4 Legs & a Tail 2016 Rutland Fall

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Western Vermont Leaf Peeping Season 2016

15 Outrageous Pet Owner Requests of Vets Keeping Your Dog Healthy for the Long Run The Luck of a Black Cat How to Rescue an Animal

Inside this issue of 4 Legs & a Tail

®

2. What’s Happening at The Rutland County Humane Society 4. Purrs in the House Again, Maggie Thompson The magic when adding a cat to the family 6. Seemore! - Meet the new mascot for the Vermont Lions Club 7. Dalmatians at the Firehouse

Why this breed is the unmistakable mascot at fire stations worldwide 8. Ember, Tim Hoehn

When

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a rescue dog becomes the rescuing dog

9. Oh No! Your Pet has Halitosis, Emily Sullivan, DVM 10. How to Rescue an Animal, Part 2, John Peaveler

A must read if you're the one who stops at the side of the road to help an injured animal

12. Degenerative Myelopathy in Dogs, Catherine MacLean, DVM

It is the Lou Gehrig's disease of dogs. What to look for and solutions to manage this affliction

14. Your Pet Loves a Quitter, Jane Harrell

November 17 is the Great American Smoke-Out. If there is a smoker in your household, this is a must read 15. Pet Insurance: Should I or Shouldn't I, Dr. Garrett Levin, DVM, Diplomate ACVS Considerations for your pets long term health

17. The Perfect Meal, Serena Peeters, DVM

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Do you want your pet to live longer and healthier AND spend less money doing it?

18. To Leash or Not to Leash...That IS the Question, Paula Bergeron

When is the right time to take your dog off leash

20. Western Dressage: A Growing Sport, Jessica Stewart Riley

Learn why the fundamentals of dressage for the working western horse has become wildly popular in the Northeast

22. The Black Cat

Don’t let Halloween and superstition scare you this fall. This cat might surprise you 23. Paddock Partners, Heidi Jo Hauri-Gill - Is your field ready for winter?

25. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall: Dog Lovers, Kate Kelly They were the Hollywood power couple of the 1940's and 50's.

Then along came Harvey the dog

2 6. 15 Outrageous Pet Owner Requests of Vets, Andy Roark, DVM, MS 28. And the Winner is...

A look at some Guinness World Record holders from the animal world

4 Legs & a Tail Volume R.316

Publishers: Tim Goodwin, Tim Hoehn

P.O. Box 841

Senior Editor: Scott Palzer

Lebanon, NH 03766

Office Manager: Beth Hoehn

603-727-9214

Graphic Design: Kristin Wolff, Monica Reinfeld, Lacey Dardis

TimH.4LT@gmail.com Fall 2016

Pg. 20 If you have a tale about a tail or a photo that will make us smile, we’d like to hear from you. 4 Legs & a Tail is published quarterly and distributed free of charge throughout Western VT. 4 Legs & a Tail, Inc. is locally owned and operated and acts as a moderator without approving, disapproving or guaranteeing the validity or accuracy of any data or claim.

Any reproduction in whole or part is prohibited.

www.4LegsAndATail.com 1

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE RUTLAND COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY O

ur “Waggin’ Tails Winter Auction” is almost here! Starting on November 18 at 8am until November 29th at 10pm, the Rutland County Humane Society will be hosting an online auction. We will have a number of fun and unique items for you and your pets, plus gift certificates for local shops, restaurants, lodging, travel and more. All of the money we raise goes towards the care of homeless animals in our community.

For more information, or to donate an item contact jen@rchsvt.org or call the Humane Society at 802-483-9171.

You can link to our auction through our website www.rchsvt.org.

New Law in

Vermont A

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s of July 1, “Forcible Entry of Motor Vehicle for Rescue Purposes” is now legal in Vermont. The law allows a person to break into a car for the purpose of rescuing a person or animal without fear of liability for damages.

“There are a few things people need to be aware of,” said Gretchen Goodman of the Rutland County Humane Society. “First, you really do have to be sure that the child or animal is in immediate danger.”

Then, you have to make sure the car is, in fact, locked. Once that has been determined, call the police before you forcibly break into the car and use no more force than necessary. Once you have freed the pet or child, stay with the pet or child in a safe location until help arrives. Citizens need to leave a note on the vehicle.

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I

t had been over five months since Coffee Bean died, our seventeen-year-old cat. I sensed another cat in our future, but knew I had to get beyond grieving Beanie, beyond looking for a cat just like her.

Many evenings before bed I’d review the pictures and profiles of available cats on the humane society website. Could I imagine myself with this one? That one?

Sometimes I just needed reassurance that when I was ready, there would be cats. I liked looking at the photos, reading about their known histories and personalities. I felt wistful just driving by the Humane Society, knowing cats were in there.

I waited until after the holidays. I wanted to make sure my husband Ron wanted another cat.

After all, life was easier without one. We could sleep through the night undisturbed, reclaim the living room chair that Beanie had usurped, and be relieved of hairball incidents and worse, that had cropped up in Beanie’s elder years.

Yes, it was easier without a cat.

But with “easier” came a gnawing absence. We lacked an important, even sacred, dimension that animals offer. They live in the present and are expert at settling me into a more balanced perspective. Then there’s the joy animals invite with

Purrs in the House Again

By Maggie Thompson

their playfulness, curiosity and affection. They are unencumbered by regrets about the past or worries about the future.

One Thursday in February, I visited our local humane society.

I spent time with Abbey, Hermione and Peanut, acknowledged Molokai and Kahoona. But it was Periwinkle who caught my eye – a petite silver gray with soft stripes and big blossom eyes, about three years old.

Timid, she winced when I reached gently to pet her. However, no hissing or scratching. She was just afraid, no doubt from the recent upheaval in her feline life. Though she was not comfortable being held, she maintained riveting eye contact with me, following my every movement.

Later in the lobby, I filled out the inventory used to match cats with families. Periwinkle was on the other side of the window, her gaze still fixed on me. I realized I was filling out the questionnaire with her in mind, her blue-green eyes and sweet face pulling at my heart.

As I pulled out of the parking lot, tears surprised me. Grieving Coffee Bean anew? Struck by the loss of all the cats, dogs and cows I have loved?

Continued Next Page

Heading into cold weather is the perfect time to adopt a good "mouser" like Periwinkle.

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The next day, Ron and I were on the doorstep when our shelter opened.

An hour later, Ron was on his way back to work and Periwinkle and I were headed home.

Was it unwise to adopt a stray cat that nothing was known about prior to ten days ago? No. I was ready to love her with my whole heart and give her all the time she needed to learn to trust us.

She spent the first two weeks under the dining room hutch, allowing us to reach under and pet her, nuzzling our hands and purring.

Little by little she ventured out.

Now, she romps with toys. She plays catch, batting her ball right to me so I can roll it back to her.

Seventy-four times back and forth in one session is our record! She is fascinated with fabric, tossing napkins and dishtowels. Recently she has begun blanket diving, semi-somersaulting into her fleece throw. She likes to rub against my legs when I’m cooking. She often bounds from room to room for no apparent reason.

Home alone one afternoon, I heard notes from our piano, played with tentative paws. Some mornings I’m greeted by my computer mouse on the floor – her mouser instinct.

In quieter times we lie on our sides in the sun together on the living room floor. Periwinkle does halfmast sultry blinks, a sign of trust, and stretches a front paw toward me, gently spreading her toes. I do slow blinks back to her and imitate her paw. She’s settling in, and so are we, happily.

