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Dogs Poisoned in Park  
Paper Shredders
Foxtail Grass
Tennis Balls are not safe for Big Dogs
Beware of Footballs
Just When You Thought You Were Being Safe
Op for Dog Who Ate 28 Golf Balls
Paint Balls


Dogs poisoned in park

Watford Observer
POISONED dog food has been left in parks and woodland across Watford, causing dogs who eat it to become seriously ill and has proved fatal in some cases.

Dog walkers using Callowland Recreation Ground, off Gammons Lane, have reported seeing fresh raw meat, which appears to be chunks of steak, dropped at the base of trees and littered with lead pellets.

And there are also fears rat poison has been left in parts of Cassiobury Park, close to the tennis courts in Shepherds Road.

At least three dogs have reportedly died from poisoning in recent weeks and police have warned pet owners to remain "vigilant and alert".

Rebecca Lines discovered uncooked chopped meat containing lead pellets was being dumped in Callowland Recreation Ground, after her 20-month-old Boston Terrier, Marley, was one of several dogs who became seriously ill after eating the dropped food.

She said: "It's just lucky I'm a veterinary nurse and I got him to the centre straight away. I don't know what's going on.

"It was around trees in the park where dogs would go and sniff them."

Rebecca, 23, from Gammons Lane, north Watford, didn't know Marley had been poisoned until the day after he ate the food, when she found the pellets in his faeces.

She said: "He became really, really ill, quite dramatically. He became wobbly on his feet. Normally he's quite lively and mad. He wasn't himself."

Marley was given a drip and other medication for two days, which led to his full recovery.

Rebecca, who works at the Park Veterinary Centre in Cassiobury Drive, said: "My dog was lucky.

"All he had was two pellets and was almost on death's door. Lead is so poisonous to them. Depending on how many they eat it's fatal."

Dog walkers working for The Pet Home Care Agency, in Whitegates Close, Croxley Green, have been advised to avoid Cassiobury Park for fear of rat poison, which is thought to be responsible for at least two dog deaths.

Janet Bird, 46, of Westfield Avenue, who works for the agency, said: "It's very sad for people who love their dogs.

"I hate to think it's intentional. The last thing you want to do is lose your beloved pet.

"It's a shame. It's a beautiful park but you just don't know where those things are."

Brian Turner, 66, of Orchard Drive, also fears letting his two dogs - a Collie and a "Heinz 57" - off their leads in Cassiobury Park.

He said: "I'm very concerned about it. I cannot risk letting them go because I don't know where these people put it."

Police are investigating the problem with park rangers and Watford Borough Council, but have not had any formal reports.

Hertfordshire Constabulary representative Simon Feldman said: "We would encourage people to let us know. Dog walkers should carry on using the park as normal but be vigilant and alert."

Council representative Angela Farrance said: "Our parks team has been speaking with dog walkers and are aware of their concerns. They, along with the police and the local PCSOs, will be extra vigilant in their patrols, as we try to find out what is going on. Any information would be gratefully received."

Anyone with information can telephone PC Helen Dellera or PCSO Linda Haynes, of the Watford Neig

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Paper Shredders and the Potential Danger to Dogs

http://www.k911.biz

Hi! My name is Erica Cacioppo. On May 26th, 2006 my Lab/Pit mix, Shelby, had a horrific accident involving a paper shredder.

I woke at 6 AM to a horrible sound. It was Shelby screaming! It was a sound I have never heard and can't get out of my head. I ran downstairs and asked my husband Gino, who was holding her, what was wrong. Before he could answer I saw the most horrific sight of my life, Shelby's tongue stuck inside our paper shredder. Our other dog Sophia, thinking Shelby was being attacked was pulling relentlessly and with all her might on the shredder, not knowing she was making matters worse. Even though in shock of the situation we worked as fast as we could to get Shelby to the vet. We had to pry Sophia off and put her in the bathroom. In that time Shelby had bit her own tongue off. I suppose in animal instinct.

