4 Legs and a Tail

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Furry Fall Northern VT & NH

Enrich Your Pet’s Life When Did Black Cats Get Such A Bad Rap? Career Choices In The Pet And Animal Industry $$$ American Soldiers Saved By Strays Your Fire Department To The Rescue Rats! Fast Becoming a Favorite Pet

4 LEGS & A TAIL FUN! What's Different?

child's shirt now green, child's apple now yellow, dog's ear missing, dog's leg missing, dog's collar missing, child's shoe now has orange on it

An atheist was walking through the woods. As he was enjoying the majestic trees, the powerful rivers, and all the animals he suddenly heard a noise behind him. He turned to see what was causing the rustling. There was an 8 ft grizzly charging toward him. He ran as fast as he could but every time he looked the bear was getting closer. He stumbled and fell to the ground. The bear was all over him and ready to strike when the atheist cried out to the Lord to save him. Time stopped, the bear froze. A bright light appeared and said to him, "You have denied my existence all your life, even lecturing the denial of me, now you want My help." God then said "Should I now count you as a believer you will lecture to My existence." The man turned toward the light and answered, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian, but perhaps you could make the bear a Christian." God said "Very well."

The light went away. The sounds of the forest returned. The bear dropped his paws and brought them both together, bowed his head and spoke; "Lord bless this food which we are about to receive..."

Inside 4 Legs and A Tail LABRADOR RATS ARTHRITIS PADDOCK COCKER SPANIEL KENZY PONIES STRAY DOG TAGS SCHOLARSHIP INTERN GROOMER

A Note From the Publishers, There is a tremendous benefit to society when inmates raise puppies to become service dogs. In the past, 4 Legs & a Tail has reported on programs such as Pups in Prison and Puppies Behind Bars. These programs have had a tremendous positive impact on the puppy raisers, the recipients such as those with disabilities, and returning veterans with both physical and emotional injuries.

These programs have been proven to be successful across the country, on a variety of levels. For the inmate raising a puppy it provides a sense of accomplishment, and in some cases, the first time they have felt unconditional love. For those receiving a service dog, the companionship is dwarfed only by the freedom to move forward in life with the security of a well-trained dog.

For a pet friendly state such as Vermont, with the greatest percentage of pet ownership in the country, it is disappointing that there is no such program. Despite several request to the VT Department of Corrections by 4 Legs & a Tail, the DOC has continually rejected the idea based on fiscal constraints.

NEADS (National Education for Assistance Dog Services) currently implements nine such programs in New England. This organization brings together a large number of dedicated volunteers, employees of Milne Travel among them, and has been supported financially

by Scott Milne. He has pledged to implement a Puppy’s in Prison program in Vermont, and stands as the only gubernatorial candidate in support of this program.

As pet lovers, we are proud to support Scott Milne’s run for Vermont Governor.

Tim Hoehn, Tim Goodwin Publishers, 4 Legs & a Tail

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Inside this issue of 4 Legs & a Tail

Do Heroes Come In Threes?

(Thank God for Strays), Three unusual heroes protect a

16 Save Our Strays, Vermont says, “Thanks” to Lisa Haynes.

Black Cats and Seven-toed Dogs, Mark Carlson

17 Vermont Veterinary Medical Association

Foundation Award, Kathy Finnie, Executive Director

barracks of American soldiers in Afghanistan.

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Where did these superstitions come from?

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Halloween can be Spooky for Pets, M. Kathleen Shaw, DVM

Continuing their education are the winners of VVMA scholarships.

18 ‘Tique, A widow finds a new friend to re-ignite an old passion.

Pony Precepts, John R. Killacky

19 Rats!, Susan Dyer, DVM - Timid, social, and excellent pets when

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A pony can teach us all a thing or two.

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Turn your passion into $$$.

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Ever wonder what it would be like to be a vet?

Careers in the World of Pets & Animals

cared for properly.

21 Paddock Partners, Heidi Jo Hauri-Gill

A Day in the Life of a Future Vet, Rebecca Sevy, DVM

Helpful advice when it comes to training a new horse.

22 The Importance of Enrichment for our Pets,

Mike Robertson- There’s more to a pet’s life than just laying

10 Fire Prevention Month, Keene Medical Products and 4

around in the sun

13 Damien’s Best Dog Toys, They’re like the Santa Clause

28 Book Review,The Starling God and The Truth of Me great reads for the fall.

Legs & a Tail recognize October as National Fire Prevention 24 Why do Small Dogs have More and Earlier Month, with a donation of pet oxygen masks to the Shelburne Dental Disease than Large Dogs?, Sandra Waugh, VMD Fire Department.

26 Kenzy’s Korner,“Why I can’t wait for Thanksgiving.”

11 Your Fire Department to the Rescue,

Real stories of local fire departments coming to the aid of real 27 Fish Tails, DJ Nelson - Now that summer is over, visit a

pets and animals.

tropical paradise in your own home.

of pet toys!

14 Lucy’s House, Carlin Goodwin - When pets and their

owners have no place else to turn, there’s Lucy’s House.

4 Legs & a Tail Volume N.314 P.O. Box 841 Lebanon, NH 03766 603-727-9214 TimH.4LT@gmail.com Fall 2014

Fun Page

Publishers: Tim Goodwin, Tim Hoehn Senior Editor: Scott Palzer Office Manager: Beth Hoehn Graphic Design: Monica Reinfeld, Travis Ness, Lacey Dardis Sales: Karyn Swett, Scott Palzer, Barry deSousa

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 Northern VT & NH. 4 Legs & a Tail, LLC 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.

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Do Heroes Come in Threes?

(Thank God for Strays) T

his November 11th, a grateful nation will once again pay tribute to the men & women who have served our country, protecting our freedom and liberties. Every day, and particularly on Veterans Day, we offer thanks to the thousands of soldiers from Vermont and New Hampshire for all they have sacrificed.

Heroes may return with tales of battlefield bravery, but one story involves the heroic efforts of an unusual trio. Not dressed in fatigues or carrying a rifle, these four-legged tail-waggers are named Target, Sasha and Rufus. These stray dogs found a home with 158th Infantry, in Afghanistan, deep in the thick of a wartorn country.

According to Sgt. Terry Young, American soldiers first befriended Sasha. “At times, we would play football between missions. One day Sasha showed up, and then Target and Rufus.”

Target got her name because she had been shot by locals, and then nursed back to health by the American soldiers. The companionship of these friendly strays was a welcome relief for men so far from home.

In the middle of the night of February 22, 2010, while 50 soldiers slept in a crowded barracks, a suicide bomber penetrated the security perimeter and approached the barracks. Immediately, Sasha sounded the alarm. As she barked, Target and Rufus quickly attacked and latched on to the assailant’s leg. Before the terrorist could make it past the entryway, he detonated his suicide vest.

As a tearful Young would later share with an Oprah audience, “Five soldiers were injured in the attack and all three dogs took heavy shrapnel. The medics successfully treated Target and Rufus,

Target and Rufus Photo by Crawford AP

but the wounds to Sasha were too severe.

These dogs are heroes. If it weren’t for them, I believe we would have lost many of my friends that day.”

Sgt. Young was shipped back stateside.

He said good-bye to Rufus and gave his final farewells to Target. But friendship in the heat of battle creates a stronger bond than any geo-political turmoil can break. Thanks to a Facebook campaign and some nonprofit organizations, Rufus was adopted by a fellow soldier, while Sgt. Young was recently reunited with Target.

When the Germen Shepherd mix set her paws down in the land of the free, the pair quickly embraced. As Young gave her a scratch behind the ear, he couldn’t help notice her collar, proudly displaying a blue infantry badge.

The Origin of “Dog Tags” According to Vetstreet, putting collars on dogs is an ancient practice, but dog licenses are much more recent. In the United States, at least, the practice is little more than a century old, and it started in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Charging dog owners to license their pets caught on with other cities as well. It was so common, that by the time American soldiers in World War I were issued ID tags, which reminded everyone so much of what dogs wore, that they were humorously called “dog tags”, a term that sticks to this very day.

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Black Cats and Seven-Toed Dogs

Animal Superstitions

By Mark Carlson

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n an age when we have long since grown too sophisticated to believe in old superstitions, it’s amusing how many of us still blame certain events on the “full moon” or the number 13. Even the most urbane and educated people tend to glance at their horoscopes in the morning paper, ‘just in case.’

