Small Breeds Can Hurt Their ACL Too: Star's Naughty Knee

Star's story is shared with us by Julie Hill, host of DogCast Radio. Julie Hill lives in rural Shropshire, UK, with her husband, daughter and dogs Labrador Buddy and Bichon Frise Star. She hosts DogCastRadio.com and writes for various magazines.

DogCast Radio  is a podcast about dogs featuring breed profiles, training advice, author interviews, news and original fiction. You can listen online, download it for your MP3 player, or subscribe to it as a Podcast.

ACL injuries are commonly seen in large breed dogs, but small breeds seem to be affected at increasing rate also. 

Makes me stop and wonder how that might relate to how we're breeding and what we're feeding our dogs, among other things.

Star's Story 

When my daughter Jenny’s three year old Bichon Frise, Star, went completely lame on her back left leg I had no idea the effect it would have on the whole family. We inspected  her and could find nothing wrong, she gave no sign of being in pain but held the leg out to the side and ran on the other three legs.

By the next morning she was still not using the leg, so it was off to the veterinarian, who ordered an x-ray the following day which revealed the cruciate ligament was ruptured.

Editor's note: Dogs do not exhibit pain the same way we do, with a lot of groaning and moaning and crying. They will hide pain the best they can. Favoring a limb or not using it at all is in fact a sign of pain. See A Word on Pain article. It was a great decision to have Star checked out by the vet right away. Often ACL injuries go untreated for quite a long time which contributes to more arthritis in the joint.

It was a real shock as she was such a young dog, and we were all thrown into turmoil at the thought of one of our dogs having to undergo surgery. For me it was doubly hard as I was struggling to cope with my own emotions for Star and at the same time support Jenny through her worries. Many tears were shed.

When we saw the surgeon I do wish he had started with something reassuring.

Instead he impressed upon us how Star’s knee would never be the same and that we would have to follow his instructions scrupulously in order for her to recover.

I was confused, as it seemed that he was telling me Star would never run again, but eventually through the fog of medical terms and dire warnings it emerged that he was recommending we chose a TPLO for Star. This is an operation which levels the top of the shin bone to help the thigh bone balance on top of it without the aid of the ligament, which we now knew was gone forever.

It sounded a horrific operation – cutting into the shin bone to level it – and had an eight week recovery time.

However, taking everything into account it was her best option.

The day of her surgery was a tense time but eventually it was time to pick her up. Although our veterinarian was very careful to dose her with painkiller and send several doses home with her, Star was in a very sorry state.

For the first forty eight hours after the operation all she wanted to do was lie on Jenny. She whined and trembled, refused to eat anything and even turned away from water. The next morning I phoned the vet to find out how much water she should be ingesting and we commenced dosing her hourly, squirting water into her mouth. The pain medicine had to be administered on food, and after several tries she reluctantly licked it up on a teaspoon of cottage cheese.

The operation took place on Thursday and it was the early hours of Saturday before she urinated, and another twenty four hours before she pooped; both procedures which we had hitherto taken for granted but which were suddenly huge milestones! By that point she was also choosing to drink water too – another huge relief.

Having read around on the internet I hoped that post-op Star would use her leg straight away, but she still held it to the side and walked on three legs. 

After about a week she would put the foot to the floor when she stood still to help balance. Gradually, she started to use the leg again, but it obviously felt strange to her as she frequently stretched it out behind her.

In the first week she was only allowed out of her crate for toilet breaks, but after that we were told to gently increase the exercise so that by the end of the eight weeks she would be walking fifteen minutes twice a day. We inquired about hydro-therapy, which would have been covered by our insurance, but was told it would not help with TPLO recovery.

Editor's Note: Hydrotherapy is often used as part of the post-op rehabilitation. It greatly improves muscle strength and range of motion while providing safe low-impact exercise. Physical therapy plays an important role in rehabilitation from surgery.

For ten days Star refused dog food, instead eating tiny portions of chicken breast, jacket potato and a variety of vegetables. Her return to a normal diet was cause for another celebration.


On the Saturday following the operation her bandage was removed, and her poor little shaved leg resembled nothing so much as a chicken drumstick. Her wound looked incredibly raw initially and she hated having to wear a Buster collar to stop her from trying to lick -  and bite - it better.

Gradually she improved, but I did worry that she must hate being confined in a crate for most of the day.

Finally the date of the last check-up came and we were excited to think it was nearly all over. 

Although I had noticed she still stretched the leg behind her a lot, and occasionally picked it up only using three legs when she ran, it was still a shock to be informed that she might also have a wobbly kneecap (luxating patella) which would require further surgery.

That was not we had hoped for or expected!

The surgeon advised us to spend a month increasing the length of her walks which should build muscle in the leg and stabilise the joint. Thankfully at the end of a month she was walking normally and declared fit by the surgeon.

It’s now six months after the operation and Star is back to normal – you couldn’t tell there has ever been a problem with the leg. For a while one tiny little knee joint had our whole family in a spin, but thank goodness now we are all happy and healthy again.

Related articles:
Talk To Me About ACL Injuries
ACL Injuries in Dogs: Non-Surgical Alternatives?
ACL Injuries in Dogs and Stem Cell Regenerative Therapy
Newest Surgery For Ruptured ACL In Dogs
Preventing ACL Injuries In Dogs
ACL Injuries In Dogs: Xena's Story 
ACL Injury Conservative Management: Sandy's Story
Surviving The Post-Op: After Your Dog's ACL Surgery
Talk to Me About Arthritis
Don't Forget the Physical Therapy 
My Love Is Sleeping At My Feet: ACL Surgery Complications 
Coco's TPLO Post-Op Diary

Stories from My Diary-rrhea (part II): Acute Small Intestinal Diarrhea

by Dr. Laci, aka, Dr. Poop
 
Acute small intestinal diarrhea forms the majority of all the cases of smooth mooves that I see in the hospital.

The main function of the small intestine is to continue digestion of food stuff from the stomach, and absorb fluids and electrolytes. 

When it is not functioning properly, the amount of stool produced is going to increase drastically, and it will be really wet.  Hand in hand, or gut to butt, (technically, the small intestines does not go to the butt, but humor me) while losing so much nutrition, the patient may often lose weight as the nutrition is not being fully absorbed.

This is more often seen with chronic small intestinal diarrhea, but can also be seen with acute.

The initial step your vet will take involves the thorough history I repeatedly endorse.

Things that should be discussed include:  diet change, foreign object ingestion, other edible no-nos (chocolate, spoiled foods, random poop left on the sidewalk), if your dog is ever unsupervised and given the opportunity to get him or herself into this kind of trouble, medication history, progression of the diarrhea, and contact with other animals, ie, exposure to infectious creepy crawlies.