Maggie Thompson, a farm girl from Illinois, lives in Calais, Vermont. Periwinkle is the fifth Thompson cat, following in the pawprints of Coffee Bean, Callie Cat, Pumpkin Eleanor, and Princess Elijah.

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Seemore!

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n 1925 Helen Keller challenged the Lions Club to be her ‘Knights for the Blind.’ Now in 205 countries, the Lions Club International Foundation is the world’s largest service organization, providing millions of dollars of sight and hearing assistance.

Fast-forward to this past spring where the Vermont Lions Clubs introduced Seemore the Dog, as the official Walk for Sight mascot. His mission is quite simple -

HELP SEEMORE help others SEE MORE.

Since his debut at the Brandon 4th of July parade, Seemore has been a hit!

Now that school is back in session, the VLC will be very visible in Vermont classrooms. Thanks to fundraising and the purchase Seemore in Brandon, VT of three vision screeners, volunteers will again canvas the state providing free vision screening to students. A program that has already proven to be an investment with great returns.

One such case is that of Cora Westervelt of Montpelier.

The little girl had no noticeable signs of vision impairment. But after the screening, which took less than a minute, the test indicated there was something “significantly abnormal” with Cora’s vision. Her parents, both medical professionals, were skeptical until a visit to a pediatric ophthamologist indicated she suffered from severe hyperopia. In other words, extreme farsightedness. Early detection was key in preventing a long term problem.

Many of us take our vision for granted.

As the VLC makes their rounds to help others, they now have Seemore by their side.

T

The Liable of an Innocent Cow

he Great Chicago Fire destroyed 3.3 square miles of Chicago, Illinois, burning for two days in 1871—between October 8th and October 10th. It killed hundreds of people, left more than 100,000 homeless (nearly one third of Chicago’s residents at the time), destroyed roughly 17,000 buildings, and caused a couple hundred million of dollars in damage (about $4-$5 billion today).

A popular story often told about how of the Great Chicago Fire started is that a cow owned by Kate O’Leary kicked a lit lantern over and that started the flames. The story has even been the subject of a children’s song:

Late one night, when we were all in bed, Mrs. O’Leary lit a lantern in the shed.

Her cow kicked it over, Then winked her eye and said, “There’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight!”

It may come as a disappoint to some to learn that the cow story isn’t true—the man who wrote the O’Leary story for the Chicago Republican, Michael Ahern, later admitted that he had made the cow angle up in order to create a more interesting tale. But the fire certainly did start in the vicinity of a barn owned by the O’Learys. However, the exact cause of the fire was never determined, though Catherine O’Leary was used as a scapegoat of sorts. O’Leary was an Irish Catholic immigrant—despised by many people at the time—so she made an easy target. In addition to Ahern’s retraction of his cow story, the O’Learys claimed to have been asleep by the time the fire started, so there would have been no lantern in the barn for a cow to kick.

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Dalmatians at the Firehouse Kate Hoehn

F

ire Prevention Month was born from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The month of October is now dedicated to promoting fire safety. In honor of Fire Prevention Month, we at 4 Legs & a Tail are celebrating the mascot of every firehouse across the country: Dalmatians.

The Dalmatians are strong, intelligent, active dogs capable of great endurance, and considerable speed. Due to their vast amounts of stamina and energy, Dalmatians have always been working dogs, and back in the days of stagecoaches, the breed demonstrated an affinity for being around horses. They were happy running alongside them, and sleeping next to them in their stalls. Dalmatians were also appreciated for their protective qualities. Coach drivers who were worried about theft, would often leave a Dalmatian on guard in the stable at night.

In America, the first organized groups of volunteer firefighters fought fires in bucket brigades. But soon, men began to devise hand pumps for powering the water spray. As pumps became bigger and better, the firefighters used wagons to transport the pumpers. Early on, few volunteer groups could afford horses so the men pulled the wagons themselves, but as the groups began to gain more funding, they could afford horses to pull the wagons. With this development, the dogs became more useful.

At the sound of the alarm, a good firehouse Dalmatian would rouse the horses and then emerge from the firehouse, barking to clear the way. On the way to the fire, the Dalmatian encouraged a fast pace, by running alongside the team of horses. Once the wagon arrived at the fire, the fire fighters unfastened the horses and moved them away from the fire, to protect them from stray sparks. The Dalmatian would keep the horses calm and grouped together until it was time to return to the firehouse.

Although the horses are long gone from the fire stations, a few still keep a Dalmatian at the firehouse, mostly for company.

But, the tradition of the Dalmatian mascot continues.

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Ember C

“

an you come home? It’s your father, he’s wandered off again.” It was the second time this fall that Mom’s panicked plea lead to my high-speed return. As I raced up the familiar dirt road, I could see the worried look in Mom’s eyes. Though it hadn’t been that long, she appeared to be aging rapidly since my dad’s battle with Alzheimer’s had worsened.

Fortunately for all, our yellow lab, Ember, proved to be a steady companion during these difficult times. Once again, as she greeted me in full stride with tail wagging, her expertise and years of experience would be invaluable on this afternoon.

“Come on, Ember! Go find Dad,” and like a shot, she zigzagged off into the woods. As I quickly followed, I wasn’t sure if I heard my heavy breathing or the sound of Ember catching a scent.

This was not the first time Ember took point to find my dad, it was just the latest.

Just ten years ago, my dad was the

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Chief of our local volunteer fire and rescue squad. He was smart, in better shape than men half his age, and his optimistic approach to everything made him a hero to our entire community.

He was always happy to share his “hero” status with one of the regulars on his team, Ember. As he put it, “She made the

front page of the newspaper, Ember’s the hero.”

In case you have never heard the story: There was a two alarm call that came in late one night. The engines had already rolled, when Dad and Ember pulled in to the McCarthy house, with the upstairs fully engulfed. My dad heard the shout from one of the firefighters that all but Betty McCarthy were accounted for.

As he entered the inferno, smoke kept visibility to no more than a couple of feet, and the roar of the blast furnace above was deafening. The situation deteriorated quickly. He was just about to give up when he heard the familiar bark of Ember. Ember clawed at a door.

There in the closet was Mrs. McCarthy, unconscious but alive. She was treated at the local hospital for smoke inhalation and made it to church that Sunday.

After twenty minutes in the woods with no sign of Dad, I reached for my cell phone to call for more help. With trembling fingers I began to dial 9-1-1, when I suddenly heard the authoritative bark of Ember. As I looked over, there was Ember sitting with my dad, as he gently stroked her head completely unaware that there was anything wrong.

After all, he was at peace in the forest, with his dog by his side.

As we walked back to the house, I couldn’t help but think about the events of the day, and how ironic life was, as I watched Dad and Ember mosey up the path. Ironic because, Mom and Dad had rescued Ember long ago from a kill shelter in Texas. We had always referred to her as a rescue dog, I think she is more of a rescuing dog.

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OH NO! Your Pet Has Halitosis!

Emily Sullivan, DVM

N

obody likes bad breath in a dog or cat. The medical term for bad breath is halitosis. Beyond being unpleasant to smell, halitosis can also signal potential health concerns for your pet. In order to combat halitosis, it is helpful to understand what causes it. There are numerous causes of halitosis, including dental disease, eating bad smelling items (what dog doesn’t enjoy a trip to the trash can or litterbox?), skin infections, respiratory diseases, and systemic diseases such as diabetes or kidney diseases.

