Sebastian Needs A Helping Paw - PUPdate

Update (7/10/11)

From my friend:

Sebastian did really well with his surgery and he is starting to put weight on his little leg. The bone was not a clean break but a really rough edged break which made putting the plate in a little more difficult - especially since he is such a tiny tiny little guy! He will get an xray in 4 weeks to see how it's healing - and hopefully he will have a great xray.

We have several people interested in him - so hopefully he will find his forever home soon!

I CAN'T THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. Between this group and some of my family and animal friends we collect enough to pay for his surgery with a little extra that will help other animals at New Leash on Life!

Sebastian says "Thank You!"

 Thanks everyone!!!

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I received this request from a friend of mine who is on the staff of New Leash On Life, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that helps gimpy dogs (and cats) get treatment and find loving homes.

She asked me to spread the word about a very special pup in their care that had an accident and broke his leg.  After looking at the picture... who can resist.

The links in this post go straight to New Leash On Life where you can donate straight to Sebastian's surgery.  If you have any questions, please contact New Leash On Life, as we are just spreading the word to help a gimpy in need:

Sweet Sebastian broke his leg when he opened his cage (or was left open by a visitor) and he jumped down onto the concrete floor, completely breaking both bones in his front left leg. He is such a wonderful dog - 2 year old Pom that was raised in a puppy mill/breeder facility. We were given the option to amputate since that is cheaper, but we opted to have a plate put in and save his leg. He should recovery fully after this surgery.

The surgery is going to cost us around $1000. I am reaching out to my friends - especially the animal lovers in my life and asking them to help me raise the money to pay for Sebastian's surgery.

You can donate online or mail a check. To donate click this link New Leash On Life site Angel Fund donation section  In the comment section please write the word "Sebastian" - so we know to ear mark the money for his surgery.

Or you can mail a check to:

New Leash on Life Adoption Center,
attention Ann Shapiro.
507 Jim Draper Blvd.
Lebanon, TN 37088.

Make check payable to New Leash on Life.

This little guy is very special to me and all the staff at New Leash and the surgery is expensive for us.
We take in and adopt out more than 1,000 dogs and cats each year and we are a no-kill organization. As you all know I have volunteered for this wonderful organization for 5 years and am now honored to be on staff - a dream come true for me.

Again - thank you for considering my request and feel free to share his story with others - the more we raise the more we can do. If we raise more than the $1,000 needed for his surgery it will remain in the Angel Fund which is used to treat animals with medical conditions that would otherwise have to be euthanized.  Because of the Angel Fund we are able to treat heartworm positive dogs and FIV cats, dogs with injuries, skin conditions and more.

4th of July Pet Safety

The 4th of July is right around the corner, and while you may be excited about the gallantry and excitement of fireworks display, your pet doesn't have that same feeling.

The 4th of July is one of the busiest times for animal shelters, taking in dogs that have escaped their yards, homes, and leashes when scared by fireworks.

In my home, I have two dogs that totally freak out over fireworks (and one with thunder as well).  Meeshka pants, paces, claws, pees on the carpet, and generally goes nuts if one of us aren't around to be with.  During one rather active 4th of July in our neighborhood (it sounded like a war, despite the fact that most fireworks are illegal in the state of Maryland), Meeshka clawed up the carpet trying to get into a closed bedroom door.

If you know that any of your pets are afraid of fireworks, here are some common sense tips, and tricks that have worked with us:

1.) NEVER take your pet to a fireworks display.  If your dog is totally oblivious to fireworks, then viewing them from afar is just fine, but don't bring your dog to a display where they are shooting them off close to the crowd.  The proximity of the explosions, sparks, embers, and spent materials are hazardous to your dog.  Even seasoned dogs may have a reaction to the noise, sound, and smell, so make sure they are securely leashed.

2.) Don't let your dog in a yard, even if it is securely fenced.  If panicked, your dog may try to climb the fence or break through the fence and hurt itself.  Additionally, if your neighbors are shooting off fireworks, if material from the rockets falls into your yard, that debris is dangerous if still hot, and toxic if eaten.

3.) Walk your dog before the fireworks starts.  Sometimes dogs will refuse to go outside when the fun begins and will void in your house.  A nice long walk will also wear them out a bit so their exhaustion may help with their anxiety.

4.) Make sure your pets are wearing identification tags that have up to date contact information.  In case they do get lose, you'll want the finder to be able to contact you easily and quickly.

If you know that your dog is afraid of fireworks, here are some tricks to help ease their anxiety.

1.) If your dog has severe anxiety about fireworks, visit your vet and see if they can't prescribe a sedative that you can give prior to the fireworks.