Gathering this information immediately may directly lead us to the cause of the diarrhea.  

Is your dog taking any new meds?  You may be at the emergency vet, and forget to mention the meds for his skin infection.  Or your vet may be having one of those days and forget that he or she prescribed meds in the first place.

You are your best friend's best advocate!  

Antibiotics that are administered orally may alter the flora of the GI tract or even increase the movement of ingesta through the GI tract.  It may be as simple as that!

Next is the detailed physical examination.  

Your vet will be assessing whether Fido is bright, healthy, and alert versus clinically ill, dehydrated, or even shocky (from loss of fluids or even sepsis, for example).  If the dog has a painful or tense abdomen, diagnostic tests are indicated (x-rays are fine to start with, but unfortunately can't always rule out a foreign body).

How does a foreign body cause diarrhea?  

It likely is not a complete blockage, and is almost certainly rubbing and damaging the lining of the small intestine.  When the absorption structures on the inside of the small intestine (small finger-like projections called villi) are damaged, or knocked out entirely, the surface area responsible for  absorption is decreased, meaning the GI contents continues to pass along, missing out on crucial absorption.  Make more sense?

Physical exam should also include checking out both ends of your pooch, an oral exam and the dreaded rectal exam.  

You or your pet may not appreciate it, but skipping these steps could be deadly.

For instance, it is possible your dog ate a linear object, such as panty hose (I have seen this multiple times), and there is part of the hose that is caught on the inside of their mouth, preventing the hose from passing throughout the GI tract.  All of a sudden, your pet's is at risk for developing an intussusception, a potentially fatal condition where part of the intestine invaginates into another part of the intestine, usually because the body can't effectively move a foreign object any further.

Helpful hint:  think about the collapsing components of a telescope.  Linear foreign objects are more often associated with cats, but tasty long treats like panty hose are too tempting for some pooches to pass on.  It doesn't mean they are perverts, just the things that smell most strongly like you (panties, hose, shoes) are super yummy!  It's a compliment, really.

Sophie's story and summary. 

Take Sophie, a four-year-old female Rottweiler:  Sophie's diarrhea had started a day or two prior to when her parents brought her to see me.  She was energetic and still had her voracious appetite, so her owners were not overly concerned about her loose business, but after a couple days of cleaning up horrifically smelling messes, they decided to have her checked out.

Normal enough in presentation, diarrhea in an adult dog with a two day duration, parents claimed she was current on her vaccines (I was not her regular vet), she might have gotten into something (she is known to eat “love-overs” out of the garbage when mom and dad aren't looking), but no tell-tale exam signs, and nothing alarming in the history
.
Then she stayed with us (in our isolation ward, no worries) to run some tests and have an IV placed for fluid replacement therapy and it happened.  REDRUM!  It came pouring out from underneath the door like the blood gushing down the hall in "The Shining."

RedRum! It came pouring out from underneath the door like the blood gushing down the hall in "The Shining."

Oh, crap.  In it's worst form.  The all-too memorable smell filled the air, and upon seeing the dark jammy digested blood in the copious relentless pools of liquid poo, I knew what we had on our hands-- and feet and gloves.

Time to break out the bleach because this was a case of parvovirus.  

I am certain if you are reading this you have heard of parvo.  Most people think that parvovirus just affects young puppies, but I want to make it known that the virus does not discriminate against age.

Sophie stayed with us for a week, and had many ups and downs, but she pulled through.

Let's review some of the common features of acute small intestinal diarrhea that apply here: weight loss, markedly watery stool, increased frequency of defection, stool volume increased enough to resemble a scene from “The Shining,” and a clinically ill patient—although the last is not always present.

I tell you about Sophie because I do have an ulterior motive. A friendly reminder in the times of vaccine controversy, parvovirus is a deadly and real disease. I lose patients, and patience, every year to this deadly virus.

When your vet asks for proof of vaccines or titers, it is nothing personal; keeping up with our own tetanus info is challenging enough, and pet parents, just like vets, make mistakes.  Please make every effort still to ensure your dog, puppy or adult, is protected for this deadly virus—please.

Some take homes about acute small intestinal diarrhea:

Common causes are parasites, (such as roundworms and Strongyloides), dietary problems (such as abrupt diet change or allergies), viral or bacterial infection (parvovirus, coronavirus, Salmonella, E. coli) abrupt deficiency in glucocorticoids (either from too quick of withdrawal of oral steroids or from an endocrine disease like Addison's disease--a far too comprehensive disease to approach today), poisoning (Salmon poisoning, toxin ingestion from spoiled food, heavy metal poisoning), and finally Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis.

Withhold food and ensuring hydration alone may be therapeutic.  Remember, if your dog has black, red or maroon specs in the stool, seek veterinary care.  Also, if your puppy has diarrhea and is less than 12 - 14 weeks of age, is underweight or under 5 pounds, don't wait.  Go to the vet now, and diagnostics will be necessary, including monitoring blood glucose levels as these small guys don't have nutritional reserves.  Lethargic or patients that are warm or running a fever (the average dog temp is around 101.5 F) are also indicators to not ride it out.

***
Related articles:
A Tale of Many Tails—and What Came Out From Underneath Stories from My Diary-rrhea (part I)
Acute Small Intestinal Diarrhea
Acute Large Intestinal Diarrhea (Acute Colitis)
hronic Large Intestinal Diarrhea
Chronic Small Intestinal Diarrhea

Laci Schaible has always been an animal lover and wanted to be a veterinarian since the third grade. Eager to actualize her dreams, she left home and started college with a full scholarship at the age of 16. She graduated with honors at the age of 19, and then became one of the youngest U.S. trained veterinarians in history when she graduated with her D.V.M. at the age of 23 from Texas A&M University.

After practicing as an associate at an emergency / referral and general practice small animal hospital, she was anxious to lead and manage her own hospital, which she successfully did for years. Performing surgeries with her husband Jed (also a vet) is one of her favorite aspects of practice.

Together, after losing their beloved family dog Madison to terminal cancer, Laci and Jed realized the need for pet owners to have affordable unbiased guidance for their pet's health care beyond their veterinarian with office hours. 

Jed's entrepreneurial genes and Laci's creative passion motivated them to fill this need, and VetLIVE.com was born.  Check out their blog for a mix of pet health advice, funny stories from the vet perspective, and even cool video blogs from Dr. Jed!

You can also follow Dr. Laci on Twitter  or VetLive on Twitter  or Facebook.

