Labor Day is almost here, and what better way to spend your last summer party than with your pooch? Good food, friends, and fun are all essential for Labor Day celebrations, but is your dog prepared for the festivities? Here is a list of dangers for your dog to avoid during this Labor Day to ensure he/she stays healthy and happy all weekend long.

Heat stroke – Hydration is crucial for dogs. Did you know a dog can overheat in just a matter of minutes? If your dog has a heavy coat, he or she is more susceptible to heat stroke. Consistently monitor body temperature and be able to notice anything unordinary. Symptoms of heat stroke are panting heavily, a rapid pulse, glazed eyes, a deep red or purple tongue, vomiting, sticky, thick saliva, lethargy, or any unsteadiness or staggering. Heat exhaustion, stress, or stroke is extremely serious and can be fatal. Remember–NEVER leave your pet alone in the car even for a few minutes. This is the most common cause of heat stroke.

Paw burns – Have you ever walked on a scorching patio or beach without sandals? Imagine how your pooch feels this Labor Day when your porch is so hot you could cook an egg on it. Make sure there is a shady place near the party for your dog to hang out. Also, be careful while grilling. A hot grill plus a curious dog can lead to disaster. We recommend putting your pooch inside when the grill is on, but if you insist, watch him or her closely. If you see him get burned, or any signs that he did (limping, licking his paws, cracked or blistering skin or pads), apply a cold, wet compress, clean the area with pet-safe ointment or aloe vera, and wrap with gauze.

Dogs get sunburned too! – Contrary to popular belief, your dog can get sunburned and needs protection. Hairless, light skinned, light colored, shaved, or pink-nosed pups are especially in danger of being burned. We recommend doing one of two things for pet sun protection. Pick up a non-toxic, fragrance free doggie sunscreen like Vet’s Best Sun Relief spray; or, another option is baby sunscreen. A lotion works best with heavy coated dogs since you can rub it through the coat to the skin. Essential areas are the ears, bridge of the nose, nose, and the underside of his body.

Swimming time – If your dog loves to swim, this section is for you. Most of us love to enjoy the water during Labor Day weekend, and your pooch probably does too. If he isn’t a good swimmer, a doggie life preserver would be a good idea. Never leave a dog unattended when swimming. Also, don’t let him drink pool or ocean water. Pool water contains chlorine and the ocean contains salt, both of which can be harmful and can dehydrate your pet. Make sure you have fresh water available at all times.

Human foods are not for pets – Who doesn’t like barbequed food? But it’s not for dogs, and you must resist the urge to give them a treat from the grill. If you’re having a big Labor Day party, you might want to consider putting up a sign for your guests that says “Please do not feed the pets.” Some foods are toxic to dogs, such as onions, grapes, mushrooms, avocados, lunch meat, and more. Plus, dogs have very sensitive tummies. Even the smallest amount of food can upset their stomach and cause diarrhea or vomiting.

Traveling by car – Many of us travel to friends or family by car during Labor Day weekend. If you plan to bring your pooch in the car, you might want to consider a few things. If your dog has never traveled by car before, get him accustomed prior to travel. Making him feel comfortable will significantly reduce car sickness. Also, a dog restraint is always recommended. This will help keep the dog from being a distraction to the driver, as well as keeping him safe.

The long Labor Day weekend is meant to be enjoyed by both humans and dogs. Be prepared, keep your canine safe, and don’t let one of these dangers for your dog put a damper on your festivities.

Lajsci, LeeLou and Shadow

Fortunately, these powerful dogs were under the exquisitely humane and total physical and voice command of the owner, who unseen by the young perps, witnessed everything from her porch.  But what if that had not been the case?  What if these fools, having already provoked the dogs, had decided to scale the fence and the dogs had done what dogs do, protected their owner and territory?

