The Virginia Maryland Dog Fall 13

Volume 4 •Issue 3

Fall 2013

Pilots N Paws: A Match Made in Heaven Too Thirsty?

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“Dixie is seeking her forever home. (details on page 44)

}

How to Train Your Dog When You Don’t Have Time An Inside View: The Wonders of Ultrasound Technology

Any Breed, Any Age, Any Size.

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Fall 2013

Volume 4

•

Issue 3

•

Volume 4 •Issue 3

contents Fall 2013

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departments 22

Weekend Getaway:

24 29

Training:

32 36

Pet Tech

39

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seeking her fore home. (det ver ails on page

44)

On the Cover…

Doggie Divas and Pupparazi Spice Up Richmond SPCA’s Annual Fur Ball

Health:

“Dixie is

Pilots N A Matc Paws: in Heavh Made en

Too Thirs ty?

How to Tr When Yo ain Your Dog u Don’t Have Ti An Insi me de The Won View: ders of Ultraso und Te chnolo gy

“Dixie” is Seeking her Forever Home. Additional information found on Page 44.

Photo by Mary Maier Photography

Too Thirsty?

How to Train Your Dog When You Don’t Have Time

features 9

Dressed to the Ca“Nines,” Poised and Proud

12

After a Cancer Diagnosis

26

A Vet Side Chat

34

An Inside View:

Stories Within The Bond: Nita

United for Change: Silver Hearts

41

Ask Dr. Katy:

42

Just Doodling

44

Seeking A Forever Home

with Dr. Katy Nelson

With Dr. Jaclyn Wolinski-Veterinary Chiropractor

The Wonders of Ultrasound Technology

special feature 16

Pilots N Paws: A Match Made in Heaven

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

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contributors Cathy C. Bennett, Online Publicist Cathy C. Bennett enjoys writing about life with her two Goldendoodles and the world they continue to introduce her to. Author and Editor for The Chronicles of Life with Harley & Leo, The Doodle Daily and Doodle*Licious, Cathy writes because so many people ask her “what’s it like with two?” www.groovygoldendoodles.com

Debra Canapp, DVM, DACVSMR, CCRT, CVA Dr. Canapp is the co- principal and medical director at Veterinary Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Group in Annapolis Junction, Maryland. Dr. Canapp lectures both nationally and internationally on advances in diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging, and current techniques in veterinary rehabilitation and sports medicine to veterinarians and other groups. Dr. Canapp specializes in small animal musculoskeletal ultrasound and sports medicine.

Bruce Coston, DVM

Doctor Coston owns and operates Seven Bends Veterinary Hospital in Woodstock, Virginia. He is the author of two books: The Gift of Pets and Ask The Animals. He is owned by a mixed breed dog named Starr. www.brucecoston.com

Krisi Erwin, DVM, CVA, CCRT Dr. Erwin, a life-long Loudoun County native, owns a house call practice called Wholistic Paws Veterinary Services that focuses on offering in-home acupuncture, rehabilitation, pet hospice, and euthanasia for her clients. Dr. Erwin is a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist and a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist.

Dog lover and professional trainer, Laurie knows the joy that dogs bring to our lives. Smart Dog University specializes in dog-friendly, positive training. From pups to dogs, Laurie makes training fun for both ends of the leash!

Amanda Meighan, Intern Amanda is a recent graduate of Virginia Tech where she received her Bachelor’s degree in English with cum laude honors. She is a current graduate student of Virginia Tech pursuing her Master’s degree in English Secondary Education. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering at local animal shelters and humane societies, hiking, and traveling.

Katy Nelson, DVM Dr. Katy Nelson is a veterinarian and the host of “The Pet Show with Dr. Katy” on Washington DC’s News Channel 8 - the show airs at 11am on Saturday mornings. An ardent advocate for pet rescue, Dr. Nelson works with numerous local and national rescue organizations to promote pet adoption. Dr. Nelson is known as “Dr. Pawz” on Washington DC’s All News Radio Station WTOP live on air every two weeks.

You can also catch her on her online radio show called “Pawsitive Talk with Dr. Katy” on the all positive radio network HealthyLife.Net. Dr. Nelson is a Certified Veterinary Journalist (CVJ), accredited by the American Society of Veterinary Journalists (ASVJ). Catch her every Friday morning on News Channel 8’s “Let’s Talk Live,” and you can even find her reporting on animal health topics every week on WJLA ABC7 News. A prolific writer, you can follow her on The Pet Show’s blog (www.wjla.com/blogs/the-pet-show/) and find back episodes of The Pet Show there, as well.

Stephanie Phillips, DVM, DACVIM

Laura Semonche Jones Laura Semonche Jones is an attorney and freelance writer and editor. She lives with her husband, two adored pit bull mixes and two tolerant cats in Charlottesville. Fallout Shelter, one of the stories in Breaking and Entering, her debut collection of short stories, was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Jones is also working on her first novel, and yes, there is a dog in it. More information and samples of her work are at www.LauraSJones.com.

Chand Khanna, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Medical Oncology) Dr. Khanna is a graduate of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with continued training through a small animal medicine and surgery internship at the Ontario Veterinary College and an internal medicine and oncology residency at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Khanna continued his cancer research by completing a PhD in pathobiology at the University of Minnesota, where he studied immunotherapy of metastatic cancers. This was followed by a Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship with the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Khanna has practiced veterinary oncology in the greater Washington, DC area for nearly 15 years through his practice, The Oncology Service.

Charlene Logan-Burnett When not writing, Charlene Logan Burnett devotes most of her time to animal advocacy and rescue. She is a service professional member of HeARTs Speak and a member of Dog Writers Association of America.

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Laurie Luck, KPA-CTP, CNWI

Dr. Phillips grew up in Frederick Maryland. She attended Auburn University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Animal and Dairy Science and then a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine.

She completed a small animal internship at the University of Minnesota and then a residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine at Cornell University. She is Board Certified as a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. She is a Charter Member of the ACVIM Foundation and active in its Memorial Donation Program.

Mayra Ruiz-McPherson Brand Journalist and Digital Strategist Mayra Ruiz-McPherson is founder of Ruiz McPherson Communications (RMC), a marketing ingenuity practice based in Herndon, Virginia. Mayra often presents various digital and social media-focused topics at industry conferences tailored to business owners and senior marketing managers. She also instructs a number of courses, workshops and training sessions as well as provides private, on-site training on social media tools and strategies.

Jim Taylor, DVM, DACVS Dr. Jim Taylor, a Board Certified Veterinary Surgeon with Veterinary Surgical Centers, has been practicing veterinary medicine since 2004. His areas of clinical interest include minimally invasive surgery, trauma, oncologic and reconstructive surgery.

Dr. Taylor lives with his wife, two dogs, and three cats in Paris, VA.

Ginger Warder Ginger Warder, the author of Fido’s Virginia and Fido’s Florida, is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, specializing in luxury travel and travel with pets. Her current canine research assistants are her German Shepherd, Tipsy, and her Daschund, Max.

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{ department }

Publisher/Editor in Chief Pamela Wahl

{ publishers note }

a note

from our publisher

Director of Operations Gene Wahl

“Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.”

— Roger A. Caras

Art Director Kalico Design, Kim Dow Graphic Designer Jennifer Tyler, Kim Dow Social Media Director Laurel Weetall

Fall marks the beginning of a season full of crisp days and nights, changing leaves, and a fabulous time of the year to go on a long walks or hikes with our canine companions by our side.

Senior Editor Kimberly Holmes Photographer Mary Maier Photography Copy Editor Matt Neufeld Advertising Director Pamela Wahl Production Coordinator Diane Weller Web Site Manager Kalico Design, Kim Dow Business Manager Cathy Wahl Contributing Writers: Cathy Bennett Debra Canapp, DVM, DACVSMR, CCRT, CVA Bruce Coston, DVM Krisi Erwin, DVM, CVA, CCRT Laura Jones Chand Khanna, DVM, PhD, DACVIM Charlene Logan-Burnett Laurie Luck, KPA-CTP, CNWI Amanda Meighan, Intern Katy Nelson, DVM Stephanie Phillips, DVM, DACVIM Mayra Ruiz-McPherson Jim Taylor, DVM, DACVS Ginger Warder The Virginia-Maryland Dog Magazine 1 College Avenue Frederick, MD 21701 Tel: (301) 514-2804 Fax: (301) 576-5079 www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com bark@vamddog.com Copyright 2013 No part of this publication may be reproduced without expressed written permission of the publisher.

No part may be transmitted in any form by any means, including electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Publisher accepts no liability for solicited or unsolicited materials that are damaged or lost. Views expressed by editorial contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.

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In this, our new fall issue, our special feature story about the Pilots N Paws organization is sure to warm your heart, while also providing insight into the tremendous amount of time, effort, dedication, care and compassion put forth by a team of volunteer pilots and individuals in order to ensure that thousands of dogs, and other types of animals, are spared from unnecessary death.

We are honored to welcome back Dr. Jim Taylor, diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon with the Veterinary Surgical Centers, who has collaborated with well-known veterinarian and PhD Dr. Chand Khanna, owner of The Oncology Service and the founder of the Animal Clinical Investigation, current President of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Oncology, and author of more than 100 textbook chapters and manuscripts in the field of oncology, to provide our readers with an outstanding and educational article regarding canine cancer.

We are also pleased to welcome Dr. Debra Canapp, DVM, DACVSMR, CCRT, CVA, of the Veterinary Orthopedic Sports Medicine Group (VOSM) of Annapolis Junction, Maryland.

Dr. Canapp’s article provides us with a wealth of modern-day technological insight into the rehabilitative and curing wonders of ultrasound technology in regards to pets.

And, finally, we would like to welcome Mayra Ruiz-McPherson. Mayra provides us with a new section within our publication called “Pet Tech,” which includes information on the latest in pet-related web sites, mobile apps, social media and other cool stuff for pet parents.

As with all of our issues, our cover includes a beautiful Great Pyrenees named Dixie. Dixie is available for adoption through the Appalachian Great Pyrenees Rescue (AGPR) located in Virginia. We hope that you will consider adopting this gorgeous gal and/or any of the other available canines available through AGPR. So sit back and enjoy these wonderful articles—and much more—in our fall issue! We hope you had a great summer, and we hope you have a wonderful autumn!