Name Our New Website and Win a Set Of Dog Training Books

I am interrupting my regular stream to bring you a cool news and present you with a challenge.

14 of the best dog bloggers, including myself—didn't figure this was the time for humility, are coming together to launch a collective dog blog.

We will bring to you articles ranging from dog training to medical advice and all points in between.

The site will NOT be ad supported and the focus will be entirely on you, the reader.

We think it's only fair that you get to name it.

The only requirement is that the name you come up with is amazing and that the domain name for it is available. Other than that, let your imagination run wild.

What do you get?

The winning entry will receive a set of 3 dog training books sent to you directly from Dino Dogan’s  personal library.

We will also do something nice for runners-up…not sure what yet, but we’ll make it good.

So…show us how creative you can really be and name our new collective dog blog now.

Comment with your ideas!
Jana

PS: Oh, and don't worry, Dawg Business isn't going anywhere! :-)

A Tale of Many Tails—and What Came Out From Underneath Stories from My Diary-rrhea (part I)

by Dr. Laci, aka, Dr. Poop

Many times throughout my career, I have felt I should just change my name to Dr. Poop.  It is a big part of my unglamorous yet rewarding profession, and I often feel like I am a genuine poop doctor.

There is hard poop, liquid poop, soft-serve poop, even blue poop! 

Just upon smell, I can tell you what species of animal it came from—dog, cat, pig, cattle, horse, you name it, and when it's diarrhea, I can even occasionally diagnose the cause of the illness.  (Don't hold me, or your vet, to this one please.)

We all know what diarrhea is, and chances are you have had to cancel a Friday night dinner, whether it was due to your own GI malfunction, or if you had to otherwise spend hours scrubbing your dog's diarrhea out of your white carpet--because well, that's just where it always happens.

But there is a lot more to learn about that perma-stain than you ever imagined.

Allow me to share some inside veterinary scoop from Dr. Poop.

Diarrhea is as much of a big nasty topic to try to write about as it is to clean up.

Starting from the beginning, diarrhea is the result of primary gastrointestinal (GI) disease or systemic conditions that consequentially affect the GI tract (such as kidney disease).  

This is one of the first things that your veterinarian is considering when your bring in your squirting pooooch.

For instance, an otherwise healthy Fido with acute diarrhea that isn't otherwise affected is likely to respond well to supportive therapy alone—fluids, holding off on food, etc.  This is an example of a holistic rationale that is widely supported across traditional veterinary medicine; if the body's GI tract is inflamed, reduce food intake.  This patient may not need extensive testing or treatment unless the problem recurs.

(Disclaimer:  Sometimes acute diarrhea in otherwise healthy-acting dogs can develop into a life-threatening situation.  The disease may just be so early that the patient isn't otherwise clinically affected, but they will soon be.) 

Back to the point, if Fido's diarrhea is continuous or recurrent, whether or not he is otherwise affected, this is where we have to dive in with more diagnostics.

I have gotten ahead of myself. So far we've broken down diarrhea into 1) GI origins and 2) non-GI origins, but I slipped another category in on you:  acute vs. chronic.

Generally speaking, acute diarrhea means it has been continuously happening for less than two weeks.

Chronic diarrhea has been present for more than 2 weeks, however, there is some variation based on who you ask.  You get the gist though.

Yet another way veterinarians classify diarrhea is where it comes from.

You may be thinking, "hey dummy, all diarrhea comes from the same place." You may think my Dr. Poop alias should be revoked, but don't worry, I have a point.

Diarrhea originates from either the small intestine or the large intestine.  

Finding out which place it comes from gives us a lot of information, and a thorough initial history of the problem and observation of the patient (you may know I repeatedly harp on both of these points) will allow us to determine where those runny stools are running from.

To further confuse you, or perhaps you aren't learning anything new yet, there is a gray/brown zone where Fido exhibits signs of both small and large bowel diarrhea, which we refer to as "mixed intestinal signs."

A side note worth mentioning, even worthy of another story, is “the” severe diarrhea.  

Anytime your pet has explosive, severe, diarrhea, take your pet to the vet ER stat!

Severe diarrhea would include continual bouts of liquid movements, bloody or black diarrhea (bad!), or your pet is exhibiting other clinical signs of illness—not wanting to play, lethargy, etc.

For the purposes of this blog series, I would like to try and keep it simple and divide and conquer four different categories:

• acute small intestinal diarrhea
• chronic small intestinal diarrhea
• acute large intestinal diarrhea, and
• chronic large intestinal diarrhea. 

Look for part II where I will share some veterinary knowledge on acute small intestinal diarrhea.

Related articles:
A Tale of Many Tails—and What Came Out From Underneath Stories from My Diary-rrhea (part I)
Acute Small Intestinal Diarrhea
Acute Large Intestinal Diarrhea (Acute Colitis)
hronic Large Intestinal Diarrhea
Chronic Small Intestinal Diarrhea

***

Laci Schaible has always been an animal lover and wanted to be a veterinarian since the third grade. Eager to actualize her dreams, she left home and started college with a full scholarship at the age of 16. She graduated with honors at the age of 19, and then became one of the youngest U.S. trained veterinarians in history when she graduated with her D.V.M. at the age of 23 from Texas A&M University.

After practicing as an associate at an emergency / referral and general practice small animal hospital, she was anxious to lead and manage her own hospital, which she successfully did for years. Performing surgeries with her husband Jed (also a vet) is one of her favorite aspects of practice.

Together, after losing their beloved family dog Madison to terminal cancer, Laci and Jed realized the need for pet owners to have affordable unbiased guidance for their pet's health care beyond their veterinarian with office hours. 

Jed's entrepreneurial genes and Laci's creative passion motivated them to fill this need, and VetLIVE.com was born.  Check out their blog for a mix of pet health advice, funny stories from the vet perspective, and even cool video blogs from Dr. Jed!

You can also follow Dr. Laci on Twitter  or VetLive on Twitter  or Facebook.

Product Review: Chuckit! Flying Squirrel

The other day we had a twitter conversation about dog toys. Chuckit! Flying Squirrel is definitely a toy worth mentioning. Jasmine and J.D. just love it!

It is amazingly versatile and durable. 

We still have the one we bought over three years ago!

Jasmine loves water retrieving and J.D. loves playing fetch.

Chuckit! Flying Squirrel handles both jobs perfectly and it can be even used as tug-of-war toy and survive it.

Back in the old days we used tennis balls and tried all kinds of frisbees.

None of the frisbees survived longer than a day.

Tennis ball is a good all-purpose toy but it has one major flaw. When used for water retrieving, sooner or later it gets punctured and sinks like a rock. I couldn't count how many tennis balls we lost that way, but we used to buy them in bulk.