The owner reported the incident to the local police,  but they appeared nonchalant about the dog-taunting aspect of the crime, which is surprising, since it has long been believed by members of humane law enforcement that people involved in animal abuse often commit other types of crimes as well.  This belief was validated in a 1997 study (the first of its kind  to examine the relationship between violence against animals and crime in general) done by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA).   In that study, professors Arnold Arluke and Jack Levin of Northeastern University and Carter Luke of the MSPCA  looked at a number of cruelty cases prosecuted by the MSPCA between 1975 and 1996.  Results revealed that 70 percent of those who committed crimes against animals had also been involved in other violent, property, drug, and disorderly crimes.

The Northeastern University-MSPCA study served to establish that an animal abuser is more often a potential danger to society and more likely to be involved in other crimes than had been previously recognized (www.mspca.org).  The same study also concluded that a person who committed animal abuse was:

* 5 times more likely to commit violence against people
* 4 times more likely to commit property crimes, and
* 3 times more likely to be involved in drunken or disorderly offenses.

The FBI has recognized the connection since the 1970s, when its analysis of the lives of serial killers suggested that most had abused animals as children.  “These are the kids who never learned it’s wrong to poke out a puppy’s eyes.” ( Robert K. Ressler, FBI Serial Killer Profiler).   Other research has shown consistent patterns of animal cruelty among perpetrators of more common forms of violence, including child abuse, spouse abuse, and elder abuse.  In fact, in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the American Psychiatric Association considers animal cruelty one of the diagnostic criteria of conduct disorder;  clinical evidence indicates that animal cruelty is one of the symptoms usually seen at the earliest stages of conduct disorder, often by the age of eight.

Given the above research and all that we know now, when law enforcement fails to take animal abuse as seriously as property abuse, society is the loser.  While the young vandals in this case appear to have gotten away with their petty crimes, as well as with their limbs, only time will tell if public safety has been well served by their escape.

In June, Zac Anderegg, spotted the puppy while canyoneering. After some preparation, he was able to use a pulley to hoist the emaciated dog back up the earth’s surface. Page Animal Hospital treated the dog, covering expenses with donations to their Angel Fund.

Initially, Zac and his wife, Michelle, simply called the dog “Puppy” so that they wouldn’t get too attached because this is a transitional time in their lives, and they already had several pets. To find a good home for him, the Andereggs created a Facebook page for Puppy. Offers to adopt the dog flowed in on Facebook, but, as Puppy grew stronger, so did his bond with the two-legged and four-legged Andereggs.

On Puppy’s Facebook, Michelle writes, “In the process of nursing him back to health, we fell in love…. We had no idea he was going to fit in so well in our family. He has made himself right at home & loves our other dog, Kohi. Kohi loves him too. We think it would be too hard to separate him at this point. We are all so attached to each other. Now, he is known as Riley.”

Riley has been busy since his recovery. He has traveled to California, appeared on Inside Edition, and gone rock climbing. He has also served as the poster pup for animal cruelty—and become a symbol of hope and compassion, as so many people made donations to pay for his veterinary care and offered to welcome him into their families.

Not long ago, when a dog was diagnosed with lymphoma, which is one of the most common forms of canine cancer, pet guardians had little reason to hope for a cure.  With a success rate of less than 2 percent and remission lasting, on average, just over 12 months, current chemotherapy protocols have not been able to offer much promise of long-term success.  But, a new method of treating dogs with lymphoma is changing all of that.

Doctors at North Carolina State University’s (NCSU) Veterinary Teaching Hospital are now using bone marrow transplants (BMT) to treat canine lymphoma patients. It is a new application of an existing technology that is responsible for saving the lives of thousands of humans each year.

The impressive success rate of NCSU’s Bone Marrow Transplant Unit convinced Kristie and Johnny Sullens that a BMT was the best chance of saving their dog Angel’s life.  After all, she was a vibrant, five-year-old Carolina Yellow Dog with years of life left to live and an adoring brother named Romeo that couldn’t stand to be away from her for even a minute.

From the moment she showed up on their doorstep as a stray puppy, Angel had been their child in every sense, and it was unbearable to imagine their family without her. How could they not do everything possible to attempt a real cure for her cancer?  The vet’s prognosis was that, with chemotherapy alone, she would only live another six to twelve months, including six months of treatment.  It just wasn’t enough time.  So,  Kristie and Johnny quickly decided that, no matter what it took, Angel would be the fifteenth dog at NCSU to receive a bone marrow transplant.

