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Thursday, March 17, 2016

Diary of a Real-Life Veterinarian

Pets At Petsmart
Do You Consider Your Pet Property?
As you try to decide where you stand on the idea of a pet being considered 'property' think about this case..and how tragic the idea of not being able to prosecute a person for cruelty because the owners property doesn't have the right to be kept safe from harm and cruelty.

This article was taken from the Oregon Live, The Oregonian. To see the full article visit here.

Appeals court says pets are 'property' as it throws out dog-starving conviction
COA2013JudgesHR.jpg

The Oregon Court of Appeals Wednesday threw out the conviction of a 28-year-old woman found guilty of starving her dog based on evidence from a veterinarian who tested and treated the animal without a warrant.
The ruling could set a precedent by making it more difficult for animal-cruelty investigators to seek instantaneous care for beaten, starved or otherwise injured pets. And the ruling could make it tougher for prosecutors to go after people suspected of abusing or neglecting their animals.
In reversing the 2011 misdemeanor conviction of Amanda L. Newcomb, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals ruled that animals are living beings but they are also property under the eyes of the law. And that doesn’t trump their owners’ constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.
The case at issue began when an informant told the Oregon Humane Society that Portland-area resident Newcomb was beating her dog, failing to properly feed it and keeping it in a kennel for many hours a day. An animal-cruelty investigator went to Newcomb’s apartment in December 2010 and, once invited in, saw the dog in the yard “in a near emaciated condition.” The dog, the investigator reported, “was kind of eating at random things in the yard, and trying to vomit.”
The investigator asked why, and Newcomb said she was out of dog food but that she was going to get more that night, according to the Court of Appeals’ summary of the case.
The investigator determined a “strong possibility” existed that the dog needed medical care and brought the dog to a Humane Society vet. The vet gave the dog food, charted his weight and measured his rapid weight gain over several days. The vet also tested the dog’s feces and blood, ruling out disease. The investigator concluded nothing was wrong with the dog other than it was very hungry.
Newcombe was charged in Multnomah County Circuit Court with second-degree animal neglect.
She tried to suppress the vet’s findings by saying her state and federal constitutional rights to be protected from unreasonable search and seizure were violated when the investigator seized her dog without a warrant and the veterinarian tested her dog without a warrant.
Newcomb argued that dogs are personal property and she has the same privacy rights to her dog as she would to objects such as pocket knives or boots -- which is a reference to previous case law.
The prosecutor countered that unlike other possessions, animals have a right to medical care and to be free from neglect.
Judge Eric Bergstrom denied Newcomb’s attempt to suppress the evidence, and she was found guilty. She was sentence to one year of probation and ordered not to possess animals for five years.
The Court of Appeals on Wednesday found that the investigator had probable cause to seize the dog and didn’t need a warrant. But the appeals court found the vet’s “search” of the dog violated Newcomb’s privacy rights because the authorities hadn't obtained a warrant.
Although many judges would likely issue a warrant under such circumstances, critics argue the ruling will slow down the process of getting medical care to animals.
The appeals court sent the case back to Multnomah County Circuit Court for further proceedings, but it is unlikely Newcomb will be retried since the main evidence against her isn’t admissible.
Judges Timothy Sercombe, Darleen Ortega and Erika Hadlock took part in the decision.
-- Aimee Green

The Secret Life of Pets Official 'Snowball' Trailer (2016) - Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate Movie HD

credit : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC5ycHKUfA4

Tapering prednisone in cats

Pets For Patriots
When your cat is facing a serious medical problem, like chronic itchy skin or painful joints, veterinarians often prescribe predisone. The medication can reduce inflammation and just make the animal feel better.

About a month ago, Eamon went on prednisone for a back problem and he went from being an immobile and painful cat to a jolly, snuggly guy in just a few days. Like most owners, I was resistant to taper him off a medication that seemed to be working.

Prednisone is a great medication, my veterinarian reminded me, but it's just not a great idea to give high doses of the medication over a long period of time. That's why veterinarians often suggest that you provide the medication at a high dose and then slowly decrease the amount you're giving until you find a low dose that works to control the chronic problem.