Gino got Shelby in the car as I got dressed and got together our purse and wallet. This all happened in a matter of 5 minutes. Our closest animal clinic was an agonizing 20 minutes away, at which time Shelby was bleeding profusely. We got there just in time. She started going into convulsions just before being put under for surgery. During the operation she got between 40 to 50 stitches and loss her entire tongue. After the surgery the vet, Dr. Emo, told us she didn't know how Shelby would be able to eat and drink, as she has never seen or heard of an injury like this. At this point we had decided to put her to sleep. Thank God the vet did extensive research and found a study on dogs with the same injury and they adapted to the situation over time and had the same attitude and a great quality of life. We then decided to give Shelby the chance she deserved.

It paid off! She is very happy! Shelby getting her voice back was no problem, 2 weeks later she was barking at the neighbor dog again. She can eat wet food very easily with our help and as of mid June is doing okay with trying to learn to eat dry food again. She is drinking water through a syringe that we give to her. She lets us know when she wants water. She is starting to learn how to scoop up water on her own and on June 17th ate her 1st rawhide that she stole from her sister! She still drools some, but has learned to wipe her own mouth on towels we have in the house and outside for her. We have no doubt she will completely adapt with some time and effort. She's our miracle baby!

We want people to know that this happens and that if it does you can save your baby! If you are in a similar situation please e-mail this web site and they will contact me and I can help you with any questions you may have. I beg you to please tell everyone you know and please UNPLUG your shredder or GET RID OF IT!!!! You NEVER want to go through what we did!!!!!! It was utterly horrible. We couldn't eat or sleep. We have bad nightmares about what happened. PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!!

Thank you,
Erica Cacioppo, Shelby's owner

Dogs and Paper Shredders
 What I Learned One Night in the ER


 by Dr. Emo, Shelby's Vet
 (Dr. Emo works as an Emergency Room veterinarian in St. Louis, Missouri)

One night while I was working at the St. Louis Animal Emergency Clinic a 4-year-old female spayed Labrador retriever named Shelby came in. Little did I know this would be a dog that I'll never forget. Shelby presented after recently getting her tongue caught in a paper shredder. Despite the owners' and the family pitbull's valiant efforts to rescue her, the traction on Shelby's tongue was too great and it gave way at the level of her epiglottis.

shelbiestongue Basically, Shelby lost her entire tongue. Despite this, Shelby presented bright, alert, and responsive but was a little head shy and per owners could be unpredictably “snappy” at times making an oral exam difficult without sedation. She had blood dripping from her mouth but the rest of her physical exam was within normal limits. In order to provide the owners with a realistic prognosis (in terms of swallowing, prehension, laryngeal reflex, voice) and because the case was so unusual, phone calls were made to the University of Missouri Veterinary Teaching Hospital (UMC-VMTH), a specialty practice in St. Louis called Veterinary Specialty Services (VSS), and my father, Phillip Hornbostel M.D. (a general surgeon) for advice. I learned of a recent study done at UMC-VMTH which showed the prognosis for dogs after traumatic glossectomy (tongue excision) was excellent and explained these results to the owners. The owners were satisfied that an acceptable quality of life was possible for Shelby and opted for surgery.

The immediate and most pressing concern was blood loss. Stabilization was the highest priority since fatalities due to traumatic glossectomy have been reported. In Shelby's case, a preoperative bolus of fluids was given and was adequate for stabilization prior to anesthesia. Pain medication was also given. Preoperative bloodwork to determine if Shelby was anemic was done and her value PCV was 55% which is normal. Upon intubation an oral exam was performed revealing not even a “stub” of tongue, but only a small amount of tissue remaining at the back of the throat. The edges were trimmed and the remainder of the defect was closed with suture.

Shelby recovered well. Her red blood cell count after the surgery but she showed no clinical signs of anemia. She was offered water with a syringe 16 hours after surgery which she took relatively well. Just 24 hours post-op she was offered canned i/d meatballs but it was another 12 hours before she was successful in getting them to the back of her mouth and swallowing them. Shelby was eating and drinking well (syringe drinking) 36 hours later and likely could have gone home at this time. At the owners request Shelby was allowed a full 72 hours of recovery before returning home.

Shelby has been pretty famous since this “freak” accident and has even made the Channel 4 news in Saint Louis! At the time of the news story a few weeks ago she was still getting syringes of water which was likely not necessary but was a result of Shelby training her owners.

