Extreme Makeover-Animal Style

As a member of the veterinary community, I have made an effort over the years to support the local animal adoption agencies.  This has ranged from serving on boards of directors to hands on animal care to attending fundraising events.  I recently had an opportunity  to help out a local shelter in a more extreme manner by joining forces with fellow employees from P&G Pet Care to do a shelter makeover.  Now this wasn’t quite like the popular TV show with the handsome Ty Penningtion rather it was Extreme Makeover:  Shelter Edition.  We didn’t tear down the structure and build a new one in 8 hours or send the staff on an all expense paid vaction  but we did make huge positive impact on the facility  with our many efforts.   P&G has sponsored a makeover of an animal adoption facility in Southwest Ohio yearly for the past 4 years.  P&G donates a matching contribution of $25,000 and lots of volunteers who do a one day face lift of the facility.  The volunteers are all employees of the Pet Care division who take time away from their busy day job to improve the lives of the animals coming through the facility, help increase adoptions by making it a pleasant environment for potential adopters and improve the work environment for the staff and volunteers who tirelessly care for the orphans who need lifesaving help.  The  lucky recipient this year was Humane Society of Greater Dayton (HSGD) in Dayton, Ohio.

Paws for a Cause 2011 got underway bright and early on a beautiful September morning.  We lucked out as the weather earlier in the week was cold and rainy and the forecast for the next day was rain.  Overall, there were about 175 P&G Pet Care employees that descended on the scene to offer up their talents and makeover the building of 17 years.  Projects for the day included painting wall murals, landscaping, installation of agility equipment in the dog parks, cleaning around the exterior of the building, and installation of a patio and new cabinetry inside.  It was really amazing to watch the transformation of the site throughout the day.  Everyone was clearly on a personal mission to ensure the work was completed before the day ended.    Of course, there were lots of folks taking breaks to stop and visit the adoptable dogs and cats.  After all, the animals were the reason we were there.
The mission of HSGD is “building loving relationships between people and pets.”  I think this syncs up well with the mission of P&G Pet Care which is “to enhance the health and well-being of more dogs and cats.”  Together we can enhance the lives of both people and animals by joining forces to promote pet adoption through shelters and then maintain their health with exceptional nutrition once they are adopted.  We are a pet passionate group of people.  Events like this bring out that passion and help remind us why we are in the animal business.  We came away with the satisfaction that we contributed to the community and made a difference in the lives of people and the animals.  A day of sweat and sore muscles the next is little price to pay to help the orphans needing homes. 
Adopt from your local shelter or rescue, you will be saving a life.  

The troops are arriving.


  

Before…..



After!

  


The patio project



Take me home!
The new agility course.



One of the many artists.





Hangin’ with the dogs





Happy Cat Month 2011

I was hoping to get this post written earlier in the month to help kick off Happy Cat Month, but as usual the days have gotten away from me so I’m determined to get it in today before the month is behind us.  For me and likely others who are cat people, we consider every month Happy Cat Month.  We understand the importance of keeping our cats happy. Cats have a way of making you very aware when they are unhappy and they are usually not shy about sharing their true feelings!  On a more serious note though, Happy Cat Month is more than just keeping a smile on your cat’s face. 
Happy Cat Month is a movement “dedicated to finding ways to keep our feline friends happy, healthy and purring all year long.”  It is supported by CATalyst Council, which is a national initiative comprised of animal health and welfare organizations and corporations to champion the cat. Recent statistics released by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) show an increase in the cat population coupled with a decline in veterinary visits for cats which is quite disheartening.
Despite the popularity of cats as household companions, they don’t seem to get the same respect that dogs do when it comes to healthcare.  I saw it time and again when I was in practice, the cat that had lived in the household as a loved pet but had not been to the vet for any healthcare since it was a kitten.  Sadly, the cat was now a geriatric with multiple, serious health issues. I heard countless reasons from owners why this occured including everything from “I didn’t want to stress him out” to “he’s never been sick before so why take him.”  Anyway, like their counterpart the dog, cats require annual care too.  The most important reason is to have the annual exam.  This gives the veterinarian an opportunity to look at the teeth, listen to the heart and assess for any other significant health problems.  This may also include vaccines, blood work, or a fecal exam  all of which are usually tailored to the cats lifestyle and age.  Cats do develop dental disease (sometimes requiring tooth extraction), heart disease, and arthritis.  Cats are also experts at hiding when they are sick which can lead to life threatening illness if not caught right away.  Conditions identified early can often be treated with a good outcome and significant improvement to the cat’s welfare.  There are several other factors that play a part in a cat’s happiness as well. The environment, enrichment, stress, etc. can all have an affect on the daily life of a cat.  As a cat owner, it is important to understand the multifaceted approach to keeping a cat happy throughout it’s life. 
The AVMA and CATalyst put together a great video discussing important tips on keeping your cat healthy and happy. 

