal behavior--a female in heat is irresistible to an intact male.

I had one client visit me with her pregnant Pitbull mix. She had originally made the appointment to discuss spaying her young dog, but the appointment ended up being a talk about how to care for a pregnant bitch. She told me that one afternoon she had decided to leave her female, who was in heat, outside in her fenced yard for just a few hours while she went out to run some errands. While she was gone an intact male dog had jumped her six foot fence and gotten to her female. This is only one of the many stories that I get to hear about male dogs doing whatever it takes to seek out the irresistible female.

This next story involves a nice young couple who had purchased two Beagle puppies from the same litter. One pup was a female and one was a male. From day one at their new house these dogs were always kenneled together even as they got older and sexually mature. This young couple believed that because their pups were bother and sister that they wouldn’t have puppies together. As you probably already figured out, this story was being told to me as this young couple was sitting in my office wanted to know how their female had become pregnant.

My favorite story is about a family who had two young French bulldog puppies. This family had originally planned to breed these two puppies in the future when they were a couple of years old. However, one day the family walked into my clinic because she thought that her female Frenchie might be pregnant because she was getting fatter. The wife didn’t understand how this could be possible because she always kept them separated. Upon further questioning I always keep them separated, except at night when they were sleeping.

The moral of all these stories is to have your pet spayed or neutered and a young age to help prevent the overpopulation of animal shelters.

Photo from kells422's photostream.

--Dr. Wohlwend
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Dr. Wohlwend is a small animal veterinarian in Renton, WA and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Pet News from Around the Net

What happened in the world of pets this week? Sit, stay, and become informed.

  

• A very strange trend of dog dye is coming into fashion (PetSugar)
• A rare clouded leopard was born at the National Zoo (LA Unleashed)
• Ohio bill would remove pits from “vicious” list (ohmidog!)
• Could sled dogs help prevent diabetes? (dogster)
• Pet-related falls injure thousands every year (ABC News)

--Spanno

What Kind of Dog is That?

With my terrier mix, Oscar, I used to love that question. When he was a little puppy, I made up all kinds of cool-sounding names. As a fan of alliteration, I was particularly proud of my Tibetian Tiger Terrier and my Spanish Spider Spaniel. As he grew up, it was too obvious to ignore his pitbull-ish roots. Then I’d make up different crosses: pit bull mom and husky dad, or pit bull and boxer cross mom with a white German Sheppard dad…Maybe a greyhound uncle in there somewhere… 

Now we don’t have to guess. DNA testing in dogs can help us identify the most prominent breeds in our mutts.  This information can be used for fun, for shock value (yes, your 100-pound hound mix is ¼ dachshund) or for a heads-up on potentially pertinent medical predispositions. Our hospital uses the Wisdom Panel™ MX Mixed-Breed Dog DNA Test. The test can be purchased online and brought to your veterinarian for blood sample collection or just purchased from the hospital itself. A lot of the questions and details on the specific accuracy of the test can be found at www.wisdompanel.com.

The price is pretty affordable and it can make a fun gift!

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information

Warning: Big Shed Ahead

As the days lengthen and warm, the fur starts to fly. And like the spring melt, what starts off as a trickle quickly becomes a deluge. Some dogs shed a little, dogs with thick, double coats--any Nordic, Spitz or Herding breed/mix--shed in epic amounts. Here are some good ideas for this old problem:

Brushing

The Furminator
If you don't have one, get one. I was skeptical initially because how much better could it really be? Turns out, a lot better. Not only does it take the undercoat out in fistfuls, but Benny, our cat, even likes it. Now that’s a testimonial!

The ShedAway
New to the pet home arsenal is Bissell's ShedAway vacuum attachment. I looked at this quizzically-- what would the dogs think? They didn’t mind a bit. At first, we kept things short and sweet, selling them on this fabulous new idea with warm words and a few treats. Big advantage? You can do it indoors without creating a mess.

Boosting

Diet can affect shedding. Nothing stops shedding, but when I improved my dogs’ diets years ago, my Shepherds went from shedding 24/7/365 to dropping coat for a few weeks twice a year. Big improvement. I would probably begin with a good Fatty Acid Supplement. Not sure? Speak to your veterinarian.

Bathing

Bathing loosens undercoat, which also means it comes out in bigger amounts in shorter time – so brace yourself. While some people send their dogs off to the groomer, others of you will want to do it at home. If you do, massage in the shampoo well then rinse, rinse, rinse. And after they dry, be prepared to brush (or vacuum!)

A product worth considering is the HydroSurge RapidBath System. Used with their shampoo cartridges, this tool makes short work of bathing thick-coated dogs who can be hard to wet down and even harder to rinse well.

When you have the right equipment and the right attitude, shedding becomes less of a hassle for all concerned, but, if I don’t answer the phone when you call in the next few weeks, I am probably vacuuming. Again.

--Sarah Wilson, MySmartPuppy.com
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Sarah Wilson is a pet behavior specialist, author, media personality, and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex. Sarah's books include, "Dogology", "My Smart Puppy", and "Tails from the Barkside", all available now.

FURminators Get Fancy

FURminator has launched two new fancy-looking de-shedders to their popular lineup. I haven't tried them out on my hairy beast yet, but I'll let you know if/when I do.

FURminator deShedding Tool with Double Edge
The first is a double-bladed version which is supposed to remove hair "twice as fast". We have one in the office and it's as heavy-duty as the other FURminators. While the base appears blue in this image, it's really black. Every time I look at it, it reminds me of a razor. I can only assume a three-bladed version is in the works.

