Hail To A Fallen Hero

As reported by TBO.com, black Labrador Retriever Marley spent a 9 year career as a search and rescue dog, with tours of duty that included crawling and sniffing through the World Trade Center ruins after 9/11, and performing her duties amidst the destruction of 8 different hurricanes. According to Marley’s owner and handler, Captain Mark Bogush, no matter how devastating and challenging the scene, Marley approached her job with a nose that never quit, and with a singular focus to find survivors.

As the 12 year old dog layed on a table at an animal hospital suffering from bloat (and what I am assuming were likely severe complications arising from that, but the TBO.com reporting did not get into details) was given a 50% chance of surviving emergency surgery. For Captain Bogush, the answer was clear, to say goodbye to his heroic companion and coworker, and let her go in peace by euthanasia, at her side, stroking her as she parted from this earth.

As a trainer of search and rescue dogs, Captain Bogush maintained that he spent years preparing himself for the possibility Marley could suffer a fatal injury in a disaster area. Still, the decision to euthanize Marley was almost too painful to bear. “It tore your heart out,” he stated. “I’m sure I was blabbering at the time. It was hard to see her through the tears.”

A friend had asked Bogush at a party if he wanted a dog because a young black Lab was damaging his friend’s house. The friend had a newborn infant and did not have the time or patience to train the likes of a destructive Labrador puppy named Marley.

After Bogush saw Marley literally dragging his friend’s wife as she tried to walk her, the fire rescue captain knew he had witnessed a trait essential for all search and rescue dogs: high energy. Captain Bogush had just joined Tampa Fire Rescue’s first urban search and rescue team. Another dog, Jessie, was already under search and rescue training by Lt. Roger Picard. Bogush did not know if Marley would develop the skills to work along with Jessie. He began her training slowly, by first taking a favorite toy and throwing it into thick brush. “If she doesn’t quit, that’s a good search dog,” Bogush stated. “She searched and searched until she found that goofy little toy. She was a lucky find.”

The next step was to have another person go and hide in possession of the toy. Shortly thereafter, Marley treated search and rescue like a game of hide-and-seek. Captain Bugush truly felt that Marley’s main motivation for searching for people amidst the World Trade Center rubble, was the idea that someone may “pop up and play with her,” Bogush mused.

Marley had been retired from search and rescue for three years at the time of her passing. Although she never found a single survivor in her career, it was her tenacity that saved firefighters precious time and energy that she is most remembered for according to Captain Bogush.

Marley will be remembered by those who loved her and had the privilege to work with her, as a pioneer, a friendly, outgoing dog who licked children’s faces in pediatric care units and, even through her retirement, a dog who still kept on sniffing for snacks or treats.

Bogush stated, “The nose was her biggest quirk. That nose never stopped working.”

I salute you Marley, and the thousands of service dogs like you, for in the short years you spend on this earth, you most certainly make it a better place!

Florida Couple Has Deceased Dog Cloned

5 years ago, Nina and Edgar Otto of Boca Raton, Florida, lost their beloved yellow Labrador, Lancelot. According to a recent Associated Press article from January 28, 2009, deeply saddened by the loss of their Lancelot, the Ottos had samples of his DNA frozen, guessing that some day dog cloning would be available. Just 10 weeks ago, their wish came true, as a biotech company known as BioArts International successfully cloned Lancelot (the 10 week old puppy clone is named Lancelot Encore) for the mere low price of $155,000. Lancelot Encore is genetically identical to Lancelot the first.

While the scientific achievement is remarkable, the ethical question remains if this should be done. For animal rescue workers, they would likely view spending $155,000 on a dog as rediculous, with shelters overflowing with dogs in need of homes (many of which are pure bred Labrador Retrievers). To people of faith, they may feel that this crosses the line into playing God, with science attempting in an indirect way to cheat death.

There is also the question of whether the cloned dog is the same as the original dog. Although they are genetically identical, the cloned dog will ungergo, even with the same owners, uniquely different sets of experiences that may lead to this dog being an individual pet, separate and distinct from the original dog. From a faith perspective, does this dog have the same soul as the original dog (I am a person of faith who refuses to accept that our pets do not have souls)?

