4th of July Pet Safety

Happy Independence Day! We think of this holiday as a time for backyard bbq's, a day at the beach with friends and family, and time for fantastic fireworks displays, but the 4th of July is actually one of the most stressful and scary days of the year for many of our furry friends. Fortunately, a little planning ahead of time on your part can help keep your pet safe over the 4th weekend. The Humane Society of the United States has these tips to offer:

• Resist the urge to take your pet to fireworks displays. We here at Metropawlitan Dog know that loud noises can really frighten many dogs, so leaving Fido at home during the fireworks is the best idea.
  

• Do not leave your pet in the car. With only hot air to breathe inside a car, your pet can suffer serious health effects—even death—in a few short minutes. Partially opened windows do not provide sufficient air, but they do provide an opportunity for your pet to be stolen.

• Keep your pets indoors at home in a sheltered, quiet area. Leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep him company while you're attending Fourth of July picnics, parades, and other celebrations. Metropawlitan Dog also suggests crating your dog and covering the crate with a blanket or towel - this gives your dog a "safe spot" and helps to ease their stress.

• If you know that your pet is seriously distressed by loud noises like thunder, consult with your veterinarian before July 4th for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he or she will experience during fireworks displays.

• Never leave pets outside unattended, even in a fenced yard or on a chain. In their fear, pets who normally wouldn't leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death.

• Make sure your pets are wearing identification tags so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly. Animals found running at-large should be taken to the local animal shelter, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their owners.

Following these simple steps will help ensure that your pet is kept safe and happy on the 4th!!

Daycare July 02

Ok, now that our dear Kira is out of the red and you have all successfully educated yourselves on "bloat" its time to get back to the light-hearted daycare descriptions you have come to love. Today, I'd like to talk to you about Labs and Lucy.



Lucy is an adorable Miniature Bull Terrier that (as many Bullies do) has the best personality ever! She is endearing and loving and just adores every ounce of attention we bestow on her. If she catches you looking at her out of the corner of her eye, she'll keep her head and body perfectly still (so as not to scare you off) but will start wildly wagging her skinny little tail. Im not gonna lie, its the cutest thing Ive ever seen and it totally works! After I see that tail start going, I cant help but run straight to her and lay a bunch of kisses on her rock hard nose... Im such a sucker.

Next we have "The Labs", two gorgeous 5 month old, chocolate sensations named Kane and Kaden. They came to us about two weeks ago with their exasperated family in toe, looking for a little direction in life. Looking down on them as their owners talked with Meagan(trainer), I couldnt imagine these two angels being anything but innocent and precious 24hrs a day. They sat patiently while their parents talked and went willingly and easily into the daycare room, an experience they had never had before. "Easy," I thought. "These two will be a piece of cake!" Little did I know that after only a few days of chewed cleaning supplies, eaten walls (anyone that has ever owned a lab wont be surprised by this), multiple paw punches to the face , and a couple torn trash bags whos contents had been carefully dispersed over every inch of the daycare room, Id be imagining their parents leaving the little rascals only days before, going HA HA HA alllll the way home...

Now that Ive spent two weeks with Kane and Kaden I have realized that my initial impression of them was not entirely wrong. The brothers are not just trouble makers, they are the sweetest things on eight legs to ever exist in this world. They are the epitome of what you would expect from a Lab. They are stunning, they are loyal, they are total hug-a-bunches, they are happy all the time, they are goofy and love to get a laugh, they are very easy going, and they get along amazingly with every single dog they meet. Also, as it turns out, they just needed someone to show them the way to obedience. With only a little encouragement both Kane and Kaden are now sitting nicely, laying down when asked, and walking so well on a leash we sometimes have to tell them to hurry it up! Plus now that Ive had a chance to talk with the boys, Ive found that most of their previous actions were actually planned as a practical solution to a certain problem. When I asked Kane what was up with all the chewing (Kaden was busy chasing down the Great Dane to show him who's boss) he said, " Hey! If we dont taste everything, how are we ever supposed to know what tastes good and what tastes bad? ...like wall and brush bristles , for instance... wall is good, but bristles? not so much." Oh my goodness ... kids! Sheesh!

The Dangers of GDV

Its time for the BLOG to take a quick turn in a more serious direction (Don't worry! The Daycare Fun will be back soon!)...

I want to write today about a condition called GDV or Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus. This condition is life threatening and typically occurs in deep chested dogs. The condition has been seen in Great Danes, Mastiffs, Weimaraners (Jake, listen up!), Rottweilers, St. Bernards, Irish Wolfhounds, German Shepherds, Standard Poodles, Basset Hounds (Seymour and Orson...pay close attention!), Pit Bulls, Dobermans (MJ and Kylie...this is for you), Labradors (Baisey, Gracie, Milo and Java) and other deep chested dogs.