University of Missouri recommends kibble for these patients. One post-op patient ate canned food in the form of meatballs in order to get adequate daily water intake. Most of these dogs learn to drink water by scooping it out of the bowl. Another consideration might be a wall mounted watering device with a nipple attachment.

Quality of life was the owners' number one concern and they are thrilled at how much she still enjoys life, including food. All in all Shelby is a happy, albeit very lucky, dog.

Safety Tips:

Unplug shredders when not in use.
 
Never leave the shredder in the "automatic" setting.

If used often, plug the shredder into a power strip where power to it can easily be turned off with the flick of a button. Children are less prone to try and find where it is connected but will always flip the switch on top of the unit itself because of easy accessibility. Another advantage of  plugging it into a power strip which is left off until use is that a dog or cat who accidently lands on the main on/off button will not turn it on.

Never put food wrappers through the shredder! Animals are attracted to food and this is one area where you do not want them. Shredders have disfigured many children's hands and animals have suffered in horrible ways from these machines. Although manufacturers are making them safer, placing cutting bars farther away from little fingers, older units are still in use.

When buying a shredder, look for one with a protective bar over the opening. If you think there is the slightest chance that a child or dog could be injured by a shredder in an area accesssible to everyone in the household, simply take a large sized waste paper basket and turn it upside down over the unit, concealing it from view.  
reprinted with kind permission from Mel http://www.k911.biz

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  Foxtail Grass Dangerous to Dogs

   If you have dogs, keep the foxtail out of your lawn!
Marilyn Pokorney

Foxtail is a common annual grass usually considered a weed. It grows one to three feet tall, with branching and some spreading at ground level.  Leaf blades are 4 to 15 inches long.  Flower heads are dense spikes with yellow to reddish, green or purplish bristles.  As foxtail matures, seeds are formed at the top of the stalk. The bushy seeds are what gives the plant the name of "foxtail".

When mature, the seeds detach easily from the plant. This is natures way of making sure that the plant reproduces.  The seeds easily cling to clothing, fur, and hair. The seeds always move forward thus penetrating the skin.

The seeds found in the ears, eyes and nose are very serious and can become life threatening.  But no body part is immune.  The seeds have been found in the urethra, vagina, anal glands, brain, and spinal cord.  In one case a
veterinarian found the seed in the lung but the original site of entry was the paw. The seeds also gain entry
through open wounds.

Foxtail seeds are very tiny so veterinarians usually go by symptoms.

If in the nasal cavity, the dog sneezes repeatedly and violently often hitting the nose on the floor. If a bloody
discharge is noticed assume it's a foxtail seed.   If in the eye, the dog paws at the eye and the eye waters.  If an eye is glued shut it is most likely a foxtail seed.

If the seed is in the ear the dog shakes its head violently from side to side.  Sometimes the dog paws at  the eyes or ear, shaking the head and squints.  

In the mouth foxtail seeds can cause gagging or difficulty swallowing.  If the seed gets caught between the teeth, in the gums, back of throat, or tongue problems can result.

If the seed lodges in the paw or under the coat a lump will form that is painful to the touch.  Other symptoms include rubbing the head on the ground and going round in circles, licking or biting at the rectum or other body parts, or yelping or shining for no obvious reason.

Foxtail seeds can cause fatalities when they reach internal organs.
In any case, do not attempt to treat the animal yourself.

 Get professional help.

Get rid of all foxtail in your lawn or yard.  If foxtail grows in your yard mow the grass often, especially in late
spring when the plant grows most rapidly.  This prevents the plant from ever setting seed.

Avoid parks, or other recreational areas where you know foxtail grows.

Always brush and inspect your dogs coat after being in grassy areas.  Dogs with long hair are even more likely to attract the seeds than shorthaired breeds.

Examine your dogs eyes and ears.

For more information on how to control foxtail: http://www.apluswriting.net/garden/foxtails.htm
Copyright: 2005 Marilyn Pokorney

Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
 
 
Case History
Snowball
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TENNIS BALLS ARE NOT SAFE FOR BIG DOGS

By DeTroy Kistner


Please read this if you have a ball-crazy German Shepherd, Golden Retriever or Labrador.