Pamela Wahl Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

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Dressed to the Ca”Nines,” Poised and Proud: Pups and People Parade Down the Runway at the Gala Fashion for Paws Runway Show and Fundraiser The spotlights beam. The music pounds. Out struts the models. Only these models aren’t your typical models; some have...tails.

Since 2007, The Washington Humane Society has benefited from the annual Fashion for Paws runway show. In this unique fundraiser, designed by Syzgzy Events International, human models raise at least $5,000 for the opportunity to strut designer clothing down the extravagant runway, accompanied by their chic canine companions. Two-legged models are provided with apparel from various Tyson’s Galleria luxurious designers, including names such as Nicole Miller and Anne Taylor. Wagtime ensures that all four-legged models are dressed to impress with their doggie designer tutus and tuxedos.

The F4P 2013 event, which took place at the National Building in Washington, D.C., on April 13, 2013, showcased an environment of both “passion and fashion” with more than 1,700 guests in attendance.

Hosted by E! News correspondent Ashlan Gorse, this year’s event raised nearly $650,000. A whop-

ping $2.7 million have been raised in the seven years this event has been held. The success of the event is evident in its continued monetary growth, as well as in the raves from guests and participants.

This event was “truly one of the most exhilarating and surreal activities I have ever participated in,” exclaimed 2013 model, Sandra Navarra. Though it was only her first time involved in the event, Navarra raised $10,000 to benefit the charity and have the unique opportunity to walk the runway. Donned in her Nicole Miller outfit, alongside her decked-out companion and pet, Taffy, the two sauntered down the runway with pride and poise. With the explosive energy of the crowd, the pair shimmied to the round part of the runway where Taffy, in his tuxedo, posed on his hind legs as his fans reached out to pet him. Navarra explained that she felt a special connection to the fundraiser, since all four of her dogs have been rescue dogs from local shelters and humane societies.

When Navarra heard about the event through volunteering at the local SPCA, she was eagerly motivated to raise the money in order to support the great work

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

By Amanda Meighan, Intern Photography by Rich Kessler Photography

Sandra & her beloved canine “Taffy”

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{ feature } “Taffy” smiling for the camera

The Washington Humane Society does for the canine community. In order to participate and raise funds, she solicited businesses and reached out to friends on social media and was able to double the organization’s goal of $5,000, the minimum donation needed to be a model.

As part of her fundraising, Navarra bid on and won a Charity Buzz package, put together by Dr. Katy Nelson, that included a spot on “The Pet Show with Dr. Katy,” with a complete luxury beauty makeover and hairstyle from Toka in Washington D.C., a manicure and pedicure from Toka Spa in Alexandria, Va, a photo shoot, $1,000 worth of boarding from Wagtime Boarding and Grooming in D.C., and free Nature Select pet food for all of her pets for a year---in addition to being featured in The Virginia-Maryland Dog Magazine! Taffy also enjoyed the pampering-receiving a bath and full grooming from Wagtime in Washington D.C.!

people in attendance was “absolutely beautiful.” She felt inspired to be surrounded by fellow animal lovers with the same commitment to rescuing deserving animals. Navarra said that through networking at the event, she has made lasting friendships and looks forward to participating again.

Navarra found the environment at the event to be full of spirit and generosity. Though she was nervous to walk down the runway in front of nearly 2,000 people, she found unwavering encouragement in the crowd. Navarra said the support and kindness of the

The 2013 Fashion for Paws runway show concluded with a post-show party, complete with a dance floor and music spun by DJ Seyhan. Specialty cocktails inspired by individual dog breeds provided by Svedka were available throughout the night, along with Con-

Dr. Katy Nelson, Sandra & Taffy on the set of The Pet Show with Dr. Katy

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

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Sandra getting her makeup done at Toka in Washington, DC

stellation brand wines. Notable Georgetown Cupcake, who designed a unique F4P “pupcake” in the weeks prior to the event to raise additional funds for the cause, were on the scene to provide guests with a sweet treat to end the night.

Celebrating the human-animal bond, guests from all backgrounds were in attendance at this bipartisan event, including U.S. Reps. Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat, and John Campbell, California Republican—both of whom were honored with the 2013 Humane Hero Award for their contributions to animal welfare.

After all the hard work put into the event by The Washington Humane Society, Syzgzy Events International, and all of the models, guests, and other contributors, the event continues to be an overwhelming success and continues to grow, in the amount of funds raised and in fame. The millions of dollars that have been raised by the organization in its lifetime have been donated to the aid of rescuing animals, providing public education, and saving the lives of animals in desperate need. The event itself even serves as a forum where dogs can be adopted directly at the event.

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{

Keep an eye out for Fashion for Paws 2014 to

be held in Washington D.C., in April. Now is the time to start fundraising if you and your dog

would like to be one of the coveted models in this great charitable fashion show.

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

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After a Cancer Diagnosis: New Hope for a Happier, Longer Life

Assistant Technician holds a pet for his physical exam.

By Jim Taylor, DVM DACVS & Chand Khanna, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Medical Oncology)

Cancer. It can be a scary word, especially when it strikes close to home. A cancer diagnosis in your pet is a frightening experience that can cause understandable stress, concern, and anxiety. Fortunately, many pets diagnosed with cancer have the potential of receiving treat-

Photos Courtesy of: Veterinary Surgical Centers

ments aimed at addressing the cancer condition and improving and maintaining their quality of life.

As in human cancer treatments, the extent and duration of a treatment benefit is dependent on many factors, including the type of the cancer, the stage of the cancer ( the extent of the disease), the available therapies used to treat the cancer, and the individual features of the patient. It is increasingly a goal of therapy to provide long-term survivors in our pet animal cancer patients. Optimal outcomes for pet

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

cancer patients is provided through a comprehensive and integrated veterinary team consisting of specialists in surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and the primary care family veterinarian. In Leesburg, Va., the first veterinary cancer center in the mid-Atlantic area is scheduled to open its doors to provide this comprehensive care in September, 2013. The problem of cancer in human and veterinary patients shares many similarities. Just about every cancer that can occur in a person can also occur in an animal. These similarities have resulted in many of the advances seen in the treatment of human cancer to be successfully applied to the treatment of animals.

This has included the emergence of specialty trained veterinarians, advanced treatment options, such as stereotactic radiation therapy, and new cancer medications made specifically for pets. Appropriately, the similarities have also led to the development of novel approaches to cancer diagnosis and treatment in hu-

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man patients through studies initially conducted with pet animals that have naturally developed cancers.

The approach to a newly-found tumor or cancer-condition should never be taken lightly. The optimal care of a pet animal with cancer comes from the close collaboration between a primary care veterinarian and the veterinary cancer specialist. The first step in the management of a cancer is to obtain a definitive diagnosis and to fully understand the extent of disease (the stage of cancer) in the affected patient.

In terms of defining a diagnosis, this often begins with sampling the tumor via a needle aspirate or small core biopsy sample. It is most often ideal to obtain a diagnosis of tumor type and grade before considering surgery to remove the tumor.

Once a diagnosis is confirmed, staging is performed by looking for evidence of cancer spread to local and distant tissues, such as the lungs, liver, and lymph nodes. Staging often includes a decision on the use of advanced imaging, such as ultrasound, CAT Scan or MRI, that may be optimally used for each cancer condition. These imaging tests have the added value of providing a three dimensional map of the tumor that can be useful if surgery is considered appropriate for a given cancer. When the diagnosis and stage of cancer has been determined, the cancer specialty team can provide a detailed explanation of the defined cancer to pet owners and then provide information on prognosis and treatment options for the patient.

Options for the treatment of a given cancer may include surgery, radiation therapy or medical management, including chemotherapy, cancer vaccines, and small molecule inhibitors. It is commonplace for most pets with malignant cancer to require some or all of these options to help them achieve the highest cure rate possible, with the least invasive procedure possible. In our hospital at The Life Centre in Leesburg, Va., we have recognized this need in veterinary medicine and have advanced our services to allow for case-by-case collaboration for each patient so that the owner, surgeon veterinary medical oncologist, and radiation oncologist contribute to an individualized treatment plan prior to definitive treatment. This process also allows a seamless transition of care from surgery to radiation to chemotherapy or vice-versa, in a swift manner. An example of a disease seen in both human and veterinary patients that involves such collaborative and integrated care is osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor seen in dogs. This is a cancer that develops from the cells that make up the bone. The most

common sites in which this tumor occurs are the long bones in the front and hind legs, but this can also occur, although less commonly, in the flat bones such as the skull, spine and pelvis. Though osteosarcoma can happen to a dog of any age, it usually affects large breed dogs that are middle-aged to older. The more common breeds affected are Saint Bernards, Great Danes, Irish Setters, Dobermans, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Irish Wolfhounds, and Rottweilers.  The most common signs that a dog shows when osteosarcoma is diagnosed are pain or swelling in one of the long bones, typically in the front or hind legs. It is common for these signs to have been present for weeks or months in advance of a diagnosis. This discomfort will often respond for short periods of time to commonly used anti-inflammatory drugs. As the tumor grows, the affected area will continue to swell and weaken. The development of pain and swelling in a long bone of an older dog, particularly in an atrisk breed, should prompt a veterinarian to consider osteosarcoma as a possible diagnosis. X-rays of the affected limb can strongly support such a diagnosis and bone biopsies are generally needed to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Although pain and discomfort associated with the primary tumor is an important problem for dogs with this disease, it is important to understand that this is a cancer that is highly metastatic and, as such, spreads to other parts of the body quickly, most commonly the lungs. Ninety percent of dogs have had microscopic spread of this disease at the time that their primary tumor is diagnosed. Following a biopsy or radiographic diagnosis of osteosarcoma, chest X-rays are necessary to determine if there is evidence of metastasis to the lungs. Blood work consisting of a CBC to assess the red and white blood cells and platelets, and a chemistry panel to look at organ function and a urinalysis are recommended.

Technical staff drawing up a chemotherapy agent with protective equipment in place

Treatment options vary. However, the most effective treatment combines therapy for both the primary tumor and to the risk of disease spread. Surgery, followed by chemotherapy, is the most common and effective treatment of the primary tumor. The most common surgery is an amputation of the affected limb.

Most pets, even the largest of breeds, do very well following an amputation and are up and walking eight to 36 hours after surgery. A thorough orthopedic and neurologic evaluation of each patient is performed by the surgeon prior to amputation in effort to determine if the pet will be able to ambulate well on three limbs.

