Dogs Being Dogs

My assistant had just gone home at the end of a busy day when I got an urgent call about Ricky, an almost-2-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Ricky is a service dog who had been out for a walk with his owners when they stopped to talk with friends. A moment later, his mom glanced down, and there was Ricky, happily gnawing on a block of something that looked suspiciously like rat poison. You know, those big waxy blocks that come in various colors, shapes, and sizes. His owner immediately pulled it away, scooped up all the bait on the ground, then phoned the veterinarian on emergency call that evening. Me.

Here was our dilemma. Ricky’s family had not put out any kind of rodenticide. No one knew where it had come from. Perhaps it had fallen off a garbage truck that had been there earlier that day? One family member suggested the blocks looked like rat poison he had seen before that contained bromethalin, but the reality is that we can’t definitively identify the active ingredient in a rodenticide block simply based on appearance.

So we were faced with a small dog who had consumed an unknown quantity of an unknown rodenticide. “Bring him right down so I can induce vomiting,” I advised, texting my assistant to come back. “He looks fine,” his mom said. “These poisons can take a while to cause symptoms,” I replied. “By the time a dog is visibly sick, it’s usually too late.”

When Ricky arrived, I administered medication to make him vomit. He obliged quickly. Three big piles including the bread I had instructed them to feed prior to heading over. Doing due diligence, I sifted through the yuck, but found no evidence of material matching the bait the owners had brought along. Had he just not swallowed any to begin with? Or was it just not coming back up and out? What if he still had rat poison in his tummy?

There are three major types of rodenticide we had to consider. Anticoagulants, bromethalin, and cholecalciferol. In the old days, most rodenticides sold in the U.S. were anticoagulants. These interfere with normal blood clotting, leading to fatal hemorrhage. Treatment is simple, four weeks of oral Vitamin K. But a few years back, regulations changed, and the sale of anticoagulant rodenticides was limited to commercial exterminators. Nowadays, the stuff routinely available in hardware stores to homeowners contains bromethalin — a nasty neurotoxin for which there is no antidote. If Ricky had eaten bromethalin, all we could do, after making him barf, was to dose him with oral activated charcoal to minimize any further absorption of the toxin, and wait and see if he developed clinical symptoms. Signs vary depending on the dose. With high doses, dogs exhibit hyperexcitability, followed by seizures and death. With low doses, signs include depression, loss of appetite, vomiting, tremors, followed by paralysis and death. Treatment consists of supportive care but is often unsuccessful.

The third possibility was cholecalciferol rodenticide, basically an overdose of Vitamin D leading to toxic levels of calcium in the blood. Signs can include vomiting, depression, lethargy, bloody diarrhea, seizures, kidney failure, cardiac arrhythmias, and death. When this type of rodenticide was first marketed in the 1980s, it was touted to be relatively safe to use around dogs. We soon learned otherwise. As little as half an ounce can be life-threatening to a fifty-pound dog … and Ricky only weighed 17 pounds.

Toxicologists have a saying: “The dose makes the poison.” Ricky only had the bait for a moment. It was unlikely he could have ingested a large quantity, no matter what the active ingredient. But cholecalciferol is the one with which the smallest amount poses the greatest danger, and there is no antidote. Consultation with ASPCA Poison Control confirmed that we should monitor Ricky’s calcium levels and kidney function for four days. If abnormalities developed, he should be hospitalized and treated symptomatically by specialists. We made arrangements for Ricky to have the necessary tests throughout the weekend, and my assistant got ready to head home . . . except for another urgent call about Johnny Darter, a 5-month-old mini-Bernedoodle. He, too, had been out walking with his owner two hours ago. Now he suddenly had begun shaking, his head wobbling. He was lethargic and reluctant to move. His owners were adamant he had no exposure to anything unusual. No rodenticides. No drugs, prescription or recreational. No poisons of any kind. They were very worried, and brought Johnny in to see me on emergency. The pup was alert but anxious, and having episodes of muscle twitching. He seemed slightly disoriented and uncoordinated. I had seen this before. We are rarely able to definitively confirm the cause, but I have seen it occur after ingestion of rotten food or compost … or mushrooms. I’m not a mycologist, but I do know there are ’shrooms on the Vineyard that are “tremorgenic.” In other words, when ingested they can cause the symptoms Johnny Darter was exhibiting.

We ran basic laboratory tests. Kidney and liver function, blood sugar and electrolytes, were all normal. After much conversation, Johnny’s owners confirmed there were lots of mushrooms growing around the area where they had gone walking just hours previously. It was certainly possible Johnny had eaten some. Did I mention I’m not a mycologist? But that’s OK. Toxicologists have another saying: “Treat the patient, not the mushroom.” I treated the patient, sending him home with muscle relaxants to try to control the tremors, and instructions to keep a close eye and call back if things got worse.

