Sunday, January 29, 2012

The Search-and-Rescue Dogs of 9/11

Photographs by Charlotte Dumas of privately owned dogs who were mobilized, with their owners, to search for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. They are now retired. 

This was published a few months ago but I thought I'd share it for anyone who didn't see it.  I love working dogs!

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/08/14/magazine/14Mag-rescue-dogs.html

Daily Digital

Victor

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Channeling His Inner Hound

Channeling His Inner Hound - Video Library - The New York Times

As a proud owner of hounds I thought this video was cute!  However, I'm sure my boys would get the rabbit! 

Lucas and Juno: Special bond of a rescue dog and dying boy

Lucas and Juno: Special bond of a rescue dog and dying boy

Another reason why rescued dogs are the best!

Need to relinquish your pet & afraid of the stigma? HSHV assures that there is none when you do the right thing

Need to relinquish your pet & afraid of the stigma? HSHV assures that there is none when you do the right thing

If you need to give up your pet for any reason please do it responsibly. There are many options including the Humane Society, various rescue organizations, and animal hospitals just to name a few. There is no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed if you need to give up your pet. No one at any of these places will ever judge you.

Top Pet Name of 2011

Here's something kind of fun.  Banfield Pet Hospitals put together their list of patient names from their database, including over 780 hospitals across the country.

According to Banfield the 20 most popular dog and cat names in 2011:

Top 20 Dog Names
1. Bella
2. Max
3. Buddy
4. Daisy
5. Bailey
6. Lucy
7. Molly
8. Coco
9. Charlie
10. Rocky
11. Chloe
12. Maggie
13. Sadie
14. Princess
15. Sophie
16. Lucky
17. Roxy
18. Jack
19. Lola
20. Harley

Top 20 Cat Names
1. Kitty
2. Tiger
3. Bella
4. Kitten
5. Smokey
6. Max
7. Tigger
8. Shadow
9. Chloe
10. Lucy
11. Charlie
12. Oreo
13. Baby
14. Lucky
15. Buddy
16. Oliver
17. Jack
18. Simba
19. Princess
20. Angel

Did your animals make the list?

Daily Digital

Dreyfus

Friday, January 27, 2012

20-yr long dogfight operation shut down

20-yr long dogfight operation shut down, tipster gets $5K | abc7.com

We must continue to stand up and fight animal cruelty.  These types of crimes need much stiffer sentences.  Think about it this was going on for 20 years.  1 year of jail time is not nearly enough.  Support stronger laws - visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to keep up to date on dog fighting legislation in your state.

Daily Digital

Shhh...don't tell Dad!

Giardia

Keeping with the theme of water safety according to the CDC top 5 causes of drinking water outbreaks are: 


  1. Giardia
  2. Shigella
  3. Norovirus
  4. Hepatitis A
  5. Copper


What is Giardiasis?


Giardiasis is a diarrheal disease caused by a protozoan parasite Giardia that is infectious to both humans and pets.  Giardiasis usually affects dogs, particularly puppies, but can occur in cats.  It's not so much that Giardia is passed directly from animals to humans, but both come into contact with the same contaminiated water source.  Many dogs pick it up from puddles at the dog park (which is why I'm always telling Dreyfus not to drink from the puddles!).  People get giardia by drinking contaminated water or ice, swallowing water while swimming, eating uncooked food that’s contaminated.   


Once a person or animal has been infected the parasite lives in the intestine and is passed in feces.




Clinical signs


Most common clinical sign in both dogs and humans is diarrhea, which can be either mild or severe.  Other symptoms include gas, nausea/vomiting, abdominal cramps and dehydration. In dogs usually the diarrhea goes away on its own and the pet is fine, but severe cases can cause weight loss and general lethargy.  In people symptoms can last 2 to 6 weeks.


Contact your health car provider if you think you or your pet may have giardiasis.


Diagnosis


The infection is diagnosed with a fecal examination.




Treatment 


Treatment in dogs with typically includes metronidazole and a broad spectrum dewormer called fenbendazole.  If the pet is severely dehydrated from the diarrhea, fluid therapy may be necessary.  Most pets don’t become seriously ill because of Giardia, so the prognosis is almost always good. However, if the pet has an underlying disease giardiasis can cause a more serious infection.  However, even these animals typically recover with slightly more intensive treatment.


In people there are many prescription drugs available to treat giardiasis please contact you physician. 


Prevention

  • Good hygiene – hand washing
  • Avoid drinking water that may be contaminated 
    • Use a water purification method such as boiling, filtration, or iodine treatment before drinking surface water
  • Avoid eating food that may be contaminated
  • Prevent contact with contaminated feces


Environmental and Dog Decontamination


I do recommend environmental decontamination for any dog that has been infected with giardia.  The most effective disinfectant is bleach diluted 1:32 in water which required less than one minute of contact time to kill Giardia cysts.  

If your dog does become infected, it is important for your pet to be bathed at the completion of treatment and retested to minimize the potential for reinfection of the pet and of the humans in the house.  Once again good hygiene, such as washing one's hands after handling the infected pet or its waste and prompt disposal of feces, is the key to prevention. 


Dog vaccine?

 A Giardia vaccine is on the market but not to prevent infection.  Instead to be used as an adjunct to treatment and reduce the shedding of cysts.

The 2006 American Animal Hospital Association Guidelines list this vaccine as not recommended.