I wholeheartedly agree.  I think that my work situation is probably as good as it gets as far as being able to keep my career and still be a mom (though I doubt I qualify as a “top professional”).  I get to have baby Louise here at work with me and James comes here after school as well.  I can usually stop what I’m doing and go nurse Louise when she is hungry.  We are lucky to have Veronica help take care of our kids.

But even with this “perfect” situation, it was really hard to come back to work.  I shed a lot of tears around the idea of coming back to work.  It broke my heart to think of giving away my daughter’s beautiful smiles and coos.  I just didn’t want to think about the fact that I couldn’t pick James up from school and go play at the park or the Children’s Museum.  And this is when the kids will be no more than 10 yards away from me.

So, I should just be a stay-at-home mom, right?  Well, that doesn’t exactly work either.  I love my job.  While I was out, I felt really bad that I was gone when some patients had to be euthanized and I couldn’t be there.  I love the excitement of solving a challenging case.  I know that if I stayed home every day, there would be a part of me that wouldn’t be happy.

I do get to have a little bit of “it all”, but I definitely feel torn apart sometimes.  I agree with Hanna Rosin that the idea of smoothly “having it all” is a myth.  Sometimes, the babysitter is sick and I am trying to see appointments with a baby in a moby wrap.  It can get a little tricky sometimes.  I think it comes back to the idea that parenting is hard work, no matter how you do it.  I am grateful that I can do things the way I do.  Thanks to my staff, family and clients for making it possible.

I could have given her an estimate of $600-700 to extract all 4 canine teeth.  Instead, I decided to have a conversation.  First, I discussed with her that filing down her dog’s teeth will open up the root canal of the tooth, exposing the blood vessel and the nerve—ouch!  It will open all 4 of those teeth up to infection.  The only way to file down the teeth and prevent pain and infection is to do root canals on all 4 teeth to the tune of $3200 at the specialist.  Without going to the specialist, the only medically sound way to get rid of the canines is to extract 4 perfectly healthy teeth.  For those who don’t know, the part of the canine tooth you can see is about 1/3 of the total size of the tooth.  Extracting a canine is an involved surgical procedure. 

Second, we could do one of these dental procedures.  But it is not going to solve the problem.  The dog is not going to “know” that he shouldn’t be trying to dominate anymore.  His life history still makes him want to do that.  This particular owner said that at least the extractions would make him harm her other dog less.  It really wouldn’t.  Dogs have very strong jaws and canines are only 4 of 42 teeth.  The other teeth can still do a lot of damage.  So, we have spent a lot of a client’s money, put the dog through a painful procedure, and we have gotten nowhere, except maybe closer to getting this dog surrendered to the shelter.  All of that money could have been invested in a reputable trainer.

This is a perfect illustration of why it is VITAL to seek a veterinarian’s advice on a trainer.  Individuals can call themselves dog trainers without having any training themselves.  I wish that we had a Veterinary Behavior Specialist in town, but we do not.  However, we do have trainers who have gone through extensive training and testing to be sure that they are using reputable methods and conveying accurate information.  Check out this list on the Association of Pet Dog Trainers’ website to see the different types of certification available.  We are lucky enough to have Elta Woodliff, CPDT-KA, available for consultations and puppy classes here at Utopia.

Behavior issues are the top reason for pets to be surrendered to an animal shelter.  Given the high euthanasia rates at many shelters, this means that behavior issues are the leading cause of death among pets.  Don’t put your pet’s life in the hands of a novice.  Invest your time and your money with a reputable trainer.

There are a lot of different kinds of training out there.  You can purchase books, watch youtube videos or watch shows on Animal Planet.  You can also sign up for a puppy class, which is what I recommend for anyone who is able to do so.  I am a huge fan of online research and books, but training is something that is hard to learn from a book.  Believe me, I’ve tried, and I’m not that good of a trainer.  The benefit of an in-person puppy class is that the experienced trainer can see how you and your dog are interacting and give you pointers.  They can tailor the training for you.  You’re not going to get that from youtube. 

Once you’ve settled on taking a puppy class (which I hope you do), keep in mind that there are different forms of puppy training.  I recommend looking for an experienced trainer who works with positive reinforcement.  No offense to Cesar Milan, but the dominance technique does not work as well in real life as it does in a 30 minute TV show.  Unfortunately, it can lead to dogs that are fearful and may even become aggressive as a result of their training—the opposite of what we’re going for.  My wish is that puppies and owners who finish their first training class have confidence in their skills.   Also, positive reinforcement makes you feel good and makes your dog feel good.  What could be better? 

There are a number of skilled trainers in the Memphis area.  As always, I recommend consulting your veterinarian for a trainer recommendation.   For many years, I have been recommend Elta Woodliff, The Dog Tutor for training (among others).  I am excited to announce that Elta is going to begin a class for young puppies here at Utopia January 12th.  The class is designed for puppies that are 8-16 weeks of age.  Click here for more information about the class.  Does 8-16 weeks sound young?  Actually, that is the best time to train a puppy (before they learn bad habits). 