In addition to offering tips about cat health and advice to keep them happy, the Council is encouraging anyone without a cat to adopt from a local shelter.  Celebrate Happy Cat Month by saving a life and enriching yours!
 
Additional Happy Cat Month resources:
10 Tips on Making Cats Happy
Cats & Carriers: Friends not Foes
Cats Enrich Our Lives
Adopt Cats in Pairs

The Rescuer

I suppose it’s not a big surprise that my life and career has revolved around animals.  I am pretty sure the “animal crazy” gene is embedded deep in our family DNA somewhere.  Although I am the only one who has taken on a career caring for animals, the rest of my family are all long time animal lovers and  have had pets most of their lives.  But there is one family member in particular I would like to pay tribute to here. My Aunt Patty has rescued and cared for orphaned animals needing TLC and often times signficant medical care and expense to keep them going. She goes above and beyond and is selfless when it comes to caring for the creatures in need.  In addition to rescue and care, these lucky animals usually land a forever home with her.   

I know there are countless animals she has saved over the years.  I’m certain  that I don’t hear about most of them but there are a few that are top of mind for me. Her rescues are not limited to dogs and cats; if an animal needs help, she is committed. They all have a story that lead to their resuce.  Living in a rural area, most are stray animals that are hungry needing food and a warm place to sleep while some are babies or have found themselves in harm’s way needing more extensive care.  Fencer is the first animal I remember her saving.  She was a young dog they found hung up in a fence with a severely injured rear leg.  Ultimately, the leg needed amputation due to the severity of the injury.  Patty nursed her back to health and Fencer then lived out the rest of her life as the family pet.  She was a lucky dog who despite her rough beginning, lived a long, happy life well into her teens.  Others rescues of interest are the baby crow “Buzz” that she fed into adulthood who would sit on the back porch with them during the summer, the baby raccoon who’s mother was killed on the road,  and the dairy calf who was born blind with a severe infection and not fit for life on a dairy farm. They are not all happy endings but there is no doubt that during their time with her, they are loved and well cared for. 

When I graduated from vet school, I took a job nearly 3 hours away from my family.  Unfortunately this distance does not allow me to help much with veterinary care for the family pets or the rescued animals that Patty takes on.  I did have the opportunity to visit a couple weeks ago and see her most recent rescues and examine a couple of them.  She has an area in the basement that she calls the “hospital”.  It is a dedicated area where she nurses the sick ones back to health and closely monitors her geriatric pets.  Her most recent cat rescue was a kitten “that blew in with the last storm”.  He showed up starving and flea infested at the back door during a thunder storm.  I’m happy to report he is making a speedy recovery and counting his lucky stars he found her back door.  I don’t want to forget her husband Duane.  Duane is a long time animal lover as well and shares in the care of the creatures great and small that they bring into their lives. 

There are thousands and thousands of selfless people who participate in animal rescue every day.  They are all heroes and should be recognized as such.  This is my way of recognizing a true hero in my family who continues to open her doors to helpless beasts needing  her loving care. 

The Screamin’ Eagles

This past weekend we spent some time at one our favorite spots in Ohio.  It is a destination we hit every year and always come away wishing we lived closer.  The Lake Erie Islands and mainland is our choice spot.  We usually spend the weekend on Put In Bay but this year we chose to stay on the mainland and visit some spots we haven’t had time for in the past.  We have become a fan of B&Bs in the last few years and chose to stay at Five Bells Inn on Catawba Island.   It is a quaint 100 year old house with cottages on a lagoon to the rear and a beautiful view of the lake to the front.  The couple that runs the place are lovely people and make a great breakfast! This was our second visit to Five Bells which offered us the awesome opportunity this time to view Bald Eagles! 
The lagoon behind the house offers lots of wildlife viewing opportunities.  Egrets, ducks, Blue Herons and more populate this natural lagoon.  I especially enjoyed hearing the croaking bull frog although he stayed incognito.   According to the inn keepers, this is the second year the eagles have been in the lagoon.  They have had the pleasure of watching them build their nests and then hatch and raise babies for the last two years.  This year they hatched two babies both of which we saw flying around the lagoon and perched in the nearby trees.  They built their nest right behind the cottages this year but unfortunately it was destroyed during a recent severe storm that passed through the area.  Despite the loss of the nest, the eagles have not left the area and continue to offer glimpses of themselves now and then to guests staying at the inn. 