These implications of the Ottos’s choice to have their deceased dog cloned, are very subjective and difficult to ponder from any perspective. I do not agree with their choice, but my disagreement has little to do with animal rescue or faith. For me, this circumstance reminds me of my previous blog post, “Oh Bernie, My Bernie,” an article that deals with pet loss, using my own personal experience of the loss of my beloved Yellow Lab, Tiffany, to get my point across. For this topic, the following excerpt from my article seems to be the most relevent:

The point of this story is that I see owners everyday devastated by the passing of their beloved pet. They feel as I did after Tiffany’s passing, that they will never bond with another animal like the one that have just lost. They are correct that it will never be the same, but make no mistake, when the time is right, there will be other great animals in your life that you will love for a completely different set of reasons, yet with a sense of fulfillment of the same magnitude.

Obviously comsumed with a sense of loss, it seems that the Ottos either could or would not understand this sentiment, and so chose to instead attempt to relive the past. I understand their desire to do so, but the past is behind us for a reason, to carry memories of and learn from, but not to try to relive. In any endeavor, when we try to relive the past, we are almost always met with disappointment and the realization that we were different people in the past, and what sustained us then, simply is not appropriate in the present.

It has been 2 1/2 years since my loss of Tiffany, and I still miss her dearly, as if I left a part of me behind. As much as I will always miss my dog, I realize that Tiffany was the right dog that came at the right time for that period of my life. The right dog for my present journey is my current Yellow Lab, Bernie. It took me a little while to accept, but since this realization hit me, I have been enjoying every moment of our ride together since – not any better or any worse than the journey I enjoyed with Tiffany; just different. I love Tiffany and will always miss her, but even if I had $155,000 to throw away, I would not even netertain the idea of having her cloned.

While I know that the Ottos actions, however misguided, were born out of the memory of the joy and love they experienced with Lancelot the first, they would have done better for themselves to move on from the past, and engage in a future with an enitirely new dog.

Oh Bernie, My Bernie

As those of you who were members of my website’s message boards or readers from the beginning, you would recall when I experienced the very deep loss of my beloved yellow lab July 31, 2006. Because of the transient life I spent with this dog as my education and career took me all over the country and even out of the country, the loss of Tiffany was all the more devastating, as places and people were frequently different, Tiffany was always my one constant.

Two weeks before Tiffany’s passing, a 5 month old yellow lab had come into my clinic an dinto my life with a severely multiply fractured front arm, one the owners at the time could scarcely afford to have repaired. We subsequently had the owners sign the puppy over to us for the clinic to be financially and medically responsible for the necessary surgery and follow up care. The original plan was to foster him and once the recovery was complete, to place him with a nice family – for the time being, we named him Bernie.

After my Tiffany died, plans slowly began to change. While Bernie was a beautiful, playful, affectionate puppy, the loss of Tiffany was so fresh and very distressing, I harbored the feeling that I would never again have a dog like her, and I would at least need time to grieve before I could give my all to a new dog. As such, I felt it was not fair to keep Bernie, offering him a life where he would always be compared to Tiffany, possibly not giving him love from the depth of my being that a dog as sweet as he deserved.

However, during the physical therapy period of his recovery, Bernie developed such a passionate love, attachment, and loyalty to me, that it moved me a great deal. My wife told me that his bond with me was in fact not a gradual process, but pretty much immediate from the first day we brought him home – I was just too wrapped up in the sadness of watching my ailing Tiffany decline, then stricken by the grief of her death, to notice. At this realization, I knew full well that Bernie was going nowhere else, that he had in fact found his home with us, for me to begin a new chapter of my life, with a different dog.

I still went on with the expectation that Bernie had some very big shoes to fill. As it turns out, however, he never really filled Tiffany’s shoes at all, but created his own pair to fill. While he possessed the core traits of the Labrador Retriever that I love – no leash necessary as they naturally stay at your side, very trainable, gentle, passionate water dogs, etc – he was nothing like Tiffany. Where Tiffany was very refined and regal, Bernie is a bit uncoordinated and awkward. Where Tiffany was highly intelligent, Bernie is definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed (I refer to him as my little Forrest Gump). While Tiffany was very deliberate, Bernie is a happy go lucky goofball.

