A Research Study to Help Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers are commonly used as working dogs. My beloved assistance dog, Morgan, was a Golden Retriever and he suffered from many illnesses as he aged. That’s why I was so excited to read about a research study to help Golden Retrievers in the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s DOG Watch publication, Volume 15, No. 5 May 2011.
They reported that the start of a major study of cancer in Golden Retrievers was announced at the North American Veterinary Conference earlier in 2011 in Orlando, FL
The Canine Lifetime Health Project is a 13-year study that’s intended to analyze cancer in Golden Retrievers. The Morris Animal Foundation created the project to learn how to prevent cancer and other canine diseases by determining genetic, nutritional, and environmental risk factors.
They want to enroll 2,500 Golden Retrievers between the ages of two and seven. The project has already received support from animal health companies like Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Pfizer Animal Health and Merial.
If you’d like more information, please visit www.morrisanimalfoundation.org and click on the “Major Health Campaigns” link under the “Our Research” tab. I can’t wait to hear the outcomes of this study.
Fourth Annual AVCO/Merial National Service Dog Eye Exam
Don’t forget that the Fourth Annual AVCO/Merial National Service Dog Eye Exam event is coming soon! Registration started April 1 and qualified service animals throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico can receive free eye checks throughout the entire month of May.
Eligible animals must be actively working and certified by a formal training program or organization or currently enrolled in one. The certifying organization can be national, regional, or local. Other service animals such as horses, cats, etc., can participate as long as they meet the qualifications. For more information visit: www.ACVOeyeexam.org.
The registration form is to be available online starting April 1.
The AVCO/Merial National Service Dog Eye Exam event is a philanthropic effort generously provided to the Service Dog public by the board certified veterinary ophthalmologists of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
The ACVO has teamed up with Merial the last several years to put on this event. They report that in 2010 the number of service dogs seen had more than doubled, with more than 3,200 dogs examined. Additionally the program saw an increase in the number of service horses examined. Not only were police horses examined in Louisville KY but the famous Golden Gate horse patrol benefited from ocular examinations. The event was featured on Good Morning America last year as well.
Have a story about your assistance dog and this event? The ACVO is asking you email your story to office11@acvo.org and include photos under 5MB if you have them.
I learned the importance of eye examinations several years ago when my retired service dog, Morgan, developed a degenerative eye condition and almost lost his eyes. Dr. Kennard, a veterinary ophthalmologist with Eye Care for Animals in Albuquerque, literally saved his eyes and his eyesight.
I called my veterinary ophthalmologist to register Whistle and to schedule his eye examination. I hope you will too!
Finding the Right Dogsitter is Critical for Retired Service Dog
One of the beauties of having a service dog is that your dog gets to go everywhere with you. That all changed when my service dog, Morgan, had to be retired. All of a sudden, I had to travel for work with my new service dog, Whistle, and Morgan was stuck at home with the cats.
Morgan has several health issues and he needs someone who is available to let him out regularly for toileting. He also has medical issues crop up unexpectedly, so he needs someone to keep an eye on him and to monitor his wellness.
As a result, I knew I had to find the right dogsitter to stay with him whenever we are traveling. As you probably know, this is no easy task. For years, we have had the same dogsitter, someone who is practically a member of our family. However, this year her other job caring for a woman who is elderly has become more intensive and she is no longer able to provide the level of dogsitting services that Morgan requires due to her commitment to this woman and her family.
So, I embarked on a quest to find another dog and housesitter that could provide Morgan with the care and companionship that he needed and deserved. I began by talking with friends who used dogsitters to seek referrals. I also checked the bulletin board at my vet’s office for business cards and people looking for dogsitting gigs.
I received several names and began contacting these individuals. First, I interviewed them on the telephone and discussed their experience and credentials. Next, I conducted a second interview with the top three candidates. I invited them into our home for a personal interview and to meet Morgan.
Each time we go on a trip, I leave explicit written instructions regarding Morgan’s daily routine, feeding, and medications. I reviewed this list with each candidate and discussed Morgan’s particular needs.
I also asked a variety of questions including:
- Do they have a reliable vehicle that they could use to take Morgan to the vet if necessary?
- Would they be spending each night in our home to care for Morgan?
- Would they be able to take him for a short walk each day?
- Could they understand his feeding and medication instructions? And, were they able to prepare his meals and maintain his daily routine?
- How had they handled emergency situations in the past? What types of situations had they responded to with other clients?
- Were they aware of our local Emergency Vet?
- Would they be dogsitting for any other clients while we were away?
- Did they have any animals of their own? And, if so, who was caring for them while they were dogsitting for Morgan?
These were just some of the questions that I discussed with each candidate.
The candidate that I eventually selected was very engaged. She actually had me complete an application and she interviewed me as intensely as I was interviewing her. I really appreciated her organization and seriousness regarding her dogsitting duties. Based on her questions, it was clear that she was experienced and passionate about the animals that were left in her care. She came to the interview on time and she was dressed professionally. She also questioned me about my vet, about taking Morgan out of our home for walks and emergency vet appointments, her expectations for payment, etc.