While I was talking on the phone, Sailor my 10- month- old German Shepherd, brought me his ball for a game of indoor catch. It was a hard rubber ball about tennis ball size. It had little raised dots of rubber. I was quite sure it was too large for there to be any danger of him swallowing it. I would toss it to him and he'd catch it on the fly. We must have done it thirty times when suddenly I looked at Sailor and saw that he was in great distress. I knew instantly that he must have gotten the ball stuck in his throat on the last toss. His head was down and he was trying to get it out but was unable to do so. I dropped the phone not even taking one second to explain to the caller what was happening. I grabbed my dog and he wriggled free struggling to get air and free himself of the object lodged in his throat. I was wrestling him in his own fight for survival.

Three times I grabbed him and three times he got away from me. Finally I got him and pried open his mouth. Trying to get the ball out with my fingers- only seemed to cause it to slide further down in his throat. The poor animal was struggling to be free of me and to get air into his lungs again. The ball was now in his throat beyond reach, like an enormous Adam's apple. He had locked his teeth and was trying to swallow it. And of course he could not. By this time I am as desperate and frantic as he is. I live on the fifteenth floor of a pre-war building in mid- Manhattan. There is no vet in the building and none of my neighbours are at home. I know that by the time the elevator operator puts down his newspaper and saunters into the elevator and brings the old machine up 15 stories my beloved young dog will be near death. And then to go down again and try to find a cab that would take me and the dog to a vet or the Animal Medical Centre... well, no creature on earth could go for that length of time without air and make it.

Never have I felt more alone and scared then I did at that moment. I knew that if couldn't figure out how to save him and do it quickly he was going to die. I grabbed onto him again, straddling him. I put my hand below the hall on the outside of his neck and gently worked the ball up his throat the way you would work a ball through a tube or out of the toe of a sock. It came up part way, but then Sailor eeled away again in his panic and struggle. I grabbed him again and threw him on the couch, again half straddling him to try and hold him. His teeth were clamped down, I seemed to need at least four hands and I only had two. I remember telling God I needed his help RIGHT NOW! I knew that time was running out and the thought of my beautiful young dog dying in my arms while I am powerless to help him gave me a feeling of despair I'd never known before. Again I tried to work the ball up his throat from the outside by squeezing it gently from beneath. Slowly but surely it rose up his throat. I pried his teeth open with my fingers and finally, holding his head against me and keeping one hand under the ball, I was able to reach into his mouth and grab the ball from the back of his throat and pull it out.

We sat there for a long time. He kept swallowing and was very quiet. Young as he was he seemed to know how close to death he had come. There was a fair amount of blood on my fingers and I wasn't sure whether it had come from his throat. I thought that perhaps his throat was tom so I took him to the vet immediately. The vet checked him out and found him to be okay, but gave him some antibiotics just in case. He told me that I had saved my dog's life. Most people, he said, try to get help and the dog dies on the way. They just can't get to help fast enough to save their dog. Usually, he said, when I see them they are already dead. I see a lot of golden retrievers with tennis balls that have died on the way.

Most of the blood had, I found out later, come from my own fingers that had taken a bit of a beating prying open those clamped sharp baby molars. My fingers were sore for days, but who cared I had my dog and he was alive! I started to warn other owners of big ball-happy dogs in Central Park. Some would respond with, "But he's never swallowed it before." Yes, well the first time could be the LAST time. It only takes one time for your dog to die. He may have caught it for years and then one day he catches it on the fly and it gets beyond his tongue and you can lose your dog.

Three weeks later a friend's German shepherd got a tennis ball caught in his throat. The dog is seven years old and has been retrieving tennis balls for years. It happened in Central Park and the NYPD happened to be close by and threw the dog in the patrol car and raced (sometimes literally over the sidewalk) to get it to the Animal Medical Centre.

The dog was blue and almost gone when they pulled up at the Animal Medical Centre. "What did they do?" I asked, expecting to hear about quick major surgery. "Oh, they just worked it up his throat from the outside and it popped right out!" said his owner. So why doesn't anyone tell owners about this? Everyone thinks that a tennis ball is safe.

