Karen Gadke, Ph.D. (Health Science) is a retired clinical study specialist, medical writer, and lecturer. She has been training and racing sled dogs, many of them rescued huskies, for 30 years. She owns both Siberians and Alaskans. Karen is an internationally published author on animal issues, awareness and education and a welcome addition to AFSBC.

 Have a question for Karen? Contact her at:

info@animalfriendsbc.org 



June - July  2013

     So, until your next visit to my Corner, I extend a heartfelt  “BE WELL, STAY WELL AND ENJOY THE SUMMER” to you and all your family members, both two and four-legged.  E-mail me with questions or comments

 The purpose of this page is to help you keep your pets healthy and safe.  It is not meant to replace your veterinarian when needed. 

Please do not forget that emergency numbers may be found in the April 2012 Corner, archived.

 A Tribute to Minka,  one more of my wonderful rescued Siberian huskies, who went on to Rainbow Bridge several weeks ago.  Rescued 12 years ago at the age of one year from a hoarder, a cruel man who boldly admitted to beating and kicking her frequently, Minka was the sweetest, most loving and forgiving dog one could ever imagine.  Despite the cruel treatment she had received from the hoarder, Minka loved everyone, no exceptions.  Do you know of any other creature in the world who loves so unconditionally.  To my knowledge, only a dog.

      There is rarely a day without tears in the life of a rescuer of abandoned and abused pets! 

      Most people know that puppy mills are despicable operations driven by humangreed, flooding an already overpopulated world with thousands of puppies, selling to the public via Internet or to pet shops.  People need to know that respectable breeders do not sell their puppies or kittens to pet shops. 

      There are basically three types of breeders.  1.  Puppy mills;  2. backyard breeders who try to make money out of their pets by breeding them indiscriminately;  3.  Respectable breeders produce puppies that are of sound structure, health and temperament, without known hereditary diseases,.  These people make every effort to prove the quality of their breeding stock in the show ring.

      If you want to acquire a dog or cat, I hope compassion for homeless pets will lead you to adopt from a shelter or rescue group.  If, however, your goal is a purebred with papers, then please, to protect yourself from a poor quality pet that may cost you thousands in vet bills, buy only from a respectable breeder.  Veterinarians are well suited to advise you, or you can look at ads of kennels with top winning champions.  Attending a show is another way to make contact with a breeder of quality pets, who will give you a money-back guarantee,. The so-called guarantee from a puppy mill may provide you with another (sick) dog after furnishing a vet’s certificate of euthanasia of the first one.  What about the thousands of $ you spent in vet bills before resorting to euthanasia?  And what about your grief for your dead friend?

      Here is one more reason to adopt rather than support the breeding industry:  A number of rendering firms have stopped accepting the thousands of tons of the carcasses of euthanized dogs and cats from kill shelters because they can no longer handle the volume.  This means the city dog pounds have to spend more taxpayer money to have them incinerated.  What a waste of precious lives and money.

THE HORROR OF BLOAT – AND HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

     In the 12 years I showed Alaskan Malamutes all over the Midwest, I never once forgot to take the stomach tube along.  It happened only once while at a show, but using the tube at the first ominous symptom saved my top-winning champion’s life.

     All mammals, including cats, can bloat, but in cats it’s not nearly as common as in dogs, and the symptoms differ.  In a cat the condition may not be noticeable until her stomach is hard and distended.  This could be caused by several serious issues and the cat could quickly suffer a painful death.  So head for the clinic.  In dogs the picture is different.  Big, deep-chested dogs are most frequently affected by this kind of indigestion that can snuff out a precious pet’s life so quickly.  According to veterinary records from all parts of the US, bloat is on the rise.

     An animal with bloat has a painful, distended abdomen.  But the signs to watch for – namely, walking around restlessly trying to vomit but to no avail - appear before you see any distention.  An observant owner must take action when the first signs are manifested.  As the food in the stomach keeps fermenting and the stomach keeps swelling with a large amount of trapped gas, it presses against other organs and blood vessels, interfering with blood flow and eventually causing the stomach to twist.  This is called torsion or volvulus.  Now any hope that the gas can get out through the mouth or the intestines is gone.  Blood supply to the stomach and surrounding organs is cut off, causing tissues to die.

     All of this rapidly proceeds to shock and death, which can occur within 10-20 minutes.  Hopefully, you have observed the early symptoms and you are already on the way to the vet’s office or the emergency clinic. If you get there on time, your veterinarian may still be able to pass the stomach tube to relieve the gas.  However, once torsion has occurred, the tube can no longer be passed into the stomach, and only emergency surgery can save the pet’s life. 

     Why does it happen?  Some blame food with a high fermenting propensity, i.e., dog food containing soy beans.  But this has not been proven.  Exercise or other excitement within an hour or two after eating, or even shortly before, could bring on bloat in susceptible individuals.  Gulping food and inhaling too much air can be a cause.  None of these theories are proven.  I have one of my own.  Since the condition has a greater probability to occur in middle-aged or older individuals, I think that, since a large blood supply is required for stomach muscles to contract during the initial part of digestion, a slight weakening of heart strength due to aging, translating to a diminished blood supply could have something to do with it. However, it’s only a guess. 

     What owners can do is watch for signs, especially during the first several hours after feeding, and take the necessary precautions, i.e., soak the food well, feed the best quality food available, feed small meals several times/day instead of one big meal, keep excitement and exercise at a minimum before and after eating, and watch for signs, such as walking around restlessly while retching unproductively or trying to defecate but without success.