2.) If your dog has some anxiety, there are several over-the-counter anti-anxiety supplements you can give (check with your vet if your dog has a medical condition or is on medication to make sure the supplements do not interfere or cause an adverse reaction) that may take the edge off.

3.) Create a "safe room" in your house.  During peak fireworks time, we have a downstairs room that is fairly sheltered from the outside noises.  We turn on every piece of noise making equipment there is, from computers playing loud music to tv blaring to help drown out the explosions.  We also provide a "denning" places for them to go that are dark and secure, such as under a covered coffee table, or under my computer desk.

4.) You can try putting a shirt on them.  Sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn't.  Before you spend money on one of those expensive "thunder shirts" for your dog, see if a tight fitting t-shirt calms them down during anxiety times.  If it doesn't work, don't waste your money buying the "real thing" from vendors.

5.) Try to be comforting, but don't encourage their behavior.  Its a tough line to toe, but you don't want encourage their behavior.  Try to act like nothing is going on, and by all means DO NOT punish them or seclude them away from you, it will only make matters worse for them and maybe make the behavior worse.

Make sure that you have a plan BEFORE the fireworks show starts, and keep your dog safe and happy during this holiday season.  For more tips on fireworks, parties, and general summer-time safety tips for pets, visit the ASPCA site or Google "4th of July pet safety tips" for other informative resources.

Stay safe out there!

Heartgard Plus Effectiveness Questioned

I had heard of the class action suit against Merial, the makers of Heartgard Plus, and apparently more is leaking out in regard to claims made by the company that could put dogs in danger.

A recent article from the Courthouse News Service (1) discusses the dismissal of its “global head of pharmacovigilance” because she claims the company was trying to hide evidence that the tests Merial gave to the FDA were suspect, and that they didn’t heed or follow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirement to change their packaging to reflect that their product was not 100% as it claimed.

Its ironic how things work out, as I was just having a Facebook discussion with another friend who expressed dissatisfaction over having to have her dogs undergo annual heartworm testing, when they were on heartworm product year round. I explained that no heartworm preventative was 100%, that owners may have missed a month or two, and it was just good medicine to ensure that the dog was heartworm free prior to dispensing medication... as some heartworm preventatives could kill a dog that was heartworm positive.

I want to state for the record, that if Merial had, indeed, falsified their initial findings in order to get FDA approval, and/or knew that their product was not 100%, and/or fired someone who was trying to make things right, then they should face the full force of the law. I’ve never been crazy about the whole FDA approval process that allows the company making the drug to submit testing data to earn approval. As we’ve seen with the slew of ambulance chaser e-mails about faulty drugs on the market, allowing the maker to prove efficacy is reckless, stupid, and lazy on the part of the very Government Agency that exists to save us from corrupt and irresponsible drug makers.

That being said, I just want to pass on a tidbit of information to everyone in regard to everything in general: nothing in life is 100% (except death and taxes, of course). You shouldn’t rely on a label to tell you the truth (it won’t, it’s called “marketing”, which is a nice way to say “lie to get you to buy”), or even convince you that what is good for one dog is good for all dogs (its not, everyone and everything reacts differently to everything).

The problem with Merial is the 100% claim, which you won’t find on any of their competitor’s products or web sites (I found one site that claimed that Interceptor was 100%, but it was a write up by a shady fly-by-night pet meds place), which would give them an unfair, and incorrect advantage over their competition, which knows better than to make such a claim when no data exists to back it up, and real-world experience show it not to be 100%. Instead, Merial apparently chose to blame owners for not following the directions, and point their fingers everywhere but at themselves.

Buyer beware, and buyer be informed. The more you know about subjects, the more prepared you are to ask your vet, drug manufacturers, and everyone involved questions about your pet and its health.

I would suggest that those using Heartgard Plus, print out the article, take it into your vet and make them aware of the situation if they already are not aware, and discuss your options in regard to heartworm medication that is best for your dog... not what the labels claim.

Learn more about heartworms with the informative links we’ve provided

Heartworms

WebMD Pets: Heartworms Facts and FAQ

American Heartworm Society

Surgical removal of heartworms (video, probably not for squeamish)

Marvistavet Heartworm resources

Video on heartworms

Canine Stroke

Recently a friend Facebooked that her dog had a stroke and was looking for information.  Sometimes vestibular disease can be mistaken for stroke, so check out the vestibular disease section as well (in the links to the right)

Here is some reputable information regarding strokes in dogs:

From the Daily Puppy - Canine Stroke Symptoms and other resources

Dogs 101 - Understanding Stroke


Video of seizure stroke from ehow (you'll have to suffer through a commercial first, but worth it)

Another  video from a vet explaining stroke (suffer through the commercial, its worth it)