The point of this story is that I see owners everyday devastated by the passing of their beloved pet. They feel as I did after Tiffany’s passing, that they will never bond with another animal like the one that have just lost. They are correct that it will never be the same, but make no mistake, when the time is right, there will be other great animals in your life that you will love for a completely different set of reasons, yet with a sense of fulfillment of the same magnitude.

As for my Bernie, I understand that he is a great gift that was presented to me at a time when I needed him the most. He is 86 pounds of unconditional, goofy love, and treats my 7 month old son with such a profound gentleness that it is moving to see. I would not trade him for the world.

Bernie When We First Rescued Him

Bernie now

Recharge My Batteries

As newly graduated veterinarians, we possess an eagerness to practice and take on cases that is akin to a child with a brand new bicycle. Getting up for work every day is a joy, not seen as simply a job, but a new opportunity to help animals and their families that love them, while embracing the challenge to utilize our intellect and training to achieve this to the best of our abilities. Following the first couple of years after having seen many of the same kinds of ailments, disease patterns, and of course, having administered countless vaccines, and only being stimulated with novel and challenging cases on occasion, that initial excitement begins to give way to the feeling that being a vet really is a job after all. Rather than wake up every morning with an eagerness of a new graduate, one simply says, “I have to go to work.” I do not care how ambitious, focused, grateful, or compassionate one may be, no one, including myself, is immune to these feelings. The good news is that there is a cure.

I just returned from the North America Veterinary Conference (NAVC) in Orlando, FL, a yearly conference like others of its kind, consists of symposiums and seminars offering the latest and greatest diagnostic and disease management techniques. On a social level, the conference offers functions and receptions to re-connect with old classmates, while forging new networks with other veterinarians. There is a great big exhibit hall that enables us to browse new products and equipment, offering the potential to carry the best products and replace dated equipment.

All of this serves to keep us current with the best tools and knowledge to optimally treat our patients. Learning once again makes us excited to forge ahead and apply new skills and knowledge, and watch our patients reap the benefits. Seeing old classmates reminds us of a time when we endured being stressed out, broke, and tired all the time, guided solely by the notion that one day we may be able to have the career of our dreams. It is like being reborn again as newly graduated veterinarians, only far more experienced, but no less excited for and grateful for what we get to do.

My batteries have been recharged once again for yet another year. Whether it is this conference, the Las Vegas conference, or any other, I plan to keep my passion alive by attending a conference every year for as long as I practice veterinary medicine. I deserve it, my staff deserves it, and most importantly, my patients and clients deserve it.

Pet Resolutions

Another New Year has arrived and as with every New Year, many of us like to set resolutions for ourselves to better ourselves in one way or another, whether it be financially, health wise, st4ive to be better parents, better spouses, etc. One good resolution to consider would be optimal care of one’s pets. Our pets did not choose to be adopted by us, we chose them, and as such, we should never forget that having chosen them to accompany us on their journey through life, it is our duty to care for them as best as we are able, providing the best possible shelter, food, health care, and of course, love and affection.

Unfortunately, so many pet owners forget their duty they took on when they chose to have a pet in the first place, and let one or more of their responsibilities slack, with health care being among the first to lessen with time. Many pet owners begin by feeding the cheapest, worst quality, bargain basement food they can find, then progress to failing to provide yearly stool and heartworm testing for intestinal parasites and heartworm disease, respectively. Especially dangerous, without heartworm testing, patients cannot be placed on prevention, leaving them susceptible to a very serious and potentially debilitating disease.

Many of my clients even decline all other vaccines with the exception of rabies, the one required by state law – and if not for the law, I would wager that many of these types of pet owners would not even get that!

Now, I know that we are in the midst of tough economic times, and I am not suggesting that one put one’s self or one’s family in financial jeopardy in order to provide the family pet with the gold standard pet food and health care. I truly sympathize with those that have to make the choice between optimal health care for their pet, and financial security for their family. However, if you can afford going the extra mile for your pet, but to do so may require going without an occasional luxury or two, by all means, do it! Your pet should be more important than that flat screen high definition television you’ve been wanting since you saw one at your buddy’s house.