Some patients have both orthopedic and neurologic disease, precluding an amputation procedure. An

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

13

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Although the above options for treatment of the primary tumor are often able to extend and improve a patient’s quality of life, long-term treatment requires additional care.

Following treatment of the primary tumor, chemotherapy is recommended to reduce the risks of cancer recurrence. The chemotherapy drugs carboplatin and doxorubicin are the most common drugs used to treat this disease. When combined with any of the surgery options listed above, chemotherapy results in an anticipated survival time of approximately 12 months in 60 percent of patients. Chemotherapy will also result in 25 to 30 percent of dogs being longterm survivors.

Dr. Khanna conducting an abdominal ultrasound prior to chemotherapy treatment.

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alternative to amputation is a surgery called limbspare and is available only if the tumor, or tumors, are in a specific location. This is a complicated surgery and is only performed at select veterinary surgery centers. Another surgical treatment is stereotactic radiosurgery. In this type of treatment, high doses of radiation are delivered while in surgery with the hopes of destroying the cancerous portion of the limb. This new and hard to find form of therapy is now available in Leesburg. The benefit of this therapy is that no significant functional impairment of the limb is anticipated and long-term recovery is excellent.

Our pets are now able to benefit from fantastic advancements in interventional and therapeutic treatment options for cancers. An enormous effort of channeling all aspects of specialty care for cancer in pets has been conceived and delivered in the recent opening of the Animal Cancer Center in Leesburg.

The concept of seamless collaboration with specialists in surgery and oncology has been provided and shown to provide the highest quality of care with impeccable communication, treatment and follow-up.

This integration of specialties is, as in human medicine, the future of veterinary care. Fortunately for pets in the mid-Atlantic region, the future has arrived and is close to home.

Jim Taylor, DVM, DACVS, is a diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Taylor is a Board Certified Veterinary Surgeon with Veterinary Surgical Centers, and has practiced veterinary medicine since 2004. Dr. Taylor’s areas of expertise include minimally invasive surgery, trauma, oncologic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Taylor presented at the annual ACVS surgery summit in San Diego, CA in October 2008.

Chand Khanna, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Medical Oncology) is a diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Khanna has practiced Veterinary Oncology in the greater Washington, DC area for nearly 15 years through his practice - The Oncology Service. Dr. Khanna is the founder of Animal Clinical Investigation, a nation-wide network of partners that provides access to novel treatment options for dogs and cats afflicted with complex medical problems. Dr. Khanna serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Veterinary and Comparative Oncology and the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

He has authored over 100 text book chapters and manuscripts in the field of oncology. He is the Chair of the Osteosarcoma Biology Subcommittee of the Children’s Oncology Group, and current President of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology). In addition, he is a founding member of Canine Comparative Oncology and Genomics Consortium.

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

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{ special featurefeature } }

A Match Made in Heaven

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make me a match, Find me a find, catch me a catch Matchmaker, Matchmaker Look through your book, And make me a perfect match.

Debi & “Brock”

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

{ special{ feature }

In the classic musical “Fiddler On The Roof,” a young girl sings of her hope that the local matchmaker will find her a husband to love. Can’t you just imagine shelter dogs singing their own version of this tune, wondering if anyone hears them, if anyone will help them find a match, a home, and someone to love?

Well, Pilots N Paws co-founder Debi Boies hears them. She is a modern, cross-species matchmaker, one with a mission to make bonds that can save lives. Her 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization uses some impressive logistics, a dash of chutzpah, and a whole lot of love to match dogs with transportation to get them out of shelters, where their time is up, and into rescues and, ultimately, homes.

The mission of Pilots N Paws is quite simply to move animals from kill-shelters to rescues and ultimately homes using volunteer pilots and their personal airplanes. For those unfamiliar with the terms, killshelters are shelters where dogs have a set maximum length-of-stay, and they will be euthanized if they are not adopted before their time is up, or if the shelter runs out of space. A rescue is an organization that often does not have a building and employs foster homes to house and rehabilitate animals until a permanent family can be found.

How It Began It all started when Boies fell in love in the fall of 2007.

His name was Brock, and he was a rescued Doberman located in Florida who was formerly used to train fighting dogs. After talking to the volunteers from the rescue who helped Brock, as well as Brock’s foster mom, Boies decided to adopt him.

“I’ve been involved in animal rescue for many years,” explained Boies about how she found Brock. Within the animal rescue world, she focused most of her efforts on Doberman rescue organizations. Before Pilots N Paws, Boies was a founding board member and intake coordinator of the Doberman Assistance Network, Inc., and a caseworker for Special Needs Dobermans. She was tasked with finding affordable veterinary care for dogs in need. So when she lost her 12-year-old Dobi, she decided to get a rescue for herself. That rescue ended up being Brock. After the decision to bring Brock home, Boies just had a little logistical problem--namely several hundred miles.

The problem was simple, but profound. The solution was elegant, and life-changing. A pilot friend from Tennessee answered her plea and offered to fly down and get him and bring him to South Carolina, where Boies lived. That friend, Jon Wehrenberg, became the co-founder, with Boies, of Pilots N Paws the next year. So Brock, in essence, started it all. Don’t the best things in life come from dogs?

When the airplane trip was a success, Boies and Wehrenberg brainstormed on how to rescue other animals. Too many former wonderful pets, especially in the South, were dying needlessly. They needed transport. When Wehrenberg volunteered to get Brock and helped start Pilots N Paws, he “was just shocked when I told him what we have to do to save animals,” Boies explains.

The best part of using pilots is, as Boies recalls Wehrenberg saying, “Pilots love to fly. We need to do something.” After these initial discussions, and while Brock was happily exploring his brand new home, Boies called Wehrenberg up when the name Pilots N Paws “just came to me and we took off from there,” Boies says. They went from a name to a functional website, quickly. Brock’s flight ended up as the beginning of a program that has, so far, transported more than 10,000 rescue animals using over 3,000 volunteer general aviation pilots.

By Laura S. Jones Photos Courtesy of: Pilots N Paws

Debi & “Brock”

“We worked really hard at the beginning,” says Boies.

“It was easy to get rescues involved and harder to recruit pilots.” Which makes sense, of course; the pilots are doing the heavy lifting. But Boies started contacting pilots through associations and airports. She found that most people were shocked that there was a need to transport dogs to keep them from being killed.

“Why do we need to move them?” was the question Boies heard over and over from pilots who were often already dog lovers. So early on, Boies could see this project was as much about education and awareness as flying animals. Now, the Pilots N Paws forum board has 12,000 registered users in every state in the U.S. and includes supporters from around the world.

How It Works Pilots N Paws really is a kind of matchmaking service.

The website hosts a forum for pilot volunteers and for ground volunteers. Volunteers seeking transportation

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

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{ special featurefeature } }

Pilot Sam Taylor

Puppies on the Plane

for an animal will post a request and pilots will check those requests as their schedules allow. Their website explains it best: “Pet overpopulation is a disturbing problem in the United States. More than 4 million nolonger-wanted pets are euthanized each year. While spay/neuter programs have worked to decrease domestic animal populations in some parts of the country, other areas are considered high-kill. A staggering 70% of dogs that enter shelters in the southern part of the country are euthanized. Until now, there have been few options for these innocent victims. …

This site is intended to be a meeting place for those who rescue, shelter or foster animals, and volunteer pilots and plane owners willing to assist with the transportation of animals. ….[to]provide the environment in which those involved can come together in a common place and arrange or schedule rescue flights, overnight foster care or shelter and all other related activities. Through the discussion board those involved can exchange information about transports publicly so that they can set up an entire transport and share all information necessary to successfully accomplish the goal, but also allow others to volunteer their efforts if they see help is needed to save animals.”

“We’re here to help pilots and rescues,” Boies says, and “charge no fees” to anyone for their matchmaking services. Some pilots have flown thousands of animals, even though they donate their time, fuel and other costs. It obviously becomes a calling, and the loving homes are obviously out there, Boies has proven. “We work hard,” Boies says, “and it is a labor of love. It’s for the animals. They can’t speak.”

Grass Roots Growth “We are the epitome of grass roots and learn as you go,” Boies says, adding that they were lucky to get early national media coverage, although they weren’t quite prepared for it. Wehrenberg’s 15-year-old grandson created the first Pilots N Paws website in 2008. They are undergoing a re-design at the moment to keep pace with technology and the demand for their services. After an early story on NBC, Boies started getting requests from people who wanted to donate to such a worthy cause. She laughs as she remembers calling Wehrenberg in a

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

panic, saying: “You’ve got to get your grandson to add a PayPal button!”

From Wehrenberg, the pilot who started it all, to the newest addition, a 14-year-old named Hugh O’Neil, the pilots make it possible, Boies says. After helping to save the lives of a pair of Weimaraners, O’Neil is already excited about flying more missions--but his Mom says he has to stay in Florida. The 14-year-old flies with his instructor.

Pilots who are interested establish a base of operations at their local airport. Often, to get a rescued animal to its final destination, they have to establish a chain.

Small planes can only go so far on a tank of gas.

Here’s an example of one such group effort, from the Pilots N Paws Facebook page, where you can find many great stories like this: “On May 27, 2013, rescue volunteers Pam Hensley, Peggie Powell, and Vicky Loose drove 12 puppies to the airport in Roanoke Rapids, NC (IXA). Eight of the puppies spent the first month of their lives living in the woods with their mother, who has so far avoided being caught. One of the other puppies was found next to a highway and picked up by some kindhearted people who stopped their car for him. The other three are siblings from two different litters and their mother was hit by a car and killed. Heather Pen of Crate Escape—a rescue group in Wappingers Falls, NY—agreed to take all 12 dogs. Michele McGuire and John Davis flew to IXA, loaded the dogs into Michele’s Cessna 172, and flew to Westminster, MD (DMW), where they transferred the pups to Elliott DeGraff’s Cherokee 140. Elliott flew them up to Poughkeepsie, NY where he was met by lots of Crate Escape volunteers. One of the dogs was Elliott’s 400th PNP dog! Thanks to PNP, the pilots, and the rescue volunteers in NC and NY, these twelve puppies will soon be in loving homes.”

“For the most part, people work with each other,” Boies says. But she admits to getting hundreds of emails every day and working on Pilots N Paws “24-7.”