I don't want to imagine what the bottom of the lake where we take our guys swimming must look like!

Most people use tennis balls and I don't think their last much longer than ours did.

Because Jasmine is very picky about many things, including toys, we are not the kind of people who go browsing shelves with dog toys.

She is very specific about what she likes and doesn't like and getting her something else is pointless. 

Since she liked her tennis balls well enough, that's what we were sticking with.

Until one day, when a lady with a Yellow Lab joined us on the doggy beach. The moment the Lab saw the tennis ball he went after it and stole it. We threw another one for Jasmine and he stole that one too.

(If you've ever seen a dog with three tennis balls stuffed in his mouth you know what I'm talking about)

The woman felt bad about it and was apologizing, trying to return at least one of the balls.

She had brought a flying squirrel for her dog. 

Jasmine was kind of interested in it.

I tried throwing it for her and it seemed that she liked it well enough. I suggested switching the toys while we were there and both dogs had a great time. It looked that Jasmine really took to the squirrel.

When the woman was leaving and taking the flying squirrel with her, Jasmine looked very sad. She couldn't understand why it was being taken away from her.

You guess right if you think that hubby had to run out and get Jasmine her own flying squirrel that very day!

Jasmine was so happy when he came home with it and we played wit the that evening. She loves her squirrel and had the same one for over three years now.

It flies as well as a frisbee, it floats and it doesn't sink. Ever. 

It's the little rubber feet that make it float. And they seem indestructible. It is also easier for Jasmine to grab and it survived countless tug-of-war games. J.D. loves playing fetch with it.

So there you have it. Jasmine's number one toy, Chuckit! Flying Squirrel.

Have fun!
Jana

Trainer's Corner: Learning Fear Through Shocking Greetings

Today's Trainer's Corner is brought to us by Leslie Fisher of Look What I Can Do! Dog Training. Check it out, she really is great!

This post is part of an ongoing campaign to educate people about the dangers of using shock collars, as part of the Never Shock a Puppy campaign. 

When greeting a stranger, do certain behaviors not occur, given your social expectations? 

Thinking of standard professional introductions, eye to eye contact, a smile, a cordial verbal greeting and a polite handshake: all to be expected.

But what if your greeting was unwelcoming, and communicated by a taser to your chest?

Suddenly normal social expectations went out the window. What happened? Why did that happen? You were only trying to say hello. Are people not to be trusted anymore? What if it keeps happening? What will you do? Will you become defensive? Perhaps even arm yourself? Get the person before they can get you?

Now, imagine a puppy, leaping up happily to greet a stranger coming into his home, only to feel horrible and unexpected pain around his neck. 

What happened to the anticipated lovely attention? Where did that come from?  This sad scenario is one I keep imagining.

Somewhere out there, a puppy  was indeed shocked for jumping up to greet a stranger. A puppy that never came to me for training. A puppy I was made aware of by a client, concerned for the welfare of the puppy. Despite their best efforts and voiced concern to the person shocking the puppy, I am supposing the shock collar was continued.

What happened to that puppy? 

Did that puppy learn fear and aggression in response to strangers? Perhaps I will end up seeing that puppy for behavior modification.

Sadly, the puppy would indeed associate the sudden pain with the stranger in the environment, as both events occurred simultaneously.

With repetition, the association is negatively conditioned.

Stranger appearing equals pain equals strangers are scary. There are two choices in this event. Run away. Defend. Often, even though dogs are fearful, a defense is chosen,  learned responses evolve and become increasingly aggressive. Or, they are shocked into submission, wary, fearful and un-trusting of the world around them.

Dogs need a predictable environment to feel safe. 

How could they feel safe when anticipating pain? Would  you? This sad situation happens. Puppies and dogs become needlessly aggressive, due to thoughtless application of shock collars. Yet the sale of shock collars goes on.

Recently I overheard a sales clerk in a pet store happily explaining all the settings on a shock collar to a couple with a dog in tow.

Shocking the dog was being discussed rather matter of factly. I wonder if they went home and slapped their kids? Why is it ok to shock a dog, but have different expectations for human conduct towards others. In my first greeting scenario, with the taser, law enforcement would have been called to the scene, perhaps a prison sentence, lawyers.

Yet the shocking of puppies and dogs goes on. People who know nothing about dog behavior continue to sell harmful devices. This is just inherently wrong. Perhaps people should require a license to both sell and purchase them. Even better, a complete ban, as some countries have done. Wales Bans Shock Collars/More There is an ongoing and rather interesting discussion on this link as well.

As you go through your days, think about appropriate social greetings with strangers, and the scenarios I have described. Think about painful and unexpected events taking place as you reach to shake hands with a stranger. Think about all the puppies and dogs that continue to be shocked.

Happy and pain free dog training, Leslie and the labbies

***

Leslie Fisher is a Pat Miller Certified Trainer (PMCT), CPDT-KA CGC Evaluator ABC Student Mentor and member of APDT, MAAPPPT, TrulyDogFriendly.

She brought her first dog home at the age of 5 and she shared her life with dogs since and is presently owned by three labs, Doobie, Talley and Bridget.

Leslie has founded Look What I Can Do! Dog Training in December of 2006 shich quickly became a big success. I addition she volunteers for Lab Rescue of the LRCP, Inc doing post adoption home checks an dproviding assistance with behavioral issues. Her goal is educating clients that positive, force-free training produces happy, willing dogs and a wonderful dog-human relationship.

Leslie also writes for Dog Star Daily.

You can read her full bio here. You can also connect with Leslie on twitter or Facebook.

BSL, Man-Made Solutions To Man-Made Problems, And Which Breed Should Be First On The List

I have already shared my thought on BSL in my earlier article What's Up With That: Breed Specific Legislation. Do check it out.

Today I want to take a look at the issue from a different perspective.

In the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Violent crimes are defined in the UCR Program as those offenses which involve force or threat of force.

In the US, an estimated 1,318,398 violent crimes occurred nationwide in 2009.

An estimated 15,241 persons were murdered nationwide in 2009. There were 5.0 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2009.

In 2009, the number of forcible rapes was estimated at 88,097. The rate of forcible rapes in 2009 was estimated at 56.6 per 100,000 female inhabitants.

There were an estimated 806,843 aggravated assaults in the US in 2009. In 2009, the estimated rate of aggravated assaults was 262.8 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants.

As published by the Federal Bureau of investigations

The total number of casualties in World War I, both military and civilian, were about 37 million: 16 million deaths and 21 million wounded. (source: wikipedia)

Over 60 million people were killed during World War II (source: wikipedia)

According to the government in Hanoi, 1,100,000 North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong military personnel were killed in the Vietnam War.