Many of the most enduring and macabre superstitions center around the animals in our world, particularly domesticated pets. There are more ‘old wives’ tales about dogs and cats than there are for elephants or even toads.

This is because the most common of household pets were adopted by mankind as far back as prehistoric times, for hunting, guarding and companionship.

Images of humans with dogs and cats appear on Egyptian tombs, Greek temples and even the cave paintings at Lascaux, France. So it’s no wonder a great deal of lore, most of it negative and often contradictory, centers on the tabbies and pooches we feed, water and play with every day.

For instance, the bugaboo of Medieval Europe, black cats and witches.

How did that come about? Try this on for size: A Norse legend tells of the chariot of the witch Freya, pulled by black cats.

They were possessed by the Devil and were very fast. After serving Freya for seven years, the cats turned into witches, disguised as black cats.

This is where the belief began, that black cats were familiars of witches.

After seven years they themselves became witches. Black cats were supposed to be bad luck. Oh-kay. Anyone who has Sheba purring on their lap on a cool winter evening knows this is pure rot.

If a black cat crossed your path, it meant Satan was taking notice of you.

Not a guy you want on your case.

Ridiculous. But how many of us still jump a little in our step when we see a black cat walking past us?

Some old sailors refused to step on board a ship if a black cat walked the decks. Yet cats have been the most efficient means of keeping a ship free of rats.

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However, in some parts of the world black cats are supposed to be good luck.

In ancient England black cats were mummified and placed in tombs to deter evil from taking the spirit of the dead. Never mind what the cat thought about it.

If a black cat jumped over the coffin of a dead person, the deceased would return as a ghost. A good thing to keep in mind at a lawyer’s funeral. Keep the cats away.

Okay, on to dogs. Egyptians revered the jackal, and Romans the hunting dog.

Every culture in the world has domesticated or trained dogs for specific duties.

Dogs howl at the Moon, right? Not exactly. The Moon has nothing to do with it. They’re howling to communicate with other dogs. But for ages that portended either good or bad fortune, depending on where you lived.

Here is one I’m sure dogs are very glad, has been laid to rest. In the middle Ages, if a dog bit a person, the dog was killed, even if the animal had no rabies.

This was because if it later got rabies, the person who was bitten, even years later, would be infected.

In England and Scotland black dogs were believed to be portents of evil events and death. Remember Harry Potter and the Grim? We know it was just his godfather Sirius looking out for him.

But they were also thought to be the spirits of wicked persons who led you astray and into danger. OR, friendly guides to lost travelers. Talk about ambiguity.

Bring a coin to flip if you encounter a big black dog some dark night on the Moors.

Dogs have always been credited with being able to see supernatural things or sense geologic events like earthquakes.

Personally my Labrador Musket sleeps through them. Be that as it may, here’s a useful tip. When a dog sits and stares at nothing, totally oblivious to everything around it, look right between the dog’s ears. You (provided you possess the ability) should see a ghost. Explains a lot, actually. I always thought they just “zoned out”. Turns out Fido was really communicating with the ghost of Dr. Doolittle.

And if you have a seven-toed dog, they can see ghosts. That should come in handy this Halloween. Get on your knees and start counting.

When not visiting his in-laws in South Royalton, Mark Carlson spends much of his time in North County, CA with his wife, Jane and his Labrador Retriever, Saffron.

He is an award writer and an aviation historian, with numerous articles and books including his latest, Confessions of a Guide Dog. Legally blind, he travels and works with Saffron, and is a member of several aviation, maritime, and veteran organizations. www.musketmania.com

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Halloween can be Spooky for Pets M. Kathleen Shaw, DVM-North Bennington, Vermont

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any people like to have fun during the Halloween festivities, but our pets can truly be frightened by all of the noises and costumes. Halloween is a holiday with many dangers for our dogs and cats.

Dressing up is fun for humans, but may not be fun for our pets. If your pet tolerates a costume, keep in mind your pet must be comfortable at all times.

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Avoid any costumes that use rubber bands or anything that might constrict circulation or breathing. Likewise, avoid costumes with toxic paints, dyes, or that are edible.

Costumes on people can be equally scary to pets. Masks, large hats, and other costume accessories can confuse pets and may even trigger territorial instincts. It is not unusual for pets to act protective and fearful of people in costumes, even if they are normally very social with that person. Remember, you are responsible for controlling your pet and insuring that he doesn’t bite any guests.

Constant visitors to the door along with spooky sights and sounds may cause pets to escape and become injured in a variety of ways. Consider letting your dog spend Halloween inside with special treats, safe and secure. Even in a fenced yard, Halloween is not a good night for a dog to be outside. This is doubly true for cats: they may try to bolt out the door and even if they are allowed outside, they are more at risk for being hit by cars due to the high traffic from

trick or treaters. Black cats, especially, are at a higher risk from human cruelty on Halloween. Consider keeping your cats in an interior room where they are unable to bolt out the door.

Some Halloween decorations can be unsafe for your pets. Fake cobwebs or anything resembling string can be tempting to cats, leading to an intestinal obstruction.

Candles, even inside pumpkins, can be easily knocked over, burning your pet or even lighting them (it has happened before) or your house on fire!

Keep pets away from all Halloween candy. Most people know that chocolate can be toxic to pets, even in small amounts. However lollipop sticks and foil wrappers can cause blockages in the intestinal tract. Candy sweetened with xylitol can cause a life threatening drop in blood sugar if ingested by a pet.

Some pets can get an upset stomach just from eating a piece of candy, since it isn’t part of their regular diet.

These simple responsible precautions will help humans and pets alike have a safe holiday. For more information on how to make Halloween less stressful to your pet, contact your veterinarian.

The Vermont Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA), founded in 1898, is a professional organization of 340 veterinarians dedicated to compassionate animal care and quality medicine.

For more information, visit www.vtvets.org or call (802) 878-6888.

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Pony Precepts

Sanskrit term indicating a profound state of empathic bliss.

Pony precepts have taught me a lot of things, some of which apply to human interactions. Beginner’s mind, meeting colleagues on their terms, starting where they are, interconnectivity, embracing the peripheral world, dancing with others, and sublime stillness all seem like good ideas to bring back into the office each morning — after I finish mucking out her stall, of course!

John R. Killacky is executive director of Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington, VT. Originally published as a commentary for Vermont Public Radio.

John R. Killacky

R ight now I’m learning from a four hundred pound animal, with the

brain of a three year old child, as I train a Shetland pony to pull a cart. Ponies, like horses, are prey animals whose first instinct is to flee, so this can be a daunting and humbling task. Anything new is suspect, a first encounter with the unfamiliar unsettling.

My CEO/executive director self has no importance here. At the barn, I am a beginner. I’m always learning: from teenagers to one friend in her eighties who rides her twenty-four-year-old gelding every day. We never discuss our day jobs; all conversation is through and about our animals. Here I am, Raindrop’s dad.

Being a novice at midlife is rejuvenating. I love grappling with new skills that take a long time to master. Failures are almost as important as successes here. Laughter at failure and learning from mistakes propel improvement.

My competitive self is satisfied with a training session well done; thrilled that Raindrop and I have done our best for that day.

In working with my pony, I must first understand the world through her eyes, her smells, her experiences, her fears, and her relationships. Equine logic is quite different from human thinking. I also try to see the world as my pony does. Human vision is focused straight ahead; horses see at 350 degrees, encompassing peripheral vision. I practice this perspective, and vast horizons of fields, mountains, and clouds feathering the sky unfold.

Recently, Raindrop and I went offsite to a driving clinic. Jeff Morse, who led the two-day event, encouraged us to “create the horse you want, rather than fix the horse you have.” He had me drive with my eyes closed to feel the connection of my hands on the reins to the bit in her mouth. It was transformative.

Back at my home barn, training can get mighty complicated, with up to six horses and riders simultaneously in the indoor arena during the after-school and post-work rush hours. This necessitates an interrelated choreography of awareness, patience, and generosity by Fall 2014

John and Raindrop go for a spin.

equines and humans alike. We lunge, jump, trot, and walk our animals in spiraling circles and figure eights. Loose but firm hands on the reins, the animals go where your eyes go. We dance together.