Although bone marrow transplants have only recently become available as an accepted treatment for dogs, they actually started being performed in a research setting about thirty years ago.  Because of the amazing similarities between dogs and humans when it comes to cancer, all of the current human transplant protocols were actually developed using dog subjects.  In fact, 95 percent of transplant procedures that were performed on humans were initially developed using dogs. It was only a matter of time until this groundbreaking procedure made it full circle, back to the species that originally helped to develop it.

To understand more about why BMT is so useful in cancer treatment, it is helpful to understand how chemotherapy and radiation therapy work in animals and humans.  The National Cancer Institute explains “Chemotherapy and radiation therapy generally affect cells that divide rapidly. They are used to treat cancer because cancer cells divide more often than most healthy cells. However, because bone marrow cells also divide frequently, high-dose treatments can severely damage or destroy the patient’s bone marrow. Without healthy bone marrow, the patient is no longer able to make the blood cells needed to carry oxygen, fight infection, and prevent bleeding.”  Because of this risk to bone marrow function, canine patients often receive lower doses of chemotherapy or radiation than needed to completely wipe out all of the cancer cells, and as a result, the cancer usually comes back.  Bone marrow transplants eliminate this problem, however, and make it possible for patients to receive very high doses of chemotherapy and radiation, thereby making it more likely that the cancer will be eradicated from the body.

To qualify for a BMT, dogs can be diagnosed with either B-cell or T-cell lymphoma, but they must weigh at least 10 kg and be in clinical remission.  However, that still doesn’t make a dog a good candidate.  For dogs who have serious co-existing conditions or co-morbidities, such as Cushing’s disease or kidney or heart disease, the BMT process would likely put undue stress on their system, creating an unacceptably high risk.

Luckily for Angel, she was young, strong, and very healthy in every other respect.  And after a bone marrow aspirate confirmed that she had B-cell Lymphoma–the type of Lymphoma that responds most favorably to treatment–she was well on her way to becoming an ideal candidate for the transplant procedure.  It was then just a matter of achieving that all-important clinical remission.

The Bone Marrow Transplant Process

Not willing to waste a minute, immediately after Angel was diagnosed with lymphoma, her vet started her on the 25-week Madison Wisconsin chemotherapy protocol that includes Prednisone and a rotating series of other cancer drugs, including Vincristine, Adriamycin, and Cytoxan.  And within three weeks of starting chemotherapy, Angel’s cancer went into remission, meaning that there were no clinical signs of the cancer anymore.  At this point, she officially became a candidate for receiving a BMT, although she would still have to wait another six months until her chemotherapy protocol was complete.  In retrospect, this was probably the easiest part of the treatment process.  Kristie recalls, “The side effects from the Prednisone were a little shocking because it turned Angel into a little piggy, and she had to go to the bathroom all the time.  Plus, she was a little crankier than usual.  But overall, we were so surprised at how much energy she had while receiving chemo–she was out chasing squirrels at the park for the better part of her treatment.”

Once Angel’s chemotherapy protocol ended, it was time to begin preparing for the BMT.  Similar to the treatment that most human patients with B-cell lymphoma receive, the canine BMT involves an “autologous,” or “self” transplant, meaning that a separate donor is not needed.  Instead, the stem cells are taken directly from the patient being treated.  To facilitate this process, Angel had to first receive very high dose chemotherapy about ten days before the BMT, to destroy as many remaining cancer cells in the body as possible.  She then received a drug called Neupogen, which drives the stem cells from the bone marrow into the peripheral blood, where they can be harvested by a special piece of equipment called a leukaphoresis machine.