Rummel's review of the various data led to a mid-level estimate of 843,000 civilian deaths in both North and South Vietnam.

(source: wikipedia)

The Korean war left in its wake 4,000,000 military and civilian casualties.

(source: ete)

Just saying ...

Gastroenteritis is when ...

Isn't that a mouthful? Sometimes it seems the vets use these terms specifically in order to baffle us! In their defense, medical terms are actually highly descriptive once you figure out
how to decipher them.

If you own a dog, gastroenteritis is a term which you might run into often enough. 

You bring your dog in to the veterinary clinic with diarrhea and vomiting. The chances that your vet will spring this word on you are pretty good. So what does it mean?

I don't know why—I blame my goofy bone—every time I come across this word I think of how a student who didn't do his homework would tackle explaining it: “Gastroenteritis is … when … something bad enters the digestive system.”

What grade do you think he'd deserve for that? Let's take a look.

Gastroenteritis refers to inflammation of the stomach and intestines.


The faithful suffix -itis stands for inflammation (e.g. arthritis, pancreatitis, gingivitis ...).

Gastroenteric refers to the stomach and intestines – gastrointestinal (GI). Sorry, nothing about actual entering.

However, the most common cause of gastroenteritis in dogs is dietary indiscretion, which actually is something inappropriate entering the system. Ha! It can also be caused by drugs, poisoning or infection.

Considering all that, I think our unprepared student deserves a C for his efforts.

Because of its many different possible causes and how it can vary greatly in its severity, gastroenteritis is actually quite a broad term.

Something makes the GI tract angry and it triggers a defensive mechanism – inflammation. Some of the many causes are

• dietary indiscretion
• abrupt change in diet (you've heard about gradual switching, haven't you?)
• poisoning
• infections
• food allergies
• autoimmune disease

Quite a list, isn't it?

You are most likely to face the acute form of gastroenteritis, but it can also have a chronic form.

The symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite may wax and wane, but they linger over weeks or months.

When do you worry?

The rule of thumb is violence of the symptoms and how long they last.

Violent diarrhea and vomiting, presence of blood, pain, fever, dehydration, lethargy, these are all signs that it's time to take action immediately. If the symptoms are relatively mild but chronic, you also want to pay attention and investigate the cause.

I was tempted to call for common sense, but is it still common sense when it's not so common?

I know people who run to the vet at a drop of a hat and I know people who shrug off quite violent lasting symptoms. Neither is a good idea, but when you're in doubt, err on the side of caution. It is better to rush to a vet with a simple garbage gut than to ignore a potentially life-threatening situation!

While acute symptoms are likely to get your attention, it is often easy to 'come to terms' with a chronic situation.

I know, I've been there. It is not that we didn't take Jasmine to vets. We did. But after countless fruitless visits we accepted the lack of diagnosis. That was a wrong thing to do and Jasmine paid for that. Chronic diarrhea is not normal! Where there is a symptom there is a cause.

Also beware of arbitrary symptom-based treatment. While there is a time and place for that approach, without a firm diagnosis it can do more harm than good.

Moderate diarrhea that lasts a day or two is likely nothing to be overly concerned about. I do worry when diarrhea is accompanied with vomiting though. Dr. Beatty's article gives a good of example why it is a good idea to take this seriously.

Our J.D. is a young healthy dog who'll eat about anything that fits in his mouth. 

When he gets diarrhea, I have very clear suspicions. I put him on a 24 hour fast and all is well the next day. Sometimes he also does throw up. However, examining the vomit always makes it quite obvious why.

Jasmine is a different story. Even when her diarrhea isn't really bad, a 24 hour fast has never worked for her and medical treatment has always turned out necessary.

Know your dog and know your symptoms!

It's your dog's health!
Jana

Further reading:
Dog gastroenteritis
First Aid and Emergency Care: Diarrhea and Vomiting

Making Tough Medical Decisions For Your Dog: Lily's Story

This story is an excerpt from Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life by Dr. Nancy Kay. I chose this story because it particularly touched me, as it is quite similar to a situation we've been through with Jasmine.

I have already told you that this is the The Single Most Important Dog Book You Will Ever Read and I meant it. If you haven't read it yet, stop making excuses and get to it. Trust me, I would give a few years of my life if I could had read it when Jerry walked through the door with the cute ball of fluff that was Jasmine.

When No One Knows What's Truly Best for Your Dog

Shortly after her thirteenth birthday, we noticed our Lily girl [a Golden Retriever] slowing down in the food department. If you are familiar with this breed, you know that this is a serious symptom—in fact, most Goldens would quit breathing before they'd stop eating!

An abdominal ultrasound showed that Lily had a large mass within her liver. We obtained a biopsy using a nonsurgical ultrasound-guided technique, but the pathologist couldn't be certain whether the mass was benign or malignant. My family and I were faced with a monumentally difficult decision. Dare we ask our beloved 13-year-old to endure major surgery in the hopes that the mass was benign and could be successfully removed? Or, should we simply provide her with supportive care, keeping her as comfortable as possible for as long as possible?

Surgical removal of a liver lobe is no walk in the park for any dog, even one much younger than Lily. What if her life ended as a result of surgical complications? How would we feel if the mass turned out to be cancerous and couldn't be removed? How would we live with ourselves knowing that we'd subjected our dear dog to such an invasive procedure during the last few weeks or months of her life?

We thrashed around with our decision for days, looking at it from many different angles, and discussing all the pros and cons. We spent time, lots and lots of time, observing and “talking with” Lily. We studied her demeanor and expression—especially what her eyes were telling us. Did we sense that she was ready to “throw in the towel,” or was she game to take that giant step into the surgery suite?

No one could predict whether surgery would do her more harm than good. When such uncertainty exists, I encourage you to work through what I refer to as a “peace of mind exercise.” My husband and I used this exercise to make our decision for Lily.

Here's how it worked in our case: we were considering two options. The first was surgery in the hopes of successfully removing her liver tumor. The second was to forego surgery, and use supportive measures (special diet, antinausea and pain medication) to keep Lily as comfortable as possible, for as long as possible. Although we felt, based on her overall health, Lily was a reasonable surgical candidate, we had no way of knowing which of these two options was truly in her best interest.

The first step in the “peace of mind exercise” is to play every option out to both its negative and positive  conclusion. In other words, decide what the best possible outcome and the worst possible outcome are for each. When my husband and I did this, we came up with the following:

1. If we opted for surgery, the best case would be that her disease would be cured and her normal good quality of life restored. In the worst case, the surgeon would be unable to remove the tumor, and additionally, there would be significant surgical complications, perhaps resulting in death.
   