It took two more days before Johnny was completely back to normal. Ricky never showed any clinical signs or laboratory abnormalities consistent with rodenticide toxicity. What a relief. But the week continued with more dogs being dogs. The border collie who swallowed six used feminine hygiene products. The Labrador who ate a sock, then vomited the sock, then ate it again before the owner could retrieve it. Dogs. Being. Dogs.

Ranchers Say Leave The Dogs Alone

Idaho sheep ranchers are asking the general public, “Leave our dogs alone.”

Several working dogs have been “rescued” by well-meaning hikers or campers in Idaho, recently, who believe the dogs to be lost or abandoned. Enough of the incidents have occurred that southern Idaho officials issued a press release Monday urging the public to leave the dogs alone.

Sheep ranchers and the U.S. Forest Service say the dogs are expensive livestock guardians – often large white Great Pyrenees – that spend the summer on ranges with flocks of sheep. The dogs are there to protect livestock from predators like coyotes, mountain lions, black bears and wolves.Gretchen Hyde, general manager of the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission, told Drovers the incidents involving guard dogs is increasing because of the increase in use of public lands by the general public. More visitors to Idaho’s vast and scenic natural resources means more people unfamiliar with livestock and the dogs’ purpose is common. Removing the guard dogs can be harmful, similar to removing an orphaned fawn from its mother.

Corey Peavey, a Blaine County, ID, sheep rancher, told the IdahoPress.com, “I realize that everybody has their own best intentions, but you shouldn’t be taking a guard dog out of its environment, bringing it home, causing undue stress, and exposing it to unnecessary domestication.” Peavey has had his dogs hauled away to an animal shelter by mistake.

“Out of respect for the dog and the rancher, it’s better to leave them where they are,” Peavey said. “Even if they might look lost, they know the way.”

John Noh with Noh Sheep Company in Kimberly, ID, has had his guard dogs picked up by people who thought the dog was lost, and they ended up at a shelter in the Wood River Valley, forcing Noh to spend hours of down time to go fetch the dog and return it to his sheep flocks, reports IdahoPress.com.

“These are working dogs that ranchers rely on to non-lethally protect their sheep from predators,” Noh says. “For people to take these animals out of the woods that ranchers have spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars feeding and training is wrong.”

Renee Kehler, range conservationist for the Sawtooth National Forest, said there have been a number of guard dogs picked up by people thinking they were lost or needed attention. “It’s been happening a lot lately,” Kehler says. “Please treat them like livestock and leave them alone.”

Often livestock guard dogs have a collar with a name and phone number on them. If they have questions, they also could call those numbers to see if the dog is lost. “For me,” said Peavey, “I’d appreciate a phone call over taking my dog.”

Canine Assessment

The U.S. Army Medical Department Board, or USAMEDDBD, assigned to the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence conducted an operational assessment of the Canine Thermal Monitor, or CTM, Mobile Application and Collar, August 17-21, 2020 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

Six Non-Commissioned Officers assigned to the 802d Security Force Squadron Military Working Dog, or MWD, Kennel, along with their assigned working dogs assisted with the assessment. The MWDs consisted of male and female canines, ranging in age from two to eight years. The purpose of the event was to assess the functionality and usability of both the CTM mobile application and Collar to support the military working dog mission. The primary focus of the assessment was on the effectiveness to which the CTM mobile application and Collar reduces risks of military working dogs to heat injuries when operated by typical users, MWD handlers and trainers, in a simulated operational environment.

Military working dogs are critical members of tactical missions and are susceptible to similar injuries as their human counterparts. Currently, exertional heat illness and dehydration are among the most common hazards, which require service dog trainers, handlers, and veterinarians to optimize training sessions and operational missions to mitigate heat illness. The Warfighter Health Performance and Evacuation Project Manager requested that the USAMEDDBD conduct this event to assess the ability of both the CTM mobile application and Collar to provide canine physiologic data in order to predict safe work durations and recovery times in an operational environment.

The five-day event took place at the 802d Security Force Squadron MWD Kennel, JBSA-Lackland. The NCOs received six hours of training on both devices prior to putting them into use. After training, the NCOs used the application to plan the intended work cycle for the canine and then configured the collar to train the canine on the planned work cycle, and attached the collar [to the canine] to perform the intend work.

