Only You Can Prevent Dog Flu

"Because this is a brand new virus and it was not present in the dog population before 2004, really no dogs have been exposed to it before then, and therefore if they come in contact with it they will get sick." 

- Dr. Jennifer Stone, Medical Director at the Animal Foundation. 

Only a select few states have been hit thus far, but if left unchecked, this bit of dog flu could very well hit your neck of the woods and infect your Little Friend. There is an airborne strain of flu that affects canines only and unless you get your Little Friend vaccinated, your pup could have a rough go of things. Symptoms of canine influenza, or dog flu, include:

• fever
• runny nose
• constant coughing 
• heavy congestion
• shorter breaths

The first few cases were reported in the state of Florida and has since spread to Texas, Colorado, California and now on our doorstep of Nevada. It is a sneaky little devil of a virus. Unfortunately, the aforementioned symptoms only manifest themselves once the canine influenza is pretty much full-blown. Your Little Friend could have been infected for several days before any signs of sickness are even the slightest bit noticeable. All the while, your dog could very well be spreading a contagious pathogen among other dogs and their unsuspecting owners.

If you frequent dog parks or board your dogs in kennels, veterinarians are wholly encouraging that dog owners get the canine influenza vaccine administered if not as a precautionary measure. Although there haven't been any cases reported in the city of Las Vegas, to ensure that in the event the dog flu does hit the Vegas strip, the collateral damage is kept in check by what Dr. Stone refers to as "community immunity". Consult with your local veterinarian or visit the Center for Disease Control website for further information. There is a limited supply of dog flu vaccines available to the general public at a discounted price thanks to government grants. 

Muha the Courageous

"What goes around comes around."  This idiom usually refers to something bad, but our story is completely opposite.  People selflessly do good deeds and never expect anything in return. But good just like bad, always comes back when we least expect it.

This wonderful story is about very courageous dog. I believe every one of us would like to have a Little Friend like that next to us.

Draman Sidibe, is the medical director of Veterinary Station in small Ural town Irbit. One day he was coming home late from work. He called his wife to say that he is going to be home soon and at that very moment, he got hit on the head with something heavy. Two teenagers tried to steal his cell phone and also demanded money.

All of a sudden, some random dog jumped on the back of one of the robbers. He stood between the robbers and their victim, and didn’t let them get closer to Draman. But the guys were not going to give up their prey. The vigilante dog was left no choice, but to fend off the hoodlums with more bite than bark. The robbers responded in kind by delivering a heavy blow to the dog. However, the dog refused to give up. Again and again, the dog kept jumping on the robbers until they figured out that their raid was a failure and decided to live to rob another day.

Draman Sidibe, a practicing veterinarian, took his shaggy savior to his office to treat the dog's wounds. After washing the blood off his nose, Draman examined the poor doggy. He had a slaughtered paw, several teeth were knocked out. For some odd reason, the heroic dog looked familiar to Draman, but he couldn’t quite put his finger as to why and from where.

Then everything started to make sense when Sidibe was cleaning the dog’s coat. Draman spotted a seam on the dog’s belly - a scar left from gastric surgery. A few years ago, Draman had found this dog on the street. He was just wandering aimlessly about and whining incessantly. After examining him, Draman had discovered that this poor dog was suffering because something had caused its stomach to rupture. Apparently, someone had fed the dog a piece of sausage stuffed with needles. What could possess someone to commit such unimaginable cruelty to a living creature is beyond any rational comprehension. Luckily, Draman was able to perform the necessary surgical procedure in time to save the dog.

Draman Sidibe was born in Africa. After graduating from the Moscow Veterinary Academy, he moved to Ural with his girlfriend. After their wedding, they began to work together and that dog, whose name is Muha, was one of their first patients they had operated on together as a team. They took care of this dog until he got better. Sidibé couldn’t hold the tears when he realized why Muha so desperately rushed to defend him. 

"The animal remembers those who have helped him" - Draman Sidibe.

That fateful day, Muha has repaid his debt to Draman. One good deed deserves another as they say. Look out for your Little Friends. They will definitely do the same for you.