My favorite time at the barn is late at night, with no one else around. I love being in the stall with Raindrop as she and her stable mates settle down for the evening. The sounds and smells of two dozen safe, warm, and protected equines are divine. Just being there, in sublime stillness, through her quiet eyes, I am part of the herd. It’s at these moments that I experience “rasa”, a

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Careers in the World of Pets & Animals

ith school back in session and Labor Day behind us, fall is a perfect time to think about a future in the pet and animal industry. According to the American Pet Products Industry, we love our pets to the tune of $55 billion per year! The folks at About.com offer a number of animal career options with salaries in the range of $50,000 or more per year.

Veterinary pharmaceutical sales reps market a variety of animal health products to veterinarians and veterinary clinics. There are both inside sales and outside sales career paths in this field.

Salary for pharmaceutical sales reps usually includes a combination of base salary, commission, company car, and benefits. Total compensation varies based on sales volume and years of experience, but salary usually ranges from $59,122 to $119,826 according to Payscale.com.

Pet product sales reps (also known as manufacturers’ reps) market a variety of pet products such as food, treats,

toys, accessories, and crates. There are both inside sales (office based) and outside sales (travel) career paths in this field.

Salary for pet product sales reps often includes a combination of base salary, commission, company car, and bonuses. According to Indeed.com, the average salary for positions in this field was $79,000 in 2011. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a similar median wage of $70,200 for sales reps in a 2008 salary survey.

Livestock feed sales reps market feed products to dealers and livestock production farms. Most positions are field based.

Salary for a livestock feed sales rep often includes a combination of base salary, commission, company car, and bonuses. The median wage is $70,200 according to the BLS but can vary widely based on sales volume.

Veterinarians provide health care to a variety of species. Vets can operate as small animal, large animal, equine, exotic, or mixed practice providers.

Ac c o r d i n g t o t h e A m e r i c a n Veterinary Medical Association, average salary for veterinarian’s right out of school is $62,424 for small animal practitioners and $64,744 for large animal practitioners. The average salary for established practitioners is $97,000 for companion animal practice, $85,000 for equine practice, and $103,000 for food animal practice. Board certified specialists can earn much higher salaries.

Farriers (sometimes referred to as blacksmiths) provide comprehensive equine foot care services. Duties generally involve routine trimming, modifying and applying shoes, and evaluating potential causes of lameness.

A farrier’s salary depends on how many horses he can service per day. A 2011 survey from the American Farriers Journal indicated that experienced fulltime farriers earn an average salary of $92,600 (up from an average salary of $80,000 in 2008).

Wildlife biologists manage and study populations of animals in the wild. Duties may involve animal census studies, trapping and tagging animals, and developing habitat management plans. Wildlife biologists may work in education, research, or for the state or federal government.

The median salary for wildlife biologists was $61,660. Positions with the Continued NEXT PAGE

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federal government offered an annual mean wage of $77,030, while positions in research offered a similar annual mean wage of $72,410.

Animal nutritionists create and balance animal rations to ensure dietary requirements are met. Positions in this field can be found with a wide variety of employers such as zoos, colleges, research labs, farms, pharmaceutical companies, and feed development companies.

Animal nutritionists earned an average salary of $61,000 in 2011 according to SimplyHired.com. The BLS quoted a similar salary of $60,180 in its 2010 salary study for food scientists. BLS data also indicated scientists employed by the animal food manufacturing industry earned about $70,060.

Fish and game wardens are authorized to enforce rules and regulations related to wildlife in their patrol area.

Wardens may arrest violators, seize weapons or game, assist with research, and investigate damage caused by wildlife.

According to the BLS, the annual mean salary for fish and game wardens is $56,540 for state government positions and $49,420 for local government positions.

Other considerations Vet Tech - College is not required, but the two year program at VT

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Technical College is certified and the demand is strong. Annual income average is around $25,000.

Groomer - Certification can be acquired in four months at schools such as Bow Meow in Essex, VT. Good groomers are always in demand and can earn more than $20 per hour.

Dog Walker-Dog walkers typically work — and walk — six to eight hours per day, with one or more dogs. All walkers pick up poop en route. Annual income potential is $30,000+.

Magazine owner- 4 Legs & a Tail has affiliate programs in select markets for entrepreneurs with outside sales experience.

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A Day in the Life of a Future Vet Rebecca Sevy, DVM

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y veterinary internship at BEVS (Burlington Emer-gency & Veterinary Specialists) has been an exciting challenge, giving me opportunities to learn something new every day. The advantages of working at a specialty clinic, with multiple doctors have been invaluable. The best example I can recall occurred on a Friday, when I was the veterinarian receiving emergency cases. A very sweet and handsome Golden retriever was transferred from his local veterinarian for an additional work-up of a suspected hemoabdomen (free blood within the abdominal cavity).

Once at BEVS, the history and physical exam findings supported fluid in the abdominal cavity. Full in-house blood work results were ready in less than 10 minutes, and other than anemia, the blood work looked great. I advised the owner, that as an emergency veterinarian, I could use ultrasound to detect and draw a sample of abnormal abdominal fluid, but to fully examine all the

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Before she was a doctor, Rebecca was an intern.

abdominal organs for disease we would need to call in Dr. Harnett, the internal medicine specialist.

The owner agreed and I used ultrasound to identify a pocket of fluid in the abdomen that turned out to be blood, confirming a hemoabdomen and explaining the anemia. I called in Dr. Harnett to perform a complete abdominal ultrasound. The spleen was found to be diseased and most likely the cause of the bleeding. The liver was examined carefully to try to detect evidence of malignant spread of disease, none could be found. The rest of the organs all appeared healthy.

Between veterinary school and the BEVS’ internship, I was well prepared to explain the need for surgery to remove the spleen, and the advantages, disadvantages, and prognosis associated with the procedure. After a long discussion, the owner was interested in pursuing surgical removal of the spleen. I then called on Dr. Mallinckrodt for her surgical expertise. Within a period of a couple of hours, we were in the operating room. I was able to scrub in and assist Dr. Mallinckrodt with the surgery, giving me the opportunity to follow my case from admission to surgical recovery and discharge from the hospital. It was great to see my patient feeling back to normal. Thinking back it felt great knowing that I have mentors ready and willing to assist with a case, but better still, that I could handle most of it on my own!

Internships are available for veterinary graduates. This program will involve 3 week duration rotations through internal medicine, surgery and emergency. Throughout the program, the intern will be mentored daily by an attending clinician. In addition, the program director will review overall progress. Meetings include daily rounds on days worked, biweekly didactic rounds, monthly journal rounds, and quarterly M&M rounds.

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Barbara Lamos of Keene Medical Products presents the Shelburne VT Fire Department with pet oxygen masks

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Each year, more than 1.7 million uncontrolled fires happen in the United States and about 3,000 people lose their lives. More than 500,000 pets also die in these fires, but there are measures you can take to help reduce this number.

October is National Fire Prevention Month. In recognition of this, 4 Legs & a Tail has coordinated the efforts for donations of pet oxygen masks to local fire departments, on behalf of Keene Medical Products. Over the past three years KMP has provided these masks to more than half a dozen volunteer organizations throughout Vermont and New Hampshire.

This fall, the Shelburne Fire Department was the latest recipient of a generous donation of pet oxygen masks from Keene Medical Products. If the need arises, we know these masks serve our 4 legged friends well.

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Your Fire Department to the Rescue “W

hen in doubt – call us out” is a common motto of many fire departments. While this is most reassuring to me, it is also comforting to know that it applies to pets and animals. None of the fire departments I spoke with recently have received a call from a little old lady with her cat stuck in a tree (although Newport NH, did have a young couple with a tree bound kitty), many fire department and rescue teams have responded to pets and animals in need.

A variety of area Fire Depts & Rescue squads respond to Tom.

A Muddy Situation Last fall the Williston Fire Department received a call about a horse stuck in the mud, on South Road in Williston. Upon arrival they discovered a challenging rescue that would take some serious teamwork. The Fire Department contacted a local excavator, Mr. Gary Gryzna and Colchester Technical Rescue. Also on scene were Hinesburg Fire Department, Colchester Rescue, Williston Police, Allison Cornwall DVM, as well as family, friends and neighbors. After 3 hours of mud moving, careful monitoring of Tommy the horse’s vital signs, and lots of special attention, Tom was pulled to dry ground. This rescue is not a normal call on a Sunday afternoon, but the Williston Fire Department and area rescue personnel answered the call. With professionalism, organization, and teamwork they were able to save the day for not only Tom, but his family as well.