I am not the type of cat owner that argues with medical advice, so I follow dosage instructions carefully and we're tapering off the prednisone now. I am on the alert for signs of pain, stumbling or weakness and I'll be calling my veterinarian when I see any of these problems. He may go on a higher dose at that time, or we may add in a pain medication to help with the symptoms. I'm hoping that doesn't happen, but I'm prepared in case it does.

You'll notice that I am following instructions here. When I worked in veterinary clinics, I encountered many pet owners who refused to taper and would call multiple clinics to fill prescriptions for their pets. I have a lot of things to say about this behavior, and none of it is good, but the short version is this: Veterinarians have a pet's best interests at heart and they've spent many years studying animal physiology. Questioning their expertise is a bit silly, unless you're a veterinarian yourself. Always do what they say.

But if you can't resist the temptation to tinker, do your research first. I often look up medical conditions in this book The First Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats (Prevention Pets), and if I'd like to follow the recommendations I see there (rather than those my veterinarian requests), I bring the book with me to my animal appointments. I outline why I'd like to do something differently, and I give the veterinarian a chance to change my mind.

It's much safer to follow an approach like this. Rather than making some sort of snap decision about what my pet should do, I'm educating myself and then asking the pros for education. If the advice you're getting about a pred reduction just doesn't sit well with you, this could be an approach you might consider.

TOP 10 CUTEST PETS! (2015)




visit : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F5JkpZh73I



The Race to Make Your Life Be Better. Will it be a Robot OR Your Pet?

Pet Safe
I have a few crazy predictions to make.

1. The workforce is going to become more and more heavily robotized. Think I'm wrong about this one? Read the Wall Street Journals article on "Why the Rise of the Robot Workforce is a Good Thing." Robot's  now clean our floors, assemble our gadgets, perform our most invasive and complicated surgeries, answer our customer service phone calls, predict our weather, perform search and rescues, investigate our crime scenes and bombs, and beat us at almost every game imaginable. The constant search for cheaper goods and services to maintain our bank accounts and keep our businesses competitive with the workforce in China is costing us human jobs and a greater dependency on technology.

2. The keys to unlocking the mystery of science and medicine will increasingly be found in the creatures and gifts that nature has already provided us. IF, we don't distance ourselves or destroy the keys in our quest to decimate the finite natural resources this planet provides us.

Isn't it odd that as we become more dependent on machines our dependency on animals to assist us in greater capacities becomes more evident.

Lucy, post-op cruciate surgery.
Not exactly a therapy dog but she keeps her girls happy and active.

Animals assist us in many ways. Let me give you a few examples;
Prison Pet Partnership Program. Started in 1981 by Sister Pauline, a nun, and Dr. Bustad, a veterinarian, their dream was to rehabilitate inmates by fostering an environment where the human-animal bond could be developed. The Washington State Department of Corrections created this innovative program that has led to the successful training of over 700 dogs that have been trained by inmates to assist as service, seizure, and therapy dogs. Many other similiar programs can now be found around the country. Most take dogs from the euthanasia row and are placed with inmates who learn that love is a two way street, where kindness, patience, compassion are paid back. Which of us don't already know that the love and affection of our pets isn't therapeutic?
Seizure dogs tell us when a seizure is about to happen AND they can get help if one does happen. Some therapy dogs help us monitor diabetes. Others can detect cancer. Find missing people, buried people, and assist in disaster responses of almost all types. Animals provide us with a reason to get  up in the morning. They keep us happier, laughing and living a longer, safer, more secure life.
They make us happy, lower blood pressure, keep us more active, more engaged in our community, help our hearts (literally and figuratively), they help us live longer.
For people with autism, ADHD, depression, illness, cancer, chronic pain and disease, they bring a new dimension to our quality of life.
Our food supply, ability to survive in almost every environment and place in he world is intimately tied to our dependence on animals. 

Levi, who keeps his parents looking forward and fills their lives with joy.
He has idiopathic epilepsy, and they do an amazing job of managing it.
Even those pups who aren't perfect keep us feeling a sense of purpose.

Here is a story I just found on how our pets are improving our lives, helping us maintain our environment and protect our food supply..Add this to the list..

