Charla Dawson's Blog
Posted by Charla Dawson
Declawing cats is among the most controversial procedures performed in veterinary medicine. Many consider the surgery mutilation and think it should be made illegal. Others think the opposite, and believe it improves the bond between cat and human.
Those that oppose the procedure make a good argument. The surgery entails amputating the first joint from each toe. This removes the claw and the tissue that is responsible for growth. If the procedure is done poorly the claw can start to grow back, which requires more surgery. Those that find nothing wrong with declawing cats will tell you that there are risks involved with every surgery.
It has been recommended by the CDC that cats, who are owned by immunocompromised individuals, be declawed. This is to protect these individuals from acquiring bacterial infections from cat scratches.
Whether or not you choose to declaw your cat is a personal decision. Most veterinarians in the United States still perform the procedure. There is a movement to try to make the procedure illegal in the US; as it is in many European countries. The ASPCA, the Humane Society of the United States, and the Cat Fanciers Association all oppose declawing cats and find the procedure inhumane.
Posted by Charla Dawson
Oprah Winfrey, a long time friend to dogs, dedicated todays show to “Sophie”, her dog that passed away last month. This show devoted the hour to exploring puppy mills. The show was a wake up call for Oprah herself who said she will never purchase another dog from a breeder, but only adopt from shelters.
Lisa Ling, an Oprah contributer, went undercover to investigate the puppy mills and came back a changed women. She toured puppy mills in Pennsylvania and saw the conditions the dogs are forced to live in first hand. The conditions she witnessed are best described as deplorable.
Oprah is calling people to action to help stop puppy mills. A puppy mill is a mass dog breeding operation. These dogs are kept in cages their entire lives and forced to breed litter after litter of puppies. Many puppy mills breed numerous puppies of different breeds. Theses breeders only see dollar signs and do not care about the welfare of the dogs. A responsible breeder will want to know about you and your home before selling you a dog; and will be willing to take the dog back, for whatever reason (even years later).
Oprah's show encourages everyone to first look to a shelter or rescue for a new pet. If you do want to purchase a puppy from a breeder please be sure you use a reputable breeder and avoid pet stores who often buy puppies from puppy mills.
If you missed Oprah's show then please read Lisa's report for more details.
Posted by Charla Dawson
My sister has a Boston Terrier named Buddy. This little guy is about as cute as they come and we all love him dearly, but he will not stay out of the bathroom trash. Unfortunately, for him and my sister, he got into the trash one morning and ate a tampon. Gross and embarrassing (for her) all at the same time. She called me at work and I talked her through giving hydrogen peroxide. (Hydrogen peroxide can be given orally to make dogs vomit, but always ask a veterinarian first because some items should not be vomited.) Unfortunately he wouldn't vomit with just the hydrogen peroxide so he had to be taken to her veterinarian to be given a prescription medication that makes dogs vomit.
The danger in leaving the tampon in the stomach is that some non-food items will not pass safely out of the stomach and through the intestine and into the colon. If the item becomes stuck it is called an intestinal foreign body. The foreign body starts to cut blood supply off to sections of bowel causing the tissue to die. If this happens then a section of bowel may need to be removed during an emergency surgery.
Buddy's veterinarian made him vomit and the tampon came up. He is doing great now and his mom keeps her bathroom trash out of reach. Buddy avoided a major surgery that not all dogs survive. Buddy's mom avoided seeing her best four-legged friend go under the knife and she avoided spending a large sum of money on vet bills. This particular surgery is not cheap. Intestinal surgeries can cost $2000.00 or more depending on where your live. .
Posted by Charla Dawson
We've all had to stand in line at a public restroom. When your bladder is full the wait can be unbearable. There have been times when I felt like the bathroom stall was never going to be free, or worse yet I wouldn't be able to hold “it” any longer. Male cats that have a urethral obstruction feel quadruple the discomfort I just described. These poor cats have a distended, hard bladder and physically can not relieve themselves.
I cannot stress enough how uncomfortable and painful this condition is. Cats that are straining to use the bathroom need to be seen by a veterinarian immediately. There is not much you can do for them at home and they are so painful by this point that they may scratch or bite anyone who tries to check their penis for debris.
The veterinary clinic I work for recently hospitalized a cat for a urethral blockage. This cat had a urinary catheter sutured in place for 3 days. The catheter has been removed and we have continued to hospitalize him and monitor his urine output. He is on what we call his “third strike”. Meaning if he blocks again (which I'm sure he will) he will under go a PU surgery. The surgery will remove his penis and prevent him from blocking in the future. The owners of cats that may get this surgery should know that it is not a fix for all bladder problems, but it may be the best option for cats that continue to become blocked.
Posted by Charla Dawson
We've all heard stories about dogs who risk their lives to save their owner. Few of us have actually experienced that kind of loyalty, but Christopher Peebles has. Christopher is a teenager from Portage, Indiana. His dog, Laney, saved his life, and the lives of his friends on January 4, 2008.
Laney, a Labrador mix, saved the life of her young owner and his friends last week. The teenagers were sleeping in the basement of their home when a fire broke out. The dog bit Christopher Peebles, to wake him up, and then led the teenagers up the basement stairs. The fire started in the garage and spread through the attic. Firefighters arrived and were able to put out the flames. The teenagers credit Laney for saving their lives. Laney was later seen by her veterinarian who gave her a clean bill of health.
The complete story can be read at CBS Chicago.
Source: Family Dog Saves Children From Fire, Pamela Jones, CBS2Chicago.com, January 4, 2008