The harvesting procedure itself took six hours and was done under general anesthesia, as all of Angel’s blood was run through the leukaphoresis machine. She then underwent total body radiation, with the goal of killing any remaining cancer cells in the body.  After all of this, she was finally ready to receive the transplant.  Using a tube called a jugular catheter, the harvested stem cells were reintroduced into her bloodstream in a process similar to receiving a blood transfusion.  Miraculously, these stem cells automatically know how to find their way back to the bone marrow and immediately begin their important work of rebuilding healthy blood cells.

Following the procedure, patients typically remain in the hospital for two weeks to recover, and blood samples are drawn and checked regularly to confirm if the transplant is working. Blood transfusions are sometimes necessary when blood platelets drop too low, and this was true in Angel’s case.  But, after a single blood transfusion (thanks to a wonderful canine blood donor) and four weeks of recovery time, Angel’s platelets returned to a healthy range, and her transplant was considered a success.

Because of the intensity of this process, Kristie says that the decision to follow through with the transplant wasn’t always easy.  “We worried about how she would handle being away from us for so long, and if the procedure would hurt her, even though we knew that in humans, BMTs are completely painless.  We also worried about how it would affect her personality. But, whenever we began to doubt whether or not we had made the right choice, we reminded ourselves of the alternative, and that kept us moving forward.”

The Road to Recovery
By the time the patients are ready to return home after the BMT, they are officially free of cancer and no longer taking medication.  But, that doesn’t mean the recovery process is complete.  Lingering effects from the chemotherapy and total body radiation include GI disturbance and significant hair loss.  The most pervasive side effect of treatment, however, is tiredness, which can last for up to two months.

For Kristie, Angel’s post-BMT recovery time came as a surprise:  “Angel was put on bed rest for the first six weeks she was home, and we expected her to be sleepy and maybe a little off of her game, but she was like a zombie for the first three weeks and could only walk about a half of a block before getting tired.  But after week four, her energy level rebounded so rapidly that it was nearly impossible to keep her down.”

Promise of a Cure

Since bone marrow transplants are so new to veterinary medicine, long-term clinical results are not yet available, which can make it difficult to speak authoritatively about cure rates and average survival times.  However, for humans, the procedure results in a 50 to 60 percent cure rate in those with B-cell lymphoma, and if history is any indication, dogs could potentially enjoy a similar outcome, as they so often mirror humans when it comes to cancer treatments.  In the meantime, veterinary professionals and pet guardians alike can only marvel at the success they have seen so far in using this procedure with dogs.  But, as with humans, cure is not guaranteed, and some dogs will relapse.  While there is no exact way to know when a dog can be considered ‘out of the woods,’ according to Dr. Steven E. Suter, Medical Director of the Canine Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, “with all 4 dogs where the procedure did NOT work, they relapsed within about 3 1/2 months. So, my feeling is that if a patient makes it past this post-BMT timeframe, they will most likely be “cured” or very long-term survivors, remaining cancer free for 2 years or more.”

Barriers to Treatment

So, if such a highly effective treatment exists and could potentially save the lives of thousands of dogs each year, why aren’t bone marrow transplants becoming a standard treatment protocol for dogs with lymphoma?  The primary reason is that there are few medical facilities capable of offering this treatment option because they lack both the equipment and expertise.  North Carolina State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital is currently the only academic facility in the country performing BMT’s in a clinical setting with staff who have extensive experience using this technique.  Twenty seven dogs have already been treated at their facility, and their schedule is currently booked into January.  NCSU’s Dr. Suter is the hands-down expert in performing BMT’s on dogs, and the university has also hired the nation’s first BMT Fellow who will be working with Dr. Suter for the next year to learn all  about canine BMT’s.  Although there are a few private practices across the country that say they can perform the procedure, the fact is that they do not have the expertise or experience required to really make it a viable option for pet guardians.  As more cases are documented, however, and as additional vets gain experience using this technique and more facilities add leukophoresis machines to their cancer treatment centers, the hope is that BMT’s will become much more widely available in the next three to five years.

