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Health & Welfare

ITEMS POISONOUS TO YOUR PET

Poisonings are usually accidental - most can be prevented. According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, you can protect your canine companion against illness and/or the threat of poisoning by preventing the ingestion of the items on the list below. Take a minute and survey your home for potential hazards. A few minutes now may save the life of your canine companion.

FOODS

• Chocolate

• Coffee

• Grapes and raisins

• Yeast dough

• Xylitol: a sweetener found in sugar-free candy and gum

• Macadamia nuts

• Fatty foods

• Moldy or spoiled foods

• Salt

• Onions and onion powder

• Water from your toilet bowl if you use a chemical cleanser that is

released with each flush

WARM WEATHER HAZARDS

• Animal toxins: toads, insects, spiders, snakes and scorpions

• Blue-green algae in ponds

• Citronella candles

• Cocoa mulch

• Compost piles

• Fertilizers

• Flea products

• Outdoor plants and plant bulbs

• Swimming pool treatment supplies

• Pesticides

COLD WEATHER HAZARDS

• Antifreeze

• Liquid potpourris

• Ice-melting products

• Rat and mouse bait

HUMAN MEDICINE

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers such as Ibuprofen

• Antidepressants

• Cold/flu medications

• Diet pills

In addition to the above household hazards, Janet Joers wrote an

article about poisonous plants:

http://www.kerryblues.info/HEALTH/POISONOUS.HTML

Reprinted with permission from the Kerry Blue Terrier Foundation

URL: http://www.kerryblues.info/

NO MORE COLLARS!

I always keep collars on my dogs. It makes it easier to grab them, throw a leash on them when we are off to dog class and I know they always have ID on them should they jump the fence and get lost. Our fence in the front yard is only three feet high, a regulation height where I live, and our dogs, a Border Collie named Jenny (2 1/2 years old) and a Belgian Tervuren named Tasha (8 months old), are tall enough to jump the fence if they so choose.

While we were away on holidays it snowed. Actually it stormed (as all you Manitobans will know!) and we came home from Cuba to a foot of snow on the ground and -30 degree temperatures. The fence was now shorter than ever and they could practically stepped over it if they wanted to. I didn't think about keeping collars on them, it was only natural. I was glad they had them on because I knew they would be returned to us if they were ever lost.

Yesterday was my first day back to work. My husband had been transferred out of town to work, so I was alone for the week. Unfortunately, as I found out at lunch time, he'd taken the house keys with him! I was locked out. I finally tracked down my brother who had the spare set, and an hour later I was in and let the dogs out to pee. My poor girls had been inside a long time and were very glad to be outside. All their pent up energy was spent wrestling together in the snow. I settled in front of the TV to eat lunch when I heard a funny noise. I turned the TV down and there it was again - a muffled crying from the yard, something terrible was happening to the dogs! I raced outside and didn't feel the -25 degree cold. I ran from the front of the house to the back, and there in the middle of the yard was Jenny, seemingly hanging on to Tasha's neck (Tasha was on her back), and not letting go. At first I though they were fighting and yelled at Jenny to let go.

As I dove down on the snow in front of them, I felt a chill to the bone, but not from the cold. Tasha's eyes were glazed over, and her tong was lolling and purple. (I am shaking as I write this!) Jenny's bottom jaw was twisted around Tasha's collar and Tasha was chocking to death! She must have grabbed Tasha's neck and got a hold of her collar, as dogs do when they play, but at the same time, Tasha flipped over on her back in a submissive position, and the collar twisted, trapping both of them. Jenny tried to break free and every time she did Tasha would make a chocked whining sound, which was luckily loud enough to alert me from inside. She was wearing a rolled leather collar and I knew that it would be impossible to cut in time to save her life. Besides that, it was too tight on her neck and on Jenny's jaw to get sissors or a knife around it.