Barking up the wrong bee: Meet the dog trained to sniff out killer disease that wipes out hives… and he has his own beekeeping suit to protect him from stings
Bazz the black labrador has been trained by beekeeper Josh Kennett
He can detect by smell a killer bee disease called American foulbrood 
The dog kept being stung so Mr Kennett made it a special suit 

By TARA BRADY
PUBLISHED: 05:35 EST, 23 April 2014 | UPDATED: 08:18 EST, 23 April 2014


A beekeeping dog has been trained to sniff out a killer disease which wipes out hives and even has his own suit to protect him from stings. 

Bazz the black labrador was specially trained by beekeeper Josh Kennett to detect by smell a killer bee disease called American foulbrood.

But Mr Kennett was forced to design him his own beekeepers suit after he kept getting stung while saving the buzzing insects.
Bazz the black labrador (pictured in his special suit) has been trained by beekeeper Josh Kennett

Bazz the black labrador (pictured in his special suit) has been trained by beekeeper Josh Kennett
A beekeeping dog is creating a buzz with a special outfit designed to protect him from stings
A beekeeping dog is creating a buzz with a special outfit designed to protect him from stings
Now, the dog has to suit up every time he goes out to the hives.
The beekeeper, from Tintinara in South Australia, created the incredible suit after a long process of trial and error.
Mr Kennett said: 'The process of training Bazz and developing the suit has been an attempt to find a better way of controlling American foulbrood disease.
More...

'There is no cure for the disease .


Josh Kennett created the special suit
'Detection and quarantine processes are essential to save our bees.
'I realised that Bazz was able to sniff out the disease, and save thousands of bees - but he didn’t like being around them too much when he was getting stung.
'So I’ve tried to develop a suit the dog can wear and hopefully avoid being stung.'
The suit is created to protect the dog as it attempts to detect the devastating disease which wipes out thousands of beehives every year.
The fatal Paenibacillus larvae caused by the infection are usually only visible under high-magnification microscope, but thanks to Bazz’s mesh protected nose, that’s not necessary.
The dare-devil dog is protected from bee attack to let him get close enough to sniff out the hives.
After a lengthy training regime Bazz was ready to take on the challenge and began detecting the disease.
Mr Kennett said: 'We’ve now proven the concept, he can find the infected hives.
'The only challenge now is getting the dog comfortable with the suit. It’s hard to change a dog’s habits overnight.
'To fully cover a dog up and expect it to do the same thing, it takes time to change how he behaves and to get used to that suit.
'But he’s a quick learner and he’s never let us down before.'

AMERICAN FOULBROOD - A DISEASE WHICH IS WIPING OUT HONEY BEES
American Foulbrood is caused by a spore forming bacterium called Paenibacillus larvae. 
These spores are the infective stage of the disease and infection begins when food contaminated with spores are fed to larvae by the nurse bees.  
Once in the gut of the larva the spores germinate, bateria move into the larval tissues, where they multiply enormously. 
American Foulbrood is caused by a spore forming bacterium called Paenibacillus larvae
American Foulbrood is caused by a spore forming bacterium called Paenibacillus larvae
Infected larvae normally die after the cell is sealed and millions of infective spores form in their remains. 
Spores are very resistant to extremes of heat and cold and to many disinfectants.
The most common method of transmission from infected hive to healthy hive is the beekeeper. 
The spores can easily transferred, if frames of honey or brood are moved between hives, or if other contaminated equipment is used. 
However, robbing by adult bees of dead or dying infected colonies is also an important mode of transmission. If left to run its course, all colonies infected with AFB will eventually die from the disease.
All infected colonies are normally destroyed. 
The first stage is to destroy the adult bees and brood combs by burning, then the hives and any appliances are sterilised by scorching with a blow lamp. 

SO, here is my prediction.
If we don't start paying attention to our world, the unique responsibility we have to our planet and our fellow inhabitants, we are certainly going to jeopardize our own species and affect our own quality of life along the way to our own extinction.

History has shown us that our dependence on horses, camels, and elephants provided transportation, dogs protection, cats internal pest control and all cumulatively still provide immense human companionship. Could your pig be your next heart? Could your dolphin be your next anti-terrorist detection device? Could that tiny insect in the disappearing Amazon be the key to curing cancer?

I guess we won't know if we don't open our eyes and hearts to the possibility?

Dragon, the Marine Veteran war dog


Petsmart Knoxville Tn
I received a fun request a few weeks ago. The following story is about Dragon, a dog who was adopted by Marines during the Iraq war, came back to the US with the troops. Today he lives a peaceful retirement as a happy house pet in Pensacola Florida. I was proud to donate this painting in his honor for his owners. 