Yes, there is a risk that the puppies could pick something up from puppy class.  We will be taking precautions by sanitizing the area before and after each class.  All puppies need to have their first set of vaccines.  Any puppies that are rescued or come from a shelter need to be healthy for at least 2 weeks before coming.  Ultimately, someone will probably get kennel cough.   BUT, the largest percentage of dogs relinquished to shelters are dogs that have preventable behavior issues.  Dogs that end up at the shelter have a high chance of being euthanized.  In short, kennel cough is not life threatening.  Behavior problems definitely can be. 

If you have gotten or are getting a puppy for the holidays, don’t forget to take care of his or her behavior needs.  It will be money well invested in your pet’s health and a happy, long lasting relationship.

I think, in the long run, carrying a puppy upstairs (for a while) is probably harmless.  In my life, having to carry a dog up the stairs multiple times a day would be a huge irritant.  Especially when he is 40 pounds at 12 weeks and only going up from there.  Part of puppy training is to teach puppies to walk on a leash and all training is easier the earlier you start.  Training can be tricky, but one of the mainstays is reinforcing the behavior that you want.  I don’t think that carrying that huge puppy up the stairs is modeling any desired behavior.  I also know for a fact that behavior issues are the number one reason pets are relinquished to animal shelters.  I would hate for something that seemed harmless as a puppy turn into something that led to this puppy getting euthanized at a shelter.

Goat milk also seems harmless, right?  Milk has all kinds of good stuff in it, like calcium and phosphorous.  Babies drink milk, so it can’t be bad.  Well, in the case of large breed dogs, it actually can be harmful.  Pretty much everyone has heard of hip dysplasia in dogs.  There are a number of factors that contribute to a dog developing hip dysplasia, such as genetics and nutrition, to name a couple.  We know that if a large breed dog eats too much calcium and phosphorous during growth, they can have growth spurts that can make them more likely to develop hip dysplasia.  A balanced, large breed puppy food contains the right amount of the appropriate nutrients.  Adding goat milk throws that all out of whack.  How do you know if the puppy food you are feeding is a good one?  Ask your vet.

And that’s the take home message here.  I know several breeders who are conscientious and well educated.  Unfortunately, many are misinformed.  Your vet is the best source of health care information for your pet.  Take your list of questions to your next appointment.

• If you do decide to dress your pet up, make sure that the costume does not contain any rubber bands that could constrict circulation or toxic dyes.  Also, make sure that the costume is inedible.
• Remove any costume that seems uncomfortable to your pet.  “Birthday suits” are perfectly fine for pet costumes!
• Be aware of any human costumes that might scare your pets.  Sometimes, masks or hats can be very scary to our pets. 
• Any pet who is fearful of humans in any way should be allowed to spend some quiet time inside on Halloween.  This is not the night to see if your pet can handle new situations.
• Most people open their doors frequently to hand out candy.  Make sure that your pets can not escape when the door is opened.  A quiet evening in a closed bedroom might be in order.  This would be a perfect time to give your pet his own Halloween treat such as a new rawhide chew or toy.
• Be careful with stringy decorations such as cobwebs or anything that looks like a ribbon or string.  Cats can be enticed to eat these decorations, leading to an intestinal obstruction.
• Halloween candy is a no-no for pets.  Chocolate and the artificial sweetener xylitol can cause serious health issues.
• Watch out for candy wrappers, as they can become intestinal obstructions if eaten.

 If your pet does encounter something unexpected, don’t hesitate to call us with any questions or concerns.  Most of all, have fun!

Here’s a list of the top 10 things that have changed at Utopia in the last 6 months:

• Carla had her second son, Collin.
• I got pregnant at the beginning of the summer.  I’m due in February, so I will be off from February 13^th-April 12^th.  I’ve got a great crew of relief vets lined up to cover that time.
• Heather’s husband’s job changed, so she had to cut her hours back to very part-time L
• We had some part time help over the summer to help cover for maternity leave and summer vacations
• We hired a new employee to cover Heather’s hours.  She didn’t work out.
• We hired an even better new employee named Hilda.  Stop by and meet her.  You will love her!
• Alexus had to decrease his hours (temporarily) because the Emergency Hospital is short 4 staff members.
• We added Dr. Frances Smith to our staff to help me have a little time to do some management stuff and a little time to relax all by myself.  She will be here 2 days a month until she has her baby in December.  Then she’ll be back in the spring.
• Carla agreed to take on the job of Office Manager.
• Jennifer found out she will have to take off several weeks for gallbladder surgery.