The juvenile eagles are slighty different in appearance from the full grown adults.  These eaglets were probably in the 5-6 month age range.  They appeared to be nearly full size (10-14 lbs) but they have dark heads versus the white head you would expect to see on an adult.  Eagles have a wingspan of 6-8 feet which is quite impressive when seeing them fly.  Their staple food is fish but they can also feed on small rodents, waterfowl and turtles.  The innkeepers have seen them carrying fish from the lake on a regular schedule which is only about 100 yards from where they hang out. 
Survival over the last 100 years has been  difficult for the Bald Eagle. It is a sad story of near decemation resulting from chemical poisoning and hunting by humans.  Fortunately, it is also a story of survival.  Eagles were declared an endangered species in 1967 and have been slowly recovering in numbers.  Forty years later in 2007, the Bald Eagle was removed from the Endangered Species list.  Seeing them on the shores of Lake Erie today is a true testament to this statement.  As a kid, we spent nearly every summer weekend in the same area and never once did I see a Bald Eagle. 
The coolest part of experiencing the eagles was the sound they make calling out to each other.  They have a very distinct call that we heard nearly non-stop over the weekend.  It is music I could listen to all day.  It is a song of survival, life and most importantly not extinction. 
To learn more about the Bald Eagle: 

To Cut is to Cure…….

….pet overpopulation.   The numbers are staggering.  The statistics are heart wrenching.  It sickens me everytime I think about the number of animals that die every year due to overpopulation.  On average, 11,000 dogs and cats are euthanized daily in the United States as a result.  Multiply that number by 365 days and you get a whopping 4,015,0000.  Wow. 
It might surprise some, but euthanasia due to overpopulation is the number one cause of death of healthy dogs and cats.  It is not feline leukemia, cancer or heartworm disease as one might think.  The great news is that this problem could be cured and has improved tremendously over the last 40 years.  As many as 20 million animals were euthanized yearly before 1970.  It obviously is not an overnight fix but it can be resolved if communities as a whole continue to make the effort. 
Being a surgeon at heart,  the title of this blog is a favorite of mine.  Every surgeon would like to believe this to be the case but of course, it is not true for all situations. But in the case of pet overpopulation, it rings true.  Surgical alteration of dogs and cats is quite simple.  It involves removal of the reproductive organs which are the testicles on a male and the ovaries and uterus on a female.  The procedure is not technically difficult  and the animals recover amazingly fast and return to normal within a few days.  In addition to the prevention of breeding, spay/neuter prevents conditions such as pyometra (a life threatening uterine infection), ovarian cancer, and behavior issues such as roaming which can lead to a multitude of life threatening situations. 
Pet overpopulation also has detrimental effects on the community as well.  Hoarding situations often are the result of an individual who tries to feed and help the strays at an extreme level, leading to horrific living  conditions for both human and animal.  Stray animals are at risk of developing and spreading disease that can be threatening to human health such as intestinal parasites and rabies.  People that work in shelters, often suffer from “compassion fatigue” caused by the frequent exposure to euthanasia of healthy, happy animals.   
Fortunately there are Herculean efforts taking place to make a dent in that enormous number of 4 million killed.  Today, nearly every community has a low-cost, sometimes no cost, spay/neuter program making the procedure affordable for most people.  Some county and state governments around the country have mandated that all animals within their communities be altered including  adopted animals from humane organizations.  A billionaire orthopedic surgeon and founder of Found Animals has offered a $25 million prize to the individual that develops an affordable chemical sterilant able to be used in both male and female cats and dogs.  These efforts alone will not fix the problem.  Education of the pet owning public is first and foremost.  This responsibility lies with everyone working or involved in the animal care world to increase the awareness around this ongoing problem we face. 
Please be a responsible pet owner and have your pet spayed or neutered and educate others about the benefits.  You will be saving lives!

For more information on spay/neuter:
ASPCA-cat spay/neuter
ASPCA-dog /spayneuter
OSU Vet Med-spay/neuter
Spay Ohio
Amercian Humane Association-spay/neuter