With some of the causes of halitosis in hand, we can turn to what halitosis can mean for your cat or dog’s health. We will focus on the dental causes of halitosis.

Halitosis is a common indicator of periodontal disease which is disease of the gums and supporting structures. Tooth roots, alveolar bone, and periodontal ligaments all support the teeth and keep them from moving.

These are subject to disease and infection just like teeth. You may not notice periodontal disease, because these structures are not visible. If you are looking closely at your pet’s teeth, you may see a lot of tartar on their teeth or you may only see irritation of the gums (gingivitis). Sometimes halitosis is the only clue of periodontal disease so make sure to consult your veterinarian if your pet has halitosis.

Before we discuss what can be done to address halitosis, let’s discuss the cause of periodontal disease. Food and bacteria cause plaque buildup on teeth. Those same bacteria can spread from the teeth to the gums and then underneath the gum line, causing infection of the supporting structures of the teeth. Such an infection causes irritation of the gums. If left unchecked, the infection can undermine the roots of the teeth and the surrounding bone. This can lead to loose, painful teeth.

If your pet has halitosis, what can be done? In the early stage, halitosis can be managed by homecare techniques that most people can do. If things have progressed further, your veterinarian will need to take action.

The best way to manage gum disease and halitosis is to prevent it. Prevention begins at home.. Brushing your pet’s teeth effectively reduces tartar build up. Tartar can start forming after 24 hours so brushing every day is ideal. Introducing your pet to brushing when he or she is young and rewarding your pet during the process helps brushing go smoothly. If you are unable to brush your pet’s teeth, a variety of specially formulated dental diets and chews can be helpful, although less effective than brushing. There are many products out on the market. As a guide, look for products with The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VHOC) seal of approval.

Having a veterinarian regularly evaluate your pet’s mouth, and scale and polish your pet’s teeth when needed, will effectively remove tartar that is not eliminated by home brushing.

If you suspect your pet already has periodontal disease, an oral exam and cleaning under anesthesia is the first step in treatment. During an oral exam, each tooth is evaluated and probed to assess its health. Dental x-rays reveal what is going on under the gum line. Your veterinarian will clean the surface and under the gum line to remove any tartar that is present. If the examination reveals teeth with advanced disease they may need to be removed.

So give your pet’s mouth the sniff test. Halitosis may be the first clue to periodontal disease. Your veterinarian can help locate and treat the source of bad breath.

Starting oral care early in your pet’s life is a key step in preventing dental disease. As a team, you and your veterinarian can keep your pet’s mouth healthy.

Emily Sullivan, DVM works at Riverside Veterinary Care & Dental Service in Rutland and Ludlow. She obtained her Veterinary Medical Degree from the University of Prince Edward Island. She has an Australian Shepherd named Kiah, and two cats named Jamo and Yeti. www.RiversideVetCare.com Fall 2016

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How To Rescue an Animal, Part 2 John Peaveler

A few years ago I was out for a morning run, crossing one of the many bridges over the Vltava River in the Czech Republic capital of Prague, when a flightless swan made its way into traffic. By coincidence, there was a police car there within moments with two officers, doubtless more comfortable with criminals than displaced birds. I explained in broken English that I am an animal professional, a coincidence they seemed happy to embrace. I set them to work blocking traffic while I went about trying to catch this poor terrified swan. I kept my body between the swan and any point of danger, and then grabbed her neck just below the head in a lightening quick movement. I carefully supported her body and carried her down the bank to the river she had obviously wandered away from.

John Peaveler

For part two in this animal rescue series, I want to focus on three lessons from the story of this swan.

Lesson One: You need to always ensure that the place you are working is safe. That means safe for you, safe for other people, and safe for the animal.

None of these is optional. The police had secured the road so that I could concentrate on safe and effective handling.

You cannot manage traffic alone, and you can’t maintain scene safety in busy areas without proper measures. Always make sure your vehicle is not blocking traffic or otherwise posing a danger to others. Handling requires focus, so take steps in advance to make sure you don’t end up somewhere dangerous.

Take a look around before you start, and remember where it’s safe and what areas to avoid. For the swan and I, that meant the space between stopped cars and between the rails on the bridge.

Lesson Two: I had enough experience to know how to capture a bird effectively.

I hadn’t worked with swans before, but I had worked with birds of prey, ducks, Continued Next Page

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chickens, and flamingos. I was confident and capable because I was experienced.

If you want to be prepared to rescue animals when the need arises but you don’t have the skills, then it’s time to build your resume. Volunteering at an animal shelter is a great place to begin.

You can get experience on a farm, in wildlife centers, and with wildlife rehabilitators. Keep in mind that you usually have to earn the right to handle animals, working your way up through various important, but perhaps less interesting jobs. Stick with it. Those jobs are vital to animal care organizations, so just keep watching, learning, and volunteering.

There is no substitute for experience in animal care and animal rescue.

Lesson Three: Learn from my mistakes. My actions that day certainly kept a swan from being hit by a car or being roughly handled. However, nothing addressed the root of the trouble, the swan could not fly. There was clearly some medical reason the swan ended up in traffic, and for all I know the same bird ended up hit by a car later the same morning. Obviously, I had a few obstacles: no local phone, no vehicle, no place to bring the swan in the interim, no local acquaintances or friends of any kind, and not speaking the language. It

Fall 2016

was an unusual scenario, and was not much more I could reasonably have done. However, northern New England is vastly more hospitable for rescuing animals, whether pets, farm, or wild animals. State warden services maintain lists of licensed rehabilitators, and it’s not difficult to find out which animal shelter services any given area. If you intend to help the next time you see an animal in need, research now where you would take them.

Finally, a few tips on how to actually catch a small animal. Handling birds and small mammals does not need to be difficult, with the right tools and training. Whether a cat, woodchuck, or a swan, your basic equipment should include gloves long enough and thick enough for the species, a cage, and a

towel or light blanket. One more step would include an animal appropriate net (not a fishing net). Be aware of injuries and always take precautions against disease, particularly rabies. Many animals can be immobilized simply by throwing a towel over them and using gloved hands to pick them up, towel and all, and place them in a crate or safely in a vehicle.

Want to know more? Get involved in animal rescue through an established organization, and look for one of my Humane Animal Handling and Capture courses.

Final tip: when appropriate, take pictures of the animal you are rescuing. Before and after photos can make a real difference in helping organizations fundraise and can make sure more animals get rescued in the future. Be safe out there.

Part One of this article can be read on our archive at 4LegsAndATail.com John Peaveler is an Animal Welfare Consultant with over ten years experience working with all types of animals on three continents He lives with his wife and two children in West Fairlee, VT and continues to work and write at home and abroad.

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Degenerative Myelopathy in Dogs Catherine MacLean, DVM

A nyone who has been blessed with a pet that has made it

Rusty is never late for his acupuncture appointment

into the golden years of life knows that as time progresses, things can become more difficult for our beloved furry friends. One thing that some dog owners may see with their dog is a disease called degenerative myelopathy.

Degenerative myelopathy is a spinal cord disorder that is slow to progress. It looks very similar to Lou Gehrig’s disease in humans.