The reason I chose to write about this horrific condition is (1) because it is VERY life threatening and (2) my own dog, Kira, went through it yesterday.

Sunday night was like any other night at my house. I spent the day at home with the dogs and at night we all curled up on the couch to watch a movie. Thank God I fell asleep on the couch. At about 3am, Kira, my great dane became restless. She tried to get up on the couch to sleep, tossed and turned for a moment, and then got down. She tried repeatedly to find a comfortable resting spot. I ignored her - I thought she was just being a big baby and wanted ME to move out of HER spot on the couch. I went back to sleep. A short while later, she tried to throw up. Again, I didn't think anything of it. She has thrown up a thousand times before, typically after she eats the grapefruit off of the tree out back. Again, I went back to sleep.

Early Monday AM, I woke up tired because Kira kept me up all night. I let the dogs outside to use the bathroom when I noticed Kira was not right. She went to the corner of the yard and laid down. I called her to come and she tried, laying down about half way across the yard. I immediately called the vet. As I was on hold, I went and pulled her inside and tried to give her a treat...she wouldn't take it. Then I pressed her belly and realized it was swelling up. I immediately hung up the phone (I hadn't even spoken to my vet yet), threw on some slippers and drove her frantically to the closest Emergency Vet. Having a deep chested dog, I knew the symptoms of Bloat and GDV so I didn't want to waste any time.

When I got to the vet, the diagnosis was confirmed - Kira had GDV. Her stomach had torsioned 180 degrees.

"Canine acute gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a medical and surgical emergency that is seen most commonly in large and giant breed dogs. The syndrome is characterized by accumulation of gas in the stomach and malpositioning of the stomach with obstruction of eructation and pyloric outflow (In English - the stomach flips and ties off at the ends obstructing blood and oxygen flow). Subsequent systemic effects of GDV including hypovolemic shock, endotoxemic shock, respiratory compromise, concurrent metabolic acidosis and alkalosis, and reperfusion injury are all implicated in the resultant death of affected dogs. Though this disease has been studied for years, the exact etiology and pathogenesis is still not clear." - http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2005/Summer/canine-acd.htm

Kira was rushed into emergency surgery with a 50/50 chance. Everything depended on how long she had had the condition. If left untreated for too long, the lack of oxygen and blood flow causes necrosis or death of the tissues of the stomach, greatly decreasing the chance of survival. As you can imagine, I was terrified.

The next day was the longest of my life. Luckily, I caught it fast enough and there was no necrosis of Kira's tissues. She bounced back from surgery and is home with me now. We still have a ways to go in her recovery but I feel like the worst is over.

The reason I wanted to share this story with you all was to educate you on the symptoms of Bloat or GDV so you are prepared and can take the appropriate actions should you be faced with a situation like mine.

Signs of Bloat Include:

PHASE1
SYMPTOMS:
1. Pacing, restlessness, panting and salivating.
2. Unproductive attempts to vomit (every 10-20 minutes).
3. Abdomen exhibits fullness and beginning to enlarge.
ACTIONS:Call Veterinarian to advise of bloat case enroute. Transport dog to Veterinarian immediately.

PHASE 2
SYMPTOMS:
1. Very restless, whining, panting continuously, heavy salivating.
2. Unproductive attempts to vomit (every 2-3 minutes).
3. Dark red gums.
4. High heart rate (80 to 100 BPM).
5. Abdomen is enlarged and tight, emits hollow sound when thumped.
ACTIONS: Apply first aid if Veterinarian care is more than 10 minutes away.
Then, transport dog to Veterinarian immediately.

PHASE 3
SYMPTOMS:
1. Gums are white or blue

2. Dog unable to stand or has a spread-legged, shaky stance.
3. Abdomen is very enlarged.
4. Extremely high heart rate (100 BPM or greater)and weak pulse.
ACTIONS: Death is imminent! Apply first aid immediately. Transport dog to Veterinarian IMMEDIATELY (even while applying first aid if possible).

Kira began to bloat, or develop gas overnight. In the morning, the stomach torsioned and she went from Phase 1 to Phase 3 in a matter of 30 minutes. When I left the house, she was just moving from Phase I to Phase II and by the time we got to the vet (about 5 minutes away), her blood pressure dropped, she was unable to stand and her abdomen was enlarged.

If you have a breed prone to this condition, please educate your family on the symptoms. If you suspect your dog is exhibiting symptoms of bloat, DON'T WAIT...seek veterinary advice IMMEDIATELY. Much better to pay the $50 office visit and find out its nothing than to pay the $4,000 for life saving surgery.....