2. If we went with the supportive-care option, the best scenario—even if the mass was benign—would be that Lily's symptoms would progress slowly, and she would have another few months of reasonably good quality time. The worst imagine outcome would be rapid progression of her symptoms resulting in the need to consider euthanasia within a few weeks.

Step two of this exercise is to determine which set of outcomes would best serve your peace of mind. With Lily, our goal wasn't to find an option we “liked” (impossible under the circumstances), but rather to determine which we could most readily live with. This was the key to making our choice about how to proceed.

My husband and I were fortunate in that we found ourselves on the same page—not always the case when more than one decision-maker is involved. The process certainly wasn't an easy one. It took a great deal of thought, investigation, introspection, and yes, it required “discussions” with our deal old dog. When we made our choice, did we know with certainty that it was correct? Absolutely not! We did know it was well-informed with nothing but the best of intentions for our sweet girl. No matter how things turned out, we doubted we would have regret; sadness and disappointment perhaps, but no regret.

So, what ever happened to Lily? We decided to take the more aggressive approach. We asked a board certified surgeon to attempt to remove her liver mass. The surgery lasted almost four hours, and thank goodness, the mass was removed in its entirety. And, it turned out to be benign rather than cancerous—the icing on the cake! She took a considerable amount of time to completely recover, but within a few weeks we had our Lily girl back. Her next three years were spent in Golden Retriever bliss (good food, good company, and the opportunity to swim on a regular basis).

Lily lived to the ripe old age of 16! We felt extremely fortunate with the outcome of our decision, but knew in our heart of hearts, that had surgery not turned out well, we would have had peace of mind knowing that we'd done our very best, and stayed true to our good intentions throughout the decision-making process.

***

DR. NANCY KAY wanted to become a veterinarian for just about as long as she can remember. Her veterinary degree is from Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, and she completed her residency training in small animal internal medicine at the University of California—Davis Veterinary School.

Dr. Kay is a board certified specialist in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and published in several professional journals and textbooks. She lectures professionally to regional and national audiences, and one of her favorite lecture topics is communication between veterinarians and their clients.   Since the release of her book, Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life, Dr. Kay has lectured extensively and written numerous magazine articles on the topic of medical advocacy.  She was a featured guest on the popular National Public Radio show, Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

Dr. Kay is a staff internist at VCA Animal Care Center, a 24-hour emergency/specialty care center in Rohnert Park, California. As a way of providing emotional support for people with sick four-legged family members, Dr. Kay founded and helps facilitate the VCA Animal Care Center Client Support Group.  She also facilitates client communication rounds for VCA Animal Care Center employees.

Dr. Kay was selected by the American Animal Hospital Association to receive the 2009 Hill’s Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award.  This award is given annually to a veterinarian or nonveterinarian who has advanced animal welfare through extraordinary service or by furthering humane principles, education, and understanding.  The Dog Writers Association of America selected Dr. Kay for two awards.  The first was the 2009 Eukanuba Canine Health Award recognizing Speaking for Spot as the publication that best promotes the health and well being of dogs. The second award was for the Best Blog of 2009 (www.speakingforspot.com/blog).

Dr. Kay’s personal life revolves around her husband (also a veterinarian), her three children (none of whom aspire to be veterinarians) and their menagerie of four-legged family members. When she’s not writing, she spends her spare moments in the garden or riding along the beach atop her favorite horse. Dr. Kay and her family reside in Sebastopol, California.

I Want Some Bacon! Fat In Dog Nutrition

Ok, so bacon isn't the best thing to feed your dog, although I'm sure he wouldn't complain. But what about fat in general? Should there be fat in your dog's diet?

“There better be,” says Fido.

Even though his motives might be questionable, Fido is right. As much as fat often gets frowned upon, it does play an important role in dog nutrition.

Fat not only makes food more palatable/appetizing, it is an important component of a healthy diet.

While the terms fat and fatty acids are often used interchangeably, fatty acids are really structural components of fat much in the same way as amino acids are structural components of proteins. There are usually three fatty acids in a fat molecule, hence another name for common types of fat, “triglycerides”.

Most fat in food as well as in the body are triglycerides.

Fats fall into two general categories: saturated and unsaturated.

Saturated fats are mostly of animal origin. They are typically solid at room temperature and their main role is to serve as a source of energy (think lard).

Unsaturated fats are usually of plant origin. They are liquid at room temperature (think olive oil).

For more detailed information about fats, check out Dr. Huston's article Dietary Fat Content and Its Role in Canine and Feline Nutrition.

The most obvious role of fat in dog nutrition is to serve as a concentrated source of energy.

Fats contain more than twice as many calories per gram as compared to proteins or carbohydrates.

The nutritional availability of fat-soluble vitamins depends on guess what? Fat.

There are three fat-soluble vitamins that are essential to dogs. These are vitamins A, D and E. As the term fat-soluble suggests, their absorption directly depends on the presence of fat. Without some fat in the diet, these vitamins won’t be absorbed well even if they are present in adequate amounts.

Linoleic acid

Linoleic acid is really the only fatty acid that is considered by AAFCO as essential in dog nutrition because dogs cannot make it within their own bodies. It is an unsaturated omega-6 fatty acid.

Linoleic acid is vital for growth, healthy skin and coat, kidney function, reproduction, and other body processes. It is also a constituent of cell membranes and plays an important role in immune function. There are many sources of linoleic acid, but a good one for  dogs is safflower oil.

Omega-3 fatty acids

While omega-3 fatty acids are not officially considered essential, they are known to be beneficial for dogs because of their anti-inflammatory properties. A great source of omega-3 fatty acids for dogs is fish oil.
To find out more about omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids check out the Nothing Fishy About Omega-3 Fatty Acids article.

Other roles of fat

Fats also help transport nutrients and other substance across cell membranes, contribute to the formation of bile acids and some hormones. For more details check out Dr. Huston's article Dietary Fat Content and Its Role in Canine and Feline Nutrition.

There is also a very interesting article by Dr. Stanley Coren taking a different view on the importance of fat in dog nutrition, Why Do Dogs Love Bones? The Answer Involves Fat, Climate and Evolution. You might want to check it out.

Balancing fats in dog nutrition

Balancing fats in dog nutrition isn't particularly difficult, but there are some considerations.

A balanced recipe needs to contain an adequate amount of linoleic acid.

If you're using animal protein in your dog's recipe, even a lean source naturally contains some saturated fats. There is nothing wrong with that.