 

FURminator deShedding Tool with FURejector
The second new FURminator is just like the original except it solves one my pet peeves (unintended, I swear!). I find it annoying to have to use two hands to get the hair out of the blade. It's difficult when you're using one hand to keep your dog from walking away. This one has what they call a "FURejector", which is a button on the back that ejects the hair trapped in the blade. Again, it looks blue, but it's really black.

 

If you buy either of these, let us know what you think of them by leaving a comment.

--Spanno

To Protect, Serve, and Love

Introduction: Meet one of America's finest.

Name: K-9 Dunna

Date of Birth: 1/3/99

Country of Origin: Rinchnach, Germany 

Breed: German Shepherd

Job description: Patrol Dog (Narcotics, Tracking, Building Search, Handler Protection)

Career highlights:

• 2002--Tracked down 2 male subjects after they broke into a marina
• 2002--During a routine traffic stop: Located plastic film canister wrapped with tape under a seat containing several packets of Crystal Meth, street value $500-800
• 2003--Located 22.3 pounds of Marijuana at a home just 3 houses from an elementary school

Community service: Attendance and demonstrations at many events and fund raisers for organizations such as: Humane society, Elementary schools, 4-H club, Union city rotary club, Branch county career center criminal justice program, Coldwarter Kiwanis club, Girl scouts Wal-mart, Sturgis Kennel club. Dunna also participates in local parades…in full uniform.

Hobbies: Going for walks

Favorite Toy: Tennis Ball

Date retired: August 28, 2008

Current Status: Retired, Dunna was diagnosed with cancer September of 2008 and is currently undergoing treatments for her cancer. After fighting crime for years, making the world as little bit safer, she is now fighting her own battle. Dunna’s treatment to date has been made possible with the dedication of her loving owners and generous contributions made to her ‘health fund’ by some of the organizations she has helped in the past, as well as some very kind donations by others touched by her story.  For more information on Dunna or to add your support, Dunna’s owners can be contacted at k9dunna@yahoo.com. Dunna is a truly remarkable dog.

--Dr. Hamilton
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Dr. Hamilton is an oncology resident at Michigan State's Animal Cancer Care Clinic and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information   

Pet News from Around the Net

What happened in the world of pets this week? Sit, stay, and become informed.

 

• One of Oprah's new dogs died from parvovirus (PeoplePets)
• How well do your know your wild college mascots? (PetSugar)
• Despite 3 deaths, Iditarod likely to continue (ohmidog!)
• Augie, a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, literally craps money (dogster)
• 'Project Runway' finalist assaulted her ex with a cat (NY Daily News)

--Spanno

Why You Should Never Ever Buy a Puppy from a Pet Store

I know I’m preaching to the choir here on Wag Reflex, but I feel the need to ask this… After everything in the news about puppy mills, who in their right mind would buy a puppy from a pet store or even over the Internet? If you love dogs, the last place you should be shopping for one is in a pet store or online (with the exception of adoption sites like Petfinder.com, of course).
 
Near my hometown of Seattle, we’ve seen two, alleged puppy mills raided in the last month with nearly 600 dogs seized and now living at the Everett Animal Shelter or in foster homes. These dogs were rescued from deplorable conditions--sick, matted, covered in feces and urine, crammed into cages--one dog even needing an eye removed. Many have tumors or other physical abnormalities and several dead dogs were found on the properties.
 
I know this is hard to read, but I am outraged and sickened by this as well as discouraged that people continue to sell and buy dogs in pet stores--just perpetuating this scourge.
 
With that said, I am also encouraged by the outpouring of support and donations from the community--people reaching out to help these dogs--something I’m sure these poor animals have never experienced in their lives.
 
If you would like to donate dog food or money for medical expenses to the Everett Animal Shelter’s nonprofit agency, ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation), you may do so by calling 425-257-6000 or visiting the ARF Web site at www.everettarf.org.
 
Thank you for letting me vent.

Photo from the Seattle Times.

--Brandie Ahlgren, CityDog Magazine
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Brandie Ahlgren is the publisher of CityDog Magazine and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex. Subscribe to CityDog Magazine here.

Animal Poison Control is Extremely Helpful

We often receive calls that start with “My dog just ate…” and end with “is that bad?” Our favorite answer is “no.” Another answer we like is “yes, but we can help if you come in right away.” The answer I don’t enjoy giving is “we need to call poison control.”

While most vets are competent at handling the most common toxin ingestions, there is a lot of stuff out there. Most animal poison control centers have a large database to access a wealth of information about the particular toxin ingested and offer veterinary specialist support throughout the treatment. We use the ASPCA hotline most commonly (888-426-4435). Our clients can either call from home to talk to the poison control directly or we can call for them. We recommend our clients call them directly so they can collect all the information that is pertinent. We can then follow-up immediately afterward using the case number with the poison control veterinarian.

The most commonly needed information include:

• How much does your pet weigh?
• Is your pet on any medications?
• What did your pet ingest? (Have the packaging at hand if possible because the details matter)
• How much of it did they ingest?
• What time did this occur?
• How is your pet feeling now?
• Have you given nothing to your pet?

There may be a consult fee that you can pay for over the phone. The service then records the case information and the owner is given a consult number. The local veterinarian is then allowed full access to the database and the veterinary specialist for the duration of treatment.

The ASPCA website (www.aspca.org) will send you a magnet with their poison control phone number so you have it handy. They are also a good source to call initially if you think your pet ate something irregular, you can’t reach your regular vet and you need to know if you need to rush to an ER.

Also, check out the top 10 pet poisons of 2008.

--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information