As is the case with most non-profits, staffing is lean and the work is never-ending. It’s physical as well as emotional, she says. “Right now I have 60 crates in my garage that I have to move to my basement and

{ special{ feature }

Pilot Rhonda Newnant

Pilots N Paws Plane

then repackage and ship to pilots.” You can almost hear her shrug. “It’s a passion, and good stories give me a shot of adrenaline.”

Obviously, Pilots N Paws has become a passion for many others. “One pilot has transported more than 2,000 animals since signing on as a Pilots N Paws volunteer,” Boies says. Sometimes pilots adopt their passengers, too, she adds.

Boies offers reassurance about the pilots involved in the program. “We have extensive guidelines and safety measures,” she says. These include health and safety to simple dog behavior. Boies is also planning on taking advantage of the prevalence and ease of video, and will create tutorial videos for new pilots about safety and managing animals.

Besides the legions of volunteers, Pilots N Paws has two corporate sponsors. Pet Mate donates crates and Subaru provides support. Boies says both reached out to her after an NBC Nightly News segment in 2008, and she remains extremely grateful for their involvement.

Awareness Events Boies says it’s hard to have fundraising events for a national organization. There is a Donate button on their website, and many social media solicitations, but galas and silent auctions are more community- based, she says. And picking one city out of all the ones Pilots N Paws has served is difficult. So Pilots N Paws has what they call awareness events where real work actually gets done. There is catering, but otherwise, these awareness events are more like service days than a chance to dress up and have cocktails with like-minded animal lovers and look good for the local paper.

The first awareness event was held at an airport in Louisiana after the Gulf oil spill. Volunteer pilots flew 170 animals out of harm’s way and into new lives. “It was very surreal to see all the vans with dogs pull up and the pilots drive up, and the caterers,” Boies says.

The next year, in memory of the Chesterfield 22, a sad case of unnecessary and inhumane euthanasia in South Carolina, they moved 176 animals from Florence, S.C., to rescues and foster homes across

the country. In 2012, they flew 317 animals in one morning out of Charlotte.

These awareness events are made possible in part by having good relationships with airports. “We look for airports that have the ability for us to drive on the tarmac and are supportive.” At these awareness events, “we can get up to 18 animals on a plane,” Boies says proudly, although she concedes these are usually the small dogs. Many pilots, though, take pride in configuring their planes so they can carry as many animals--and save as many lives--as possible.

Did You Hear the One About Christie Brinkley and the Eagle?

Boies and her organization have received many awards and met some amazing people, but one famous personality stands out. After Pilots N Paws accepted the award for Rescue Organization of the Year at the Pet Philanthropy Circle’s 2012 Pet Hero Awards, Boies was asked to be vice-president of the organization. That led to an interesting meeting with Christie Brinkley.

Boies remembers that at a media event, Brinkley was holding a little rescued Golden Retriever puppy, an adorable accessory for her white crocheted mini-dress. It happened in an instant and was totally understandable--the puppy threw up from all the excitement, right before they were going to go on live television. Boies remembers grabbing paper towels and trying to “wipe puppy puke off of Christie Brinkley’s legs. She was such a trooper.” Brinkley suggested the new owners name the little guy “Hurl.”

Although dogs are the majority of Pilots N Paws passengers, Boies says they have transported “cats, one bunny, a potbellied pig, and a steppe eagle from Afghanistan.” Apparently, some U.S. military personnel came across an injured steppe eagle and decided to help. After almost literally moving mountains to ensure the bird could be brought into the U.S., Pilots N Paws helped with one of the legs of the journey.

The eagle was eventually taken to the Berkshire Bird Paradise, near Albany, N.Y., where it apparently made fast friends with an American Bald Eagle.

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

19

{ special feature }

Her Plea

{

Asked how she handles such emotional work Boies says,“Look at all the good people doing something about it!” But she admits, “no one wants to do this kind of work forever.” Because for Boies, it’s not just about flying pets; it is about changing the world.

Boies would like to be obsolete. In her vision of the future, there is enough love and support to take care of all the animals. In the meantime, her goal is to continue to promote education and awareness, especially among children, which she believes will help to end animal overpopulation in our lifetime.

{

“The places PNP has taken me. It continues to be an amazing journey. As long as I can do it, that’s what I’ll do. I do have a lot of help,” she adds, referring to her

To learn more, become one of their 64,000 fans on Facebook, where you can read stories of amazing trips.

Or follow the story on Twitter @PilotsNPaws. And bookmark www.PilotsNPaws.org. And if you want to become a volunteer pilot, especially in the South, get in touch via the website.

Frederick, Howard, Carroll & Montgomery Counties

new executive director, Kathleen Quinn, and the many enthusiastic volunteers.

Boies wants to save animals and end overcrowding and see the treatment of animals improve. Because how people care for the least among us says volumes about the character in humans. “To sit around and do nothing is inexcusable,” she says. Her solution is not to judge, but to help. “If you can’t properly care for an animal, reach out,” she says. “People will help you.”

Boies is also a retired OB-GYN nurse and a past breeder of national and world champion Morgan horses. Boies calls South Carolina home and lives with her husband on a horse farm just outside of Greenville. And, by the way, Brock is now 10 ½ and shares his home with two shelter kitties and a 17 ½-year-old Lhasa Apso, who rules the roost. A match made in heaven to be sure.

Special Note: Pilots N Paws is in the running for a Lightspeed Aviation grant, but they need your vote in order to win. Please vote at: http://www.lightspeedaviationfoundation.org/content.cfm/Voting/ Get-to-know-the-2013-finalists/Pilots-N-Paws.

“Benevolent, instructive stories of the bonds between animals and humans.”

-Kirkus Reviews

Teach. Play. Love.

A little training goes a long way.

Small group training

Customized in-home training when you’re at work Personalized in-home training with you and your dog

Laurie Luck | Professional Dog Trainer laurie@smartdoguniversity.com

The Gift of Pets is a featured title on the 2012 LA TIMES Summer Reading List and in the 2013 Virginia Festival of the Book. Available from all major book retailers, Amazon. com and in ebook format for both Kindle and Nook. Get a signed copy from Dr. Coston’s website.

240.394.1112 | www.SmartDogUniversity.com 20

The Virginia–Maryland Dog

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4th Annual Fluted Hoot Music Festival

Saturday, October 19th Middleburg Community Center Middleburg, Virginia

Craig Fuller of Pure Prairie League & his son Patrick Fuller

Bill Payne Keyboardist & vocals of Little Feat

Ho oten an n y Festiv ities

10a -4p

FREE ADMISSION-Join us for local Live Music, MHF Adoption Event, Photography by Bill Payne, Hoot for Handbags Sale, local Jewelry & more!

N i g h t O w l s N e s t Fe s t i v i t i e s

6p -11p

$85 Ticket includes an intimate evening of dinner, dessert & music with Bill, Craig & Patrick Live Owls Exhibit-Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Cash Bar Artist Signings Cocktails with the Critters T-shirt Sales & more

To benefit Middleburg Humane Foundation A farm shelter specializing in the rescue & rehabilitation of abused, neglected, and “at risk� animals, both large & small.

L i mited Tickets: www.middleburghumane.com Ph: (540) 364-3272

{ weekend getaway }

Doggie Divas and Pupparazi Spice Up Richmond SPCA’s Annual Fur Ball Cinderella is the theme for group’s 15th annual gala fundraising event at the Jefferson Hotel

By Ginger Warder Photos Courtesy of the Jefferson Hotel and the Richmond SPCA

Grab your best friend, your pumpkin coach-and your finest ball gown--for the biggest canine cotillion in Virginia.

One of the best hotels in America, with a five-star and five-diamond rating (you can add five-woof to those!), the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, is also the venue for the canine fashion event of the season, the Richmond SPCA Fur Ball.

Jefferson Hotel Exterior

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

{ weekend getaway }

Richmond SPCA Fur Ball

Jefferson Hotel Interior

This year’s theme is Cinderella at the Ball and doggie divas throughout the Old Dominion are polishing their jeweled collars and picking out their canine couture for their fall social debut on Saturday, Oct. 5th.

For more than a decade, the Fur Ball has been the signature black-tie event for pets and their people, held at the elegant and historic Jefferson Hotel.

Guests make a grand entrance down the hotel’s imposing staircase and enjoy a cocktail reception, seated dinner and live auction. The benefit gala is the primary fundraiser for the Richmond SPCA’s Cinderella Fund, which pays for the care and rehabilitation of sick, injured and neonatal homeless animals at the shelter. In honor of the Cinderella Fund and this year’s ball theme, a special raffle and diamond giveaway are part of the festivities.

Last year, the Richmond SPCA, a no-kill shelter, cared for more than 2,800 animals with Cinderella Fund resources, as well as providing medications and care to more than 3,500 orphaned pets awaiting adoption.

The Jefferson is one of only 45 hotels in the country that holds the five-star and five-diamond designations (an honor it has been awarded for the past 13 years, consecutively)—and the hotel is also listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Opened in 1895, the grand hotel was the realization of a dream

by Richmond’s wealthiest resident, Lewis Ginter. A Renaissance man himself, Ginter hired the renowned architectural firm, Carrere and Hastings (who also designed the Beaux Arts New York Public Library building on Fifth Avenue) to create an elegant homage to Virginia’s great statesman.

The hotel has hosted presidents and royalty for more than a century, including “the King,” Elvis Presley.

The life-sized Edward Valentine statue of Thomas Jefferson commands the Palm Court Lobby, which is ringed with Louis Tiffany windows and is the location of a formal afternoon tea on weekends. The grand staircase leading to the lower lobby inspired an urban legend that “Gone With the Wind” moviemakers used it as their inspiration for the famous Rhett-Scarlett scene, and a mini-museum in the lower lobby tells these and other stories of the historic hotel.

For More Information:

The Jefferson has always warmly welcomed pets and their humans. In the early 20th century, the marble pools in the Palm Court were filled with alligators.

According to the legend, travelers picked them up in Florida, but soon tired of them and left them in the fountains. The gators frequently left the pools and went exploring, and one hotel anecdote describes an alligator who wandered into the library, where an elderly hotel guest mistook it for a footstool. The last alligator, Old Pompey, remained at the hotel until his death in 1948, and is honored with a statue in front of the hotel entrance.

Richmond SPCA:

The Jefferson Hotel: 101 West Franklin Street (804-649-4750; www.jeffersonhotel.com Fur Ball special pricing $195-235/night.