Degenerative myelopathy commonly affects older dogs and for a long time it was thought that only German Shepherd dogs were affected by it. We now know it can affect any breed of dog. It is caused by a genetic mutation in the affected dog’s DNA. This genetic mutation inhibits neurons in the spinal cord from transmitting signals from the dog’s brain to the rest of the body and vice versa.

Degenerative myelopathy usually starts with the affected dog being uncoordinated in the hind legs (ataxia); dragging its hind legs, which causes these dogs to have worn toe nails; and general hind end weakness. Over the course of months to sometimes years these symptoms will progress. Owners may see their dog knuckling over on their hind paws (weight bearing on the tops of the paws instead of the bottom), having difficulty walking without support, and difficulty supporting weight on their hind legs. These signs eventually progress to loss of use of the hind legs and possible weakness in the front legs. As horrible as all of this sounds, degenerative myelopathy is not painful. That being said, dogs that suffer from degenerative myelopathy may become sore from overuse of other areas of their body while trying to compensate for their hind end weakness.

In the perfect world, to “correctly” diagnose degenerative myelopathy an owner would take their dog to a neurologist, have their dog’s spinal fluid analyzed, and have an MRI done to rule out other possible causes of the clinical signs mentioned above.

In reality, most owners can’t afford the expensive diagnostics mentioned, and most general practitioners can Continued Next Page

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confidently diagnose degenerative myelopathy with a thorough physical and neurological exam.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment for degenerative myelopathy and the long term prognosis is poor. Most owners are lucky if they get a year with their dog after it’s been diagnosed. Quality of life for these dogs can be maintained with good nursing care. This means keeping sores that may occur on hind paws or limbs clean, physical therapy, acupuncture, and even wheelchairs. There is also a physical toll that takes place on the owner since dogs affected with this disease need a lot of lifting and support when moving.

Over the past year I have managed three dogs with degenerative myelopathy in three different ways. One dog was a Burmese Mountain dog. The first time I saw her for degenerative myelopathy was when her owner noticed that she was walking with her back paws knuckled over which was causing abrasions on her hind paws. We treated her with nursing care, kept her moving, and gave her pain medication. Almost a year after her initial diagnosis of degenerative myelopathy, she lost control of her hind legs and we sent her over the rainbow bridge.

The second dog I treated was a 15-year-old Old English Sheepdog. When I first started seeing him, he only had arthritis in his hind end. Eventually his owner started noticing that his dog was ataxic in the hind end and he was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy. This patient was already on pain medication for his arthritis. The owner opted for treating his dog with laser therapy. I can’t say for sure if the laser therapy was helping this patient more with his arthritis or his degenerative myelopathy. We found that if he received laser therapy every other week his clinical signs seemed less severe and he was able to move better in general. Unfortunately, after about seven months of treatFall 2016

ment, this patient’s quality of life began to deteriorate and he was also sent over the rainbow bridge.

My third patient, Rusty, was more recently diagnosed.

Rusty is a 13-year-old mixed breed dog that was diagnosed by his regular veterinarian. The owner sought me out for acupuncture treatment. Overall Rusty is in great shape and there are no obvious signs of arthritis or back pain on physical exam. He has been receiving acupuncture for about three months and both the owner and I can see a big difference. He comes every other week for his treatment and usually leaves with a spring in his step. The owner has also noticed that Rusty is more willing to go for walks. Time will tell how well acupuncture will manage his degenerative myelopathy.

The important thing to remember with degenerative myelopathy is that the condition itself is not painful to the dog, but is more “painful” for the owner to watch. If you have a dog with degenerative myelopathy it is important to remember that it’s about the quality of your dog’s life and not the quantity of the days. Even though there is no cure for degenerative myelopathy, this disease can be managed for a while. It takes dedication from the owner and an understanding that time is limited.

Dr. MacLean completed her Bachelor of Science from Penn State University, her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Atlantic Veterinary College, and her pet acupuncture certification from Chi Institute.

Her areas of special interest include general practice and acupuncture. She opened Sugar River Animal Hospital in 2013, and she has been practicing veterinary medicine since 2010. Dr. MacLean’s family consists of her husband Matt, her daughter Katarina, and their three pets: Jack and Misty, two cats, and Arrow, a dog. www.4LegsAndATail.com 13

Your Pet Loves a Quitter Jane Harrell, Associate Producer - Petfinder.com

It seems like a no-

brainer that smoking around your pet is bad. But how dangerous is secondhand smoke to pets? After all, your pet’s not getting that much exposure to cancercausing chemicals, right?

Wrong. Pets spend a lot more time than you do in your home - increasing their exposure to carcinogenic substances. And those substances are just as dangerous for pets as they are for humans. “Dog and cat lungs are virtually identical to human lungs,” says Dr. Jan Bellows, DVM, a veterinarian at All Pets Dental Clinic in Weston, FL.

Here’s what recent studies have to say about the dangers:

Dogs and secondhand smoke Studies suggest that muzzle length plays a role in the type of cancer a dog is likely to develop from secondhand smoke. According to a survey of recent research on LiveScience.com, dogs with long muzzles are more likely to develop nose and sinus cancers, since their noses and sinuses have more surface area on which carcinogens can accumulate, while dogs with short and medium-length muzzles are more likely to develop lung cancer.

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Cats and secondhand smoke Cats are more prone to develop cancers of the mouth and lymph nodes because of secondhand smoke. When cats groom themselves, they lick up the toxic substances that have accumulated on their fur. “This grooming behavior exposes the mucous membranes of their mouth to the cancer-causing carcinogens,” veterinarian Carolynn MacAllister of Ok lahoma St ate University tells LiveScience.com.

In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that cats living in homes where someone smokes a pack of cigarettes or more each day are three times more likely to develop malignant lymphoma than cats living with nonsmokers.

And a study published in Veterinary Medicine found that cats exposed to smoke from one to 19 cigarettes a day are four times more likely to be diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma — the most common and an aggressive type of oral cancer in cats.

Small animals and secondhand smoke Birds are extremely sensitive to air pollutants and are at risk for lung cancer and pneumonia when exposed to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke has also been found to cause heart problems in rabbits.

The nicotine in cigarettes is also highly toxic to pets if ingested, so keeping cigarettes out of the house entirely is always the best bet.

Fortunately, in a 2008 study in the journal Tobacco Control, nearly one third of pet-parent smokers surveyed said information about the dangers of secondhand smoke to their pets would motivate them to try to quit smoking. So be sure to share this info with anyone you know who smokes. Believe me, they don’t want to one day get the call from their vet that we all fear - saying, “It’s malignant.”

The folks at 802 Quit put it best, “Vermont is a pet-loving state, in fact, we have the highest percentage of pet ownership in the nation. It’s important for people to know that caring for your “best friends” includes protecting them from the danger of exposure to secondhand smoke.

All of us, and especially children and our pets can suffer serious health effects from secondhand smoke. We encourage everyone to take steps to protect their furry loved ones.”

Fall 2016

PET INSURANCE: Should I or Shouldn’t I? Dr. Garrett Levin, DVM, Diplomate ACVS

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s technology and research advances in the medical field, people today are able to live longer, healthier lives. The same is true for the veterinary profession. Veterinarians are able to treat many conditions; however, the costs can be very expensive for some families to manage. Pet insurance plans are designed to help reimburse pet owners for some of these costs.

In the United States, where pet insurance has been available since the early 1980s, less than 3 percent of pet owners carry insurance.