Don't Litter. Spay or Neuter Your Critter

Once you have adopted your little friend, the next decision you will be faced with is whether or not you opt to have your pet spayed or neutered. For those of you not in the know, spaying and neutering is one in the same, save for the fact that each procedure is gender-specific. Spaying is a veterinary procedure in which the reproductive organs (ovaries and uterus) are removed from your female pet; whereas on the other hand, neutering is a veterinary procedure specific to the male sex where the testicles are removed.

Both procedures have their upsides. Spaying adds years to your little friend’s life and neutering will curb those raging hormones that are often at the root of most fits of naughtiness. Consider spaying or neutering your little friend a bit of an attitude adjustment as well. Your male dog won’t heed the call of the wild in pursuit of some tail. Your pretty kitty won’t drive you or your neighbors crazy with its incessant wailing when she is in heat, which, by the way, happens once a month and lasts anywhere from 3 to 5 days. In both instances, the animal’s instincts to mark territory and other aggressive behavior is curbed significantly.

Not to mention both procedures are wholly affordable. In an effort to curb the growing number of strays, government-funded programs have been established throughout the country. To give you an idea of what could happen if strays are not kept in check by spaying, an estimated 420,000 kittens can stem from one cat and her offspring in a seven year period. Talk about exponential growth.

Not only will you be combating overpopulation by having your pets spayed or neutered, you will also be saving on the expenses associated with caring for a litter. If you are interested in having the procedure performed on your little friend, Vegas residents can turn to the Las Vegas Humane Society or Heaven Can Wait Society for low cost surgery. As Bob Barker of “Price Is Right” fame would say, “Help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered.” 

Rosco the Golden Retriever - Hero

Everyone loves epic tales of superheroes putting themselves in harm’s way to save the world from certain doom. The movie industry thrives on this to the tune of several hundred million dollars every summer. However, when these stories involve animal heroics, people are especially touched. Just look at movies like “Underdog”, “Bolt”, “Cats & Dogs” and “Puss In Boots”, which all lured a ton of people into the theater.

Back during TV’s heyday, there were two television series that stood out particularly - “Flipper” and “Lassie” . The former was a tale centered around a crusading dolphin and the latter a collie, who was arguably the smartest member of that family. People watched these programs and let their imagination run free, “wouldn’t it be keen to have a hero dog like Lassie for their very own?” Little did they know that their Little Friend laying lazily on a rag by the door could be hero too!

Obviously, your little friend isn’t the caped crusading variety, who can drive cars, crack wise and harbor super powers. No, your little friend has one driving force and that is unconditional love for its master. Dogs will do just about anything to please their master. Their undying loyalty is one of their noblest traits. Take this tale of heroic self sacrifice for instance:

Once upon a time in Mexico, a poor family was living in a wooden shack when one day a golden retriever wandered into their fold. Having taken a liking to him, the family took the golden retriever in as their own and named him, “Rosco”. Not long after settling into a new home, the golden retriever would be called into action. With father at work and the mother having to step away from the homestead to take care of some errands, Rosco was the only one to watch little four year old Ivan, who was sleeping soundly in bed.

Unbeknownst to Ivan, suddenly, a fire broke out. Because it was a shack, there were no smoke detectors to alert Ivan. There was; however, Rosco, who was chained up just outside of the shack. Sensing that the boy was in danger, Rosco barked feverishly to wake Ivan up and draw attention to the fire. Rosco’s efforts were not in vain as Ivan finally woke up to flee the burning shack. Unfortunately, Rosco did not fare so well. Because he had been chained to a cement block, Rosco was not able to escape the flames. He would suffer burns on 30% of his body before the firefighters were able to get to him.

“I came home when some neighbors came looking for me to tell me my house was on fire. When I got there and saw how the flames were, I was sure my son was burned to death inside. Just when I was preparing to run inside the fire to look for Ivan, I was told he was safe, he had come out running because the dog had woke him up with its insistent barking.”

-Elizabeth Alonso Hernández, child’s mother

After an investigation was conducted, it was determined that the fire was caused by an overheated small fan, which was on while Ivan was fast asleep. Rosco is, currently, being treated for 1^st degree burns in the intensive care unit of the Luca Foundation, a non-profit animal rescue organization headed by Jorge Hoil. If it wasn’t for his selfless loyalty to his new owners, that could have been little Ivan in the ICU or even worse yet…

The Hernandez family will always be thankful to Rosco – a golden retriever truly deserving of the superhero title.