(804) 521-1321; www.richmondspca.org Tickets: $175 per person $175 per pet

With true Southern hospitality, the Jefferson rolls out the red carpet for you and your four-legged friends (no weight limits and a $50 per night fee), and the concierge will be happy to arrange dog walking and pet sitting services while you’re exploring Richmond. The hotel has an indoor pool, fitness center, full service salon, gift shop, florist and two excellent restaurants that both pay homage to its namesake: TJ’s on the lower lobby level serves the best hamburger in town, along with Virginia favorites like crabcakes, while Lemaire offers up farm-to-table New American cuisine from award-winning chef Walter Bundy. Check out the special packages that combine breakfast or dinner, hotel gift cards and special amenities, or ask for the Fur Ball rate if you plan to attend the event.

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

23

{ health }

Too Thirsty?

By Stephanie Phillips, Several dogs of various types were recently presented to an internal medicine specialist at CARE DVM DACVIM Crossroads Animal Referral and Emergency for drinking more than normal. The dogs included Hannah, an 8-year-old female spayed Schnauzer; Chloe, a 12-year-old female spayed Shih Tzu; Barney, a 5-year-old male neutered Doberman; Molly, a 14-year-old miniature poodle; and Ollie, a 2-year-old male neutered Labrador. Although their symptom was the same, the diagnostic plan, diagnosis, treatment plan and prognosis were different.

Increased thirst is a common concern for dog parents. A change in water consumption is often easy to notice when the water bowl needs to be filled more often, or the dog starts begging for more water. Needing to urinate more frequently, or in larger volume, often accompanies the increase in water intake.

While there are many potential causes of this symptom, the most common causes are diabetes mellitus; hyperadrenocorticism, or Cushing’s disease; liver disease; and kidney disease. Less common causes include hypoadrenocorticism, hypocalcemia, hypokalemia, infections, diabetes insipidus, paraneoplastic disorders, toxins, polycythemia and psychogenic disorders.

The history of each dog is important to the veterinarian and will help narrow down the possible causes.

The history will also provide important information to guide the treatment plan. Pet parents are asked how long the symptom has been present, is it getting worse, is appetite normal, has weight changed, has there been any vomiting or diarrhea, have there been any changes in diet or new medications started, is there a change in urination as well? An assessment of how severe the change will also be important.

Physical examination will also provide some helpful information, including body condition, muscle condition, skin and coat condition and organ size.

The initial diagnostic plan is straightforward and includes testing to look for the most common conditions. Typically, this includes a complete blood count, a chemistry panel with electrolytes, screening radiographs, and urinalysis with culture. A second diagnostic step is often needed to reach a diagnosis. Additional testing is sometime necessary, especially if there is more than one condition, or a less common condition.

Hannah was found to have an elevated blood glucose and glucose in her urine. Urine culture was positive. She was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

a urinary tract infection. Treatment of a diet change, insulin and antibiotics was started. Most dogs with diabetes are well controlled with medications and have a good prognosis.

Chloe was found to have elevated liver values and protein in her urine. She has a pot belly, a large liver and a skin infection. Second-step diagnostics were recommended. Additional blood testing revealed cortisol levels that were higher than normal. An ultrasound revealed that both adrenal glands were enlarged. She was diagnosed with pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism, or Cushing’s disease. She was started on Trilostane. Most dogs with this condition are well treated and have a fair-to-good prognosis.

Barney was found to have elevated liver values.

Second-step diagnostics were recommended. An ultrasound revealed a small liver with coarse texture, normal biliary system and normal adrenal glands. A liver biopsy revealed a copper hepatopathy. He was started on a combination of oral medications. The prognosis is fair.

Molly was found to have elevated kidney values, mild anemia and dilute urine. Additional diagnostics revealed elevated blood pressure and small irregular kidneys. She was diagnosed with chronic renal failure. After a short hospital stay, medications were started to help slow the progression and manage her symptoms. The owners are able to provide nursing care at home, including fluid support at home. The prognosis is fair.

Ollie was found to have low sodium and high potassium. An ACTH stimulation test confirmed hypoadrenocorticism, or Addison’s disease. Injectable percorten and oral prednisone were started. The prognosis is good.

Increased thirst is a common condition that can have many different causes. The most common of these can be identified quickly, and treatment often results in a good outcome.

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{ feature }

A Vet Side Chat

{

{

With Dr. Jaclyn Wolinski--Veterinary Chiropractor Happy Fall everyone! Our next Vet side Chat is with a colleague, Dr. Jaclyn Wolinski. Wolinski recently started her own house call practice in Salisbury, Maryland. One of the main aspects of her practice is veterinary chiropractic medicine. This is a wonderful tool that can help to treat many orthopedic issues and expedite rehabilitation for our beloved pups.

By Krisi Erwin, Q: What inspired you to become a DVM, CVA, CCRT veterinarian?

A: As most vets will say, I grew up loving animals and knew they had to play a big role in my life in order for me to be happy. I considered becoming a jockey, but didn’t want all the broken bones. I also considered breeding horses, but knew I would never be able to part with them. School always came easy to me and I enjoyed it, so I decided to pursue veterinary medicine so that I could help as many animals as possible.

Q: How did you become interested in chiropractic medicine?

Dr. Jaclyn Wolinski

A: I had been a chiropractic patient myself for many years and decided it would be a wonderful addition to the acupuncture already offered by the practice I co-owned at the time. Even though I already valued chiropractic medicine, I never realized how much I would come to love it. It never ceases to amaze me that I can cause improvement in an animal’s health, mobility and comfort level with just my own two hands- without the side effects of medications!

Q: Congratulations on your new practice! Tell us about it.

A: I left my former practice this past December and decided to branch out on my own with veterinary house calls. My love and focus is holistic medicine, meaning I take the animal’s entire environment and well-being into account to develop a treatment plan to maximize its quality of life. Chiropractic is a big part of my practice, and I’ve recently added acupuncture to increase the natural treatment options I can offer. The two modalities seem to have a synergistic effect and the results seem to last longer than with either treatment alone.

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

Q: How can chiropractics help our dogs to stay healthy?

A: The number one reason I use chiropractic is to improve the mobility of older dogs with hind-end weakness. I also have many patients that compete in breed shows, agility, lure coursing, rally obedience, etc., that come to me for treatment when they are not performing at their maximum potential or in between trials for a tune-up. Some pet parents and other veterinarians have sought me out for a second opinion or alternative look at lameness’s that could not be explained by other diagnostics or treatments.

Q: Can any veterinarian do chiropractics?

A: Any veterinarian with the correct training, yes. I highly recommend the Healing Oasis Wellness Center, where I graduated from their Veterinary Spinal Manipulative Therapy Certification Program in 2008.

Q: How do I find a chiropractor in my area?

A: To find a veterinary chiropractor in your area, you can ask your veterinarian for a referral or search the list of alumni from the Healing Oasis Wellness Center, or look on the website of the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. [Author’s note- some human chiropractors will practice on animals as well. This is not always recommended, as the anatomy is different from humans. Depending on state practice laws, it may also not be legal for a human chiropractor to practice on animals for payment. While a human chiropractor can offer a wealth of information, please use caution if pursuing this as an option, and always try to seek help from a veterinary chiropractor first!]

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Q: Can chiropractics help with preventative medicine or only injuries?

A: Chiropractic therapy is not just for injuries--it can and should be used for general body maintenance.

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Q: How close to a sporting event can my pet have a chiropractic treatment?

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A: Ideally, patients should take it easy for the rest of the day following a treatment. However, you may see that many sporting events will have a veterinary chiropractor on duty for those dogs that are having difficulty or are not performing well in the ring.

Those dogs often return to the ring shortly after a treatment.

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Q: How many sessions does it take to make a difference?

A: Depending on the problem or medical condition, it may take two or more treatments to see improvement, but many owners will notice a change after the first chiropractic treatment. A couple of years ago, I helped a 4-year-old dog that had been limping for a month and had lost muscle tone over her shoulder. The owners noticed improvement after the first chiropractic adjustment, and after the second treatment, the dog never limped again!

Fits into your car’s cup holder!

Q: Thank you! Just for fun, tell is something about yourself—what do you enjoy outside of work?

{

A: I’m a bit of a quiet homebody, but I enjoy reading and spending time with my family, and have been slowly remodeling and landscaping the home I purchased a few years ago.

For more information:

{

If you live in the Salisbury area and would like to pursue chiropractics for your dog, please contact Dr. Wolinski at: Facebook page: Dr. Jaclyn Wolinski; E-mail: jaclyn@drwvet.com; or by phone: at (410) 726-4145.

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

27

Forthcoming from Hadley Rille Books

Doggy GOO Fight Itchy Enviro Allergies

GOO Gut Rescue GUT / GI Health & Balance

GOO Silver Senior Varsity Dogs

This anthology directly benefits Friends of Homeless Animals, a shelter that focuses on the rescue of homeless animals in the Northern Virginia and Washington DC area.

www.HealthyGoo.com

{ training }

How to Train Your Dog When You Don’t Have Time Real-life Training for Busy People

Is your life busy? Do you spend time a lot of time on the road, either commuting or carpooling or both? Do you have a lot going on? It’s hard to fit one more thing into your schedule, yet training the dog has to get done. There’s no way around it, you’ve got to teach your dog--or your life will be chaos in no time. If you think you can’t fit dog training into your packed schedule, think again. There are several ways to ease your pain.

A pet owner must sneak training into his or her schedule. These are the things you’re going to do for your dog, no matter how busy you are: Feed him; talk to him; pet him; walk him; play with him; put his leash on; take his leash off; let him outside; and let him inside. There are, of course, many other activities a pet owner will do with his or her dog, so add those to the list, too. Write them down.

When you have established that these are the things a pet owner is going to do for their dog, regardless of how busy the owner is, now the owner has to ask the dog to do something before you do those activities. It doesn’t matter what you ask your dog to do, but here are some basic ideas: Sit, down, shake, speak, roll over, retrieve a toy.

vet, the owner trains in the lobby, trains on the scale, trains in the examination room. The owner could even train when paying the bill.

The logic behind stealth training is, with the vet example, the pet owner is captive at the vet’s office.

They have to be there. There’s not much else the owner can get done while waiting in the lobby or in the examination room. Except training. So take treats to the vet’s office. That down time at the vet’s office thus isn’t down time if the pet owner is working their their dog.