Most pet policies cover unexpected and emergent medical and surgical conditions, as well as chronic illnesses, making them a good investment for pet owners. With a variety of plans from which to choose, pet owners can find one that is not only affordable to them, but which also covers their pet’s annual medical needs. Pet health insurance is not only far cheaper than human medical insurance, but it also lacks the administrative complexity. Instead, pet insurance functions on a reimbursement basis. Policyholders pay for veterinary bills out of pocket and are reimbursed by the insurance company upon submitting claims after treatment has been performed.

When evaluating pet insurance companies and policies, pet owners are advised to apply the same scrutiny they would to any other insurance policy: Compare coverage to actual and probable needs given the animal’s breed and its associated health risks.

Understand the costs. Each company has a slightly different cost structure in terms of co-payments, premiums, deductibles, reimbursement percentage and annual and lifetime limits. Verify whether the premiums remain the same throughout the life of the pet or increase with age.

Know the coverage limits and exclusions. Different insurance companies apply different exclusions. The list of policy exclusions must be reasonable to Fall 2016

meet your individual needs. Pre-existing conditions are never covered.

Broad coverage. The policy must cover all illnesses, accidents, surgeries, cancers, catastrophic situations, chronic diseases, advanced testing, medications and hospital stays. This should include congenital and hereditary conditions, because some of these problems only become evident as the pet ages.

• Avoid benefit schedules. Choose a policy that reimburses a flat percentage of the bill (percentage of invoice), not an amount preset by the insurer based on a fee schedule (percentage approved). Benefit schedules preset by the insurer (percentage approved) pay pennies on the dollar.

• Avoid policies that specifically only cover “reasonable,” “usual” or “customary” charges. Policies won’t guarantee the actual charges will be fully covered using this terminology.

• Be able to choose your veterinarian and seek the care of specialists at your discretion.

• Consider your pet’s age and breed.

There may be other factors taken into consideration as well, including where you live and whether your pet lives indoors or outdoors.

• Check with other pet owners you

know that have pet insurance and with your regular veterinarian for recommendations and personal experiences.

No matter the size, our pets are members of our families and we want our furry family members to live long and healthy lives. One of the best ways to ensure this happens is by investing in a pet insurance policy. Having pet insurance can make doing so that much easier.

Dr. Garrett Levin is a board certified surgeon at Burlington Emergency and Veterinary Specialists (BEVS) in Williston, Vermont. Please visit www.bevsvt.com/blog for videos and additional blog topics.

www.4LegsAndATail.com 15

The Pigskin

W ith the NFL season here and Deflate-Gate finally behind us, it is now

safe to ask the question, “Why do they call footballs a pigskin?”

It may surprise you to learn that footballs were originally inflated with the bladders of animals, including those from swine. In later years, these animal bladders were placed inside a leather cover, giving rise to the term “pigskin.”

The bladder of pig (or another animal) was inflated into more of an oval shape than the familiar pointed tips of today’s game balls.

The process of inflating these early pigskins was fairly distasteful as you might imagine. Straw and other material would oftentimes be stuffed in the pig bladder instead, but this tended to create balls with lumps and strange shapes that made official game play difficult.

Fortunately, blowing up pig bladders fell out of fashion for both pro and recreational football players with the invention of vulcanized rubber in the 1860s. Ironically, though they are still called “pigskins,” nowadays all pro and collegiate footballs are actually made with cowhide leather. Recreational and youth footballs, on the other hand, are often made with synthetic material or vulcanized rubber.

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Fall 2016

The

Perfect Meal Serena Peeters, DVM

“Y ou are what you eat,” or so the saying goes. Well versed in this old adage,

many of us have spent hours in the pet store browsing through kibble and getting buried in the myriad of options available.

Should we be selecting all natural, or grain free? Do cats need a hairball diet? How much should we be feeding anyway?

Many people have asked me about Purina’s Life Span Study of Dogs, which indicates that leaner dogs live longer.

This study has sparked a lot of debate about how we should be feeding our pets and I think it’s worth taking a closer look at the results.

Purina researchers began by taking 48 Labrador Retriever puppies and splitting them into two groups. The first group of dogs served as a control group while the second group of dogs, referred to as the lean-fed group, underwent diet restriction. Each group had 15-minute daily feedings and every dog received the same diet during the entire study.

However, dogs in the control group were allowed to eat an unlimited amount of food while dogs in the lean-fed group were fed 25% less food in comparison.

It’s important to note that dogs in the lean-fed group were not being underfed; they were simply fed less compared to the dogs in the control group who were allowed to eat as much as they wanted.

Researchers noticed that the dogs in the control group were far more likely to be overweight and exhibited more visible signs of aging such as graying muzzles and reduced activity at an earlier age.

The median life span, or age at which half the dogs had passed away, was also evaluated for both groups. The lean-fed group had a median life span of 13 years compared to only 11.2 years in the control group. This means that dogs in the lean-fed group increased their median life span by 15 percent!

The data from this study indicates two major things. The first is that many dogs will overeat if you let them, and the second is that obesity impacts health and life span. Research shows that obesity in pets increases the risk of various medical conditions such as joint disease, high blood pressure, respiratory issues, and diabetes.

We already know that maintaining a lean body weight is important for the overall wellness of our pets, the real question is how to accomplish that.

Fall 2016

The first step is choosing a diet that complements your pet’s life stage and nutritional requirements. Unless your pet has a specific medical issue, an over the counter diet should be adequate. Regardless of the brand or style of food you prefer, there are some key factors you need to look for on the label. The first thing you should check for is the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) statement.

This statement indicates that the food is complete and balanced for a particular life stage such as growth, reproduction, or adult maintenance. If the label says “intermittent or supplemental feeding purposes only” this diet is not complete and balanced and will not meet your pet’s minimum nutrient requirements. It’s also important to remember that diets formulated for growth or reproduction will be much higher in calories compared to maintenance diets.

You may see some foods labeled for “all life stages.” This technically means

that they can be used either for maintenance or for a growing or lactating animal. However, if a diet is high enough in calories to meet the needs of a growing animal it’s probably too caloric for the average pet and may lead to weight gain. In general, spayed and neutered pets over a year of age should be eating a diet specifically formulated for adult maintenance.

Once you’ve chosen a diet you feel comfortable with, the real key to maintaining a lean body weight is following the feeding chart on the bag. These charts are carefully formatted based on the calorie content of that particular diet and will tell you how many cups of food your pet should eat per day based on body weight. It’s very important to Continued Next Page

www.4LegsAndATail.com 17

be precise and use an exact measuring cup. Adhering to these feeding charts will allow you to provide for your pet’s nutritional needs while preventing them from over-consuming calories and subsequently gaining weight.

If you’re feeding a balanced diet and following the feeding chart you should be in pretty good shape (no pun intended).

However, if your pet is struggling with weight loss or weight gain, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your veterinarian to rule out medical concerns. Your vet is always there to help you troubleshoot any issues that arise and to make sure you feel confident about the feeding plan for your pet.

Serena Peeters, DVM started working at Pleasant Lake Veterinary Hospital in Elkins, NH in 2014 shortly after graduating from Tufts. She decided at a young age that she wanted to be a veterinarian despite never having any pets growing up.

Serena lives with one cat who terrorizes the household. She enjoys writing, knitting, reading, kayaking and horseback riding in her free time. www.PleasantLakeVetHospital.com

Assessing Your Dog’s Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important concerns when it comes to your dog’s health. Factors like diet and exercise in the right amounts can help keep your dog at an ideal weight.

