The Daily Dish from WebVet

Dog theft: Never leave your dog tied up alone

So here's a story that could have ended tragically, but didn't.  It actually has a very happy ending for both the dog and its owners, but the getting to the happy ending was painful for everyone.  

I got an email last week from a friend of mine, asking for advice.  Apparently, a friend of hers had left their dog -- a chocolate Cocker Spaniel -- tied up outside their neighborhood deli in Brooklyn while they ran in to quickly grab something.  When he came back outside, his dog was gone.  And sadly, it only took a split second. 

What people don't realize is that there are a lot of crazy, greedy and unkind people out there who often steal dogs like this one for their own benefit.  Whether their intent is bad:  selling the dog or, worse, using it as bait in dog fighting rings; or good:  they honestly believe they're saving a dog from potential ill fate,\; this is very stressful for both the dog and the dog owner.  

I'll get to how the story ends in a moment.  In the meantime, here are a few tips for dog owners if they ever find themselves a victim of dog theft: 

• Immediately notify your vet in case someone brings the dog in or inquires about its health records
• Notify all vets in your area in case they see your dog
• Distribute flyers in public places in case others spot your dog
• Check Craig's List and other local resources to see if someone might be trying to sell your dog
• Check with the local shelters to see if someone might have found your dog

Last Sunday, a few days after this dog went missing, I got another email from my friend telling me that its vet had gotten a call requesting copies of its health records.  The person calling wouldn't identify themselves nor was the number they were calling from available.  Naturally the vet denied their request. The good news here is that it seemed the person who stole the dog wanted to provide it with proper care. The bad news is that this was a dead end lead.  

Then came the wonderfully amazing end to this story.  My friend emailed me a couple hours later letting me know her friend's had found their dog!  Apparently someone spotted the dog on the Promenade and notified the owners.  The police were called and they found the dog at the home of a woman who claimed to have paid $500 for it on the street and she was the rightful owner.  After a quick trip to the vet, where the dog was scanned for a microchip, it was identified as the stolen pet and immediately returned to its rightful owners.  And now, dog and owner are safely and happily back home together!

The moral of this story is this:

• NEVER EVER leave your dog unattended, not even for a moment!
• Always make sure your dog has proper identification -- both i.d. tag and microchip because the tag can easily be removed
• If your dog goes missing, take immediate action and don't give up!  

Your story too can have a happy ending, but best not to tempt fate.  Keeping your dog close means keeping your dog safe!

WE LOVE HAPPY ENDINGS!

   

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Buddy the dog saves owner's life!

Talk about dogged determination!  And Buddy the German Shepherd is not only determined; he's a HERO! 

As the story goes, Buddy's owner was working on his truck when a spark hit some gasoline and set both him and his workshop on fire.  The man ran outside rolling in the snow trying to put out the flames while at the same time shouting at Buddy, "go get help!"

Buddy took off running down a dark, snowy road until he came upon an Alaskan State Trooper, who amazingly was able to sense that Buddy was trying to tell him something.  The trooper followed buddy as he raced back towards the raging fire with hopes of saving his master. 

When they arrived at the burning building, the trooper was able to call for help. Thanks to Buddy and a perceptive state trooper, Buddy's owner suffered only minor burns on his face and second-degree burns on his hands. 

This goes to show you the power of the human-animal bond.  And in this case, Rin Tin Tin has nothing on one man's best bud, Buddy!  

P.S. Buddy the HERO was rewarded with an engraved silver bowl. courtesy of Alaska's finest state trooper!

Treking on Elephant-back in Africa: A view from on high

I recently returned from Africa and one of the highlights on my trip was the opportunity to trek through the bush on the ever-so-high back of an elephant.  And being the adventurer I am, I insisted on riding the biggest elephant in the bunch.  They called him the "supervisor" as he always takes up the rear ensuring none of his pack mates stray too far from the trail.  