By Laurie Luck, KPA-CTP CNWI Photos Courtesy of: Laurie Luck

If the dog does what you ask, then you follow through with whatever it is you were going to do for him. It takes just a minute. For example, if the owner is going to take the dog for a walk. Get the leash ready, the poop bags stuffed into your pocket, and then: Ask your dog to sit. Just once. As soon as your dog sits, clip the leash on and head out on the walk.

If your dog doesn’t do what you ask, don’t do anything. He doesn’t get to go for the walk, or whatever you were just getting ready to do like pet him, feed him, or play with him. Yet. Wait about a minute, and then ask him again to do something. It can be anything he already knows how to do. When he does what you ask, throw the ball, invite him up onto the couch, rub his belly, whatever he likes. It can be that easy.

Some people can succeed as a stealth trainer, in which pet owners look for opportunities to train and do something else with their dog, at the same time.

One example is if a dog owner takes the dog to the

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

29

{ training }

Another good place to train the dog is at a red light when waiting to cross the street. While waiting for the light to change, the pet owner can train---work on eye contact, or work on commands such as sit and stay.

The best part of this approach is that your dog will start to think that every time is training time. Training can occur at any place, at any time. This increases the dog’s focus on you. The dog never knows when you might give him the opportunity to earn a treat, so the dog is checking you out all the time. Another benefit is your dog will be better-mannered all the time, not just in one particular location.

Now you have a strategy for training your dog, even if your schedule is packed tight. Just remember: ask your dog to do something for you before you do something for him You’ll get good results and you’ll get them quick. Your dog will start to pay close attention to you, not wanting to miss any opportunity to earn something he wants, and it isn’t always food.

And training the dog won’t be a nagging thing on your busy to-do list.

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

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The latest news, blogs, web sites, mobile apps, social media and other cool online stuff for pets and their wired pet parents

News

Realtor.com Signs On SceneStealing Dog “Otis” as Mascot Having garnered web and media attention by appearing in nearly every photo of an apartment for rent in Chicago, Otis – “the scene-stealing dog” and Internet sensation who helps home seekers sniff out pet-friendly listings online – has now been signed by Realtor. com as the mascot for the company’s pet-friendly rental listings. Part of Otis’s salary will be donated to Chicago’s Almost Home Foundation, the shelter from which he was adopted.

a live map through an internal GPS tracking mobile application. The Swifto GPS tracking app sends clients a text at the beginning and at the end of a walk, a photo along the way, and allows owners to track a walker’s progress on a live map of Manhattan as the walker progresses through the route! The dog walking service is doing so well, it plans to expand to Boston by the end of the year, and both Chicago and San Francisco in 2014. Maybe they’ll continue expanding and end up in the Washington DC metro area by 2015? We’ll have to see!

YouMustLoveDogsDating.com Dog owners actively dating can now find potential love matches using the newly launched dating site, YouMustLoveDogsDating.com! ‘You Must Love Dogs Dating’ is aimed exclusively at single dogowners and will connect like-minded singles with a passion for their pooches. This unique service was designed to enable singles with a passion for dogs to share their enthusiasm for ‘man’s best friend’ with others and help them find singles who share their interest. Membership is only $19.95 per month.

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By Mayra Ruiz-McPherson

PetMyWiener.com Announces “Rescue Tuesday” to Help Find Homeless Dachshunds a New Home This new and exciting program launches with a Dachshund named Bella who is available through All American Dachshund Rescue (AADR). Every Dachshund featured on “Rescue Tuesday” will also be posted on PetMyWiener’s Facebook page, which is currently over 11,000 members strong. The goal is to bring awareness to Dachshunds in need and help any way possible. Learn more at www.PetMyWiener.com.

Web

MyPetsOnTime.com I came across this extremely cool online pet care management tool, MyPetsOnTime.com, which will be launched soon (no release date is provided at the time of this writing). The application caters to pet owners who want to stay better organized with their pet-related services (walkers, groomers, vets, etc.) and treatments. MyPetsOnTime.com can keep track of veterinary, grooming and other appointments along with medical records and also issues reminders so pet owners don’t forget.

Swifto.com Swifto, a New York City-based marketplace for dog walking, brings a very technology-oriented approach towards its services. Swifto provides clients with the ability to view the route of their walker on

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

Mobile

CritterKin CritterKin, a crowdfunded mobile app presently under development, is being created to teach kids the joys and responsibilities of pet care and ownership.

The app developers have partnered with their local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to make sure kids aren’t just entertained by the app; they’ll also be educated. The app’s developers are creating CritterKin because too often, pets are returned as a result of their new owners not being quite ready or not taking the time to get to know their new family member before bringing them home. If you’d like to help fund CritterKin’s development, you can contribute at Kickstarter.com.

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An Inside View:

The Wonders of Ultrasound Technology Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound in small animals has allowed veterinarians to get a noninvasive look at a patient’s injury and healing process, better allowing the practitioner and therapist to adjust the patient’s rehab program for the pet’s stage of recovery. Just like our human counterparts, musculoskeletal ultrasound can be used to pinpoint and diagnose injuries, as well as determine a proper treatment and rehabilitation plan. Advances in technology have allowed for clearer images, compared with initial ultrasound studies. The abilities of ultrasound

By Debra Canapp technology, in conjunction with a veterinarian who can read and interpret images, can be a real DVM, DACVSMR, CCRT, CVA benefit for the diagnosis and rehabilitation of your pet.

Photos Courtesy of: VOSM

Pictured: Aligning the ultrasound probe on the patient in order to visualize the supraspinatus tendon which is a common area for tendinopathies

Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound is most commonly associated with soft-tissue injuries, such as tendon and ligament instabilities, as well as partial or complete muscle or tendon tears. However, diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound is also a beneficial tool in identifying joint effusion, or the thickening of the joint capsule, as well as cartilage defects.

Ultrasound can also be a tool in detecting bone destruction and inflammation around the bone.

Common injuries to the tendons and ligaments of the shoulder, including disruption of the tendons, lesions within the tendon, older injuries with scar tissue or calcification, and tendonitis, can be spotted and diagnosed more accurately when musculoskeletal ultrasound is used in conjunction with traditional radiography.

Diagnostic ultrasound is also beneficial when used with newer treatments, like stem cell therapy and platelet rich plasma injections. The ultrasound is used to guide the injections to a precise area. Although effectiveness depends on many factors, guiding the injection via ultrasound will ensure proper placement, thus allowing the patient the best chance of receiving the benefits of the injections.

Misplacement of injections commonly occurs in human and veterinary medicine when the injection is not guided by ultrasound. With ultrasound images, the veterinarian and therapist can then follow the progress of the healing with follow-up ultrasound scans.

The veterinarian can look for reduction of swelling or thickening in tendons and ligaments, increased normal tissue regeneration, and the eventual resolution of the injury. This data will help track the percentage of function that the patient regains. The healing process can be followed more accurately with the aid of musculoskeletal ultrasound, and the patient’s rehabilitation program can be modified appropriately.

Diagnostic ultrasound is generally a quick, noninvasive way to diagnose soft-tissue injuries. This method, unlike traditional radiography, allows certain structures to be seen in dynamic form during movement, which can aid practitioners in coming to a complete and definitive diagnosis. However, diagnostic ultrasound also has disadvantages. Very few small animal practitioners in the country are trained to effectively use and interpret diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound.

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

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A veterinarian who does not have the proper training could misdiagnose an injury, which could have negative effects on your pet’s surgery, treatment, or rehabilitation. It’s important to find a practitioner who is experienced in musculoskeletal ultrasound, well-versed in orthopedics and sports medicine, and preferably board-certified in radiology or by the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Left: This typical ultrasound image outlines a cross sectional view to the supraspinatus tendon as it anatomically resides above the biceps tendon. Below: Here the ultrasound probe is moved medially to visualize the biceps tendon which can be traumatically injured in all kinds of dogs

Your practitioner should be familiar with the local anatomy of the injured area and use the opposite limb for comparison for any questionable tissue changes or abnormalities. It’s also important to remember that, as a diagnostic tool, ultrasound should accompany traditional radiographs to obtain a final diagnosis.

In the veterinary field, diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound is aiding in the accurate diagnoses of injuries, which allows practitioners to differentiate from the generalized treatment of rest and NSAIDs for soft-tissue injuries. This is an important advancement in the field that lets practitioners provide better, more customized care for patients. By determining the exact injury and course of treatment, practitioners are better able to get your pet back to running and playing.

Overall, the advent of high-quality diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound in small animal medicine is a state-of-the-art advancement in veterinary medicine that is essential for a holistic, top-notch approach to providing our animal companions with the best care available. Providing the best care possible should always be the goal of your veterinarian and therapist, and diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound gives us another tool to make sure that we can provide exactly that.

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For more information: Debra O. Canapp, DVM, DACVSMR, CCRT, CVA Veterinary Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Group 10975 Guilford Road Annapolis Junction, MD 20701 (240) 295-4400 or (410) 418-8446 www.vetsportmedicine.com

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

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{ stories within the bond }

NITA

By Bruce Coston, I first met Nita when she was escorted into my exam room by one very worried couple. Mr. and DVM Mrs. Forbes shook my hand warmly, but their focus was not on me, but on the injured dog they placed with difficulty on the table.

Nita, a 3-year-old German shepherd, was wrapped with a bandage that covered her abdomen from stem to stern. She looked worried too, though she greeted me with a feeble thumping of her tail on the table.

“The ER doctor said she needed surgery to clean up the wound on her belly,” Mrs. Forbes said, her face searching mine. “What do you think?”

“Let’s get this bandage off so I can see what we’ve got.” I began to unwind the stretchy material from her belly. Nita barely moved her head as I did so, though her sad eyes remained fixed warily on my face.

With the bandage gone, I was pleasantly surprised to see only a small, dime-sized puncture wound at the belly button from which dripped a slightly bloody fluid. Behind it, an area of skin the size of my palm was purplish and dark.

Her rear legs were swollen and the skin crackled like cellophane when I ran my hands down the legs, an indication that air was trapped below.

“I don’t think the wounds look too bad. We do need to do a bit of surgery; but I don’t see anything lifethreatening.” I could sense the Forbes’ tension ease noticeably. “Fair warning though, sometimes these types of wounds are worse than they initially appear.

When I take her to surgery this afternoon, I’ll have a better sense of things.”

That afternoon at surgery, I made the most conservative of incisions to allow me a quick look at the damage below the skin. What I saw made my blood run cold. The skin had been torn loose from the underlying tissues, hanging loosely like an old blanket thrown over a couch, and creating a massive pocket in which was collected a great deal of serum and blood. This dead space would have to be drained.