Does Your Dog Experience Separation Anxiety?

Does your little friend start to whine or whimper while you are primping for work? Does he immediately start howling at the moon just as soon as the door closes behind you? If so, your little friend suffers from a bout with separation anxiety. Not to worry, it is completely natural; after all, you are their parent. As their master, you are all they know and, therefore, all that is right in the world. Much like a young child in their early developmental stages, they look to their guardian not only for nourishment and care, but also for guidance. Take yourself out of the picture and they feel lost.

Even with their limited intelligence, animals are quite attuned to perceiving various nonverbal cues, particularly canines. Pavlov’s dog reacted to the jingle of a bell. Your dog more than likely reacts to the jingling of your house keys. Whether you realize it or not, you have conditioned your dog to react as such. Depending on the circumstances from which you rescued your dog, there is a list of symptoms that point to your little friend experiencing separation anxiety:

NOTE: The below symptoms are usually carried out when you are not present.

• Pacing. Your dog wanders about aimlessly not knowing what to do with itself oftentimes in a pattern.
• Barking. This includes loud whining/whimpering, howling and or barking that isn’t particularly directed towards anything or anyone in particular. Your neighbors probably aren’t too fond of this.
• Escape. Or the old Houdini act minus the showmanship. This often entails gnawing at the wood of the door frame, digging at the fence or “jail-breaking” from your yard at all cost, all of which could result in serious bodily harm to your dog as well as collateral damage to your property.
• Urination/Defecation. Regardless of the motive, it is not uncommon for a dog to “relieve themselves” where they should not and normally don’t.

These are just a few of the most common symptoms of separation anxiety. They are not irreversible. Conditioning can be undone with more conditioning, but first it is important to take into consideration why it is your dog experiences separation anxiety to such a degree. 

Here are but a few possible reasons why your dog may be experiencing separation anxiety:

• Abandonment Issues. Having been surrendered to a shelter is hard enough on a dog, but adjusting to a new owner is often too much change for a dog to handle.
• New Surroundings. Relocating can cause a dog to feel displaced, particularly if you move from a house with a yard to an apartment.
• Changing Faces. Once again, it’s all about conditioning. Dogs get comfortable with certain faces and people. When a familiar face gets taken out of the picture, dogs take notice and are affected.
• Face Time. If your dog is accustomed to seeing you a certain number hours a day and all of a sudden a change in your routine cuts down on those hours, your dog will notice.

It really is all about conditioning and dogs are most certainly creatures of routine. As mentioned earlier, there is something to be learned from Pavlov’s dog. Associating certain experiences with positive reinforcement will most always yield results. If your little friend shows symptoms of separation anxiety, here a few tactics you can use to alleviate your dog’s woes.

• Before you leave for work, take your dog out for some exercise. The more energy your little friend expends exercising, the less they’ll have to worry themselves ragged over your absence.
• Leave your little friend with something to occupy its time like a toy, or more specifically, a KONG filled with peanut butter, Kibbles n’ Bits, or Cheez Whiz. Ideally, these toys will provide ample distraction along with a reward of food at the end.
• If the jingling of keys sets your dog off, you are just going to have to desensitize him to that cue. Accustom your dog to seeing you pick up the keys without leaving him alone. Similarly, put on your coat as if you are going out, but then plop right back down on the couch. Do this enough times in front of your little friend and those cues lose their influence.
• Don’t make an ordeal out of ‘hellos’ and ‘good-byes’. A simple pat on the head will suffice. Again, you want to instill in your little friend a sense of calm.
• Lastly, it can’t be stressed enough. Alleviating separation anxiety is all about conditioning. Much like runner training for a marathon, you don’t run the full 26 miles in your first go. Rather, you build towards it. The same goes for how long you leave your dog alone. Gradually work your way up to your goals otherwise your little friend will never learn to feel at ease in situations that bring about their anxiety.

Regardless of whether they’re rescues or a dog you adopted as a pup, your little friend depends on you for most everything from food to approval. Obviously, you can’t reformat your life to revolve entirely around your dog so your only option is to condition your little friend to work around your schedule. Man’s best friend is all too accommodating. Some cases of separation anxiety are worse than others depending on the dog’s history. Seek the help of a certified animal behavior specialist if your little friend’s separation anxiety persists.