Having grown up riding horses I was accustomed to the feeling of being atop a large animal, but this certainly took it to a new high -- not to mention a new girth.  That's quite the straddle. We slowly -- and I mean slowly -- wound our way through the bush offering beautiful views of the valley below.  As you can imagine, elephants are not fleet of foot so it was a slow, methodical trek.  And much like horses, given their druthers they'd eat their way through the journey.  In this case stopping to tear entire limbs off of bushes and trees. 

Our guide explained that the other elephants in the pack wouldn't go out without having the "supervisor" following in their footsteps.  Apparently they relied on him to ensure their safety from predators such as other elephants and lions.  Lions are the one thing elephants truly fear. 

He also explained how to be charged by an elephant and live to tell about it.  There are two things to remember should an elephant ever decide it was time to take you down:

• hide behind a rock or boulder because an elephant cannot navigate across these obstacles; or
• run up a hill as elephants can't easily charge up a hill -- I imagine it has something to do with gravity

All in all, our journey on elephant back was a wonderful adventure -- albeit not the most comfortable ride.  At then end, we were given the opportunity to thank our new friends with special treats after which they saluted us with a very gracious jester.  All trunks up!

Africa: Today was Brilliant!

Okay. While I might have seemed a bit on the "I'm not sure this all it's cracked up to be" side of things yesterday. . . today totally changed my perspective.  It was awesome and I know the best is yet to come!

To begin, we woke early to head out to Victoria Falls -- one of the seven natural wonders of the world -- which happened to be about one quarter mile from our hotel.  We were instructed to wear very light weight clothes and rubber-soled shoes as we would be getting a "natural" shower on our exploration.  And they weren't kidding.  What a spectacular site!  We hiked over to the falls, which they qualify as a "flow and blow" waterfall.  Basically, what this means is that the water falls into a very narrow gorge at the bottom and thus doesn't flow out like most waterfalls, but rather blows back up to more than 500 meters, thus the shower.  So if you're walking in certain areas, it appears you're being overwhelmed by a major rain shower that is simply the blow of the falls.  (To give you some perspective of the power of Vic Falls, Niagara Falls is 56 meters from top to bottom and Vic Falls is 108 meters). 

Not only was this one of the most spectacular sites I've ever seen in my life, each of us felt like little kids playing in the rain again.  We were soaked from head to tow with the most satisfyingly refreshing rush of water we've ever felt.  We had the time of our lives!  (pics to come). 

After our trip to the falls, we went to a local village where, of course, we spent hours negotiating the best price possible on a cadre of stuff we don't need and will likely never see the light of day when we return home.  But it was all in the name of fun and in support of the local community.  In the afternoon we went into the local village where we visited families and schools providing them with tons of school supplies, toys and more.  Some of the most spectacular faces and personalities you'll ever have the privilege of knowing.  What was most profound here is that you have an entire culture living in utter poverty -- in little more than a mud hut with no running water -- but these children, in particular, are likely happier than most kids you and I know in the states.  They cannot miss - or covet - what they do not know.  A sad and happy experience all at the same time. 

In the evening we were transported over to a train - in the era of 1904 - where we enjoyed a three-hour journey including amazing views of wildlife (Impala, Elephants and Giraffes) and a spectacular five-course meal.  Envision me on a train . . . having a romantic dinner with Robert Redford (Think "Out of Africa") . . . and slowly making our way across the barren lands of Africa . . . .

Okay . . . back to reality.  I was with good friends, whom I'm becoming very fond of. But they are no Robert Redford . . . and I"m no Meryl Streep.  

The highlight of the train journey -- and the day -- were the children we saw along the way.  They greeted us with open arms and warm smiles as we moved slowly along the tracks and while some stayed with us for only moments in time, others chased the train down the tracks for hundreds of yards. One young boy ran for more than a mile behind the slowly moving train with a strong stride and big smile.  He reminded me of a miniature version of Forrest Gump only with shorter legs and darker skin -- yet the same will and determination to achieve a goal -- although his was simply to be noticed.  