Few things disappoint me more than people opting for only bare minimum yearly requirements as per state law, yet are sporting an expensive watch, purse, or drive away in some luxury car. It is clear to me where the family pet fits on the list of priorities for people like this. My question for people of this ilk is, “If your animal is of such little importance to you, why did you adopt him in the first place??”

Still, I see so many that have very little, but what they have, they allocate toward providing their pets the best possible care, and feeding the best quality pet food. This New Year, we should all try to aspire to do our best to be a little more like them.

Happy New Year everyone, and thank you for another year of reading and participating in my blog, and Web-DVM in general!

T’is the season for dietary indiscretion

When our little furry critters eat less than wholesome, harmful, or obstructive items that subsequently make them sick, we call it dietary indiscretion. At no other time in the year are dietary indiscretion cases more common for both canines and felines, than the holiday season from Thanksgiving though New Years Day.

Case in point, to date since Thanksgiving, 2008, I have surgically removed turkey neck vertebra from a canine esophagus, a lobster claw from a canine small intestine, an ornament hook from a canine stomach, a sponge from a canine stomach, and a 6 inch section of yarn removed from a feline colon. In addition, while I cannot recall the exact number of vomiting and diarrhea cases I have treated in this time period due to owner feeding of rich holiday food, or pets being naughty and getting into holiday food or garbage, off the top of my head, I have treated at least 50 cases.

Therefore, in my final post of 2008, I implore all pet owners to be vigilant in keeping holiday food, ornaments, and garbage out of the reach of pets. I also strongly recommend resisting the temptation to allow pets to partake in the indulging of rich holiday food – while this may provide a moment of intense pet gratification, the negative consequences can last longer and be far more costly than the reward.

Wishing you and your families, including the furry ones, peace and happiness through this holiday season, and a happy New Year!

Pet Health Insurance Rising In Bad Economy

With the average American’s earning potential continuing to decrease in the current economic downturn, while veterinary costs steadily increasing nonetheless, pet health insurance has become more popular among pet owners, according to an article in Veterinary Practice News. Per the article, Pet Health Insurance premium sales this year have increased by 100,000 – 150,000 policies written from previous years nationwide. The article went on to cite a report that indicates that the pet health insurance industry is forcasted to grow by 25%-35% annually over the next 5 years.

From a veterinarian’s perspective, this trend generally speaking is a poositive for the veterinary industry, but there are still some aspects that concern me. On one hand, quality pet health coverage helps pet owners pay for necessary veterinary care in the untimely incidence of pet illness or injury. Sick animals do not have to go without treatment because of financial constraints, and we get to perform our jobs to the best of our ability, unhampered by owner financial constraints. On the other hand, however, not all pet insurance companies are quality, and some pet owners are bound to get duped into purchasing premiums that ultimately do not fulfill expectations.

The solution for pet owners is to properly research pet health insurance companies before committing to a policy. Utilize consumer reporting agencies such as the better business bureau, and ask fellow pet owners and people in the pet care industry, such as groomers, trainers, and breeders, if they have pet health insurance preferences.

With more pet owners inquiring about pet insurance and veterinary clinics encouraging quality pet health insurance to help pet owners offset vet costs, many veterinarians are increasingly keeping a close eye on the industry, getting a solid feel for which pet health insurance companies are of good quality, and which ones should be avoided. This may make your vet a good source of pet health insurance company information and reputation.

Overall, I think that pet health insurance with a quality company under the current industry structure (re-reimbursement for vet costs remaining a matter directly between the owner and the insurance company with no veterinary clinic billing responsibilities), is a good idea for pet owners that do not think they could financially handle a sudden work-up and treatment regimen for their pet, that these days could approach a few to several thousands of dollars. A pet health insurance policy with a reputable company could be the difference in having to make the tough choice of choosing between the financial the stability of your family and saving the life of your beloved family pet.