DO YOU NEED TO ADJUST YOUR DOG’S DIET? Here are 3 simple ways to tell if your dog’s diet needs an adjustment:

Rib Check: Place both of your thumbs on your dog’s backbone and spread both hands across his rib cage. You want to be able to feel his ribs. Actually feeling your dog is important, as the coat of many dogs will make a visual check difficult.

Profile Check: Examine your dog’s profile – it’s best if you are level with your dog. Look for the abdomen to be tucked up behind his rib cage - this is ideal.

Overhead Check: Looking at your dog from overhead, identify whether

you can see a waist behind his ribs. Most dogs at a healthy weight should have an hourglass figure. If you find that your dog’s ribs and waistline aren’t where they’re supposed to be, adjust the amount of food offered accordingly. Hopefully these tips will help you keep your dog healthy and fit.

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Fall 2016

To Leash or Not To Leash . . .

That IS the Question!

Paula Bergeron

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hen and where is it OK to have your dog off leash? Is my dog ready to be off leash? These are questions I hope every dog owner asks themselves. The following are guidelines to safely decide if you are ready for off-leash walk and play.

Let’s begin with the basics…. are unleashed dogs allowed in the area you would like to have your dog be free? Too many dog owners do not consider this question, thinking that because they own a happy-go-lucky dog, the rule “dogs must be leashed” does not apply to them, after all their dog poses no threat to anyone.

However, those whose dogs need the structure of the leash rely on every dog being

leashed in these designated areas, because if a dog bounds up to a their over reactive dog there is almost always an incident of barking or lunging leaving the owner feeling deeply embarrassed and discouraged, and their dog having practiced once again inappropriate behavior. The happy-golucky dog also runs the risks of being bitten or frightened, both of which can cause negative behavioral changes. So if the trail sign, or park signs, or the town law states, Dogs Must Be Leashed, be responsible and leash your dog for the good of everyone.

If off leash dogs are allowed, then the next question to consider is how responsive is your dog to commands, the most important one being the recall. You need a reliable recall to ensure the safety of everyone when dogs are off leash. Good natured playtime can escalate, as excitement can cause someone to get nipped or Fall 2016

shoved too vigorously and suddenly…. you have a dog fight. Your ability to call your dog away from excitement can make the difference between a safe environment for dogs to play and walk, or the potential of a dangerous dog fight, followed by a costly vet visit.

What exactly is a reliable recall?

Reliable recall is the ability of your dog to immediately come when called no matter what they are doing, 9 times out of 10. If you are not able to trust that your dog will return to you in an emergency 90% of the time, then you my friends are not yet ready to have your dog off leash. YUP… that is what I am saying… if you cannot call your dog off of another dog, a child with food, a bicycle racing by, or a deer bounding into the woods, then you do not have the right to have your dog off leash! Plain and simple, it is not safe to have dogs running free if we cannot call them away from excitement.

Please: be a responsible owner, and keep your dog on leash when outdoors, unless or until you are in an off leash zone, and you have developed a solid reliable recall. We, your fellow dog owners and dog lovers, thank you!

What should you do if you have not yet achieved a reliable recall? Keep your dog leashed, contact a local dog trainer for help, read a reliable training book and look for Good Dogma’s next 4 Legs and a Tail article entitled; Come When Called: How to Teach a Reliable Recall. Have a Wonderful Autumn.

Paula Bergeron and the gang at Good Dogma embrace a holistic approach to bringing balance to your dog’s behavioral issues. Exercise, training, relaxation, massage, grooming, play, socialization and energy healing are incorporated into your dog’s routine. www.GooDogma.com www.4LegsAndATail.com 19

Western Dressage: A Growing Sport

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Jessica Stewart Riley

f you haven’t yet heard of western dressage, you probably will soon. This sport, which emphasizes dressage fundamentals for the working western horse, has caught on considerably over the past few years in the Northeast. As a passionate western rider who has grown up with considerable dressage influence, western “Lori Berger competes Calyxa in the Champlain Valley Dressage dressage is appealing to me for a variety of reasons. First off, the Schooling Series at Cloverfield Farm in Colchester, VT”. focus on traditional dressage principles like improving upon Photo Credit: Ron Hoague. the natural rhythm and cadence of the horse’s gaits, while also emphasizing relaxation and suppleness resonates with me. But then, there is the comfort and appeal of a western saddle, and the fact that any breed of horse can be trained and competed in western dressage. And one of the overarching goals in training western dressage is that the horse be safe, pleasurable, versatile, and useful. These goals are similar to those of traditional dressage, but western dressage, especially from a competitive perspective, seems more accessible to the everyday rider with the everyday horse, than some of the modern dressage seen today. Because of this, it seems to appeal to a wider range of riders, not just those who would consider themselves “dressage riders.”

Due to the increasing popularity in our region in recent years, there are a variety of clinics and competitions to choose from, and in addition to myself, I have noticed many of my horsey friends have started riding and competing in western dressage. One of those people is both a colleague and a friend, Lori Berger of Tunbridge, VT. Lori and her sporthorse mare Calyxa, a flashy, 16+ hands tall black and white pinto, began competing last year in the Champlain Valley Dressage Schooling Series, and have done quite well, earning a year-end championship and some of the highest dressage test scores of their competitive lives.

They have continued competing this year, and plan to attend the Western Dressage World Championship Show in Guthrie, Oklahoma, September 29 through October 2, 2016. Lori is an avid traditional dressage competitor, riding instructor, and trainer, as well as faculty member in the Vermont Tech Equine Studies Program with me, but had not ridden much western before last year. Because we have been working closely together with our horses to school in, and compete in western dressage, and I will be accompanying her to the World Show in Oklahoma this fall, I thought it would be interesting to also share her perspective on western dressage.

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Fall 2016

JSR: How did you get started riding western dressage?

LB: My interest in western dressage was a natural outgrowth of my classroom teaching at Vermont Tech, where I emphasize the commonality of riding disciplines and history of the horse and riding disciplines. Students (in the VTC Equine Program) come from all different backgrounds with horses, and many come from a world in which riding is divided into two “flavors,” “English” and “Western” and the two seem worlds apart.

Part of my job is to get students to see that good riding stems from a few core concepts that are biomechanically sound; a horse that is in self-carriage, who is supple and responsive, regardless of the discipline it is ridden in. These core concepts, which are emphasized in western dressage and dressage, both go back to the training that occurred in renaissance Europe, one example being the Spanish Riding School. If we look at the saddles used on modern baroque-type breeds, like Lusitanos, Andalusions, Lippizans, etc. those saddles are clearly a common ancestor of modern dressage saddles and modern western saddles.

On a personal level, Calyxa, aka “Lexi,” my 3rd level dressage horse had physical problems that made it difficult for her to work in the frame and selfcarriage required of horses at such levels and I was looking for something that my horse could be comfortable with and excel in. I love my horse and just wanted her to be happy! I read a couple articles about western dressage and thought I should give it a try. I immediately found that Lexi was happy and relaxed on the looser contact and received higher test scores than ever before.

JSR: What appeals to you most about Western Dressage?

LB: I am drawn to the subtlety and lightness of contact, and that it requires the rider use his or her leg and seat even more than traditional dressage because the reins cannot be relied on as much. I also like the lower pressure on the horse than competitive dressage; that it requires more of the rider but puts less physical burden on horse.