The amount of calories you want to come from fat in your dog's recipe will vary depending on your dog's age,  health and activity level. The AAFCO recommendations are for a minimum of 5% for maintenance and 8% for growth and reproduction. The appropriate percentage varies depending on your dog's health and activity level. Individual considerations are always important.

Once you have adequate amounts of linoleic acid in your dog’s diet, you need to consider omega-3 fatty acids.

Balancing omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is a bit trickier because they mutually compete for absorption. 

The rule of thumb is that a healthy dog benefits from a ratio of between 5:1 and 10:1 omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. Depending on your dog's health condition a different ratio might be called for.

Related articles:
Feeding Your Dog: Commercial or Home-cooked?
Dog Nutrition And Proteins: The Building Blocks of Life
Dog Nutrition and Carbohydrates: The Essential Non-Essentials 
Nothing Fishy About Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Alternative Treatment Of Arthritis: Viva's Update

Viva's story is shared with us by my good friend @Kenzo_HW. Check out his blog, it's got awesome information on Hovawarts, tracking, nose work and lot's of other great stuff.

If you don't remember the original story, check out The Many Faces Of Arthritis: Viva Has Spondylosis article.

When Viva was adopted she was suffering from a number of health issues. 

She was overweight, flea-infested, had  poor skin condition and was showing mobility issues. She was diagnosed with environmental allergies and spondylosis (type of osteoarthritis that affects the spine). Viva's spondylosis has been treated with acupuncture, physical therapy, and a food supplements.

Viva's Story

I admit. I am a very happy person. Although we knew Viva was neglected and in poor condition, it was still a shock to discover her many health issues.

Now, five months after we adopted her, we can see how much she improved. It is so much more then we could have hoped for!

Dealing with her weight was the easy part. Viva now weighs 86 lbs. Perfect for her size and body structure. She lost 14 lbs with a strict diet balancing everything from her meals as well as her treats and a daily exercise program. She must enjoy not having to drag along all those extra pounds on her already sore back.

The gravest of her conditions gave us a lot of worries. 

Spondylosis cannot be cured. It leads to pain, stiffness, lameness, restricted mobility and muscle weakness. Possibly also incontinence and an inability to coordinate placement of the feet.

We were so fortunate to find an excellent vet that studied Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM). She suggested a treatment based on acupuncture, physical therapy, and a food supplement consisting of glucosamine, organic anti-inflammatories and Omega 3/6.

The acupuncture had an immediate effect. And after a month also the physical therapy and the glucosamine supplement started to pay of. 

Viva is today clearly in less pain. She enjoys long walks and playtime with Kenzo. And she likes playing rough. Where at first she sometimes whined and squealed because of (the anticipation of) pain, it is now Viva that initiates playtime and wrestling is her favorite. Her back is more agile. Where it first only moved up/down when she walked, it is now noticeably also moving left/right. This means she has become able to use the spine in her back!



We could have done better though, as Viva's muscles are not strong enough yet. A daily work out is limited in its progress. When Viva becomes tired on the walk she adjusts her level of activity, meaning progress is slow.

We did join an underwater treadmill program, but were not able to carry that through on a regular weekly basis. Viva stepped into something sharp and hurt her paw. Twice. Meaning a set back in the training program as we had to start over. But hey, it is great there is still room for improvement.

To treat her allergies Viva is only getting low-allergy kibble and for her dust mite allergy we administer monthly shots of an allergy vaccine that is specifically developed for her. We also bath her regularly with a special dermatological shampoo.

Although progress was slow the allergies bother her a lot less. From a state of obvious discomfort, reddish skin, biting, itching and almost inflamed paws she now only has slightly reddish paws left. Biting and itching only returns incidentally and not so intense as before.

The vaccine is first fully active after nine months and we therefore still expect to make more progress. Her skin has such a beautiful pink color and the dandruff has disappeared.

The years to come

Today we visited the vet for her regular acupuncture treatment. She was very pleased to see Viva.

The stiffness in her back is completely gone!

Her muscles are not tensed anymore. We can stop now with the regular acupuncture appointments and just see when we would need it again might the pain return. The vet added that she was especially happy with Viva's progress, and that she has a completely different aura now. Viva is one of her patients that made the most remarkable progress.

What will happen in the years to come we don't know. But we are so hopeful for Viva's future. We cannot win the battle with her spondylosis. But we can enjoy each day we are allowed to spend with her. In good health.

Related articles:
The Many Faces Of Arthritis: Viva Has Spondylosis
Acupuncture Is Not Voodoo
When Modern Medicine Doesn't Have The Answer: TCVM 
Talk to Me About Arthritis

Zeus Gets Stem Cell Treatment

I met Lisa Muscillo, on VetStem's Facebook page. As we are both equally delighted at what stem cell therapy did for our dogs, I asked her to share her story with us.

Zeus is a 10 year old Rotttie. He is a highly intelligent soul who is acutely aware of my love for him.

That's why for his 10th birthday I got him a present of stem cell regenerative therapy!

Zeus had an old injury he received when he was about 4 yrs old playing ball. He was practically raised on a tennis court due to my passion for the sport. He should have been named Deuce. His injury was a hairline fracture of his front right wrist.

Over the past couple years it became a source of pain due to bone spurs and arthritis which formed around the fracture site. Which causes other imbalances due to compensating.

Over past couple years Zeus' injury site became a constant source of pain. 

He couldn't go on extended walks, which became increasingly shorter. He would lag behind and when I turned to look back at times he would just be sitting holding his front right paw up.

Zeus is a working dog and I had to reduce the days a week he could go to work. No more nursing home visits because he was cranky. I had to take and  hide tennis balls because like any athlete his desire was still there.

For past couple years he did no jumping, I had to lift him in and out of car. I moved to another house because the stairs where we previously lived became to much of a struggle for him. He wouldn't go to his toy box as often. Due to compensating, his hips, shoulders and elbows became strained and arthritic.

His wonderful doctor and I had tried all the conventional and practical approaches - medications, physical therapy... with results I was never satisfied with.

Then last year our vet suggested to consider stem cell therapy. 

I was like "Yeah right !"But after some extensive research it sounded promising. "Let's Do It!" I said.

It has been the single best decision I have made for my companion and best friend!

As crazy as it sounds I saw significant improvement within 2 days! Since July it has been so delightful to see my sweetheart feeling 3 yrs younger! He is smiling more and he's got more pep in his step. I'm so happy to have given him the opportunity to feel fabulous again. It's the least I could do for my loving & devoted best friend.