As a manager, this has been a challenging several months.  It seemed like we weren’t ever going to get to a place where things were going to level out.  Thankfully, they have.  There was a lot more change the last six months than the control-freak in me was comfortable with.  At this point, I can say that we made it through a really rough patch.  Many thanks to my amazing staff for going the extra mile during that time!  The practice has continued to grow, which is a huge blessing in our current economy.  And, after a little trial and error, we have ended up with a team member who perfectly compliments our group dynamic

This is a long-winded way of saying that yes, we have had a number of changes at Utopia.  But, our focus on relationship-centered care has not changed.  Our love of our jobs has not changed.  Some of our faces may be different, but our spirit is the same.

Rudy is a cute terrier, about 9 years old.  He first got sick about 3 weeks ago, was taken to another vet and started taking antibiotics.  When he first came here 2 weeks ago, we did some xrays and thought he had some issues with his heart and lungs.  He didn’t really improve that much on our treatment, so we did a contrast study, which revealed a foreign object in his esophagus.  For those who aren’t familiar with it, the esophagus is the tube that runs from the mouth into the stomach.

Rudy had to go to surgery as soon as we discovered what was going on.  It can be difficult to find foreign objects that are in the esophagus near the stomach, as it was in Rudy’s case.  By the time he went to surgery, he had been sick for 3 weeks.  Rudy’s surgery was tricky, but we were able to remove a 1 inch diameter piece of bone, probably from a pork chop.  This is a much bigger piece of bone than I ever thought a 12 pound dog could swallow. 

Rudy got lucky.  We were able to diagnose his issue (with the help of a great network of veterinarians).  We were also able to get the bone out.  We were very lucky there wasn’t already too much damage to his esophagus.  I could have easily could have torn a hole in his esophagus during surgery.  He could have gotten a hole in his esophagus before surgery that got infected and made him even sicker or caused him to die.  If we hadn’t figured out what was going on, his owners might have had to euthanize him due to poor quality of life.  There are a lot of owners who couldn’t have afforded his treatment and elected euthanasia.

I certainly believe that each person is free to make his or her own decision about pretty much everything.  So, I am not going to hold a gun to your head and say you can’t feed your dog bones.  However, I am definitely going to be sharing Rudy’s story and cautioning a lot more people in the future.  Many dogs really enjoy bones, but it’s just not worth the risk.  There are a lot of other chew treats out there.

It gives some ideas about which are the best genetics tests to use.  It also has a section of 5 dogs, what breeds they actually are and what breeds the test said they are. 

 I’m not sure that I see a real medical benefit in these tests.  The companies say that, with breed knowledge, we can anticipate what sorts of diseases a mixed breed dog might get.  Well, maybe.  One of the strengths of being a mixed breed is what is called hybrid vigor.  That means that a poor genetic trait in one breed may be diluted out by another breed. 

I do think that these tests are kind of fun.  I’m not sure they’re worth the money, though.  The blood sample version is about $80, the cheek swab version is about $55.  We had some clients who got one as a Christmas present.  I thought that was pretty fun.

I would say that if you’re curious about what the test says and don’t mind spending $50-80, then go for it.  But if it’s going to break the bank, save your money for heartworm medicine.

Many flea preventives also function as tick preventives.  Some examples of this are Frontline Plus, Certifect and Advantix.  Comfortis and Trifexis, while not technically licensed for ticks, have been taking care of ticks really well for most dogs.  I’m not sure that any of these products are going to work by themselves this summer.  If you are already using one tick medication on your dog and you still see ticks, we recommend adding a Preventic collar.  One of those collars costs about $20 and lasts for 3 months. 

Most people are pretty grossed out/freaked out by ticks.  I think that it helps (at least a little) to know that it takes 24-72 hours for ticks to transmit diseases such as Lyme disease.  And also, we really do not have a lot of Lyme disease in Memphis, so don’t stress too much about it. 

And that brings us to the next part:  what to do if you or your pet has a tick on you.  First, don’t panic.  Basically, all you need to do is pull the tick off.  There are a lot of stories out there about twisting counter clockwise, burning ticks off, etc.  I get lots of worried owners saying that they might have left the tick’s mouthparts in.  Don’t worry.  The mouthparts might cause a red bump, but it will go away.  Very worst case scenario (it hardly ever happens), they might need some antibiotics. 

If you want a cool do-dad to remove a tick, check out www.tickkey.com.  You keep it on your keychain and it allows you to remove ticks without touching them. Even better, it comes in cool colors.  They sell them at Outdoors, Inc.

So, if you want the take home message:  keep your pets on heartworm, flea and tick preventives this summer.  If you find a tick, pull it off.  And have a great weekend!

The following brands have been affected:

4Health
Canidae
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
Country Value
Diamond
Diamond Naturals
Kirkland Signature
Natural Balance
Premium Edge
Professional
Taste of the Wild
Wellness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 30, 2012 – Diamond Pet Foods is expanding a voluntary recall to include Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food. The company took this precautionary measure because sampling revealed Salmonella in the product. No dog illnesses have been reported.

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

People infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Only the Diamond Puppy Formula products meeting the following descriptions are recalled:

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