Like a Duck to Water Several years ago Tim Barritt was driving near a busy Kennedy Drive in South Burlington when he noticed a mother duck with a lone duckling, circling anxiously in the grass. As he passed back by, after picking up his son from school, he saw a man run to a storm drain. The man explained that some ducklings had fallen into the drain.

“I could hear them cheeping when I had my window down in the car,” explained Barritt to a WCAX news reporter.

It appeared the mother had been trying to get her ducklings across the road. Although she was big enough to simply walk over the drain cover, their tiny bodies were smaller than the openings of the cover.

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The South Burlington Fire Department quickly offered to help. Firefighters removed the drain cover and spotted the little feather balls several feet down. They blocked off the drain pipe so the ducks would not travel any further. They cut holes in the bottom of a five gallon bucket and lowered it into the water beneath the ducklings. After some coaxing with a pole the little ducklings entered the bucket and were pulled up to safety. They were wet, but still chirping away.

Keith Morse rappells to the rescue

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A Gorge-ous Dog In August 2013, the Harford VT Fire Department responded to an incident at the Quechee Gorge. “Initially there was some confusion, and we were told it was a man on a cliff,” said Hartford Fire Captain Scott Cooney. “It wasn’t until the first crew got there that they found the people were alright and it was a dog that was stuck.”

It seemed a black Labrador named Rani, had wandered to the bottom of the gorge. He found out the hard way that going down is easy, going up is a different story. A crowd gathered on the eastern side of the gorge, with a direct view, as the 45 minute rescue unfolded on the other side.

“We sent firefighter Keith Morse over the edge from a point where the dog was only about 15 feet below, on a secondary ledge.” Cooney explained, adding, “The dog happened to be wearing a full harness (for a leash). So Keith clipped the dog onto his gear, and when they got up to the point where it could walk on its own, it just climbed the rest of the way out.”

“You could hear the cheering from the other side when they came up over the edge,” Cooney recalled.

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Damien’s Best Dog Toys A

s of July 2014, Damien’s Best Dog Toys has donated 427 dog toys and 6262 cat toys. Literally, thousands of donations in under 2 years. In a day and age when we celebrate athletes’ accomplishments on a global scale, sometimes we need to turn around and celebrate those working selflessly in our own back yards.

Back in November of 2012, Mark and Sallie Scott began talking about ways to help humane societies. They were both aware that many animal shelters depend on donations from the public in order to provide day to day services, such as food and vet care. Often, enrichment items such as toys for the animals are overlooked. Knowing that enrichment activities and toys are important for maintaining the health of animals staying in shelters, they decided to make dog and cat toys and donate them as a way to help out.

By the beginning of December 2012, Damien’s Best Dog Toys was born and the first batch of 10 toys was donated

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to North Country Animal League in Morrisville, VT. All toys are handmade in Hardwick, Vermont. The dog toys are made by using traditional knot tying techniques and cotton rope to produce rugged and colorful toys. The cat toys are made of small pieces of fleece wrapped around a tablespoon of catnip and then tied.

Damien’s Best Dog Toy’s primary mission is to support animal welfare organizations and humane societies, by donating dog and cat toys. Some of the organizations that they have worked with are the North Country Animal League in Morrisville, VT, Homeward Bound in Addison County, VT, seven shelters in Indiana, two in New York and one in Puerto Rico.

It was at the North Country Animal League that Mark volunteered and spent time shadowing their behaviorist. He became aware of how important play time and stimulating activities were to the health and happiness of the dogs that stayed at the shelter. Both tug

and fetch games tap into a dog’s natural instincts, and can encourage more human-to-K9 interaction. Not to mention how much fun it is for both the handler and the animal.

Damien’s Best Dog Toy’s are available on www.Esty.com and on their website www.DamiensBestDogToys. com. A portion of their proceeds goes to the toy donations they are able to make.

If you want to help please go to their website and either place an order, or make a donation. You can also ask your local pet store to carry their products.

Thank you Mark and Sallie for all you do to make shelter animals feel some joy of a special gift.

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Lucy’s House Carlin Goodwin

L

ike many in the Vermont/New Hampshire area and across our nation, I am aware of the financial difficulties facing many of our neighbors, in these troubled economic times. What I was ignorant of, was just how far reaching these needs extend. Ignorant, until I stumbled across a website for the nonprofit organization, “Lucy’s House for the Prevention of Homeless Pets”, a Pet Food Bank located in Essex Junction, VT. Lucy’s House is an organization that helps pet owners and the furry friends they can’t afford to lose, but at times can’t always afford to keep.

Caring for a pet can be very expensive, and can be especially draining for those with low income, medical issues, or are elderly living on a fixed budget.

Lucy’s House helps to diminish these costs as often as they can, in order to help families stay together, and not have to be split up. They help families to avoid sending their beloved animal friends to a shelter, or simply abandoning them to fend for themselves, an emotionally and mentally draining experience for both pets and owners alike.

As I eagerly checked my email for a message from Jan Ellis-Clements, Executive Director for the Board of Directors of Lucy’s House, I received a message, one long paragraph, apologizing for the lateness of her reply.

She was detained by an emergency vet visit for a woman with a puppy, who had ingested a small object and needed emergency surgery. She explained that she was pre-occupied with setting up a medical appointment and trying to figure out how to pay for the procedure, as their medical funding was not due for another month. Luckily,

through a partnership with a local vet, as well as the understanding of the veterinarian in practice, they were able to make arrangements to save the puppy.

I am sure, the relieved puppy-parent was happy as well.

I was taken aback by Ms. EllisClements politeness in thinking that she should apologize to me. I was simply staring at a laptop screen, while she was helping to save a life, possibly two. But, considering all of the good works that Lucy’s House does, kindness seems to be a trait they have in excess.

Besides helping with emergency vet bills, and delivering 12,000 pounds of pet food a month to food banks and meals on wheels programs, Lucy’s House also offers support with dog training and pet planning for possible imminent relocation. They also help with relocation and acceptance of Pit Bulls and other “power breeds”, and provide information on Trap-NeuterRelease programs for feral cat population control, in order to cut down the homeless animal population explosion in the area. There are multiple ways that we, as a community, can help support Lucy’s House, including donations of money, pet food, homemade dog biscuits and dog and cat toys.

A lot of people all over are making sacrifices in how they live, and in their quality of life, through no fault of their own. Many of us donate what we can; canned foods, water bottles, sending texts to various phone numbers in order to help any way we can. But to make a big difference in the stomachs AND hearts of many, it’s as easy as dropping off a bag of kibble. How much do we have to sacrifice to survive in today’s economic climate to keep our families together? Thanks to the big hearts and sharp minds at Lucy’s House, not more than we can bear.

Donations can be sent to: Lucy’s House for the Prevention of Homeless Pets, Inc. Attention: Executive Director Jan Ellis-Clements 21 Foster Road Essex Junction, VT 05452 You can also call: (802) 879-0898 or find them on Facebook to learn more about opportunities to help, or to volunteer your time.

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Lisa Haynes Save Our Strays

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everal months ago The American Red Cross of Vermont & the New Hampshire Upper Valley honored nine people for acts of courage and compassion. One of those honored was Lisa Haynes, founder of Save Our Strays based in Huntington, VT. Over the years, Lisa and her group has rescued more than 3,000 strays.

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Lisa, Sally & Zombie in front of venue where ceremony was held.

Fall 2014

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Vermont Veterinary Medical Association Foundation Award

HANK YOU to 4 Legs & a Tail for sponsoring a raffle at the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association Summer Meeting which was attended by 190 veterinary medical professionals throughout New England.

Congratulations to VVMA member Dr. Sandra Waugh of Windsor Veterinary & Dental Services, the lucky winner of the iPad which was raffled off!

The raffle raised funds to support the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association Foundation (VVMAF). The mission of the VVMAF is to provide scholarships for Vermonters attending veterinary school to help lower the debt load they face upon graduation.

Students graduating veterinary school have an average student loan debt of $162,113, according to a recent survey of the American Veterinary Medical Association. This is a crushing amount of debt for young veterinarians just starting out in their careers, and can take decades to pay off.

Since its establishment in 2012, the VVMAF has provided $29,000 to Vermonters attending veterinary school. Scholarship recipients are chosen based on their overall burden of debt, academic achievement, desire to return to practice in Vermont, and their ability to overcome obstacles which confront them upon entering the veterinary profession.

