Pancreatitis or Coccidiosis?

Bella was very sick on Sunday, throwing up many, many times. She was lethargic all day and most of Monday with horrible diarrhea, but no more vomiting. Tuesday, she was a tad spunkier, but still not normal and her stools, liquid. Into the vet we went and left, one hefty bill later, with drugs to treat pancreatitis. Blood was taken to verify, but the vet felt all her symptoms pointed in that direction and she wanted to get on top of it immediately. Bella had eaten bird suet as evidenced by all the seeds that run through her and the vet felt the richness of the suet might have precipitated pancreatitis.

The results came back today. Nope. Not the big "P" which I am very happy to report! However, she does have coccidiosis which is common in puppies, but not in older dogs. (Does a three year-old lab mix still constitute a puppy?) Bella's intestines seem quite susceptible to parasites. Many of our vet visits have been because of something she consumed.

So it is back to the vet we go for more drugs, this time Albon (sulfadimethoxine). She is already taking Metronidazole, Sucralfate, and Proviable not to mention several days of canned Hill's Prescription I/D for gastrointestinal fortification! In 24 hours, her improvement has been remarkable.

Are YOU Ready?

With Hurricane Sandy wrecking havoc on the east coast of the US, it isn't surprising to see a glut of information about what to do with your pet(s) if you have to evacuate. This is a reminder for me also as I have a traveling bag for Bella, but still lack a crate.

My excuse? She's a big girl and needs a big crate—where would I store it? But when an emergency happens (and there is no area in this country that isn't plagued by recurring natural disasters), you won't have the time to prepare, nor can you guarantee you'll be thinking logically in a panic situation. Being prepared is the only way to safely care for your pet in a time of need. Although Hurricane Katrina was a turning point in evacuating and sheltering with pets (more shelters now allow them to come with you), you are still required to have your dog sequestered in a crate.

I just read Pet Care During a Natural Disaster from the Sun Gazette.com. I always read these articles as there is usually something I haven't considered. In this article, author Dan Boyles, had a couple of really good ideas. One is to have two bags prepared: a large pet bag if you and your pet will be staying together at a known location and a smaller bag for immediate evacuation to points unknown. Of course the requisite items were covered: food, water, medications, toys. Another great idea is to have a picture of you and your dog together. I always carry a picture of Bella in her bag, but the author says a picture of you together helps corroborate ownership should you be separated.

I guess it's time to start scouring Craig's List for used, large dog crates. I don't want Bella left out in the cold if a disaster shakes our area.

Military Dogs Part 2

Once again military dogs are in the news. I am glad they are getting continued recognition for the part they play in the safety of our troops. It also corroborates the roll dogs have always played in our lives as part of a working team whether it's hunting, herding, protecting, aiding or just being there for us.

In this article, they tell of two men and their dogs, following their course. In one, the dog loses his partner and is currently being retrained with another. Considering the intensity of the work and trust in their partner (and here it could be either way—man to dog or dog to man), it is no wonder the transfer to a new trainer would be difficult for the dog. The second soldier loses his bomb-sniffing dog to a bomb, the loss devastating.

With your own dogs, in day-to-day life, think how intense the relationship is. The quirks, frustrations, trust, joy, training, bonding are all integral parts of the whole relationship. Then add a life and death situation. My heart goes out to the soldiers and the dogs who have lost their closest companion.

Military Dogs

And so as not to forget all the dogs serving bravely—medaled or not—please take a look at this great website: Rebecca's War Dog of the Week.  There are many heroes and heroines here!

Medal of Honor

I knew animals, on occasion, received a Medal of Honor for bravery, but hadn't heard anything regarding this in a while. Today I came across an article about a spaniel mix, Theo, who was recently awarded, posthumously, Britain's highest award for animal bravery. The Dickin Medal. (The medal is named after Mary Elizabeth Dickin (1870-1951) who was a pioneer in animal welfare advocacy. She founded PDSA—the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals—to aide sick and injured animals owned by the poor.) Here is a picture of Theo.

This medal was first awarded in 1943 and continues to this day. Lots of pigeons have been awarded which I think is rather nice (also horses and a cat). But the nicest part is that animals are being recognized for the important, strategic part they play in keeping us safe.