Obama and Biden: Compatibility and Your Dog

Sen. Barack Obama selected Sen. Joe Biden as his Vice President this week ending an intense period of speculation. For months, the public debated over who he should pick to be second chair in the White House in the event he becomes president. Why was his choice such a big deal? It was a big deal because people know that compatibility is an important key to any relationship, especially a duo that will make decisions that affect the public. It’s a fact that rings true for humans as well as dogs.

Just like Obama and Biden, your dog’s partner needs to be compatible to him. So if you are picking a new housemate for your dog, you need to consider his personality. Is he an alpha male? Does he get insecure when you show attention to other dogs or people? Can he be a little aggressive? These types of questions are ones you should ask yourself before you bring in any potential housemate for your dog. It will help you pick the one who can cohabitate peacefully with him and bring out the best in his personality. Here are a few other things you can do too:

* Set up a meeting. It should be done prior to your decision to bring a new animal into the home. If your dog shows signs he likes the other dog such as wagging of the tail, it’s a good match.

* Research dog breeds. Find out which ones get along best. Then, you should only look for the specific breeds that will get along well with your dog’s breed.

* Do a trial run. Take in a new dog for a temporary period to see how he gets along with your current dog. After a few days, you will know if the two can live peacefully together and are a match in other ways too.

These three tests and a personality assessment of your dog should help you select the right housemate for him. The end result should be that your dog has a companion to play with and you have a new pet to love. It should be a match made in heaven.

Pet alert: West Seattle dog recovering from poison

That’s Coco the dog, wearing bandages where she needed IV treatment for medications and fluids after an apparent poisoning right in her own yard in the 47th/Genesee vicinity (here’s a map). We first heard from Coco’s owner Kate K very early this morning, and then a followup after they visited the vet - she’s also put up flyers to get the word out (we just got e-mail about one of them) - here’s her story:

This was our first e-mail from Kate around 1:30 this morning:

Had to rush my dog Coco to the vet this evening because she was poisoned with rat or snail bait. We don’t keep that around because we have pets so how did it get in our fenced yard? Our dog Coco (Australian Cattle Dog) is doing better but it was a huge scare. I wonder if this has happened to anyone else in the neighborhood. I can give you more details tomorrow and I’ll also be making a police report in the morning and will put up flyers warning people. We have lots of dogs on this street and I’m scared for them. We’re lucky we were home when she first fell ill and that Coco is so young and healthy. An older, smaller or weaker dog might not have pulled through.

We e-mailed Kate back immediately and said we’d wait to talk with her the next day (today) - we have since communicated by phone and e-mail.

Kate says, “About 45 minutes after we think she ate the poison in the yard last night, she started having tremors, paralysis and vomiting.” She says this is what Dr. Beth Guerra wrote in the report from Animal Critical Care:

Presumptive Diagnosis: Metaldehyde Toxicity

I suspect Coco has ingested a tremorgenic toxin, possibly slugbait poison which contains metaldehyde, a chemical that causes neurological and musculoskeletal signs. If these clinical signs are severe enough, exposure can be fatal. It is imperative to have an animal seen if there is even a possibility of ingestion. The initial signs of metaldehyde exposure include restlessness and anxiety. This progresses to salivation, tremors and ataxia/incoordination. At advanced stages of toxicity, rapid heart and respiratory rates occur, along with
convulsions, seizures and extremely high body temperatures.

Kate says Coco is doing better now, and adds that she is filing a report with Seattle Police. We asked if she knew of any reason why someone might deliberately try to hurt Coco - neighbor dispute, or ? She said she has no idea; Coco barks when people pass the yard, but certainly that’s not unusual. “I don’t have a clue who would do this,” Kate told us, “and that’s why it’s so frightening.” 3:28 PM UPDATE: For those who don’t usually read comments - Kate has posted an update there, after talking with authorities.