The VVMAF is pleased to announce the recipients of their 2014 scholarships: Rebecca Calder of Shelburne is a junior at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and a graduate of the University of Vermont; Emily Comstock of Barre is a senior at the University of Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Veterinary College, and a graduate of Lyndon State College; Kathleen Gill of Middlebury is a junior at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and a graduate of the University of Vermont; Ad r i e n n e S n i d e r o f E s s ex J u n c t i o n is a senior at Western University of Health Sciences and a graduate of the University of Vermont.

Petra Szymkowicz of Shoreham is a junior at The Ohio State University C o l l e ge o f Ve t e r i n a r y M e d i c i n e and a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Congratulations to these Vermont students and thank you again to 4 Legs & a Tail for your support! For more information, please visit our website at www.vtvets.org.

Fall 2014

Kathy Finnie, Executive Director

Tim Hoehn of 4 Legs & a Tail & Dr. Sandra Waugh of Windsor Veterinary & Dental Services

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‘Tique

T here is a point in a widow’s life which starts with the same request,

“Please Lord, I can’t go another day.

Take me Home.” When my husband of 49 years passed away, I had no idea how painful loneliness could be. The months following were difficult, but the winter was excruciating. The cold and snow made it difficult to get out of the house and the long, dreary days seemed endless.

Late one spring, my daughter came for a visit. “How you holding up?” she asked with a look that said she already knew the answer. With a forced, half smile I replied, “Fine.” We talked for a long time about her dad and old times that felt like yesterday. We laughed about growing up in a typical home surrounded by love, including our family dog, Springer. After the kids had grown, Springer was “regularly” on the antique and yard sale circuit. With dog in tow, we hit all the stops. But, like my

husband, Springer was also gone.

“Have you thought about getting a dog? It would be great companionship,” my daughter asked. I had thought about getting another dog, but quickly discarded the idea. At my age, the thought of training a puppy was daunting, and fear of adopting an older dog I might outlive, scared me.

But despite my objections, we found ourselves at our local humane society.

Yes, they were all adorable, but I still couldn’t rationalize the decision.

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As we slowly made our way past the wagging tails and the barking suitors, I noticed a beagle. Unlike the other high energy dogs, this one was subdued to the point of sadness. I wondered if he too had lost loved ones and went to bed each night nursing a broken heart. As my daughter and I left, I was still not convinced a dog was the right choice, so she suggested we get some lunch and hit a couple of antique shops.

Later that afternoon, we went to a little shop just north of West Lebanon that my husband and I frequented years ago. As we picked through dozens of antiques, I thought about the dog I had met earlier that day. Did I look that empty? Loneliness is a bitter pill and without someone to love and share, it is a difficult one to swallow. As I contemplated the situation, my thoughts were interrupted by my daughter’s urgent request. “Mom! Check this out. Remind you of anyone?” As she handed me the dusty watercolor, I stared at the familiar face in the picture. As I felt a genuine smile cross my face, I turned to my daughter and asked, “What time does the humane society close?”

Alyce and her dog are regular antiquers and recently found a steal on an 18th century American oak desk. Above it is a picture of her beloved dog and constant companion,‘Tique.

Celebrate National Adopt A Shelter Pet Month This October

Fall 2014

Rats!

Dr. Susan Dyer DVM

P

eople envision many different things when thinking about rats.

Some consider them as vermin or pests, many envision laboratory specimens, others think of them as snake food, while a chosen population treasure them as pets. These rodents make excellent pets for children if they are cared for properly. They seldom bite when raised as pets and are handled with care.

These timid and social pets are fun to watch performing their natural behaviors of burrowing, searching for food, and playing. Unlike their wild counterparts that are typically nocturnal, pet rats have periods of activity both day and night. Rats are inexpensive, easy to care for, and responsive to handling.

As with any pet, good quality food and clean, fresh water must be provided at all times. In the wild, these animals feed on leaves, seeds, roots, fruits and insects. Pelleted rodent rations are recommended for feeding in captivity, which are processed as dry blocks or pellets. Seed diets are also formulated for rats, but these diets should only supplement the basic rodent pellet as a treat item. Rodents prefer sunflowerbased diets to pellets, but these seeds are low in calcium and high in fat and cholesterol. When fed exclusively, seed diets can lead to obesity and nutritional deficiencies. The pet’s appetite should be monitored closely. Many factors affect the rodent’s food intake, including the ambient temperature, humidity, food quality, breeding status, as well as the pet’s health status. Rats typically eat at night.

Water should be provided in water bottles equipped with sipper tubes.

The sipper tube keeps the water free from contamination. The tubes must be positioned low enough to allow the pet easy access. Inadequate water consumption leads to dehydration, lower body weight, infertility and death.

These rodents drink only a fraction of the total bottle volume, but the bottle should be emptied, cleaned and refilled with fresh water daily.

Pet rodents become tame and seldom bite when properly restrained and accustomed to handling. Be careful, however, when approaching a nervous or frightened pet. Also, it is best not to disturb a sleeping animal because most are usually quite cranky when awakened. Some rats can be very territorial of their cage, and these should be coaxed out of the cage before being hanFall 2014

Rats can make excellent pets.

dled. Most pet rats enjoy being handled when away from their cage.

Rats can be easily picked up by scooping them into a can or cupped hands. They can then be moved out of their territory to a neutral area. Rats can also be lifted by grasping the base of the tail, but be careful not to injure them due to their large size. For any rodent, never pull on the tip of the tail because the skin can easily tear and become stripped from the tail.

Rats can be restrained by grasping over the back and rib cage, while restraining the head with a thumb and forefinger positioned on either side of the neck. To initially pick up a rat, it may be necessary to grasp the tail base as suggested above. Rats do not respond well to scruffing by the nape, but it may be necessary in some cases.

Several types of cages are available which are suitable for housing small rodents. Many of these units come equipped with cage “furniture” such as exercise wheels, tunnels and nest boxes.

These accessories contribute to the pet’s psychological well being. Cages should be constructed with rounded corners to discourage chewing. Rodents readily chew through wood and thin plastic. Recommended caging materials are wire, stainless steel, durable plasContinued NEXT PAGE

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tic and glass. Glass and plastic enclosures restrict ventilation and may lead to temperature and humidity problems.

These materials are acceptable when at least one side of the enclosure is open for air circulation.

These pets thrive in solid bottom cages with deep bedding and ample nesting material. Bedding must be clean, non-toxic, absorbent and relatively dust free. Shredded paper and processed corn cob are acceptable beddings. Wood shavings and ground corn cob must be free of mold, mildew or other contamination. Cedar chips or chlorophyll scented shavings should be avoided because of association with respiratory and liver disease. At least one inch of bedding should be provided to allow for normal burrowing behavior. Cotton and shredded tissue paper make excellent nesting materials.

Rats need at least 40 square inches of floor space and a minimum of 7 inches in height. Breeder rats require much larger areas. Optimal temperature range for these pets is between 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with a relative humidity of 40 to 70%. Twelve hour light cycles are preferred, with most rodents being more active during the night.

As a rule of thumb, the cage and accessories should be thoroughly cleaned at least once weekly. An exception to this schedule is when newborn

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babies are present, then wait until they are at least 10 days old. Other factors that may require increased frequency of cleaning are the number of animals in the cage, the type of bedding material provided, and the cage design and size. Cages are sanitized with hot water and non-toxic disinfectant or detergent, then thoroughly rinsed. Water bottles and food dishes should be cleaned and disinfected daily.

Pet rats can be housed singly or in groups. These rodents are colony oriented by nature. However, occasionally an overly aggressive rat may have to be caged individually. Territorial disputes also develop when the cages are overcrowded or when they lack food or water. Group cages should be provided with multiple food and water sources.

It is recommended to spay/neuter your rats to aid in avoiding unwanted territorial behaviors and improve the odor emitted by their urine.

Dr. Susan Dyer sees dogs, cats, birds and other exotic pets at Bradford Veterinary Clinic (formerly Stoneciff Animal Clinic of VT) in Bradford, VT, 802-222-4903 www.bradfordvet.com/ Modified from: Small Mammal Health Series,

by Susan Brown, DVM,

Fall 2014

Paddock Partners Heidi Jo Hauri-Gill

Hello Heidi, My horse just turned 3 and I think he is ready to be broke. I have made some inquiries at stables to see what it would cost, but it is so expensive. I am a pretty good rider, and I have raised him so far, so I might just do it myself.