Every second took her closer and closer to death and away from me. I knew I could do nothing, but had to try. The buckle was in Jenny's mouth unfortunately, but luckily it was open and I was able to get it partially undone. She stood still while I tried - she must have know I was trying to hekp. I couldn't get it undone any further - it was just too tight. I screamed for help like I have never screamed before! No one came. It was close to 2:30 pm and I knew all the neighbors must be at work. I began to hyperventilate in panic. I was watching my puppy die and there was nothing I could do about it! I jumped up still screaming for help, and knew I had to try to cut that collar. When I stood up and Jenny must have realized that there was nothing I could do, she took matter into her own paws. She yanked and yanked, Tasha gurgled a scream as best she could all the while, which was now a lot quieter than what she had initially, by a miracle of God, Jenny got free. She jumped away, and tail between her legs, ran, trying to find somewhere to hide. Tasha, to my amazement, jumped up, stunned. She was alive! The light in her eyes returned, but her tongue was still lolling and purple. I was so relieved - and shocked she was on her feet, but knew we weren't out of the water yet. I had to get them to the vet's. I didn't know what kind of injuries they'd sustained. I ran into the house, both dogs by my side, and couldn't remember the vet's number. I tried to look it up in the phone book, but couldn't remember the name. "To hell with it", I thought, "Just GO!". I scrambled into my coat, put leashes on the dogs, and got out to the car.

It seemed to take forever to get the vet's office, which was across town. I considered running red lights to get there quicker, but decided wisely against it. Finally we pulled up and I got them inside. I explained as best I could what happened, all the while sobbing my heart out, and was immediately taken into an examining room.

I looked down and realized that I was bleeding too. I had a big gash on my thumb. Tasha bit me when I tried a second time to get the collar loose. It must have been the last bit of energy she had. Don't know how I got free. I didn't feel it at all. On closer examination, there was blood all over my yellow and black jacket.

It wasn't until we were in the examining room that I realized Tasha was bleeding. There was blood everywhere she put her nose. I thanked God I was already at the vet's office and I hadn't realized it until then! The vet finally came in and examined them both. Tasha would have a bad bruise on her neck and her lips were bruised and eyes were blood shot. She had a nose bleed from being chocked as the blood simply didn't have anywhere to go. Jenny's jaw was ok too. No broken teeth or bones. I finally was able to catch my breath and stop gasping. We were all ok. I didn't care at all the I would probably need stitches, as long as the dogs were alright, I was too.

I took them home and called into work - I would not leave them alone for the rest of the day. Every time I looked at Tasha I realized how close I came to loosing her, and I began crying, out of relief, shock and a sense of helplessness. I cried for an hour and a half. I told her how much I loved her, and how sorry I was that I couldn't help her; how glad I was that she was alive. I cuddled Jenny, who, being a very sensitive dog, thought it was her fault. As I patted her head, my fingers came across some encrusted fur and she winced. I looked down and she had a perfectly round puncture on her temple. Tasha must have bit her while trying to get free. Both the vet and I had missed it. It luckily wasn't bleeding too badly, and I got out my first aid kit and cleaned her up. We had all done our fair share of bleeding today. I cleaned myself up as well and realized it wasn't as bad as it looked. I wouldn't need stitches. I bandaged up this morning though, and my hands are stiff.

I have taken the dog's collars off and they will not wear them again around the house. They will wear them only when we go for walks or to class.

Several months ago the very same thing happened to a man my husband plays flyball with and who trains in obedience with me. He didn't find his dogs as quickly though, and by the time he'd found them and sawed through the nylon collar, his female lab was dead. He administered mouth to nose resuscitation, and miraculously revived her. At the time we all agreed that it was a one in a million chance of that happening, but now I know better than that.

I dog proofed my house long ago, they have lots of toys, I am careful about what they eat, and we take them to obedience class, flyball, agility, conformation and play canine disc with them. They are like children to us. Never in a million years would I have thought this could happen. Please, if you have more that one dog, take this story to heart.

reprinted with permission from the author: Sarah Sobry