The second, and perhaps more obvious, reason that more pet guardians are not pursuing bone marrow transplants for their canine family members is the high cost of this procedure, which averages about $14,500.  If this sounds astronomical, it’s really quite a bargain.  For humans, a BMT can require up to six months of hospitalization and care, costing between $100,000 and $250,000 dollars.  While the goal is to eventually bring BMT’s for dogs into the $10,000 range, this is still a lot of money for most families, even if pet insurance covers a portion of the expenses.

For Angel’s family, coming up with so much money in just a few short months was very daunting, but also led them to a new calling.  To help raise money for Angel’s treatment, they established a website called Save-An-Angel.org and worked tirelessly to raise the $16,000 needed for her transplant.  “I was truly shocked by the kindness of people and their willingness to help us save Angel’s life,” says Kristie.  “My fear was that everyone would shun us, but the majority of people that we spoke to showed us nothing but love.”  Motivated by the many dedicated pet owners that they encountered who were facing similar situations and encouraged by the success of their own fundraising efforts, they eventually decided to turn Save-An-Angel into a full-fledged non-profit organization to educate and provide financial assistance for dogs with lymphoma who could benefit from a bone marrow transplant.  Save-An-Angel is currently hoping to have official non-profit status by the end of the year.

Angel Sullens: Cancer Survivor

Today, Angel is back to her old self — full of energy and cancer-free.  She’s also developed new-found confidence.  “Before Angel was diagnosed, she had a touch of anxiety,” says Kristie.  “But this experience has given her infinite strength and nerves of steel.”  Angel is back to enjoying long walks and playing with her brother, Romeo, at the park, and the hair that thinned so much during treatment has already grown back.  Along with her parents, Angel is now on a mission to educate others about the potential benefits of bone marrow transplants for dogs through Save-An-Angel and hopes to continue inspiring others with her success.

If your dog has recently been diagnosed with lymphoma, and you are interested in finding out if a transplant is right for your dog, contact the BMT Unit at North Carolina State University as soon after the diagnosis as possible.  Currently, the procedure is only being performed every two to three weeks, so it’s important to have your dog added to the schedule as early as possible.  For more information, call 919-513-6272 or visit http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/vth/clinical_services/onco/BoneMarrowTransplant.html .

To learn more about Save-An-Angel, and to find out how you can get involved, visit www.save-an-angel.org.

By 2009, though, the story of Vick’s dogs had become one of the most heartening of the decade. What made the difference? Mainly the dogs–the pit bulls. For despite what they’d been put through, despite being abused, trained as killers, or used as bait, once the decision was made not to euthanize them, they amazed the world with their remarkable resiliency.

Saving and rehabilitating the former fighting dogs of Michael Vick was not achieved without a battle, and not without the efforts of a lot of dog-loving, self-sacrificing humans. The dismal story, provided mainly by the dogs, showed that, no matter how bad a human messes them up, there’s still hope. So again, the species was teaching humans a lesson.

Vick’s former pit bulls have gone on to live in homes with young children, have become cherished pets, serve as therapy dogs and, in many cases, serve as examples of what is right with and special about the much-maligned breed.

One of the former Vick dogs, Johnny Justice, participates in Paws for Tales, which lets kids get more comfortable with their reading skills by reading aloud to dogs. Another of the dogs, Leo, spends three hours a week with cancer patients and troubled teens.

While experts were expecting that only 5 percent of Vick’s dogs could be rehabilitated, only two, initially, had to be put down. One was excessively violent, and the other was suffering from an irreparable injury. For the rest, though, there was hope, and no small amount of faith. Many more of the dogs seemed to have normal temperaments, but had simply never been socialized.

Rescuers argued from the start that rather than be condemned as a whole, the dogs should be individually assessed and treated — and this has turned out to be one of the great lessons of the Bad Newz dogs. Generalizations and preconceptions are as unhelpful and counterproductive for pit bulls as they are for humans.

People yawn when they are bored or sleepy. When we see our dogs yawn, we assume that their reason for yawning is pretty much the same as ours.

Commonly, dogs yawn because they are tired. Yawning is a precursor to sleeping, and dogs, like cats, sleep a lot. So, it is not unusual to see your dog yawning.