Can you tell me whether that would be a good idea?

Lisa, Plainfield, NH Hello Lisa, Thank you so much for your question! You have a very exciting time ahead of yourself here. Young horses are a lot of fun, and when the going is good, it is great. However, it can be daunting when you look at training possibilities for your young horse.

Yes it is expensive, but there are a few clear reasons why. The first reason is all about the education of the trainer and the trainer’s “method.”

Trainers are taught, and have a lot of experience in the steps that it takes to successfully train a horse. They have studied, and have experience in what actually needs to come first and how to lay the foundation for each step that follows. Training a horse to ride is really a step by step plan that can either give the horse a great start that makes sense and gives them confidence, OR a trial and error that can lead to serious issues along the way.

Most trainers have a general idea of how long it will take to get the horse a good start. If you are a confident, qualified rider, you might look for a trainer who is willing to include you in this process. That way you have some ideas of how to enhance this after you bring your horse home. If you are a greener rider you might need to have the trainer work longer with the horse and ask that you get some lessons with the trainer, even if they are not on your own horse at first.

My general rule of thumb is it takes about three months of consistent work to make a young horse rideable. If the horse has come to me with little to no handling it may take longer. If you have done a very good job preparing the horse it will likely take less time. This doesn’t mean the horse is “trained,” it only means the horse is “started.”

Another reason it is expensive to have a horse trained is the simple fact that you are asking someone to train your young horse, which is a bit of a risk for the trainer. Part of your fee is that you are asking the trainer to ultimately ride your young and unpreFall 2014

dictable horse. If your horse does something that causes the trainer to get hurt, they are out of work for a period of time. The same works for you, if you get hurt, and you may be more likely to, as you may not have the riding facility, help on hand, or expertise to predict certain situations, you will be out of work for a period of time.

Lastly, if your goal with your horse is to learn together and gain experience training a young horse on your own, and you don’t have a timeline in mind, then do everything you can to learn about training, and prepare yourself well, have help at all times, and never attempt to ride a youngster alone.

If your goal is to enjoy your youngster, maybe get out on the trails, or school in the arena, even go to some shows or take lessons on your horse then the money is wisely spent in hiring someone to start your horse right. Trust me, you will have a huge “learning together” scale ahead of you and you will certainly grow together.

“Starting” your horse is not going to get you a fully trained horse.

If you want a more finished horse, a horse that has had some good experiences making it more likely to be a fun riding partner, then consider opting for a longer training period. All trainers have options for you, perhaps you would be safest and better off if you kept your horse with a trainer for a full year. The first few months could be all about the trainer riding the horse and then you could ease into a partial training plan, where you can be a bigger part of the picture. You could just enjoy watching your horse learn and grow, and even have the trainer take the horse to shows so that when you start to, it has already been there, and

it won’t need as much hand holding from you!

The most important thing to remember is that it is a process. Take your time, educate yourself, and please, always work with safety first. Never get on a horse without a helmet. Never ride a young horse without someone around to call for help should you need it. Let this be a journey that you and your horse take together, training is never over, take your time and savor each moment!

Please submit questions for this column and Heidi, by visiting www.4legsandatail.com 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

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The Importance of Enrichment for our Pets “E

Mike Robertson- Plymouth, NH

nrichment.” It’s a buzzword lately, but what does it really mean in relation to our pets? Let’s compare the differences in many of our pets’ current lives to the lives their ancestors experienced.

Take the house cat; descended from an African wild cat who’s life was spent in search of food and a mate. Her territory took her over rocks and brush and streams and grasses; each bit of terrain a home to various living creatures. The encyclopaedia of scents, the ingredients of the scent we call the “smell of outdoors,” envelops her. Out of the grass scampers a field mouse. Slinking into her hunting crouch, she prepares. In a flash she’s on top of the mouse.

Now compare that vivid scenario with one common to many pet cats. In a temperature controlled home, she wakes up and stretches, having napped in a ray of “sun.” It’s a light source that provides heat, but has the vitamins filtered out through panes of window glass. She walks across steam cleaned, nylon carpet to a plastic tub filled with pine pellets. It’s where she’s supposed to eliminate, so she does. She eyeballs a motionless catnip-filled fabric “mouse” on the floor, but walks past. Without much else to do, she hops up on the windowsill and watches the world outside before settling in for another nap.

Consequences of an under-stimulated pet: The pets in our lives, whether cats, dogs, fish, goats or birds; are all descendants of ancestors who lived and thrived in natural settings. Each day presented them with both life and death challenges, as well as indirect experiences that encouraged physical agility and mental growth. When we brought these animals into our lives and contained them for safety; often they were forced to give up the daily stimulation they had evolved to seek. Without suitable mental and physical exercise and experiences, behavior problems develop.

To name a few: - Feather plucking - Chewing - Digging - Spinning in circles - Depression - Aggression - Barking/Yowling/Screeching Ways to add enrichment for your pets Zoo caretakers were the first to add enrichment activities to a captive animals’ daily routine. The amazing results of this simple step were noticed by pet enthusiasts, resulting in a flood of new toys, puzzles and training skills designed specifically to encourage thinking and movement.

A few of my favorite commercial enrichment items include: - Buster Cube - Kong Wobbler -Tug-a-Jug - The Nina Ottensen line - The Dog Games line University studies have shown that animals prefer to work for rewards rather than being given them for free.

Use your imagination to come up with other ideas. Without even realizing it, you will be adding enrichment to your life too!

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You don’t need to purchase items to enrich your pets’ lives.

Here are a few free suggestions to try.

Cut six dime sized holes in a two liter soda bottle and fill it with your pet’s dry kibble. Let them knock it around to make food fall out.

Moisten your pet’s food until it’s the consistency of oatmeal. Fill a hollow marrow bone with this and freeze.

Hide treats in different areas of your yard.

Place treats or toys in a box filled with empty plastic bottles and let your pet dig for them.

Change your pet’s daily walk to incorporate different sights and sounds. Make a detour through a stand of trees or down to a brook. Even a small change from routine can make a big difference.

Mike Robertson is a certified animal trainer and certified behavior consultant located in Plymouth NH. He is the owner of White Mountain College for Pets, with two locations: 661 Mayhew Turnpike & 594 Tenney Mtn Hwy in Plymouth NH. View upcoming class schedules or contact him at: www.collegeforpets. com or by phone 603-369-4PET.

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Why do Small Dogs have More and Earlier Dental Disease than Large Dogs?

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Sandra L Waugh VMD, MS Windsor Veterinary & Dental Services-Windsor,VT

ecause their TEETH are TOO BIG for their SMALL SKULLS! While the date (15,000 to 33,000 years ago) and place (Asia, Middle East, or multiple sites) of origin of the domestic dog is still a matter of controversy and ongoing research, recent DNA studies demonstrate that domestic dogs evolved from the Eurasian wolf. The wolves in Europe and Asia vary in size, with the male weighing anywhere from 95-175 pounds. Wolves are characterized by large teeth with stronger molars and a substantially stronger jaw than dogs. The early domestic dog was a large dog with a somewhat smaller skull, a more prominent forehead and smaller but more crowded teeth when compared to a similarly sized wolf.

Over time and apparently fairly recently in geological terms, humans have begun deliberately creating breeds of dogs, with the appearance of tiny Chihuahuas and mighty Mastiffs. Breeds not only vary greatly in size but also in the shape of the skull, from Pugs with pushed in muzzles to Greyhounds with very long muzzles. Unfortunately as dog breeds are created for the appeal of the appearance of the dog, the changes can create medical problems.

An example of this occurs as dogs are made smaller. A small dog has a small jaw with teeth that are much too big for that jaw. In order for a small skull to accommodate large teeth, various things may happen. A large dog has 42 teeth. Small dogs may have all 42 teeth, or may have some teeth that never form, typically leaving 36 to 40 teeth. In a large dog the premolars have spaces between each tooth. In the small dog, the teeth are crowded together. This can range from the teeth still being in a row with no spaces to the teeth overlapping. In dogs with pushed-in muzzles, such as Pugs and Boxers, some of the teeth may be rotated so that they are sitting perpendicular rather than parallel to the jaw. The incisor teeth (the small teeth in the very front of the mouth) in small dogs are usually crowded and displaced in front and behind each other.