Animals and Nature’s Fury

It has been quite a year so far in the realm of natural disasters that are affecting our globe.  As with anything, there are many theories as to why there are monster killer tornadoes and plantet changing earthquakes and tsunamis.  My personal theory is that we have finally, completely pissed off Mother Nature and she is punishing her kids.  But whatever the reason, humans undergo great suffering during and after these major disasters.  Often overlooked during these tragic times are the animals that are affected by these situations.  This includes pets that become injured and sometimes separated from their owners as well as farm animals which could ultimately affect the local food supply secondary to major disease outbreaks or loss .  I can only imagine what a terrifying experience people undergo during these times who not only have to worry about their own survival but also their pets who may be lost or injured or even dead.  I would be a total basket case.
Disaster preparedness has been a long time interest of mine.  I’m not sure what really sparked it for me. Maybe it was the rescue of my family and pets from our house to escape rising flood waters years ago or my long time illogical fear of tornadoes.  Whatever the reason, I have become involved in organized disaster preparedness on the animal front.  This area has really exploded in the last several years especially following in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  Fortunately, there is an army of people that have a passion for this and have become involved by raising awareness, organizing relief efforts and sending aid to affected areas.  There are many levels at which people can become involved.  Being  a veterinarian or veterinary technician is not a requirement as there are many jobs that need filled during disasters.  In addition to medical care, rescue of animals and housing of displaced animals is a necessity that can filled by people with many different skills sets.  This army of people falls into many different groups which include federal, private and state organized teams.
The federally organized National Veterinary Response Team  (NVRT) provides assistance in identifying the need for veterinary services following major disasters, emergencies, public health or other events requiring Federal support.   VMAT is the Veterinary Medical Assistance Team supported by the American Veterinary Medical Association (http://www.avma.org/).  These teams serve as first responders to ensure high-quality care of animals during disasters and emergencies.   VMAT is funded through the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (http://www.avmf.org/) which is the charitable organization of the AVMA. Other large team efforts include The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® Field Investigations and Response team (ASPCA) and The American Humane Association Red Star Animal Emergency Services (American Humane Association).  Animal disaster preparedness efforts at the state and local level vary widely between states.  For example, Ohio has 8 organized animal response teams that would be called on during a county or state emergency. 
As a member of the disaster preparedness committee for my state veterinary association, I’m learning that this is a complex, multi-faceted area that takes tremendous planning to ensure efforts are carried out  effectively in the face of disaster.  You don’t have to join a team to help in disaster relief efforts. Planning ahead and taking some simple steps to  prepare your family can help you and your pets remain safe in the event of a disaster.  There are many resources available online that help animal owners develop a plan that includes necessary supplies, shelter, and evacuation.   Disasters usually strike quickly and often unannounced so preparation is a key part of  keeping the family and pets safe during these times.  Donations to groups such as AVMF that fund disaster relief efforts, is also another way you can help.  If you are truly passionate, then joining a response team will give you the hands on satisfaction of helping both animals and the people to whom they belong. 
For more information: 

The Buzz Man

I have come across many stray cats throughout my career working with animals.  It sometimes takes the will power of a freight train to resist bringing them all home as I am a sucker for cats.  Of course, I have given in to this will power several times which has rewarded me with many awesome pets over the years.  These animals have all enriched my life well beyond words and forever hold a special place in my heart.
For whatever reason, I was thinking about one of them the other day and how he ended up as part of our clan.  It was probably the coldest day we had seen thus far during the winter of 1999 with the temperature hovering around 0 F.  It was near closing time at the clinic and the kennel staff were wrapping up their duties as we were seeing our last patients before going home for the day.  One of the kennel workers came to me and told me she heard a cat meowing outside the back door.  We went to the back door to investigate and opened the door to see what was lurking outside.   In walked a skinny brown tabby acting as if he owned the place.  
I am forever amazed at the resilience that animals, in particular cats, have to survive extreme weather conditions, especially subzero temperatures.  Despite being thin, this cat was in pretty good shape.  We put him in our isolation ward, gave him food which he inhaled, and a warm place to sleep.  He was quite content and seemed no worse for the wear.  We did the usual testing for intestinal parasites and feline leukemia before making any attempts to adopt him.  He was already neutered so obviously he had belonged to someone in his former life.  He stayed at the clinic for two or three months before I finally decided to take him home.  He had been named Wampa by an employee who was an avid Star Wars fan.  The Wampa  was a vicious creature in “The Empire Strikes Back” who lived in the ice caves.  Despite his arrival on a very cold day, the name did not really fit him as he was far from vicious.  Therefore, he left the clinic nameless.  After hanging out in our house for few days, we decided to name him Buzzer.  He had a particular sound he made when he saw you which sounded very much like a buzz saw.  His nickname later became “The Buzz Man.” 

Buzzer became a happy member of the family and spent his life living it to the fullest.  He lived inside, had regular meals, lots of toys and play time, and many side trips to the catnip garden in the summer. He even had the opportunity to kill a chipmunk or two who dared pass under the garage door.   He was a great cat with no major quirks so it is hard to understand why he became a stray.  Maybe he escaped and couldn’t find his way home or maybe someone moved and left him behind.  A mystery forever.  Whoever the previous owner was, it was definitely their loss and our gain.  Except for the discovery of a broken femoral head which happened during his stray days, he led a happy and healthy life.  We lost him to liver cancer after caring for him for ten years.  His cremated remains sit on our shelf with all the other cats (and 1 dog) that have crossed our path.  The Buzz Man is missed but his time with us gave us lots of memories to remember him by. 
Remember the Strays!  Support your local humane association by volunteering or making a donation.  Until all animals are spayed or neutered, there will always be organizations to support and stray animals to adopt.  Help make a stray animal’s life happy and loved.