A dog will also yawn when he is bored. Most often, the dog will look at you with imploring eyes, yawn, and then flop to the ground. Your dog is most likely telling you, “Come on and play with me.”

A yawning dog with a tense and rigidly held body is a sign that the dog is nervous. The dog wants to please you, but doesn’t really know how. If you are training your dog and you notice him yawning, let up on the commands. Let your dog rest for a bit and encourage him with verbal praise.

Excitement is another reason that dogs yawn. Dogs in agility competitions are often seen yawning. This is the dog’s way of coping with the excitement. By yawning, the dog is preparing his body for the action.

Dog handlers know that yawning can energize, calm, and relax a dog. By yawning themselves, they can encourage the dog to yawn too.

If a dog yawns by curling his lips to expose his teeth and the gums above his teeth, you should back off. It is an indication that the dog is ready for a violent attack. If this is the case, look down, open your mouth a bit, and back off slowly.

On the other hand, if your dog’s mouth is relaxed and slightly open, with his tongue slightly visible or even draped over the lower teeth, this is his equivalent of the human smile. It means, “I am happy and relaxed.” If this is the case, your dog will probably be ready for just about anything.

What can you do to help get your dog’s fur loss under control? Keep brushing your dog. His hair is going to fall out anyway, so it’s best to remove it yourself and throw it away, rather than let the hair fall out all over you and your house.

Brushing your dog greatly reduces unwanted hair, especially during shedding season. Heavy shedding takes place twice a year– once in the spring and again in the fall. At this time, if you do not remove the shedding coat, you will most likely see it all over the place for about a month or so.

Shedding varies greatly from breed to breed. Some dogs appear not to shed, while others shed so much that you could make a blanket from their discarded fur.

Sometimes it can seem that your dog sheds all year round, and it’s actually possible! Shedding in dogs is influenced by the amount of time that they spend in the sunlight and by temperature changes. Year-round dog shedding typically occurs with indoor dogs because they have more insulation from extreme outside temperatures. Outdoor dogs usually shed their thick undercoat in the spring to prepare for warmer weather.

After you brush your dog’s hair, new hair will grow in, and then the cycle starts all over again!

That’s great news for the millions of adoptable shelter dogs that need homes all over America. One very common barrier to pet adoption is long hours spent at the office, so The Humane Society of the United States is tackling the problem of pet homelessness creatively, urging employers to implement programs that would allow dogs in the workplace.

“The more than 50 dogs that ‘work’ in The HSUS offices every day have been a huge boost that more companies should be enjoying,” says Jennifer Fearing of The HSUS.

To assist employers in implementing a dogs-at-work program, Humane Society Press, the publishing division of The HSUS, published a 202-page book, Dogs at Work: A Practical Guide to Creating Dog-Friendly Workplaces, the definitive guide to creating a business environment where employees’ dogs are welcome.

Scientists avoid the subject because part of what sets humans apart from the animals is our ability to experience feelings. To say that animals actually have feelings, in the same way we do, would change everything – perhaps disrupt our entire position and standing in the animal kingdom.

However, any dog owner knows that dogs love completely and have a greater capacity for love than most people. If one were to describe the main characteristics of a dog, they would have to be:

1.strong affection

2.warm attachment

3.unselfish loyalty and benevolent concern for others

Wait a minute – those are the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definitions of love. Probably why the author of Dogs Never Lie About Love, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson writes, “Dogs are love.” So there isn’t a question of whether dogs love; the mystery is how they have such an enormous capacity for it. Dogs who are neglected or abused still show love for their humans, and they wag their tails in hope of a little affection.

~petcentric

So what about dogs?  Everyone knows the rule about no chocolate for pups.  But did you know that  there are dozens of plants that are harmful for your canine friend? If you have a dog, avoid these toxic and dangerous plants: amaryllis, aconite, azalea, belladonna, buckeye, foxgloves, hyacinth, hydrangea, ivy, all species of lily, night shade, rhododendron, tulip, and yew.

Who would have thought that tulips were harmful?  I’ll be sure to mind my garden more carefully this year!