I could go on and on about today and the experiences I had, but there is more time for this in the future.  You must simply know that Africa is a very special place, filled with very special people, who house very special hearts.  Take that and hold onto it.  I know I will.  It's my privilege to be here!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's news:

An Elephant-Back Safari

A Lion Walk

A Cheetah Encounter

A Helicopter Ride Over Vic Falls

What more could a girl ask for?  Oh yeah . . . Robert Redford!  A girl can dream, right?

Animal news from Africa

While many of you know that I'm traveling throughout Africa and that my intent was to blog daily -- who the f**k did I think I was fooling? -- well, it hasn't quite worked out that way.  I'm sending a quick note letting you know my intentions are good but these crazy bush people (I say that with the greatest love and affection) aren't too keen on connective Internet service. 

I've been here for three days and this is the first time I've been able to connect.  Not too disappointing as I don't have too much to tell other than I've seen animals in a box and a very large Hippo to date ( oh and a couple monkeys having wild monkey sex).  There will indeed be more to come -- I promise -- assuming I survive the crazy Vic Falls events tomorrow. 

So stay tuned.  More to come!

My dog is sleeping with another woman. Ouch!

My dog Max rarely ever sleeps in the bed with me.  Every once in awhile he'll jump up in the morning and plop down at the foot of the bed, but he's not really a snuggling kind of guy.  Or so I thought!

I've been traveling quite a bit lately and when I do, Max hops in the black car with me early in the morning and we pop across town to my best friend's place.  Her husband and seven-year-old daughter greet me and Max at the side walk and off they go.  He never looks back.  On the one hand, I'm happy he's okay with me leaving.  On the other, I'm thinking, "Wait a minute.  Won't you miss me?"

I typically call nightly to check on Max and see how he's doing and if he's missing me at all.  So the other night, I make my ritualistic phone call and Karyn answers the phone.  We make a little idle chit chat and then I get straight to the point . . . "how's Max?" I ask.  To which she replies . . . "He's great.  Curled up next to me in the bed sound asleep." 

I'm thinking, "what the f**k!"  My dog is sleeping with another woman!  Suddenly, I'm feeling the pain of Sandra Bullock, Elin Woods and Elizabeth Edwards all rolled up into one big ball of hurt!  Max, I discover, is not only sleeping with someone else, he's actually been doing this for years! 

At my house, he typically sleeps by my bedroom door.  At their house, he sleeps smack in between the two of them.  What's that all about?

I, of course, discussed this with my vet and she surmised that Max likely isn't comfortable sleeping in my bed because in my house, he has a job -- to protect me -- thus why he sleeps by the door.  At my friend's house, the job of protection is left to Karyn's husband and therefore Max can relax and sleep where he likes.  And that he does. 

So, here's what I have to say.  Sandra, Elin and Elizabeth . . . your husbands really weren't cheating on you when they starting sleeping with other women.  To the contrary.  They were actually protecting you.

Nice work if you can get it. 

Once a dog.  Always a dog. 

Spring is here and packing a big allergic punch for pets!

We all know that along with Spring comes all kinds of allergies that make our eyes water, noses run and throats itch.  Truth is, we're not the only ones who suffer from allergies when the flowers and trees begin to bloom; our four legged friends feel the pain as well. 

Take for example Hay Fever.  This is caused by inhaling allergens like pollens and molds.  Just like people, our pets are often allergic to these same pesky allergens but their signs of illness manifest themselves differently.  While we humans may be weepy and sniffling, our pets symptoms tends to show up as irritated, itchy skin. 

Many pets begin to show signs when they are as young as six to seven months, and almost all allergic pets develop problems by three to five years of age.  And while these types of allergies usually begin as seasonal itching during spring or summer, they eventually may become a year-round problem.  

The best way to combat your pets' allergies is with antihistamines and corticosteroids which should help stem the incessant itching and inflammation.  Longer-term treatment involves eliminating the annoying allergens via things like flea control or with a hypoallergenic diet.  If the allergen cannot be eliminated, your veterinarian may recommend a series of shots meant to gradually desensitize your pet to the offending allergen(s). 

So as spring rolls in and then over to summer, make sure you keep you furry friends protected during allergy season.  It will save them from the scratch, scratch, scratch and you from that thump, thump, thump.  