The mobile application provides physiological data analysis to allow military dog trainers, handlers, and veterinarians access to an operational planning tool designed to be readily installed and accessed on any hand-held mobile device like a smartphone or tablet. The Collar is developed to predict safe work durations and recovery times, based on predicted body temperature, for specific training or operational scenarios. The application takes into account environmental conditions, the biophysical properties of the MWD like breed, size, weight and color, physical activity levels, and type of activity of the breed like detection versus patrol.

This MWD technology will enable MWD trainers, handlers, and veterinarians to assess mission safety and feasibility from the perspective of thermal burden.

The results of the assessment will be provided to the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, Warfighter Health Performance and Evacuation Product Manager in an operational test report to assist with future development and deployment decisions.

Police Dog Charger Retires

Guelph police say Charger — one of their K9 officers — is retiring after 10 years of service.

The German shepherd has been paired with Sgt. Andrew Crowe since his arrival in Guelph in July 2011 and was trained in a variety of tasks including tracking, searching, drug detection and detection of currency.

Charger has been involved in the location of dozens of suspects over the course of his career, police said in a news release.

He’s also received several citations from the United States Police Canine Association for his successful tracks and has won awards during dog trial events.

In various events, Charger has ranked first place in tracking, second place in evidence search and third place in agility.

In November 2019, Crowe and Charger competed at the national level event in Florida.

The service said Charger will be living out his retirement years as a member of Crowe’s family.

News of Charger’s end with Guelph police follows the retirement of another Guelph police canine, General, earlier this year.

The police service has announced two new police dogs, Titan and Jett, who have been paired with two officers.

Const. Jason Hall is partnered with Jett and Const. Neil Moulton is partnered with Titan. They are currently on active duty.

Guelph police’s K9 unit started in 1998 with Nero, a purebred German Shepherd from Czechoslovakia.

The new pups are the service’s ninth and 10th police dogs.

Dogs Left Inside Airport

An airline cargo service has been accused of animal cruelty and neglect after one dog died and 17 others were left inside a Chicago airport warehouse without food and water for roughly three days, police said. Chicago police received an anonymous tip around 2:30 p.m. on Monday about several dogs that were left without any care inside a warehouse at O’Hare International Airport, authorities said. They discovered 17 dogs “in a cage without food or water” and determined another dog had died the day before, according to information provided to Fox News by the Chicago police department. Police said the dogs came in on an Aug. 28 flight but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would not allow the animals to be released to their owners because there were problems with the vaccination paperwork.

Warren Jones, vice president of Alliance Ground International, the shipping company responsible for the dogs, told the Chicago Sun-Times the animals were shipped from Amman, Jordan on a 13-hour flight to the Windy City.

Police cited AGI on cruelty to animals and neglect, but Jones told the newspaper the company  “did everything they could to take care” of the dogs. Jones said employees bought food for the animals while the issue was being ironed out.

“It’s challenging. We move animals every week,” he told the Sun-Times. “We’ve never had a loss of an animal at our company in 30 years.”

A spokesperson for AGI did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request seeking comment. A spokesperson for Chicago Animal Care and Control told the Sun-Times the center is now caring for two dogs, a German Shepherd and a Belgian Malinois, that are in good condition. A second facility is caring for the remaining animals.

Bringing Service Dog Home To Owner

Long Island’s Paws of War has worked to bring a service dog to the U.S. to help a veteran — but a paperwork error could send him back overseas.

Staff Sgt. AJ Kirrish is a military veteran who is desperate to get his dog, Harley, home.

“She’s such an important part of my life, all we want is to do whatever we can to get her home,” says Kirrish. “The feeling is helpless and it is not a feeling I feel all too often.”

Harley was a stray dog that he befriended while deployed in a combat zone in the Middle East. She was then adopted by the military base.

“She would be so excited to see us, we would go on runs and she would go with us, and she would play and it was just great to have her,” says Kirrish.

The Paws of War organization arranged for Harley to come home to the U.S. and live with Kirrish and his wife, but that all changed when the dog arrived at the airport last week and was not allowed to leave because of a mistake in her paperwork regarding vaccinations.

“Time is really of the essence and I was able to get the entire Long Island delegation, my colleagues that represent the rest of Long Island to stand up and say this is ridiculous,” says Rep. Kathleen Rice. “This is a piece of red tape that can be easily waved with no special conditions.”

Rice was among those to write a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demanding immediate intervention to save the life of the dog. If she is not released, there is a flight scheduled to bring her back to Jordan in two weeks, where News 12 is told there is a high chance of her being euthanized.

The upsetting issues have only added more turmoil to the family, who are also dealing with fertility issues.

“We haven’t been blessed with any children of our own, so Harley and our dog Zoey… they are our children, they are everything to us,” says Kirrish.

Service Dog Refused On Bus

New Fire Dog

Black Labrador Thor has become a qualified fire investigation dog after he passed his assessment in Sheffield last week.