Mischievous recruit dogging Marines on flight line
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story by Cpl. Matthew S. Richards

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Dragon isn't the most disciplined member of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268. He's been known to steal food. He runs around Camp Pendleton's flight line like he owns the place. And he can't maintain his bearing, always bowing his head and folding his ears back. Get him really excited and he'll even leave a puddle on the floor.

But his Marines love him. It's hard not to. The lovable mutt is just that -- a stray the squadron's Marines came to call their own during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Dragon has migrated from the streets of Kuwait to the squadron's hangars and he's never looked more at home.

His breed- "Persian camel shepherd," quipped Capt. Matt G. Robinson, his unofficial caretaker, now the quality assurance officer for Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (Training) 164. Ten-month-old Dragon took the name from the squadron that adopted him in Ali Al Saleem, Kuwait, more than nine months ago.

"We found him hanging around the British tents," Cpl. Shaun Kelly, a crew chief for HMM-268, said while playfully scratching Dragon's head.

The squadron dubbed the adoptee Dragon after their mascot, a giant red dragon.

"It was two weeks before everyone entered Iraq," Robinson explained. "He was a malnourished tiny thing and he had been beaten and abused. He had a huge gash on top of his head."

Dragon wandered around the tents, begging and stealing scraps. It's a habit he's had a tough time breaking. Robinson is still tugging Dragon by the leash away from some of the Marines' lunches.

The Marines immediately took a liking to the pup and began to nurse him back to health.

"We fed him parts of (Meals Ready-to-Eat) at first; his big thing was peanut butter," said Robinson, who was HMM-268's officer-in-charge of the flight line during OIF. "After the first couple of meals, he slept for five days straight.

"We were worried about him," he said. "We didn't think he would make it."


Dragon, retired and enjoying life
Dragon's new family joked around about how he first behaved under their care. "For the first month he would bury half his food in the sand," Kelly said. "Then after we fed him enough, he forgot about that and just ate every bit."

Dragon soon became accustomed to the flight line. The constant whine of the engines and chopping of the rotor blades soothed him to sleep.

"At first he was scared of the (CH-46s)," said Staff Sgt. Marcus A. Gomillion, maintenance control chief.

He said the dog learned to live with the helicopter noise without fear of the noise.

The dog was a natural Wing Marine, a fact made apparent after his arrival at Los Angeles International Airport.

"It was funny, because after my wife (Bethany) picked him up at LAX and took him out of the kennel, he ran right to the flight line where the planes were," Robinson said. "She had to chase him down."

Dragon was all fun and games, but the lengthy process to bring him into the Unites States wasn't. He had to be on a civilian airliner at a cost of more than $2,100.

"We're still paying for the cost to ship him from Iraq," Robinson said. "My wife had to hunt down the only veterinarian in Kuwait City, and (she) really went out of her way to help us out."

The Robinsons weren't the only ones to pitch in for Dragon's journey home. More than $1,100 came pouring in from Marines and their families to keep the pup with the squadron.

Dragon was quarantined after he got all his required shots. Then all his paperwork was checked and double- checked at U.S. Customs in Los Angeles.

"After we had been through so much with him, I knew there was no way we'd leave this guy behind," Robinson said.

After all, to his Marines, he's part of their family ?much to the chagrin of some in the squadron. Mail even seemed more regular for Dragon than for the Marines.

"That dog would get packages before I would," Gomillion said. "Everybody loved him."

Dragon gave as much as he got, too.

"He was a definite help through hard times, because we lost some Marines out there," Robinson said. "He was something the Marines didn't have out there. He was something they grew attached to and took care of."

Dragon's not going anywhere soon either. Marines at HMM-268 made him part of their family. He even has his own Service Record Book.

"When he sees the uniforms he starts going crazy," Robinson said. "The flight suits or the cammies ... he loves being around Marines."

Just because the squadron treats him like part of the Marine family doesn't mean he's completely given up his wily ways. The little pup is mischievous, even around Robinson at home.

"One time I was cooking hamburgers and I had five out in a glass bowl on our table," he said. "I turned around and when I looked back there were only two left. The bowl hadn't moved at all."