Why dogs like to pee on the snow: Another of Max's Musings

Have you ever noticed how my dog friends and I are obsessed with peeing on the snow?  It doesn't matter if there is only one teeny tiny patch left on the ground -- we will find it and we will pee on it.  We will, at all cost, leave our vibrant yellow mark on the last remnants of winter!  Long live yellow snow!

I'm sure you're wondering why we do this.  I suppose I would ask the same question if I saw a human mill about until they found a viable patch of snow and then oh-so-gratifyingly relieved themselves on it.  Come to think of it, I have seen that before -- but that's another story.

Here's the deal when it comes to dogs and snow.  We male dogs like to mark our territory.  Typically we sniff about until we find a scent we like -- more often than not, another dog's pee -- and we lift our leg.  And mind you, we don't let it all come out at the same time, rather we measure it, saving enough for a few more pit stops along the way.  Oops, I digress -- back to the snow thing. 

Well, imagine this . . .

How sweet would it be to not only be able to follow a scent and then mark your territory on top of it, but to then also see that mark?  We males are visual creatures you know.  Man oh man do I feel like a man!  

So next time you see me, or any other male dog for that matter, intently searching for that last little mound of snow; you should know that it's for no other reason than . . . we like to see the mark we've left on the world -- in this case, snow.  It's as simple as that!

Lay on the love this Valentine's Day: Spend more quality time with your dog

What does your dog want this Valentine's Day.  Well, according to a survey we conducted among dogs (just kidding) -- among dog owners, the number one gift they plan on giving their pooch is more quality time together!  And I'm sure a few big ole wet smooches.  

Think about it.  Who loves you more than your dog?  He or she is always happy to see you.  And even when they do get upset with you, not only do they forgive (and very quickly), they also forget.  How many dogs do you know that hold a grudge?  They don't care if you have morning breath, wear no make-up or have dirty hair.  And more importantly, they don't complain when you crawl into bed with hairy legs.  Ah the joys of dog ownership!

When was the last time your dog looked at you and asked "do I have to eat Kibble again?  Can't I have something more interesting for dinner?"  And they don't complain when you throw your dirty clothes on the floor (they actually like the dirty clothes -- NEW TOY!) nor do they bitch and moan when you take too much time to get prepped for a night out on the town. 

And they never, ever tell you that you made a fool of yourself because you had one too many at the holiday party!

So what's not to love about your dog?  Forget "man's best friend."  Your precious pooch is the best friend you women will ever have!  So lay on the love this Valentine's Day and spend some real quality time with the one who loves you baby. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Canine Smarts and Intuition: German Shepherd Retrieves Beagle

My dad called the other day to tell me a story about two of their dogs, a German Shepherd named Cody and Spike the Beagle.  Both are relatively new to my parent's house and are still working on their "relationship." 

So here's how the story goes:  It's 2am in the morning and it seems Spike has escaped my parent's bedroom (where all the dogs sleep at night) and gone out the dog door.  While understandable if he needed to pee, Spike had something more adventurous in mind -- sniffing out deer, raccoons and other wild animals.  Not terribly unusual for a Beagle, but as part of the hunt he began howling up a storm. 

My dad gets out of bed, puts on his boots and coat (it's raining outside), grabs a flashlight and goes in search of Spike.  Cody, who sticks to my father like glue, followed him outside. Following the howling, my dad begins searching for Spike and finally finds him at the bottom of the pasture.  But, as you can imagine, Spike had absolutely no interest in coming when my dad called him.  And called him.  And called him. 

The next thing is what totally blew my dad's mind. Cody leaped over the fence, raced down to where Spike sat (howling up a storm), and protectively stood over him.  He then grabbed Spike by the nape of his neck and waited for my father to come fetch him.  

When I say my father is proud of his boy Cody is an understatement!  According to him, "if Cody hadn't gone after Spike, I still would've been standing there two days later." 

So, next time you think dogs aren't highly intelligent and intuitive . . . think again.  

Kudos to Cody!