I was pleasantly surprised by her level of competence. When it came time for us to leave Morgan, I felt confident that she was up to the task and that he would be in good hands while we were away. I am happy to report that we are having a wonderful relationship with our new dogsitter and Morgan adores her.
On our last trip, she arrived as we were loading my van to leave for the airport. We said our good-byes and were off. I forgot something and we came back home for a brief moment. As I entered our family room, there she was, sitting on the couch with her laptop computer with Morgan nestled by her side. He appeared to be in utter bliss.
I was so overjoyed to see how much he truly enjoyed being with her and how comfortable the two appeared together. For me, having the right dogsitter has been critical to curb the guilt I feel each time I leave Morgan at home while Whistle and I go on another trip.
Of course I want to go look at the snake! I’m a dog!
NOTE: This is Whistle’s first blog post. Who knew he could write? Look for more posts from Whistle in the future. – Marcie Davis
My mom freaked out when she saw the big snake in the backyard this summer. I wasn’t even allowed to go outside to check it out! Bummer. I think it was just a bull snake, and they’re good guys who eat pests in the garden.
Just because she’s afraid of snakes, I’m not allowed to investigate! But I did hear her talking to my vet, Dr. Murt, at Eldorado Animal Clinic, and I guess it’s for my own good. Around the country, thousands of dogs get bitten by snakes every year. Out here in New Mexico, like many western states, we have rattlesnakes, plus other kinds of snakes around.
And well, yeah, I’ll admit it; even we working dogs aren’t always the smartest in our dealings with the slithery creatures. We just can’t help it! We’re curious, and just end up sticking our snout right into them sometimes, or poking at them with a paw. So I guess we can’t blame the snakes for being surprised and biting us.
The problem is, if you get bitten by a rattler or other poisonous snake, it is definitely an emergency situation. No ifs, ands or buts about it. You’ve got to get in to the vet, pronto. Even a non-venomous snake bite requires a vet visit, and fast!
So if you and your human partner might want to look into getting you the rattlesnake vaccine. Yeah, they have that now. It’s not on the main list like the distemper shot or anything, but you can get one. It doesn’t even cost that much. Just of fraction of the cost of the antivenom you’ll need if a rattler gets you. Man, that stuff is expensive!
Of course like any vaccination, there are some risks involved, but you have to weigh that against the risk of getting bitten without having been vaccinated. You need to look at your lifestyle. Are you often out in places where snakes live? Like hiking or camping in the desert or mountains, or brushy areas? Even golf courses (think roughs) are full of snakes.
Once you’re bitten, it’s hard to know how much venom was injected. And OK, this is gross, but snake venom can make it so your blood can’t coagulate. And then you can go into shock, and even die!
The rattlesnake vaccine was developed for the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. What we have here in Santa Fe is the Prairie rattler, similar enough that it seems to work. The vaccine stimulates your immune system so even if you’re bitten, the reaction won’t be as severe. You’ll still need to go to the vet right away, but your condition shouldn’t be nearly as bad.
At my vet’s office they said they’ve seen a lot of dogs get bitten and even seen a few die. They say that healing can be a long arduous process, depending on where you’re bitten and how much venom was injected. And, that rattlesnake bites can be very painful. Yikes!
You can get more info at Red Rock Biologics. I’m not the spokesdog for this company or anything, but just saying there’s some good info here, so check it out.
Big takeaway points here for you and your human partner: Try not to get bitten by a rattlesnake, but if you’re at risk, consider the rattler vaccine. Talk to your vet to help decide what you should do. If you do get bitten by any snake, get to the vet as fast as you can. Even if you think the snake was non-venomous, it’s an emergency. Well, I’d better get off the computer before my mom calls me. OK, bueno bye.
Hair, Hair Everywhere! Summer time shedding
One of the things that I still am trying to get used to is the abundance of dog hair that rests on my clothes, in the tires of my wheelchair, and all over our home. Some people are so deterred by the amount of hair that dogs shed that they choose not to have an assistance dog.
I consider myself borderline fastidious about the way I dress and maintain my home. So, the hair is somewhat of an issue that can’t be ignored. But, with some care, it is manageable. I try to be prepared by keeping lint brushes or lint removers in various locations throughout your home, vehicle and work space. And, I invested in a small handheld vacuum cleaner that enables me to quickly suck up the hair during the extreme summer months. Hair is simply a fact of living life with a service animal, but I consider it a small irritation that is heavily outweighed by the other benefits of having a service dog.
Summer time is upon us and I don’t know about other assistance dogs, but Whistle seems to be shedding more than usual. I think I just forgot how much he actually shed last year. Whistle gets groomed regularly and I try to brush him at least once a week. However, during this time of year, his shedding appears uncontrollable.
My husband, Franz, helped me brush Whistle this morning and there was so much hair on the ground, we could have collected it up and named it! It looked like another dog had joined us. What do you do to help your dog with shedding during the summer months?
