We Need Each Other, Please Stop!

"Much smoking kills live men and cures dead swine."
George Dennison Prentice

Humans never seem to be satisfied. They like variety, seek out thrills.... always want something bigger and better. Good is bad, bad is good. Simple moments ignored.... the smell of the neighbors barbecue, chasing the same ball for hours, eating the same food night after night, peeing on the same tree day after day, now this is good stuff. Us dogs, we like repetition. We are satisfied by a "good boy", long walks, chasing squirrels.......

Many humans like to bring fire to their face.... what the heck!? The smoke rolls in and out without a cough, while we (your dog and cat) are over here with red eyes, coughing and sneezing..... is the place burning down?

Well believe it or not your harming us as much as yourselves. Secondhand smoke can cause cancer in your pets but that isn't the only risk!! Many people are now trying the electric cigarettes, nicotine patches and gum. All of these products are concentrated nicotine, a little goes a long way, right to the emergency clinic. Even the butts your squishing out on the driveway, poison dude, poison.

Let's look at the facts:

1. We don't live very long compared to a humans life expectancy. Hard to swallow I know and we cherish every moment we have with you! The average life expectancy of a dog is 10-12 years, the cat is a little longer, 12-19 years. Secondhand smoke can cause lung and nasal cancer in dogs, and repeated exposure of smoke to a cat doubles their chance of developing Lymphoma, as well as asthma and bronchitis.

2. Quit smoking. Did you know on the average a person who smokes a pack a day spends approximately $1000 a year on cigarettes? But let us also talk about your veterinary bill. Quit now and you will save money on your vet bill (or at least smoke outside).

3. E-cigarettes can be fatal to your pet! It takes only 5 milligrams of nicotine to cause problems for your pet. A regular cigarette has approximately 15-20 milligrams of nicotine, e-cigarette refill cartridges can have anywhere from 6 to 24 milligrams, then take into account that a package can have five to one hundred cartridges. According to the Pet Poison Hotline, the number of calls about nicotine poisoning from these new products has doubled. One cartridge could cause toxic signs in a 50 pound dog, but in a ten pound dog it could be fatal. Yikes!! And their flavoring them!!! Banana Cream Pie anyone???!!!

4. Nicotine poisoning happens rapidly in pets, typically within 15-60 minutes after ingestion.

5. Signs in dogs and cats: vomiting, diarrhea, irritation, increased heart and breathing rates, depression, tremors, seizures, coma, and cardiac arrest.

6. React quickly, because of the rapid onset every moment counts. Call your veterinarian immediately if you suspect nicotine poisoning.

I've heard how hard it is to stop sucking in all that smoke (my human mom was hooked and quit "cold turkey" when she fell in love with my dad). If you really love your pets you should think twice about lighting, vaping, whatever you want to call it. Quit today, we want you around as much as you want us around. If you can't do it (we know you can), then please take it outside (and don't drop that butt, it's lethal).

Tata for now
Oli

for more information check out these links:
Secondhand smoke harmful to pets as people: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/secondhand-smoke-as-harmful-to-pets-as-people/
E-Cigarettes and Pets Do Not Mix: http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/uncategorized/e-cigarettes-pets-mix/

living on the edge

Today I hear is the first day of spring. Exactly a year ago I arrived in Vermont a small scared puppy. I cried a lot at night in the beginning, Petunia growled all the time when I came near her, and I almost drown in our pond!
Today I weigh 80 pounds, I snore instead of cry at night, Petunia LOVES me, and yesterday I accidentally almost drown my mom in our pond! Some advise, don't run up behind someone while they are standing by a half frozen pond and bump them..... not a good idea.
On the menu at S.A.V.E.S. this week was some pretty odd things. The first was Violet, a very (did I say very) pretty boxer. I wish we had met under different circumstances, I know she would have fallen for me. Instead Violet arrived with a strange appetite for razor blades.

Disposable Razor Blade

Violet was having a hard time keeping anything down, she wasn't eating and really felt awful. She came to S.A.V.E.S. because her veterinarian diagnosed  a foreign body in her stomach. Violet had eaten a disposable razor blade and it was stuck in her stomach. The first attempt to remove the object was performed by endoscopy. Endoscopy involves running a very small camera down into the stomach, locating the object and then retrieving it via the same equipment's "grabber" tool. Violet's razor did not want to come out in this manner.

Removing the Razor Blade

The next step was to surgically remove the blade. My dad took Violet to surgery and performed a gastrotomy. Once the stomach was located he made a small incision into her stomach wall and retrieved the razor blade.

Surgical Monitoring

It was pretty cool, I get to watch all the surgeries through the observation glass, someday I think I want to be a surgeon like my dad. My mom monitored the anesthesia with all sorts of machines that beeped and made funny sounds. Air kept filling the blood pressure cuff with a whoosh, the heart monitor showed every heartbeat on the screen, and another monitor showed how much oxygen was circulating in her bloodstream Really cool stuff. The table is even heated! Who would figure!

Violet Recovers From Surgery

After surgery Violet recovered in the recovery stall with Carm (that's what I call her but her real name is Carmelita) one of the nurses at S.A.V.E.S. She had lots of blankets and a big heating pad full of warm air. The nurses stay with the patients until they are fully recovered.

Violet My Love

Violet is home now and probably the only way I will ever get to see her again is if she decides to eat another razor. I know it sounds awful but I kind of hope she does so I can talk to her again! She was so pretty!

Appetite for Lingerie

This poor guy swallowed a bra! It also had to be removed with surgery! Think I will stick to my canned and dry food! Tata for now!

Midnight Sunflowers and DogRunDog

Yooo. So what a busy week this has been. Mom still found time to go out and photograph sunflowers in the dark! She is obsessive about photography. It is like living with the paparazzi!

So we all just got back from DogRunDog and wow am I tired. The S.A.V.E.S. crew teamed up with Stoneybrook Vet. Hospital to provide medical staff for the race. My mom rode a bike and watched for injured pets or their people. Dad ran with me.

Dad and I came in 6th for the 5K run. Mom says we probably would have come in 1st or at least 2nd if I hadn't stopped at every mailbox (what do they expect, I just learned to lift my leg) or kept veering off into the ditch.

My friend Doogan ran with Alistar, Dr. Padgett's boyfriend from Scotland, or Glasgow or something like that. Sophie tried to explain that it was way far away, across a big pond! He is really nice and I was so happy to see Doogan!

El and Petunia walk/ran the course! The staff from S.A.V.E.S. only had one patient to care for the whole day! That's right, PETUNIA! I was sad she hurt herself, but it seemed a little funny that of all the 100 dogs that participated, a S.A.V.E.S. dog was the one injured. Petunia scraped up her back feet running on the pavement. She says "I'm a lady and my feet are very delicate". A lady my foot, you should hear her belch after every meal!

Well mark your calendar for next year, this was a really good time and raised much needed money for the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society . TaTa for now!