Thor will now be able to assist the fire service in investigating the causes of fires alongside his partner and fellow fire investigation dog, Reqs.

The service said that both Reqs and Thor perform a vital role in helping to discover how fires may have started by using their sense of smell to find flammable liquids once the fire has been extinguished.

Thor and Req’s handler Nikki Harvey said: “Thor is an amazing search dog who from day one has continuously displayed the required characteristics of becoming an excellent fire investigation dog.

“I’m really looking forward to working with him through his career and hope that he is able to follow in the paw prints of his predecessor’s to achieve the many successes that they have.”

Evidence that Thor finds during his investigations can also be used in a court of law through criminal proceedings.

Although Thor will eventually replace Reqs, the service’s older fire dog will still carry on working on investigations while being continually assessed.

Cabinet member for community safety Terry Hone said: “Thor has been excellent throughout his training and shown from the outset he has what it takes to be a fire investigation dog in Hertfordshire.

“I look forward to both Thor and Reqs helping to keep the residents of Hertfordshire safe and I am incredibly proud of what they have achieved and will go on to achieve in the future.”

Boy Helps Police Dogs

Binge-watching a television show made 10-year-old Brady Snakovsky raise over $315,000 (Rs 2,30,21,790) for providing bulletproof vests to protect service dogs.

At the age of eight, Brady watched a show where he noticed that a police dog was not wearing a vest. For little Brady, that was a problem that required immediate attention. He wanted to do something to fix the problem and be fair to the service animals, reports CNN.

This crucial observation made the Ohio, United States resident start Brady’s K9 Fund, a funds raiser on GoFundMe that aimed to provide bulletproof vests for military and police dogs.

The fundraising has helped Brady supply vests to over 257 dogs across 23 states in Canada as well as in Afghanistan.

Authorities thanked Brandy saying many dog handlers have reached out to Brady through word of mouth or his website. They even said that most people don’t even realise that the K9 units in the police forces heavily depend on donations, so every dollar sort of counts.

As per the report, Brady has also collaborated with a local project where he created a park near his hometown to provide a space for handlers to train their service dogs.

A few days ago, a 1.5-year-old pet dog helped rescue workers by spotting the floating body of its owner after a landslide and unprecedented rain wreaked havoc in Idukki, Kerala.

For almost a week, Kuvi (the dog) was trying to locate the bodies of the family of four and on one morning in Pettimudy, he could finally spot Danushka’s body floating on a river, 4kms away from from the landslide spot.

Few days after, when Ajith Madhavan, Kerala Police Dog Squad trainer reached the spot with his dog squad, he met Kuvi and decided to adopt him as one of his own pets.

Autism Service Dog

A festival this weekend will help raise money to train an autism service dog. The puppy will go to an 8-year-old girl in Elkhart County. It costs about $20,000 to train the dog.

Lexi Cheney was born with a myriad of medical issues. Her parents later found out she had autism, ADHD and a mild intellectual disability.

Lexi is a sweet girl, who loves markers, crayons and her “baby riley,” a stuffed whale she got as a baby.

Lexi’s mom, Rhonda Cheney, says Lexi’s cheerfulness can change in a second.

“She has two directions. It is either very unhappy or very happy,” says Cheney, “there are times when it is firing fast and she just makes choices and decisions based on what she wants at that second.”

That makes it difficult to take Lexi in public because she can wonder off and she has other behaviors typical of someone on the autism spectrum.

That’s where a service dog will come in.

“She will be able to corral. She is probably going to be large enough to stop, physically stop, Lexi from moving. If not she will have things she is trained to do to distract Lexi,” says Cheney.

Lexi picks at her skin. The dog will be able to see that happen and district her.

The dog will also help comfort Lexi and help her live her day to day life.

The family got a black poodle puppy for free from a breeder. She was born on Memorial day.

Her full name is Lady Liberty but everyone calls her Libby.

It will cost about $20,000 to train Libby, which takes about 18 months.

Right now, Libby is in the beginning stages of that training at Top Notch Service Dogs in Elkhart County.

Eventually, Libby will be Lexi’s constant companion — offering comfort, guidance, intervention, and most importantly, friendship.

“It is a gift. It is a precious thing for her to have somebody who is not judging her base on her behavior or looks or the way she operates. It is just a friend,” says Cheney.

The family is having a huge fundraiser this Saturday, September 5th.

The “A Friend for Lexi” event is at their Elkhart County property at 29330 Salt Lick Trail, Elkhart.

The outdoor festival starts at 5 p.m. and ends with fireworks.

It is free to attend. There will be food and craft vendors, a silent auction and bake sale.