Meanwhile, the roots of the teeth are large. Ideally roots should be well anchored in the bone of the skull, but in small dogs with large teeth this ideal cannot be realized. By the time a small dog matures it has very thin bone around the roots of the teeth. When these dogs start to lose bone due to periodontal disease, it takes relatively little bone loss before the teeth are loose, because there just wasn’t enough bone at the beginning.

The crowding and displacement of teeth allows plaque to more easily build up around and between the teeth. Plaque is the main culprit as the cause of periodontal disease, which over time causes the loss of bone around the roots of the teeth. Little dogs get a “double whammy” in the ability to maintain their teeth - not enough bone to begin with and conditions that lead to accumulation of plaque making periodontal disease more likely to occur.

Let’s see some examples of this. Below are x-rays of the lower right jaw of a 57 pound, 9 year old Labrador mix versus the same jaw of a 6.6 pound, 5 year old Yorkshire Terrier. Notice the spaces between the teeth in the x-ray on the left versus the crowded conditions in the x-ray on the right (red arrows). The yellow markings show how much closer the end of the roots in the small dog are to the bottom of the lower jaw.

Labrador Mix Yorkshire Terrier The reason the distance indicated by the yellow arrows on the previous x-rays is important is shown in the x-rays below. The x-rays are of the right and left fourth premolar on the lower jaw of a 5.25 pound, 13 year old Shih Tzu. Each x-ray is duplicated so that you can see the unmarked and marked images side by side. The bone loss due to periodontal disease has gone all the way down to the end of the root on the right side Continued NEXT PAGE

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Don’t forget that these images are of a 3 dimensional tooth displayed as a 2 dimensional image. Use your imagination to picture the width of these teeth versus the width of the jaw bone itself, and ask yourself “Just how much bone can there be around the roots of the Rat Terrier’s teeth?”. The answer is “Not very much”.

Just to make the point even clearer, neither of these dogs had received any home dental care and neither had a dental cleaning prior to when these x-rays were taken. They are of similar ages.

The Rat Terrier has significant bone loss around the tooth (green arrows) while the Lab mix has very little. At the time the x-rays were taken, the Lab mix had all 42 teeth. Three teeth were extracted - one was fractured and two were dead.

The Rat Terrier was missing 14 teeth at Shih Tzu right lower jaw the time the x-rays were taken, and all of the remaining teeth were extracted due to periodontal disease.

What breeds are most vulnerable to small dog/big teeth? Toy poodles, Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, Rat Terrier, etc. Any dog that weighs less than 10 pounds would fit into this category. As the size of the dog increases, the teeth will have more bone around them. Dogs with a normal shape to the skull have less periodontal disease than dogs with Shih Tzu left lower jaw abnormally shaped skulls. A Labrador Lower right carnassial tooth of a 57 Retriever is an example of a dog with a pound, 9 year old Labrador mix versus normally shaped skull and is the breed the same tooth of a 7 pound, 8 year old Rat with least amount of periodontal disease.

Terrier. Each x-ray is duplicated so that you can see the unmarked and marked images side by side. These measurements were made on the original x-rays and are accurate enough for the comparison made here. (green arrow). The bone loss of the left side is much more severe (blue arrow), with a hole starting to form in the bottom of the jaw (yellow circle). Left much longer and this hole could become a fracture. Due to the larger distance between the end of the root and the bottom of the jaw, this problem does not occur in larger dogs.

In my next article I will show you how this problem becomes magnified in dogs with pushed in muzzles. Those of you with small dogs: if you can brush the teeth daily, you really will make a big difference in the life span, overall health and retention of teeth in the mouth of your dog. (Big dogs still need their teeth brushed too.) A future article will introduce some new products that will help reduce the amount of plaque that accumulates on the teeth and therefore reduce the occurrence of periodontal disease.

Dr. Waugh is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She also has a Masters Degree from Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. www.vetsinwindsor.com

Labrador Mix

Rat Terrier

Even though the Rat Terrier is 12% of the size of the Lab mix, her teeth are more than 50% of the size of the Lab mix’s teeth. The Rat Terrier’s teeth have clearly not been reduced as much as they should have been to fit into the jaw.

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Kenzy’s Korner Tim Goodwin

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Photo by Naomi Goodwin

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OW WE’RE TALKING!!! Kenzy is more excited than Scooby-Doo at an all-you-can-eat buffet on Thanksgiving. Her first review involved a bath for Fergie’s Dog Shampoo. This one is, da-da-da-dahhh - Adams Family CHICKEN PET FOOD!!!! That is more like it.

Kenzy, and her sister Molly, have been taste-testing the pet food. All ingredients are human grade, this makes mom and dad feel better about feeding it. The Adams Family Chicken Pet Food is meant to be a supplement to your pets’ diets.

You can add this to the kibble you feed. All the patties are scored to make rationing easier.

Dave and Judy Adams live in Westford VT, right next to Essex, where they started their farm in 1981. They decided to take on farming in Vermont, selling chicken eggs, boarding horses, and later, raising beef cattle. In 1984 they added turkeys, selling all of them at Henry’s Market in Essex Junction. That first year, they raised and sold about 100 turkeys. In 1985 they added a processing facility, built according to USDA regulations, and continued to expand the number of turkeys raised. Now they process over 2,000 % more turkeys.

Turkeys have long been the mainstay of the farm, but in 2001 the Adams decided to take on the project of raising chickens. They started by selling them directly from the farm. Like the turkeys, the number of chickens raised and sold has continued to grow over the years. The chickens are raised on fresh grains, fresh water, and are processed through November.

About 5 years ago Judy had an idea. She wanted to start producing a raw diet pet food for both Dogs and Cats. The process was a long one, involving a lot of testing and getting the nutritional balance set up. Not to mention the labels.

Kenzy would give this food a “thumbs up” – but, no thumbs, and her paw can’t turn that way. So, she will give it a “tongue way up, and on both sides of the mouth” - plus a complete cleaning of the bowl when finished, and a complimentary double check of hers and Molly’s bowl for any leftovers!!! YUMMY!!!

A raw meal diet of any kind should be discussed with your pet’s Veterinarian.

If you both decide to try this style of feeding be careful that all ingredients are human grade and check the nutritional info. The American Association of Feed Control Officials have set guidelines for the proper nutritional balance for your pet. Honest companies like Adams Poultry Farm have made the effort to be transparent in their endeavors. They have listed their food as a supplement and they prepare it in an inspected facility. As of today, there are no mandates on raw pet foods, and they can be processed in any facility, even ones that are not inspected.

When handling any raw meat, humans need to be careful to thoroughly wash their hands and clean anything that comes in contact with the food.

You can visit the Adams Family online, at www.adamsturkeyfarm.com in person at 1192 Old Stage Road in Westford, or give them a call at (802) 878-4726 to schedule a visit. Kenzy loved her visit and wants to thank Jack, a Brittany Spaniel; Angus , a Black Lab Cross; and Jamer the cat, for the great job they have done as taste-testers, and being so inspirational to their owners.

Fall 2014

Fish Tails DJ Nelson, St. Johnsbury

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e’re starting to think Fall, and all the things associated with it. Many find this time of year a great one to get into a new hobby, or back into an old one. For many this means fish season.

I’m not talking about going to the pond or local river to set up a pole, I’m talking about keeping fish in an aquarium.

For the extreme hobbyist every season is fish season, they’re always looking for the coolest: fish, aquarium plants, corals, etc. To the average person (who has one or two aquariums) this means cleaning it up and restocking. For the person who has just stumbled onto this hobby or is looking to get back into it, this can be a most confusing and influential time. For the new hobbyist it may seem scary. With so many things to learn, it can be overwhelming even before purchasing their first aquarium, with the good, the bad, and the myths. Hopefully we can debunk some of the myths, and go over some up-to-date information.

Just in the past 20 years, there have been innovations for fish hobbyists.

Here are some common Fish Tails/ misconceptions that are out there: Myth - I’m not sure I can successfully keep fish, so it is better if I try a fish bowl or something 5 gallons or less. Small is easier to keep up with and doesn’t cost as much, so If I can’t keep the fish alive, I didn’t lose much money.

Actually, it’s much harder to keep a smaller aquarium then it is a large one.

Here’s a way to look at it: If you want to make sugar water, and you place a teaspoon of sugar into an 8oz cup of water, or a teaspoon into a gallon jug of water, which container is going to taste sweeter? Exactly. So with a larger aquarium, fish waste won’t affect it as easily, thus allowing you to keep water chemistry healthier, giving you a better chance of success. Don’t go out and buy a 100 gallon aquarium, 10 or 20 gallons is a great starter size. The added investment will increase your success rate by over 50%.