The stem cell procedure included initial blood work and x-rays. The harvesting process required a minor surgery around his rib cage where his vet removed 3 table spoons of fat and sent it to Vet-Stem where they extracted and counted the stem cells from the fat tissue.

The 3 table spoons of fat tissue returned about 2 million stem cells. Zeus went in the following day and was sedated to get about 300,000 cells injected into his wrist and some in his elbow. The rest of cells are banked at Vet-Stem in San Diego for future use.

Stem-cell therapy makes perfect sense when you think about it. 

Your own body healing it's self. I highly recommend it.

Since his treatment Zeus feels significantly better. The funniest thing to me was when 2 days after his injections he ran to his toy box, got his big teddy and came running out of room shaking it and wanting to get frisky with it. We cab now go for longer walks. We play ball a little, mainly in the house. He goes to work more often. He's happier and so am I and that's all that really matters.

***

We are just as happy with what stem cells did for Jasmine. Even though she is a constant source of challenges, the joints treated are working great and she is full of beans and enjoying her life.

Related articles:
Stem Cells for Dogs? Oh yeah, baby!
Interview with Dr. Robert J. Harman, D.V.M., M.P.V.M. - CEO and founder of Vet-Stem, Regenerative Veterinary Medicine  
Jasmine is Vet-Stem's poster child!

Sign a Petition for Canine Circumcision

By Dino Dogan 

I have another treat for you from Dino Dogan, So brace yourself and enjoy!

All of my knowledge comes from the second-hand, hand me down, used clothing store.

All the knowledge we have is akin to wearing used clothes. It’s not ours; it’s only been handed down to us.

Every now and again I try to think of something that I’ve learned that was brand new. Alas, there isn’t a thing.

Second-hand knowledge isn’t so bad I guess. It’s a very efficient and effective way of transmitting information. Its how I’ve learned math, writing, geography…and some of that stuff I still remember.

Very little of what we learn is school we actually retain. The content dissipates (what year did Columbus “discover” America) and what remains is the structure (reverence for authority for example).

What really scares me is the amount of information that I’ve had to unlearn.

There is a huge amount of false knowledge (call it belief, pre-conceived notions, whatever) that was imparted on our young brains and therefore wasn’t questioned. It entered our blood stream and stayed there to this day. For example. Did you know that the lightning shoots up, not down?
 
That little tid bit seams mighty interesting to me, and yet, I don’t remember a single teacher, parent, community or religious leader, mentioning it. Ever.

If we are oblivious to this type of basic information, what else did we miss-learn? What else do we need to unlearn?

Growing up, I took it for granted that certain mutilation practices are acceptable. There are many we can all think of (from ear piercings to breast implants) but there is a particular type I want to focus on in this post.

The type of mutilation we impart on others without their consent.

One such mutilation that western societies engage in routinely is circumcision.

I grew up accepting that this is “normal” until I took an intentional and systematic step towards unlearning.

Can you think of something that your teachers (or parents) have told you that turned out to be down-right wrong?

What are the common beliefs regarding circumcision?

1. Circumcision=Cleanliness
   
   Many hundreds of years ago when circumcision was instituted by religious orders, this might have been true. These days however, we have regular and guaranteed access to daily baths which takes the cleanliness argument out of the equation.
   
   
2. The Aesthetics: Circumcised penis looks better
   
   Over the last 10+ years I’ve conducted informal studies and asked many females to guess if a penis is circumcised or not. Not one got it right.What’s really interesting is that every single female that took part in these studies was confident that she would be able to tell.
   
   
3. The third reason people choose to circumcise their baby boy is religious.
   
   I really can’t argue against this. Religious rituals are expected to have a degree of obtuseness and those who practice don’t expect to know or understand why they are doing what they are doing. Understanding is not a requirement, only complying.

Note: In Judaism, there is even a word for laws that are to be observed and not understood. Chukkim.
I will only say that there are many religious rituals that were practiced in the past and are now obsolete. So I don’t see why circumcision couldn’t be one of those.

Why are we doing away with some religious rituals and not others?

So far, I’ve presented reasons why people do it. I will now present why NOT to do it.

1. After a circumcision, babies go into an anaphylactic shock (unable to breath). Most likely this is caused by the extreme pain though some actually argue this point.
   
   
2. Sometimes circumcision is performed by a distracted or ill prepared individual and they cut off too much.
   
   
3. In some religious ceremonies, the circumcision is performed by biting (yes, biting) the foreskin. This has been known to cause infections and there are even cases of STDs that were spread to the baby in this manner.
   
   
4. Decrease in pleasure for the male, and  consequently (I would say) for female

Whatever Dino. You are full of shit and I can prove it. (I imagine some of you are saying)

If circumcision is unnecessary and carries all these risks, why are hospitals doing it? And why are doctors routinely recommending circumcision?

That’s a fair point and I will address it now.

1. Doctors have a long history of being wrong
   
   
2. Medical industry is a business of the worst sort and hospitals charge $600.00 (on average) for this procedure.

As far as I can tell, the only benefit of circumcision goes to the hospital.

At this point I would like to say that I am sorry.

I imagine that some people reading this will have a strong reaction and might feel the impulse to argue some of these points.

Before you do, I would like to ask you if you have someone in your life (a child perhaps, baby brother, etc) that you are responsible for and that is circumcised because of you.

If that’s the case, your emotional reaction is a natural protection mechanism against being wrong and feeling guilty about it. And for that I am sorry.

My only advice is to accept it, apologize to your child and move on.

Let’s get to dogs, shall we?

What does this have to do with dogs?

Unfortunately, the type of mutilation we are discussing (the kind we impart on others without their consent) is all too relevant to dogs.

We crop their ears and dock their tails in order to make them conform to some made-up standard we ill-conceived in our heads long time ago.

Some will offer a “rational explanation” like “docking the tail prevents it from being broken”.

To that I would say that docking the tail guarantees it’s going to be broken (or cut off, but I don’t think the dog cares for the distinction).

Alas, that’s only rationalization talking and if done by someone with an air of authority we would be all too happy to accept it as gospel.

It’s not easy saying “I’ve been wrong all these years” but it’s a precursor to growth. So I would like to say I’m sorry dogs. I’m sorry for mutilating you for all these years and even more sorry for creating breeds that have health problems and genetic defects as part of their design.

I know it wasn’t me personally who did that to you but I am sorry.

On behalf of all humans, I am sorry.

***

Dino Dogan is a blogger, writer, biker, dog trainer, singer/songwriter, Martial Artist. Currently working on Human-Dog Problem Tree; a thesis in human-dog relationship. Check out Dino's great blog at Dogan Dogs Video Blogs, or connect with Dino on Twitter or Facebook.