Pet Rehabilitation Business Gains Strength: California Animal Rehabilitation Facility Sees Excess of 350 Pet Patients In First Year

Two Los Angeles area doctors -- a veterinarian and a doctor of physical therapy -- are showing pet owners and veterinarians that pet rehabilitation is a viable option in pet healthcare. California Animal Rehabilitation, the country's first facility run by this type of team, has evaluated more than 350 pets from the greater Los Angeles area, central and northern California, and as far away as India, for multiple issues related to general lameness, post-surgical support, non-surgical options, neurological concerns, obesity and age. Using similar techniques of human physical therapy, pet owners are seeing dramatic results - from increased function, less pain, and in many cases, total resolution of their pet's problem, making pet rehabilitation a burgeoning business model supporting local veterinarians and veterinary surgeons.

Santa Monica, CA (PRWEB) August 19, 2008 -- Two Los Angeles area doctors are showing pet owners and veterinarians that rehabilitation gets their pet's paws moving better. Since opening in June 2007, California Animal Rehabilitation, Southern California's first physical rehabilitation center for pets as rehabilitation and the only facility of its kind in the U.S. owned and operated by both a veterinarian and a doctor of physical therapy, is fast becoming a welcome option in pet healthcare.

In its first year the facility has evaluated more than 350 pets from the greater Los Angeles area, central and northern California, and as far away as India. On average, the team treats 25 patients per day, for multiple issues related to general lameness, post-surgical support, non-surgical options, neurological concerns, obesity and age. Using similar techniques of human physical therapy, pet owners are seeing dramatic results - from increased function, less pain, and in many cases, total resolution of their pet's problem, making pet rehabilitation a burgeoning business model supporting local veterinarians and veterinary surgeons.

"Our business is designed as a specialty extension of a general veterinarian or surgeon's services," said California Animal Rehabilitation Co-Founder and Veterinarian, Dr. Jessica Waldman, VMD. "We work as a team with local vets to get results and in most cases are seeing vast improvements."

According to Dr. Janet Van Dyke, chief executive officer and founder of West Palm Beach, Florida-based Canine Rehabilitation Institute, the leading pet rehabilitation certification center, California Animal Rehabilitation's facility offers the most desirable business model in this rapidly emerging field.

"Pairing a veterinarian with a physical therapist has the potential for tremendous outcomes in pet rehabilitation because veterinarians understand pet injuries and diseases, and physical therapists are expert in the science of rehabilitation, how a body moves, joint and soft tissue mechanics and the impact of exercise."

"Rehabilitation works with humans, why wouldn't it work with pets?" states California Animal Rehabilitation Co-Founder and Physical Therapist, Dr. Amy Kramer. "We have had a quadriplegic dog stand up and walk again, stiff aging dogs that look like they're literally on their last leg start running around again. Our clients tell us all the time that their pet seems years younger after we finish their program."

According to the founding partners, their success in this emerging field is first and foremost driven by their understanding of the overall health of each pet patient. A pet's initial evaluation tenaciously accounts past medical history and diet, as well as how a pet moves, its pain tolerance, muscle strength and flexibility, the range of motion of each joint, and muscle girth. From there, the doctors try to pinpoint a pet's core problem as well as any compensatory lameness issues. This information drives a pet's personalized therapy program that may include hydrotherapy in an underwater treadmill, core muscle building exercises, laser technology, acupuncture and hands-on therapy. Pets come to the facility for treatment on average twice a week; and pet owners are
taught and encouraged to do core exercises with their pet at home, which speeds up the healing process or for ongoing, post-therapy maintenance.

About CARE:
California Animal Rehabilitation is a full-service rehabilitation center, offering customized therapy programs for pets. Owned and operated by two doctors -- Phoenix native and veterinarian Dr. Jessica Waldman, and Boise, Idaho native and physical therapist, Dr. Amy Kramer -- pets are treated with state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to help them live more functional and comfortable lives. For more information go to www.CalAnimalRehab.com or call 310-998-CARE (2273).