We Love Lucy

About three months ago, a very nice lady brought in a 6 year old Labrador Retriever named Lucy to be put to sleep. The lady was agonizing over her decision to put Lucy down, because she had belonged to her best friend that had recently passed away in his sleep. The lady’s friend told us that Lucy’s owner had very little money, but whatever he had, he put into the care of his dog, cherishing his canine companion above everything else in life.

After he died, this friend of Lucy’s deceased owner felt it was her obligation to take Lucy in both out of respect for the owner, as well as for the sake of a dog who had just lost her companion. However, once the lady’s landlord caught wind of the fact that she had a dog in her home, he went ballistic, threatening to evict her on the spot due to his no dog policy. After she pleaded with him to make an exception to his rule given the special circumstances, the landlord did not budge, telling her that the eviction proceedings would begin immediately if she did not get rid of the dog.

Having no money to relocate, having no friends or family to take Lucy, and a cold hearted landlord that would not even grant her some time to seek other arrangements, the lady was left with two choices, either bring Lucy to the county shelter, or have her put to sleep. She chose the latter because of the fact that, although she was decently healthy, Lucy was middle aged, had very bad teeth, had chronic recurring allergic skin infections, and as such she felt that her chances of getting adopted were slim. She was unfortunately correct in her assumptions, and thought of her sitting in the strange setting of an animal shelter after having spent her life loved and doted on by her deceased owner, only to be put to sleep when nobody adopted Lucy was too heartbreaking for her to consider.

We were all devastated about the situation as well, and the fact that Lucy was a wonderfully sweet dog, made it all the more heart wrenching. With every one of us having reached our capacity in the number of animals we have adopted through the years, however, it did not look good for our ability to help Lucy and her new guardian. With very heavy hearts, we moved forward with getting the paperwork signed and the necessary injections drawn up.

At the last moment, one of my technicians, Melanie, overcome with tears, despite being already overburdened with rescue animals in her home, asked me if she would take the dog, would I spay her, repair her teeth, and treat her skin. To this I did not hesitate in telling her emphatically, “Absolutely!”

At this, we were overjoyed to enter the room and tell Lucy’s guardian that there was a home for her, complete with a dedication to get her properly spayed and manage her ailments. The nice lady who had taken Lucy in on behalf of her deceased friend, was elated, relieved, and overjoyed. Although still grieving for the loss of her beloved friend, at least now she could engage in the grieving process without the guilt of knowing that her circumstances would not permit her to help the one thing her friend held dear in life.

Since then, Lucy has been spayed, her teeth repaired, and her skin comfortable and managed with appropriate medications. She is thriving in Melanie’s home, getting on well with her assortment of rescues animals, and proving to be one of the best dogs Melanie ever had. Although Melanie’s house is even more crowded than ever with rescue animals, she does not regret her decision to keep Lucy at all.

Just last week, a regular client of ours came in with his dog for a routine yearly, thanking us for helping the dog of “Sam, the one man band.” As his name indicates, Sam was a one man musical act that performed some of the local pubs in the area, and was known by a select few pub goers, as a talented musician, as well as a kind and personable man who lived for his dog, Lucy. Only months after Sam’s death when a few of his fans had wondered about his absence from the pubs, had they had learn of his circumstances. Their first concern being for Lucy, the one cherished treasure in Sam’s life, all who knew him were relieved and moved to know that she had found a special home.

A heartwarming tale we can enjoy for the holidays.

Lindsay Lohan PETA’s Latest Target

I wrote an article about the animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), explaining how I have mixed emotions about the group. On one hand, their existence keeps those who engage in animal cruelty on notice, and often their work exposes legitimate animal abuse. On the other hand, however, sometimes some of their more extreme members can engage in controversial, odd, or in a few cases, even violent behavior, that hurts their credibility and imparts on them a aura of extremism.

The Daily Dish of SFGate.com reported on a recent incident where PETA has recently made news. According to The Daily Dish, as mink stole adorned Lindsay Lohan entered a Paris night club on Saturday night, November 15, 2008, an anti-fur activist pelted the actress with a large sac of flour and covered her with its contents. Aside from the humiliation of being dowsed in flour and having to rush to the bathroom to clean up, Lindsay was unharmed.