Myth – Fish only grow as large as the aquarium.

I hear this multiple times a day. This happens to be a myth with little truth to it. If you maintain proper water conditions, and the fish are eating a good diet, the fish will continue to grow. Some species will grow pretty fast in optimal conditions. Remember, the smaller the aquarium, the harder it is to keep. If you are able to keep the smaller aquarium healthy, larger species of fish will outgrow the aquarium.

Myth – Keeping an aquarium requires so much work. I will have to drain out all of the water and scrub everything down.

This is something that used to be Fall 2014

done frequently a few decades ago. It was grueling and most people would spend many hours working on the aquarium, when they’d much rather be going to the beach, or watching the latest show on TV. This is much more work then you really need to do, and it isn’t good for the fish to go from one extreme to the other. The best way to work with your aquarium is to do smaller water changes more frequently and be consistent.

So, instead of tearing it all down; every 2 to 4 weeks (depending on the type of fish or how many fish you have in your aquarium), only take out 20 – 25% of the water, putting fresh treated water back in. Use a gravel vacuum to get the water flow going into a bucket, and insert the cylinder into the gravel to remove waste and water at the same time. (For larger tanks there are systems you can hook to the sink.) When placing water back in, treat the water with a conditioner for aquariums first, and adjust PH if needed.

Only taking out 20-25% often, keeps the water chemistry more stable. Once you have done it a couple of times, it might take you 15 minutes, saving time, dread and aggravation.

Myth- I bought some fish at store X and now all my fish have ich (Ick). I will never shop there again.

This is something I hear a lot, especially during spring and fall. Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) is usually caused by temperature fluctuations.

A major temperature fluctuation can rear its ugly head within hours. Season changes bring the biggest changes in temperature. There are other things that can cause water to change temperature: Not having an aquarium heater; Not having the heater set high enough; When doing water changes, new water into the aquarium is much cooler/warmer than the water already in the aquarium; along with many others. That’s not to say an accident can’t happen, and a store accidently sells a fish with ich. It can happen we are all human, but in my 19+ years most of the time it isn’t the store’s fault, nor the customer’s, it just happens.

To reduce the chances of temperature fluctuation when buying a new fish: Ask that your fish’s plastic container be

placed in a paper bag for added insulation.

Place your fish’s container into a cooler to help insulate from temperature changes.

Acclimate your fish to the water slowly, over the course of an hour. This will help reduce stress that can also cause Ich Myth – Keeping a saltwater aquarium is a lot of work and is difficult.

Keeping a saltwater aquarium can be almost as easy as keeping a freshwater aquarium, or you can make it much more complex. This depends on the fish, creatures, plants or corals you want to keep, as well as the equipment and size of the aquarium.

If you have any further questions, concerns, or want to know more about keeping an aquarium, go to your local Mom & Pop store, they can be the best source of information.

DJ Nelson has worked in the pet industry for almost two decades and is the owner of AquaRealm Aquarium & Pets in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

He works with Reptiles, Birds, Small Animals, Fresh/Saltwater fish, and Dog & Cat Nutrition. Since proper care is constantly changing, educating customers about their pets is the most important. WWW.aquarealmaquarium.com and Facebook

www.4LegsAndATail.com 27

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The Truth of Me

By Patricia MacLachlan

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hen Robbie and his dog, Ellie, spend the summer at his grandmother Maddy’s house, Robbie revels in his grandmother’s easy, relaxed ways, such as eating doughnuts for dinner. Robbie understands there’s something missing in his everyday life with his parents, but he doesn’t know what it is.

Maddy makes Robbie’s parents nervous, which is one of the reasons Robbie likes Maddy. He likes her stories and the way wild animals come right up to her, without any fear. Maddy helps Robbie find “the truth of me.”

The truth has to do with something that happened to his mother a long time ago. And it helps Robbie realize what he’s really missing, and gives him the confidence to make things right.”

This short chapter book is a sweet and wonderful story for kids that love animals. It is also a story about a boy that discovers that he can make things different and better. Robbie becomes stronger throughout his summer with his grandmother.

You can find, The Truth of Me, at the Little Village Toy & Book Shop, Main St, Littleton NH, 603-444-4869. The Truth of Me is in hardcover for $16.99.

28 4 Legs & a Tail

Book Reviews

“ n an era when entire ecosystems the world over are under unprecedented assault, the acclaimed children’s and adults’ author Tanya Sousa has written the perfect story for our times. Part fable, part natural history, and beautifully written throughout, THE STARLING GOD places animals, rather than humans, at the center of the world. With great energy, scientific exactitude, imagination, and reverence for all living things, Sousa reveals how, in nature, there is indeed much more in the world than is dreamt of. Adults and children alike will love THE STARLING GOD equally.” ~Novelist Howard Frank Mosher about The Starling God by Tanya Sousa

The first time I saw something called a “murmuration,” I was breathless. A murmuration is a huge flock of starlings moving in an aerial ballet, like they are painting images in the sky. Here’s a link for you to enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=iRNqhi2ka9k. Art? Instinct?

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wrote The Starling God after fall ing in love with the birds who nested in the eaves of my first house. As the sun rose each summer day, the starlings landed on the tin roof outside my bedroom window and scrambled to stay put – at the same time making incredible sounds. There were warbles and clicks and something that sounded an awful lot like a ringing phone…

Later, I discovered starlings are “invasive”. They were transported from Europe by human hands, so that all of the birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays would live in North America. It was only a small flock, but from those few came all of the starlings here now. They succeeded against all odds.

The fact that they are “invasive” makes some people cranky about them.

One woman told me, “They came from Europe. They’re European starlings and they would be fine if they stayed there – in Europe.” I had to look away. How quickly we forget where many of us came from not long ago! My mother came directly from Germany. My father’s grandparents came from Portugal. The woman I spoke to had a last name that suggested Irish heritage. It seemed to me that starlings and humans have a lot in common.

The more I learned about starlings, the more I knew I had to write about them.

Why do they do this in Europe and not here? My curiosity and imagination kept building and nudging me to write.

The final push was when I learned how well starlings can mimic – and how intelligent they are. Since they’re an invasive species, it’s not illegal to keep them as pets. Although I would never suggest any animal be taken from the wild and caged, there are times that orphans or injured starlings are found, nurtured and then can’t be released for various reasons. I’ve gotten to know a number of people who have such birds in their homes. Many of these rescued birds have an impressive vocabulary. Many of them problem solve, and some even have learned to use tools. Here’s a link to a talking starling named Weewoo: http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=1VZYG00_qvE. As for using tools, filmmaker Richard Smedley documents his starling, “Chur” using a foil ball (with no training) to transport food from his food tray to his water bowl so he may enjoy a moist meal as he prefers: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=490knry73b4.

All of this helped me to realize there’s more to the animals that share this planet with us than we know or understand.

Each creature is amazing in its own way, and even the ones we consider “invasive” or “nuisance” animals are perhaps no more invasive, messy, etc. than we tend to be. With that in mind, a novel was born.

“The Starling God” is told from the point of view of birds, with none other than a starling as the hero of the tale. My dedication in the book reads, “For the animals who speak although we don’t always hear.” I invite you to truly watch and listen closely when you’re around other living things. What you notice will amaze you. – Tanya Sousa Fall 2014

4 LEGS & A TAIL FUN! What's Different?

child's shirt now green, child's apple now yellow, dog's ear missing, dog's leg missing, dog's collar missing, child's shoe now has orange on it

An atheist was walking through the woods. As he was enjoying the majestic trees, the powerful rivers, and all the animals he suddenly heard a noise behind him. He turned to see what was causing the rustling. There was an 8 ft grizzly charging toward him. He ran as fast as he could but every time he looked the bear was getting closer. He stumbled and fell to the ground. The bear was all over him and ready to strike when the atheist cried out to the Lord to save him. Time stopped, the bear froze. A bright light appeared and said to him, "You have denied my existence all your life, even lecturing the denial of me, now you want My help." God then said "Should I now count you as a believer you will lecture to My existence." The man turned toward the light and answered, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian, but perhaps you could make the bear a Christian." God said "Very well."

The light went away. The sounds of the forest returned. The bear dropped his paws and brought them both together, bowed his head and spoke; "Lord bless this food which we are about to receive..."

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