Two things became ominously clear as I extended my incision further toward the rear legs. First, the cut edges of the skin did not bleed--a bad sign that parts had sustained irreparable damage and would have to be removed. The second was that the ripping of the skin from the deeper tissues was far more extensive than I had thought. I could slip my gloved hand between the skin and the body wall half way up her right side before it adhered to it. The left side was even worse, my hand sliding almost to her backbone.

The skin on the inside of her rear legs was separated almost to her knees.

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“This is much, much worse than I anticipated,” I said. “I’m not sure whether this will heal or not.”

Dr. Bruce Coston with Nita

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

I began to trim away the dead areas, enlarging the wound until the oozing of fresh blood from the skin’s cut edges indicating healthy tissue. When I had finally reached viable tissue on each side of the gaping hole, what remained was truly astonishing--the largest open wound I had ever seen.

It began on her chest just behind her ribcage and extended back almost to her vulva. A swath of skin over a foot wide had to be removed. The wound extended down the inside of her left leg almost to the knee with a gap of at least five inches between skin edges there. Macerated muscles hung in shreds from the inside of her leg like someone had tired of meat grinding half way through the job, the frayed ends drooping helplessly and useless.

I was uncharacteristically speechless, stammering repeatedly to no one in particular, “What I am going to do with this? I’ve got nothing to work with!”

I had no hope of drawing the skin edges together with sutures. The skin simply wouldn’t withstand the strain of being trussed like a Victorian beauty in a high tension bodice. I could only close as much as possible and allow the remainder to heal as an open wound. I could barely envision the massive size of the wound with which I would be left. My technician dialed the Forbes’ phone number and held the receiver to my ear.

“This is much, much worse than I anticipated,” I said. “I’m not sure whether this will heal or not. She’ll be unlikely to walk normally even if she does heal, there’s been so much damage to the muscles in her leg. In addition, the swelling in her legs will likely never resolve since the accident has so decimated her lymphatic return. Not to mention the full time job you will have doing bandage changes and hydrotherapy. And, of course, there’s the financial investment involved. This will be expensive, requiring at least two, possibly up to four or five more surgeries.”

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The picture I painted was a bleak one. Catastrophic failure with systemic infection might still necessitate euthanasia after weeks of intensive care with Nita suffering all the while. There was silence on the other end of the line. Then I heard Mr. Forbes take a deep breath.

“Thank you for being so honest, Dr. Coston,” he said.

“We know what we’re up against now. But . . . we just have to give her a chance.”

Empowering people to transform the lives of pets™

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{ stories within the bond }

During the next three hours I tugged, pulled and sutured, using buttons and drains and surgical sleight of hand to bring the edges of that wound together.

I repaired the muscles, suturing the frayed ends as close to their normal positions as the trauma would allow. When I finally pushed back from the surgical table, Nita’s belly looked like it had been attacked by a troop of Girl Scouts who had utterly failed to earn their sewing merit badges. A twin line of large buttons, providing a larger surface area for the sutures to pull against, flanked the wound on each side. Even so, the skin was so tight that I had to make three rows of small hashed incision lines on each side of wound to relieve more of the incredible tension. Plastic drain tubes exited the wound from all sides. I had managed to close only 40 percent of the wound’s length; leaving a large ugly defect the size of a dinner plate on Nita’s lower abdomen which extended partway down the inside of her leg.

After surgery, I treated the entire area with a therapeutic laser to reduce swelling, speed healing and decrease pain. Like jam on a PB&J, I liberally slathered DMSO gel, a powerfully malodorous antiinflammatory medication, onto the open wound and then packed it with wet gauze before finally wrapping Nita’s belly and hind legs with layers of bandage.

My technicians removed her bandages each day and repeated the laser treatments, massaged the collected fluid from her swollen feet and legs, and performed hydrotherapy before replacing the wet-to-dry bandages. Nita submitted to these painful treatments with amazing patience and took her pain medications and antibiotics without complaint. She was weak and sore, and had great difficulty walking because she lacked both the muscles and the strength to keep her hind legs from sliding out from under her as she navigated the slick floors. Her legs swelled to two or three times their normal size.

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{

After three days we sent Nita home with the Forbes, with a primer on wound care. Mrs. Forbes cancelled

“Thank you for being so honest, Dr. Coston,” he said. “We know what we’re up against now.

But . . . we just have to give her a chance.”

38

The Virginia–Maryland Dog

her own knee replacement so she could care for Nita. Twice weekly, Nita came in for laser therapy and wound checks.

Ten days after her first surgery, Nita was anesthetized again and more devitalized tissue was snipped away. The buttons and drains were removed to reveal healthy granulation tissue beginning to fill in the crater of missing skin. More buttons were placed to hold the now-healthy skin to the underlying healing wound and more laser treatments were administered. Nita had improved each day at home. Her appetite had returned to normal and she was getting around better.

The swelling in her legs had reduced significantly and infection had been dodged. Best of all, the wound was healing.

Three weeks later I was amazed at the improvement.

Only one of her rear legs had any appreciable swelling. The wound was now only half its original size. I was able to remove all the remaining staples, sutures, and buttons. Healing had progressed enough that re-bandaging was unnecessary. I knew then that we had won!

I saw Nita for her six-week checkup two days ago.

She is almost back to normal now, with only the slightest catch in an otherwise normal gait. Neither leg has any swelling remaining. The wound is almost completely healed now, with only an inch or two between normal skin edges, the gap filled with a healthy, glowing pink band of healing fibroblasts.

I admit to a certain amount of pride at Nita’s outcome; but I am not the hero. I simply got out of the way so she could heal herself. She did it, though laser treatments, DMSO, the Forbes’ dedicated efforts, pain control and antibiotics certainly helped. Nita is now restored to her place of dominance over the younger male shepherd that shares her home.

Nita is the true hero. Nita and Mrs. Forbes, who turned to me with eyes that shone with gratitude and glistened with tears. Nita’s eyes were shining too as she stood on four strong legs and looked up at me with wagging tail. I had collected fees for my services. But it was those four shining eyes that were my real rewards!

{ feature }

ited for change Silver Hearts

By Charlene Logan-Burnett Senior dogs: wise, faithful, loving, patient. What happens to them, though, when, through no fault of their own, they end up in an animal shelter, which is full of other homeless animals--cats, dogs, puppies, kittens, all searching for a home?

People say they want a puppy. People say they want a young dog they can train. They are afraid of medical expenses. They are afraid of loving a dog and losing him too soon.

The dog is afraid, too. The sounds and smells in a high-volume animal shelter is unnerving: disinfectant, concrete, squeaky gates, yelps.

A senior dog may very well have spent the first ten years of his life with one family, and then one day, he is walked into the county animal shelter and handed over to Animal Control. Among the reasons his previous owners might check off on the intake form: relocating; foreclosure; don’t have time; don’t have money; don’t have space, children want a puppy.

In many animal shelters, a dog is considered senior at age seven. Depending on the shelter and their resources, he could be immediately labeled unadoptable.

If he’s lucky, they’ll try to adopt him out, or find a nonprofit rescue group who will take him and acclimate him to his new situation before finding him a loving home where he can age with the dignity he deserves.

Fortunately, for some dogs, our society’s view that aging animals are disposable is changing, but it’s slow. While a number of groups have come forward through the years to champion the joys of loving a senior dog, it’s still difficult to convince people that caring for a senior dog is a joy--not a burden.

Lori Fusaro, a HeARTs Speak’s service professional member and award-winning portrait photographer, has made it her mission to change people’s perceptions about senior shelter dogs. She adopted Sunny, a 16-year-old dog who had been abandoned at a shelter. Sunny, a big brindle and white senior girl, was despondent, dejected, and lost. “I used to be

one of those people who thought my heart couldn’t handle bringing an older dog into my life,” Lori says.

“I thought it would be too painful for me to love a dog knowing their time was limited. I came to realize that no creature should die alone and every animal deserves a home, even if it’s for a short time.”

“Sunny” Age 17, owned by Lori Fusaro

Sunny is now 17 and loving life with Lori and her pack.

Her brindle coat is glossy. Her infected eye has healed.

She goes for car rides. She walks on the beach.

Lori grew up in Maryland, and now lives in Los Angeles. In addition to running Fusaro Photography and volunteering to photograph animals at shelters and rescues to promote adoption, she is the founder and force behind The Silver Hearts Project.

She has traveled all over the country to photograph senior dogs. Her goal is to tell each dog’s story and show them as the wise, beautiful, worthy and happy souls that they are. “Mature dogs still have a lot of zest for living,” Lori says.

Her photographs will appear in “Silver Hearts,” an art book that will celebrate and raise awareness of the plight of homeless senior dogs. Once Lori secures a publisher, a portion of all proceeds will go to three rescue organizations that work to save senior pets lives: Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue, which saves, rehabilitates, and re-homes animals from high-kill shelters across the United States; Willy’s Happy Endings, which promotes adoption and provides hospice care of senior and special needs dogs in the mid-south; and Peace of Mind Dog Rescue, which is a resource and advocate for senior dogs and senior people on the CA Central Coast.

Lori with “Gabby” & “Sunny”

“Fiona” age 16

Meanwhile, Lori is every dog’s champion. She advocates for all dogs who are abandoned and homeless.

She knows the joy of adopting a senior dog, and watching Sunny grow young and strong again with love.

To learn more about Lori Fusaro and The Silver Hearts Project: fusarophotography.com To learn more about HeARTs Speak, visit: www.heartsspeak.org.

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

“Buddy” age 15

39

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www.VOSM.com info@VOSM.com 240-295-4400 or 410-418-8446 10975 Guilford Road, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701

a?kDr. Katy You are correct. There is a ton of conflicting information out there about the use of probiotics in pets, and the limited number of scientific studies that have been done on the products available show that there is a significant lack of quality control in veterinary probiotics. The evidence that we do have for probiotics is largely extrapolated from human studies, and we know very little about precisely which organisms in what doses will be beneficial for which kinds of clinical problems.

My personal recommendation is to work with your veterinarian to find the best plan for your individual pet as you feel comfortable. As there is no perfect recipe for health in humans, there also is no perfect recipe for health in our pets, either. However, by working with your veterinarian, you can find what works for your individual pet.