The Daily Dish article did not reveal if the anti-fur activist was affiliated with PETA, but PETA Europe’s Robbie LeBlanc quickly applauded the attack, stating, “There is nothing remotely fashionable about the torture and death of animals killed for fur. Lindsay Lohan might be able to ignore images of bloody animals skinned alive for their pelts, but we hope a dash of flour will help her rise to the occasion and forsake fur once and for all.” This seems to indicate that there could be a connection between PETA and the flour bomber.

When I first heard of this, I must admit that my first reaction was to have a pretty good chuckle, both because of the absurd nature of the incident, and because I am no fan of fur garments. However, I will concede that my dislike of fur could be fairly criticised as carrying and air of hypocrisy, since I do wear leather shoes and belts as well as favor leather seats in my cars. My only justification for this is that my skins come from animals that are already being slaughtered for food, and whether you buy into this justification, I do not approve of the killing of animals simply for their fur, although my use of leather certainly disqualifies me from being an anti-fur activist.

What should be clear to any rational person is, while a stance against the wearing of furs can be viewed as a humane and justified opinion, behavior like this is not the way to get the message out. Pelting Lindsay Lohan with a sac of flour will not likely cause her to rethink her wearing of furs, and to many people, these actions will cause people to view anti-fur people as kooky extremists rather than legitimate activists.

A better, more credible way to denounce Lindsay Lohan’s choice of animal fur wardrobe, would have been to use blogs and other multimedia to bring attention to the fact that Ms. Lohan is setting a bad example in their opinion, of advocating the killing of animals for the purpose of harvesting their furs. In presenting this case in a more civilized fashion, perhaps Ms. Lohan would have suddenly seen the light and realized the implications of what she was wearing and pronounced that she would no longer wear animal furs. Perhaps she would have done this just for the sake of eliminating the potentially bad press.

Even if she had not responded at all, taking a higher road may have led many to be sympathetic to their cause, whereas following the flour bomb, there are probably more people that dismiss the actions of this PETA linked anti-fur activist as extreme, uncivilized, and mean spirited.

Roger Welton, DVM
Founder, WebDVM.net

Pets in the White House as American as apple pie.

Barack Obama, per his election victory speech promise to his daughters, will be carrying on the time honored tradition of pets in the White House. While this tradition has recently gained notoriety, probably due to our current historically peak levels of per capita household pet ownership, as well as ever expanding mass media, pets cohabiting with the first family in the White House is nothing new or even recent.

George Washington began the pet tradition as first President of the United States, as he kept with him one of his famed and beloved Revolutionary War steeds, Nelson, as well as an array of many other prized horses. Our first first lady had with her a cherished parrot.

Abraham Lincoln had an assortment of pets in the White House that included a pig, a turkey named Jack, and a dog named Jip. Not to be outdone, Theodore Roosevelt had a collection of pets that dwarfed that of honest Abe, including Algonquin, a calico pony, Pete, his favorite bull terrier, along with several other canines. President T. Roosevelt also had a Macaw named Eli Yale, as well as a lion, hyena, wildcat, coyote, five bears, two parrots, zebra, barn owl, snakes, lizards, rats, roosters, and raccoon.

Calvin Coolidge also had a literal zoo-like array of pets at the White House, which included as many as 12 dogs, several exotic bird species, two cats, a bear, a donkey, a wallaby, a bobcat, a bear, and a pigmy hippo.

Recently, our nation has become quite familiar with the Clinton’s famous chocolate lab, Buddy, as well as President GW Bush’s well known Scottish Terriers, Miss Beasley and Barney (who recently made headlines for biting a reporter).

A Presidential display of adoration of animals sets an example of compassion, illustrates the human animal bond at the highest level, and sets the bar high for responsible pet ownership. While we are still very much a work in progress in reaching optimal animal welfare standards as a nation, Presidential pets remind us that the majority of Americans are compassionate people, capable of selfless love and respect for animals.

I am please to know that Barack Obama and the first family elect will continue this endearing tradition.

For more indepth Presidential pet information, please refer to my primary source for the information contained in this post, the Presidential Pet Museum.

Roger Welton, DVM
Founder, Web-DVM.net