I have heard that the Heimlich manoeuvre can be used to expel something lodged in a dog's throat. I don't know whether it was a method that might have worked. It is probably good to know as well. But I do know that a major animal hospital used the same method of working it up from the outside that I described. I think big dog owners should know this. Obviously one doesn't take animal medicine into one's own hands when there is a vet at one's elbow. But when your dog is for sure going to die if YOU don't DO something then it is good to know something you can do. Last week I heard that another Central Park dog died the same way. His owner tried to get the dog from the park into a cab and to a vet and he didn't make it.

That's why I wanted to share this, because many people are so panicked that they don't think to even try to work the ball up from the outside. I thought perhaps this might save a dog's life. Now all Sailor's balls are rope balls. They are tennis ball sized but there is a rope attached. One mail order company even sells ones that float. And the rope enables me to throw them further and Sailor gets a longer run.

(We were unable to locate the author for permission to reprint this but were pretty sure there would be no objections for reasons that are obvious.)  
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Beware of Footballs

Maureen Stewart wrote:

I am just writing to let you other readers know of a recent incident with a football  ( i.e. squares stitched together type and covered in a glossy plastic) and my GSD.

My son got this football for his 14th Birthday.  It was left in the living room and on Sunday morning my GSD came into our bedroom in a panic.  Here she had this football protruding from her mouth.  I told her to drop it as she does drop items when asked.  She would not drop this item.  Her breathing was becoming noisy.  Her 4 large canine teeth had become lodged in the football.  To get it free my husband had to prise her upper jaw open and I had to pull down on her bottom one to get the ball out of her mouth.  We are only pleased that we were here to get the ball free.  This ball was too large to get stuck in her mouth, but obviously with her teeth being stuck in it and with it being new she could not free it herself with her paws. It was obviously restricting her breathing.

Regards
Maureen Stewart

Comment
My boy Kane has experienced this problem on many occasions with balls kicked into my garden from the young lad next door. The canine teeth manage to make self-sealing punctures so I keep a Stanley knife to hand for when this may happen, and make a cut in the side of the ball enabling Kane to compress the ball and extract it himself. This may cost me a replacement ball each time, but it saves a lot of distress on the dog’s part.
 If I did not know better I would accuse the young lad of only kicking the balls over whenever he decided that he would like a new ball?! J

reprinted with kind permission from Maureen Stewart

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Just when you thought you were being safe...


Puppies and babies - sometimes hard to tell who is harder to keep track of. Having "experienced" both, I'd say puppies! We do our best to plan ahead, think of every possible situation before it happens, and endeavour to keep them safe. However, even in the best of circumstances, accidents can happen.

Baby gates, also known as safety gates, are commonly used to confine puppies (and babies!) to "safe" areas in the home or in the case of potty-breaking puppies, non-carpeted areas. In this article, Carol Kufner, Canine Graphic Artist and breeder of German Shepherds, shares a recent experience with a puppy and a baby gate so that others may benefit and learn from the tragic experience.

Hi All:

I feel I must warn you all of a potential doggie danger.
On Sunday, June 3rd, I received a phone call from one of my puppy buyers.

In tears this wonderful caring man told me of how he and his wife went out for an hour on Saturday evening and left their puppy "Max" in the kitchen. They had puppy proofed the entire kitchen OR SO THEY THOUGHT. They had put up one of those child gates to block Max from getting out of the kitchen. The wooden ones that open and close like an accordion. They came home to find that little 9-week-old Max had strangled when his head became lodged in one of the openings in the gate. Between him crying, his wife crying and now me crying, all this man could manage to get out was "I'm sorry; I'm sorry. He was a wonderful puppy; it's my fault."
Obviously, this was not his fault; it was an accident, and I told him so as I tried to console him. This is a very very sad tale that should be told to anyone who uses this type of gate or is thinking of purchasing this type of gate to contain their puppy or even small dog. Any dog, who could get his head lodged in the openings.

In memory of little MAX, please, please, please, spread the word on the dangers of certain child gates.
Carol Kufner
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Op for dog who ate 28 golf balls

Vets have operated on a dog who had become sick after swallowing 28 golf balls.