Remember that many different organisms make up the intestinal flora. It is possible in some cases that we need bacteria that we haven’t even characterized, and that other organisms, such as yeasts, may also play big roles in health. Despite that, I have seen great success in my own clinical use of probiotics. I use them routinely, especially in cases of diarrhea. In summarization, my opinion is that this is an exciting area of veterinary medicine, we have much work left to do, and there is much left to learn.

I am curious about administering over-the-counter (human-type) drugs to dogs. A friend of mine often gives their dog Benadryl for his allergies.

And, I have also heard people say that they have provided aspirin to their dogs. I would imagine that the dosage is based on the weight of the dog. This seems very concerning to me. Could you please shed some light on this subject?

–Richard C., Annapolis, Maryland

While I believe in being proactive and vaccinating my dogs, I recently read an article that certain booster shots are not necessary, since dogs build up immunities to these vaccinations. Your thoughts would be most appreciated.

--Kevin P., Richmond, Virginia

Serial vaccination is intended to build immunity against the diseases you are vaccinating against.

After many years of receiving vaccine boosters, an animal should build increased immunity against these illnesses. As a veterinarian, we are required to recommend a vaccination schedule based on state law and the manufacturer’s vaccine label.

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Dear Dr. Katy:

?

?

By Katy Nelson, DVM Do you have questions for Dr. Katy?

You can follow her on Twitter @drkatynelson, on Facebook or send her an e-mail at bark@vamddog.com.

Dear Richard:

Dear Dr. Katy:

Dear Kevin:

??? ?

Dear Cindy:

?

--Cindy M., Henrico, Virginia.

? ?

I have read a lot of conflicting information regarding Probiotics for Dogs. Could you please provide me with your opinion on this product?

???

For example, if a rabies vaccine is labeled to be effective for one year, we are required by law to vaccinate yearly. If the vaccine is labeled for three years, we’re able to extend the time of our recommended booster. Vaccine titers are available to see if your pet is susceptible to the disease related to the vaccine that is being recommended. However, there are conflicting opinions as to whether these are predictive of immunity or not.

?

? ?

Dear Dr. Katy:

{ ask dr. katy }

This is an extremely concerning practice that pet owners often engage in, whether intentional or not.

The number one cause of toxicity in pets is human medications, according to the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/ animal-poison-control).

However, there are human medications that are acceptable for administration to pets, including the two you mentioned, but at (in general) very different dosages based on weights of pets, as well as disease conditions. Remember that what is considered safe for us----can often cause devastating reactions in pets. For that reason, never give ANY human medications to pets without explicit instructions from your veterinarian, and always keep your medications locked away to keep your pets and children in the household safe.

Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

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{ just doodling }

By Cathy Bennett Photos courtesy of Cathy Bennett

Three favorite activities I absolutely adore are; my birthday, visiting vineyards, and of course (this is the biggie), hanging out with “The Boys.” In August, as a birthday surprise,

If you’d like another dose of Doodle fun, visit: www.groovygoldendoodles.com

my daughter managed to incorporate all three along with a few good friends, and a scrumptious picnic basket. She organized the pawfect afternoon at Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplane, Virginia.

BOW (catchy abbreviation for a pet friendly establishment don’t you think?) is located on the rural side of Northern Virginia in the Blue Ridge foothills. Although it’s only about a 35-minute drive from the Woodbridge area, as soon as you arrive you feel somewhat transported to a whimsical, magical land of utopia. Acres of lush green rolling hills, vineyards as far as the eye can see, and rows of umbrella topped picnic tables to sit-a-spell, while taking it all in. (img 1)

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Harley & Leo felt right at home with its laid back atmosphere, sprinkled with plenty of pups to play with. (img 2)

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Barrel Oak is so friendly and family oriented, no matter which direction you turn, you find yourself talking to someone. It’s that kind of place where you just don’t feel like you’re among strangers. You feel welcomed and wanted. (img 3)

The Virginia–Maryland Dog

By 2:p.m., there was already a crowd, yet plenty of seating everywhere. We opted to set up in the patio area which provides a covering for shade. As usual, before we could get sufficiently situated, Harley chose to take matters into his own paws. He opted not to wait for me to lay out the pets’ travel mat (yes they have one!). Instead, he helped himself to one of the high back chairs! Likened to Santa Claus in the summer, there he sat to receive all who wanted to pet, rub and love him. (img 4) Kelly, a member of the staff, came over to say hello and asked, “Does he do any tricks?” I looked at Harley and said, “Sure, sit with him.” When she did, Harley started giving kisses. Kelly laughed, and as I smiled back at her through my camera lens, I said, “That’s his trick - he’s a kisser.” Well, thank doodleness for quick thinking on my part. Harley walked away with a Trickster Certificate, two toys (one for him and one for Leo), and I received a gift card to use in the wine shop! “Kiss on” Harley! (img 5) In true Doodle Mom fashion, I had to seek out the owners of this “doodle*licious” hidden treasure. I quickly found Brian Roeder talking to some of the guests, and he graciously located his wife, Sharon, so they could both meet Harley and Leo. When the Roeder’s opened BOW in 2008, they said they were interested in more than just wine-making.

They wanted to create a “place of community.” Pet parents to four pooches, they also wanted dog friendliness to be another aspect of the winery’s “welcoming atmosphere.” This becomes apparent almost immediately. From the parking area to the table, you quickly realize--your four-legged family member is as welcomed as you are! When they came over to our table to meet The Boys, there was no question in my mind just how genuinely dog-friendly they are. (img 6) We spent the entire afternoon eating, laughing, and meeting wonderful people and their pups! Sharon Roeder even invited us to tour the vineyard! As we walked through the rows of grapes, it was somewhat

CONTACT: Kerry McCutcheon, kerrymccutcheon@verizon.net

When the sun started to retreat, and the shade moved in, I knew my special day was coming to an end. But I still smiled as we loaded up all our things, and strolled happily to the cars. I want to come back, I will come back, to what seemed so familiar and comfortable. I recommend you make the journey to Delaplane, Virginia. There is something extra special about this place. Grab your picnic basket, leash up your pooch and gas up your car--they’re open yearround. And when Sharon and Brian come up to greet you, tell them “The Boys” sent you. Who knows--we just might be there too! (img 8)

PUBLICATION: The Virginia Maryland Dog ADVERTISER: SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County

embarrassing because Harley and Leo are grass eaters. They started chomping down like it was chicken.

At one point I had to investigate and find out just what in the world they were enjoying! (img 7)

Help Us Help Them.

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More than half a million pets live in Prince George’s County. To find out how you can help protect them and for a list of upcoming events, visit us at www.pgspca.org.

Adopt. Volunteer. Foster. Donate.

Make a Difference.

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Fall 2013 | www.thevirginia-marylanddog.com

7/10/13 12:45 PM

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{ seeking a forever home }

Seeking A

Forever Home

“Dixie”

Dixie is a stray from Anne Arundel County Maryland. She was rescued by the Appalachian Great Pyrenees Rescue located in Virginia.

Breed/Mix: Great Pyrenees Male/Female: Spayed Female Approximate Weight: 75 Pounds Approximate Age: 8-10 Years Old Activeness: Low Energy Good w/Other Dogs: Gets along with most other Dogs Good w/Children: Loves Children Housebroken: Yes Medical Issues: Hypothyroid Feeding Issues: None Special Needs: None Vaccinations: All vaccines are current.

Fun Facts: Dixie is super sweet and very affectionate, especially loving

toward children. She is a low-energy, easygoing and great

companion dog.

Appalachian Great Pyreneese Rescue The Appalachian Great Pyrenees Rescue helps to unite homeless Great Pyrenees dogs with prospective families. They also help to reunite lost dogs with their owners and provide guidance for those folks who require assistance with locating a home for their Great Pyrenees.

Appalachian Great Pyrenees Rescue

For more information about the Appalachian Great Pyrenees Rescue, please visit their website at www.agprescue.com, or email them at bpkennel@msn.com, or by phone at (804) 795-1369.

www.agprescue.com 804.795.5318 Photography by Mary Maier Photography

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The Virginia–Maryland Dog

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15 S. Carroll St, Frederick, MD 21701 (301) 668-7704

Mon. - Thurs.: 10am-6pm, Fri.: 10am-8pm, Sat.: 10am-7pm, Sun.: 12pm-5pm

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Own Your Own Big Bad Woof Call 202-747-3434

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Explore Virginia with your favorite

four-legged travel companion!

GET READY TO STRUT YOUR MUTT! SEPTEMBER 21 | 10:00 A.M. BLOB’S PARK | JESSUP, MARYLAND Join us for Strut Your Mutt — a fundraising dog walk and festival to help save the lives of pets in shelters in the Baltimore/D.C. area.

Support the animals and enjoy a great day out with your dog.

Learn more and register at

strutyourmutt.org/VAMDDog Presented by Best Friends Animal Society. Special thanks to our sponsors:

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Got Moose? acadiaantlers.com

sat., sept. 21st 2013 Carroll Creek, Frederick, MD

Join us for a day of pride, as we continue our mission to help local rescues, find homes for pitbulls in need, provide NO cost spay & neuter programs, raise awareness on animal cruelty and much more!

 Live Music by local bands  Flying Dog Beer Garden  Amazing Food by Some of the Areas Best Restaurants!

 Face Painting  Smooch Studio Kissing Booth  Raffles  Guest Appearances and More!!!!

Celebrating the Under Dogs & Working on Restoring the True Nature of Pitbulls.

Doesn’t your loyal pet deserve the same Love and Compassion they give you?

You know that only the very best medical care will do for your family. At Veterinary Surgical Centers, we understand your pets are family too.

VSC is a specialized small animal surgical practice, dedicated to providing world-class surgery and exceptional care. We do this by providing the same level of treatment options that you have come to expect for yourself. Our experienced staff is made up of board certified surgeons, neurologists, and certified canine rehabilitation practitioners with expertise in: • Orthopedic Surgery • Neurology/Neurosurgery • Soft Tissue Procedures • Physical Rehabilitation • Minimally Invasive Surgery • Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Conveniently Located in Leesburg, Vienna, Winchester & Woodbridge

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We know the time right after a pet is injured or sick is stressful. That’s why we encourage you to remember that, when in your time of need, you can always call us directly or tell your family veterinarian you want to be referred for the best care possible at Veterinary Surgical Centers.

To learn more about our practice, please visit us at www.VeterinarySurgicalCenters.com