I was pleased to hear that Lori shares the same feelings about western dressage that I do, and hope that you will too. Western dressage is a growing sport that, in my opinion, has a bright future. Whether you are a western rider looking to add some lightness and suppleness to your riding, or a dressage rider looking to try something different, the goal of the discipline is to provide a systematic and correct training progression that promotes the best qualities of both western riding and dressage. I encourage you to learn more about this sport at: http://westerndressageassociation.org/ or https://www.usef.org/_iframes/breedsdisciplines/discipline/allwesterndressage.aspx. Happy Riding!

Jessica Stewart Riley is an Assistant Professor and the director of the Vermont Technical College Equine Studies Program in Randolph Center, VT. She is a graduate of Johnson State College, UVM, and Vermont Tech, as well as a member of the American Quarter Horse Association Professional Horsemen and an American Riding Instructor Association Certified instructor in Western, Huntseat on the Flat, and Stable Management. www.vtc.edu/equinestudies Fall 2016 www.4LegsAndATail.com 21

The Black Cat O

ctober 13th fell on a Friday. An unexpected visitor had arrived the night before. And so, it began.

This Friday the 13th became a fitting tribute to all those “myths”. A stray black cat looking for shelter, had made its way to our door, and despite my objections, “stolen” a bowl of milk, and my wife’s compassion.

“We can’t just leave him outside, it’s cold!” she exclaimed. Indeed, it was unseasonably cold that evening, even

by New England standards. Early morning’s light revealed a blanket of snow, the first significant snowfall of the season.

She blamed global warming. My finger pointed to the black cat.

I tripped over the cat on the way to the garage, but held my tongue. I was making a mental list of things to do when I returned home from work. #1-Get rid of cat! This was reinforced immediately, as I turned the ignition key to the whine of a

22 4 Legs & a Tail

failing car starter. More than a few futile attempts later, I steamed back into the house and grabbed my wife’s car keys.

“Problem?” she asked. “The car won’t start thanks to that darn cat,” I hollered.

Again, her common sense prevailed, as she explained that the car starter had been acting up for weeks. She reminded me that I had been talking about getting it replaced.

As I rushed into work, the usual Friday smiles of the office staff were noticeably absent. Instead, I was greeted with news of a 9:00am staff meeting in the conference room.

A quick glance at my watch… 9:15. Stealthily, I entered the room; several of my co-workers turned towards me with that deerin-the-headlights look.

The boss continued talking about the downsizing and displacement counseling, as I too, numbly tried to process the prospects of my sudden unemployment.

As I drove back home, I cursed the company, the “suits”, the economy, and finally that black cat for my misfortune. Since the arrival of that black blob of fur, nothing had gone right and my pink slip was just the latest confirmation of the “Black Cat’s” reputation. Naturally, my wife again tried to dispel my

convictions, reminding me that it had been more than just a water cooler rumor for months, the company was in trouble, and lay-offs were a distinct possibility.

Still, it was easier to blame the cat.

Solace came when my wife indicated that she had spent some time on several local “Lost Pet” websites. She was pretty sure she had found the cat’s owner. Sure enough, a call came the next day, with a jubilant voice “gushing” accolades about their cat, and praising our good fortune in finding him. Clearly, they did not know this cat like I knew him!

The couple arrived a short time later.

They welcomed the cat as if he had been missing in the jungle for months. Not the cursed cat that had been lapping warm milk, and sleeping on my couch for two days! While my goal was to rid myself of this bad luck charm as quickly as possible, my ears perked up when I heard the word “REWARD”. Did they realize I would have given them $300, just to get rid of the cat? I thankfully accepted it though, as it was almost the price to the dime, of a new car starter. As I shared this tidbit with them, I also reviewed recent events, since the arrival of their black cat. And not to offend them, I jokingly referred to the reputation of black cats.

As the conversation turned, the cat’s owner asked about my previous job. I gave him the short version of my position and background, and he gave me a smile and a business card. “I am the Human Resources Director, and our company has been looking for someone with your qualifications. Email me your resume on Monday, and let’s talk next week,” he said.

As the couple was leaving with their black cat, I realized that maybe I had misjudged him maybe superstitions are just that, erroneous opinions based on urban legends and myths. After all, what is the real difference between a tabby and a black cat? Just color.

As I gave the cat a parting pat, I realized I didn’t know his name.

“We call him Lucky.”

Thanks to “Lucky”, I got the job (which paid more than my previous position). I’ve been with the company for three years now, with several promotions. Shortly afterwards, my wife and I decided to get a cat of our own. It took us several months to find the perfect cat at a local rescue; his name is “Blacky”.

Fall 2016

Dear Paddock Partners I

am having my field mowed to get ready for the winter this September. I was wondering if anyone knows how soon I can let my horses on, after it is mowed and baled? Straight away, or should I wait a week or two?

Kerri - Piermont NH

Hello Kerri!

I am so glad that you asked this question. This is a situation that not everyone thinks about and yet has great impact on the horse and its digestive system. Mowing of the fields is critical for good forage management, so first of all, great job doing that, for sure! It keeps the weeds down so that the grass can grow. It also keeps the pasture open and safe for the horses.

The clippings of the mower are what can provide a problem for the horse. The clippings are a very short fiber and can compact tightly causing an impaction or blockage in the horse’s system-a very tricky colic to treat. Also, because it clumps together, it can cause all sorts of trouble with fermentation in the horse's gut. This can lead to colic and, at times, founder. The horses are safe to graze on a field that you know is free of toxic plants just after it has been mowed, but you want to either rake up the clippings or wait for them to break up or disperse somehow, before you put the horses out. Remember this, if you want to give your horse grass clippings over the fence after mowing, your horse will happily gorge on them, which will lead to all sorts of trouble. You are much better off to just give them a flake of hay and watch them enjoy that.

After a couple of days you will see that the horses become much more interested in the nice growing grass and nuzzle the clippings away. If you do notice them enjoying the ease of the clippings you may need to rake them up and remove them.

Also, don’t forget about the toxicity of the wild forms of cherry in NH and VT. Wild cherry, especially choke cherry, tends to grow along forest edges and has a toxic period in the stage of “wilt.”

The leaves (and possibly the bark) have the precursors of cyanide and when the leaf goes through the wilt stage, once it is cut or a branch breaks from the bush it produces cyanide. Horses might eat that. In KY a while back there was an “epidemic” of young TB’s dying because of this very situation.

So keep an eye out for these situations and you should be fine.

Good Luck Kerri!

And thanks for the question!

Heidi Heidi Jo Hauri-Gill is co-owner, along with her husband Bob. Of First Choice Riding Academy in Enfield, NH. A graduate from Morven Park and a UNH “L” graduate with distinction, Heidi spends her days teaching and training at the farm. www.firstchoiceridingacademy.com Fall 2016

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Fall 2016

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall: Dog Lovers KATE KELLY

B oth Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall loved dogs. She was partial to cocker spaniels and had two of them– one named Droopy and another, Puddle. Bogart owned several breeds during his lifetime including a Newfoundland terrier, a couple of Scottish terriers, and a Sealyham terrier (a breed that originated in Wales).

MET ON FILM SET The couple met in 1944 while filming the Howard Hawks film, To Have and Have Not. Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957), already a star from Casablanca, played the leading male, and Lauren Bacall (1924-2014) was a newcomer in the role of the ingénue.