     One thing you can do at the first sign of trouble (restlessness and retching): give the dog Mylanta, which contains gas-absorbing simethicone.  The dosage for a small dog (up to 15 lbs) is 3 tablespoons, dogs weighing between 16 and 50 lbs, 4 tablespoons, and for dogs over 50 lbs the dosage is 6 tablespoons.  Use a syringe without needle.  Gently pull the mouth open and carefully squirt the medication into the cheek, taking care to avoid choking, which could lead to deadly inhalation pneumonia.  Next time you are at the clinic, ask your vet or one of the techs to show you.  These professionals are so helpful.  What did we ever do without them? 

     Do not rely on the Mylanta, which only has a chance to work at the very beginning of the bloating process.  Take the dog to the clinic immediately after administering the Mylanta. 

MISCELLANOUS ITEMS

      Mushrooms mushrooms mushrooms ……….. There are more of them in my yard than ever before, especially under trees, but growing right in the grass too.  In order to protect my dogs from the deadly fungi, I go out before letting the dogs out, “harvest” mushrooms, wrap them and put them in the garbage.  I hope you will do the same.

      Mosquitoes, fleas and ticks are enjoying their “attack season.”  Protect your pets.  If you haven’t had your pets tested for heartworm, it’s still time, but hurry and make that appointment.  Imagine heartworms clustered in the heart and blood vessels, slowly ending your pet’s life.  And think of the deadly diseases carried by ticks, i.e., Lyme disease from deer ticks and Rocky mountain spotted fever or Ehrlichiosis carried by the brown tick.  Flea allergies do not kill, but just put yourself in the shoes  …. I mean paws of a pet who scratches all day and all night, and you will rid him of this scourge.

       If I had a choice, I would not introduce more chemical agents into the bodies of my pets when they already absorb so many environmental toxins, but I believe the preventives are the lesser evil.  

      Good old summertime – not so pleasant for pets that are not lucky enough to have an air conditioned house to "lounge" in.  Please protect your outdoor pets from extreme heat and humidity.  If you can’t bring them in the house, make sure they have cool water and shade.  Without those two necessary “ingredients,” survival can be doubtful, because, dehydration due to lack of fluids paired with high heat and humidity will kill in a short time.  And remember, dogs, i.e., will not drink hot water and most likely not warm water, either.  So make sure to change their water or cool it down with ice cubes as often as necessary.  Never leave them in the car while you shop.

      Fly bites on ear tips.  For a non-toxic repellent, mix mineral oil and oil of citronella 3:1 (3 parts mineral oil and one part oil of citronella) and apply to the tip of the ear with fingers. I use the mixture on myself too. No excuse ever to have a pet with bloody ears.

      Keep your older dogs dry. FDA has approved INCURIN, an incontinence medication for female dogs.  Incurin is a natural estrogen (female hormone) that can strengthen the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside) of a female dog, so she can hold it better.. 

      Parasite eggs do not always show up in stool samples.  If you take your dog to the dog park or other places where other dogs may have defecated, or your cat is an “inside-outside cat”, talk to your veterinarian about regular deworming, even if no evidence of parasite eggs shows up in their stool samples.  And in order to prevent re-infection in your own back yard, pick up at least twice a day.  It’s such an easy routine.

     Treats from China.  The major chains have never taken the previously implicated treats, especially jerky treats, off the shelves, and the issue has never been resolved. FDA is being criticized for failure to act aggressively.  So, do not let down your guard.  Read where the products you buy were produced.  You don’t want your pet to die of kidney failure, as so many have from these products.

     Does your cat run and hide at the sight of the carrier when you want to take her to the vet?  Many cats do.  Solution:  Leave the carrier open for some time before the appointment, and make it inviting, by “decorating” it with treats, toys, or catnip.  The cat will learn that the carrier is not such a bad place.  Most dog owners do the same to get a puppy used to a crate. 

    Since we are already on the subject of cats, the beautiful orange kitty in thepicture still hasn’t found a home.  I’ll let him do the talking.  “My name is Beasley.  I was rescued from a family who lost their home, in order to save me from euthanasia.  My foster parents are wonderful people, but their other cats pick on me mercilessly and I'm too shy to fight back. I’m terrified all the time.  I dream of a loving home, where, hopefully I could be an only cat, or with another gentle cat I could make friends with.  I'm so sweet and snuggly.  Please give me a chance to show you. Please help me." 

   Feral cats present another sad story on the animal welfare front.  It is estimated that 4,000 to 5,000 feral cats are living in Boone County. And guess how they got to be feral cats?  By homeowners letting their pet cats have kittens, and when the kittens grow up they have more kittens, and the breeding goes on, and on, and on.  Feral cats have a sad life – hit by cars, chased, stoned, sometimes tortured, starving or freezing to death, etc.  They are unsocialized and will run away if approached, so there is no danger that one will attack you if you leave it alone.

      Feral cats should be sterilized so they can not produce more litters.  But except for a few dedicated people who trap the cats and have them spayed/neutered, the problem of feral cats gets little attention.  As a homeowner you can do one thing:  Have your pet cats spayed or neutered so that they can’t add to the thousands now suffering.  If you need financial help, you can fill out the appropriate form right here on this website and we’ll send you a voucher to help defray the cost.   

       There are so many more things I want to add, i.e., a story about a chain of Cat Cafes in a foreign country, where people can sit, have their refreshments while socializing with cats, but I’ll save them for next time.