German shepherd Libby had been coughing up blood after weeks of fetching golf balls at the course where owner Mike Wardrop works. Mr Wardrop said he had not realised the dog had a secret taste for the balls she found each day at Didsbury Golf Club in Manchester. Libby is now recovering from the operation to remove them. Mr Wardrop, who works as a bar manager at the club, said: "I've had to buy her two footballs. She can't swallow those."

golfbilly1  
Wolfing them down

Mr Wardrop used to watch with pride as 18-month-old Libby picked up balls on their daily walk around Didsbury Golf Club, Manchester, where he lives and works as a bar manager.

She would often drop some at his feet, but little did Mr Wardrop know that she was swallowing the rest.
The vets didn't even have to do an X-ray because they could hear the balls and feel them rattling around.

Mike Wardrop He said: "It got to the stage where she would pick up four or five balls every day.
"She loved fitting them in her mouth. She would bring them to me and I'd have a laugh. "I had no idea she was wolfing them down as well."

Mr Wardrop, 47, only noticed there was something wrong when Libby began to go off her food.

His wife Julie, 45, then noticed Libby coughing up blood and rushed her to the nearby Greenbank Veterinary Clinic.

"The vets didn't even have to do an X-ray because they could hear the balls and feel them rattling around.
"They were having bets about how many would be in there. Mr Wardrop said: "I didn't believe my wife at all when she told me Libby had swallowed 28 balls. ."I think the highest bet was 11, so they were shocked when 28 came out.

"I find it hard to believe she swallowed them whole and I'm gobsmacked to say the least."
The balls weighed in at 6lb and were recovered during a two-and-a-half-hour operation. Libby had to have 30 stitches to sew her back up.

Mr Wardrop said it cost £600 but was worth every penny. He added: "Libby is fine now and a bit more bouncy than she was before. "We've got every single ball back and we're keeping them as a memento. "They are all brown from the stomach acid but we are keeping them to show people."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/manchester/3652903.stm


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Paint Balls

I have a dog safety warning I'd like to pass along from a personal experience two days ago. If you participate in the sport of paint ball, or have any family members who do, be sure to store your paint balls in a secure place.

I had to find out the hard way from Poison Control that the shells of paint balls are made of, or with, pigskin of all things. Need I say more? Other than the safe handling of the paintballs in the game itself, the only health warning on the box said- 'Do not ingest.' No 'ingredients' or pet attraction warnings at all.

Boomerang, my one year-old German Shepherd puppy dug his way through my son's paint ball gear to get at a box of paint balls. My sons normally purchase a brand that comes in a relatively safe heavy plastic lockable 'ammo can' type container, but the store was out of those and this brand came in a simple cardboard box.

I am neither a vet nor a vet tech, so hopefully what I relate to you that was told to me by Posion Control will be relayed accurately. Please consult your vet for totally accurate information if you have paint balls in your house. That said, PC told us that the paint is not caustic, nor severely toxic in an of itself, but it draws fluids from the system causing a large electrolyte imbalance and greatly increases sodium level requiring the animal to be given intravenous fluids on an emergency basis. Boomer did begin to have small seizures as we left for the clinic.

PC also said that dogs ingesting paint balls is a fairly common occurrence. Thankfully, dogs have survived eating almost an entire box of paint balls, which Boomer did. However the condition must be treated immediately on an emergency basis. It cannot be ignored.

Something else to keep in mind. There was no visible evidence he had eaten any except for the noticeably missing paint balls. He may have swallowed the paint balls whole, but if he didn't, there was no paint on the floor, in his mouth or anywhere and no smell on his breath.

As Boomer's owner, of course I take full responsibility for not having my eye on him for even that short time as I was busy at my desk. I also don't think anyone with a dog or puppy would leave paint balls lying around out in the open anyway. We didn't and wouldn't either, but I did not realize they are made of a material that would actually attract dogs where 'out of sight' isn't good enough. It's a mistake I won't make again, that's for sure and I'm thankful to have a second chance! Sorry if I sound defensive, but I do try to keep our house pet safe.

Anyway, I do think this warning is well worth passing along in light of PC's statistic that this happens fairly often. Indeed, it took only seconds for them to give me the information as if it was fresh in their minds.

Boomer seems back to his normal self, and should be able to go back to work in a day or so.

Thanks,
Lt. Peter Bremy
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Stick Injuries

chloebutton  talabutton