Both Bacall’s mother and Howard Hawks were dead-set against the budding romance between the two stars. Hawks felt it interfered with their work. Bacall’s mother was opposed to her daughter dating a married man 25 years her senior—particularly one who was known to drink heavily.

LOVE CONQUERED ALL But disapproval did not deter the couple. They were again paired to work together in Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep (1945). During this time, they decided to marry. Bogart got a divorce from his second wife, and the two were married on a friend’s farm in Ohio.

Since both Bogart and Bacall were “dog” people, it was only natural that their friend presented them with a one-week old boxer puppy, born on the farm just days before their nuptials. From that time forward, the boxer breed became the household’s breed of choice.

They named the puppy Harvey after the invisible rabbit in Mary Chase’s 1944 play of the same name (later made into a motion picture). Harvey proved to be a very smart dog. Lauren Bacall reported that since he wasn’t allowed on furniture, he was quite accommodating about the rule—he just put two paws on the couch at a time. If the couple had a fight, then the no-furniture rule went out the window and Harvey sat between them until they were ready to make up.

BOGART AND BACALL AND THEIR BOXERS Shortly, two more boxers came to live with them—George and Baby. But Harvey was always the alpha dog. If you see just one boxer in photos with the movie stars, you can be sure it’s Harvey.

Throughout their 12 years together, Bogart and Bacall shared a happy if not perfect marriage. Part of their joy in being together was their love of dogs and the pleasure they took in raising their two children.

Harvey was part of the family through to the very end. He died just 6 months after Bogart passed away in 1957.

This article first appeared on the website, www.americacomesalive.com During the summer, America Comes Alive publishes more stories about American dogs and other animals. Visit the website and sign up for“American Dogs” to receive the stores in your In Box. Or email Kate Kelly at kate@americacomesalive.com Fall 2016

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15 Outrageous Pet Owner Requests of Vets Dr. Andy Roark DVM, MS

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s the man pulled off his shirt and draped it over his dog, I remember thinking, “I hope my technician comes in right about now. No, wait. I don’t.”

The appointment had been uneventful until I informed the dog’s owner that his dog had a heart murmur. The man replied, “If you think he’s got a heart murmur, listen to this!” and off came his shirt.

While the request was odd, I have to admit I was intrigued. It turned out the man did indeed have a much more impressive heart murmur than his dog. In fact, he was just a week away from surgery to have the heart defect corrected.

As he retrieved his shirt and his dog, I couldn’t help but notice a look of almost paternal pride on the man’s face. It was as if he was considering his dog’s mild heart abnormality and thinking, “Yep, that’s my boy.”

While I’m glad that I got a chance to bring this little family closer, the incident did cause me to stop and consider some of the more unusual interactions between pet owners and veterinarians.

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Fall 2016

Above and Beyond As a profession, veterinary medicine is one in which we are used to going to great lengths to meet the needs of the families we serve. Being asked to make a house call, visit a sick patient outside in the owner’s car or stay past closing time are all quite common in our line of work.

Still, even in this business, while we strive to make pets and their people as happy as possible, there are some requests that strike us as a bit much. On my Facebook page, I asked veterinary professionals to tell me some of the most bizarre requests they’ve gotten from pet owners. Here’s what they reported: 1. We had a client who wanted us to neuter her dog instead of spay her because it was cheaper.

2. A client was boarding a dog at the clinic and requested that we keep a photo of the family in the kennel with the dog.

And not only the photo, but a frame that you can record messages into. The family requested that we play the message at least six times a day.

3. We once had a woman who wanted us to take a look at her duck because it “wasn’t swimming.” Her chicken was fine, but it sure wasn't a duck!

4. We had a client claim that the reason her cat kept getting sick was because it was urinating on mothballs and that the urine added to the mothballs was making meth, so the cat was high.

5. I had a client ask for a copy of my license so she could open up a veterinary account at a distributor to get “flea medicine.” She promised not to buy controlled drugs.

6. I was asked if I could provide a list of veterinary medications that could be used by humans and if I could help procure these medications in case of a doomsday scenario. (This client is a “prepper.”)

Fall 2016

7. We were asked to perform a private cremation for a cat's tail after he had a tail amputation. We did it, too!

8. We had a client bring in a cat to be neutered. He asked if, prior to the surgery, we could place his cat in a kennel with a female cat for one final ... . Our sharp receptionist politely responded with, "I'm sorry, sir, but we no longer offer that service."

9. We had a client insist we refer to her pet as “Mister” until he got to “know” us. He would then let us know when it was OK for us to use his given name.

10. A pet owner asked for testicles from his dog back (after the dog was neutered) so he could keep them in a jar at his office. When his daughter was old enough to date, he planned to bring the boyfriend in the room and explain what happened to the last boyfriend who didn't treat her well.

11. Umm, we’ve had more than one person lift a shirt to show us a rash.

12. A client asked the male doctor to dress like a woman and wear a wig because the dog didn’t like men.

13. We had a client come in the other day for an exam, worried about the two large lumps on their “female” dog’s under belly. Turns out the dog was not a female after all!

14. New clients requested that I cover the windows and turn out the lights when they arrived for their pets’ appointments — because they were vampires. (They ended up being wonderful pet owners.) New staff members thought I had lost my mind when I informed them of this client’s special needs.

15. We had a client ask if she could hold her kid’s birthday party in our hospital during work hours.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. See the complete list of more than 500 submissions on Dr. Andy Roark’s Facebook page.

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ne hundred balloons were no match for Twinkie the Jack Russell terrier. The California pup broke the Guinness World Record this summer for the fastest time for a dog to pop 100 balloons.

She plowed through them in 39.08 seconds, besting the old record by nearly 2 seconds.

You can see the video of the feat on the 4 Legs & a Tail Facebook page.

Here are just a few of the current record holders from the animal world:

Most Tennis Balls in a Dogs Mouth- The world record for the most tennis balls held in the mouth by a dog at one time is five. Augie, a golden retriever owned by the Miller family in Dallas, Texas, USA, successfully gathered and held all five regulation-sized tennis balls on July 6, 2003.

Tallest Horse- The tallest living horse is Big Jake, a nine-year-old Belgian Gelding horse, who measured 20 hands 2.75 in (210.19 cm, 82.75 in), without shoes, at Smokey Hollow Farms in Poynette, Wisconsin, USA, on January 19, 2010.

Largest Egg- The largest egg on record weighed 5 lb 11.36 oz and was laid by an ostrich (Struthio camelus) at a farm owned by Kerstin and Gunnar Sahlin (Sweden) in Borlänge, Sweden, on May 17, 2008.

28 4 Legs & a Tail

Shortest Cow- The shortest cow is Manikyam, owned by Ashkay N.V. (India), in Kerala, India. She measured 61.1 cm (24.07 in) from the hoof to the withers on June 21, 2014.

Tallest Dog- The tallest dog ever is ‘Zeus’ (USA) a Great Dane, who measured 1.118 m (44 in) tall on 4 October 2011 and is owned

by Denise Doorlag and her family, of Otsego, Michigan, USA

Smallest Dog- The smallest dog living, in terms of height, is a female Chihuahua called Milly, who measured 9.65 cm (3.8 in) tall on February 21, 2013 and is owned by Vanesa Semler of Dorado, Puerto Rico. Milly’s full pedigree name Miracle Milly. She was born on December 1, 2011.

Fall 2016

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Western Vermont Leaf Peeping Season 2016

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