Thankful for Animal Rescues

Poor Lahela was an outdoor cat, living around a trailer park. She’d already had a hard life, having recently given birth to a litter of kittens who didn’t make it. But she did have a neighbor who left food out for her and the other local outdoor cats. And that turns out to have been her saving grace!
 
 

 
Because one night, Lahela was seriously injured by a coyote a coyote. It was the woman who’d been feeding her that saved her, running out to scare the coyote away. The coyote dropped Lahela and fled. But she was badly shaken. Not just emotionally, but physically. She’d been literally shaken hard!
 
As a result, Lahela, when taken to the vet, was diagnosed with a traumatic neurological condition.
 
Her eyes were not dilating in light. She couldn’t walk without falling, and there was brain swelling. Thanks to the support of a local rescue group, Lahela got all of the emergency vetting she needed. The bite wound healed easily, and the brain swelling reduced. But the neurological problems wouldn’t vanish; she was still had a disoriented gait and very limited vision. Clearly, Lahela clearly would not survive if she were put back outdoors. That’s when the rescue group had to decide what to do. Lahela had always been an outdoor cat, so she wasn’t affectionate. Add that to her medical condition, and there just wasn’t any home willing to take her.
 
So she went to Best Friends, for extremely special care. Guardian Angels, please welcome Lahela! This is a cat with a lot of odds stacked against her. And she’s going to need the healing power of the Sanctuary as much as any cat ever has!

Hairy-kiri?

A pod of 61 whales beached themselves at Farewell Spit in New Zealand on Monday. Officials decided to euthanize the 18 that were still alive Wednesday. It’s not clear why whales beach themselves, but one theory holds that when a sick individual heads to shore to die, the others follow. Is suicide a thing in the animal kingdom?

Sort of. There is plenty of evidence that animals engage in self-destructive behavior. In addition to the beached whales, ducks and dogs have been observed drowning themselves, cows have walked off cliffs, and naked mole rats (like some insects) leave the colony to die when infected with a communicable disease. It’s not clear that any of these behaviors are comparable to human suicide, though, because suicide involves a set of higher-order cognitive abilities. It requires an awareness of one’s own existence, an ability to speculate about the future, and the knowledge that an act will result in death. There are indications that certain animals have some of these capacities. Dolphins, many primates, magpies, and elephants can recognize themselves in a mirror, suggesting self-awareness. Some animals know how to pretend during play activities (PDF), which indicates an ability to imagine counterfactual worlds. Still, no one really knows which animals, if any, can combine these capacities to perform an act similar to human suicide.

Victorian scientists were particularly interested in this question, according to historian Edmund Ramsden in a 2010 article. Humane societies were eager to prove that animals experienced humanlike emotions, and animal suicides offered proof. A series of such stories began to appear in periodicals in 1845. One involved a depressed Newfoundland dog that repeatedly leapt into the water, kept its limbs still, and held his “head determinedly under water for a few minutes.” Other dogs drowned or starved themselves after losing their owners. A deer jumped from a precipice to avoid capture by hunting dogs. A duck drowned itself after the death of its mate. Scorpions were thought to sting themselves when surrounded by fire. Researchers engaged in a fierce and ultimately inconclusive debate over whether any of these behaviors should be considered suicide. (Except for the scorpions, which clearly were not attempting suicide—they’re immune to their own venom.)

Even when scientists can explain the neurobiological basis of an animal’s self-destructive behavior, it’s still not always clear whether it’s fair to call the act suicide. The parasite Toxoplasma gondii affects the brains of rodents and causes them to be attracted to their mortal enemy—the cat. It would be easy to dismiss this kind of rat suicide as irrelevant to our own behavior if not for some hints that infection can play a role in human suicides as well. In a 2009 study of patients with recurrent mood disorders, University of Maryland researchers found that those with high levels of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were more likely to have attempted suicide. This study is preliminary, though, and there’s no sign of a causal connection.

No matter the motivation, self-destruction appears to be something that exists in even the simplest life forms. Single-celled marine algae engage in programmed cell death when exposed to stresses that they’re fully capable of overcoming. Researchers recently discovered that the “suicide” of some cells promoted growth in the survivors. Like infected mole rats or bees that abandon the colony to prevent an epidemic, algae die for the good of the community.

Horrible... A Vet should value life more than this.

Allen and Alison Holmes let their Border Collie/Corgi mix out in the backyard to enjoy some pleasant weather a couple of weeks ago. Allen took a picture of her drinking from a metal wash basin at 12:06 p.m. The dog, Basie, was like their child; they’d had her since she was a puppy, and they doted on her. “She was just a delightful dog,” Allen Holmes told The Patch.com.

“She was actually doing pretty well that morning,” he said. “She’d eaten. She’d gone to the bathroom. She was drinking out of the washbasin. I thought that was cute. She did have trouble moving, but she was able to walk.”

When he went out 15 minutes later to see how she was doing, she was gone. It was baffling, because at her age, Basie was not a fast mover. In fact, the Holmeses didn’t think she could or would leave the yard on her own.

The couple scoured the area for her, plastering signs everywhere, and talking with neighbors. But by about 3 p.m., unknown to them, it was too late. Their dog had already been euthanized by a nearby veterinarian.

At a local animal shelter the next morning, they found what was left of their beloved old dog: just her cremated remains. They are devastated.

The last photo of Basie, taken in her backyard within three hours of her euthanasia (Photo: Allen Holmes, via The Patch)

“The shift supervisors gave us the exam record and they said that she arrived at 12:20 p.m. The picture that I took was at 12:06 p.m. It’s about a 10-minute drive to the shelter,” Allen Holmes told the Patch.
“We had no chance of finding her in that time,” said Alison Holmes. “When we did find her, it was only because of our tireless searching. No one called us.”

“To give us no opportunity to be there is horrifyingly wrong,” Alison said in an interview with WUSA-9.

The story they’ve been told is that the dog was found in the woods (actually some rows of trees, the couple says) near their house by a woman who brought the dog to her own veterinarian, Crosspointe Animal Hospital, in Fairfax Station. The Holmeses think the woman was probably concerned about Basie because the dog was very thin, despite the high-quality diet they fed her.

The veterinarian checked out the dog, found no collar but plenty of ailments of old age, and euthanized her. According to Virginia Code 3.2-6507, it’s legal for a veterinarian to euthanize a sick or injured dog without the owner’s permission if the owner can’t immediately be located.

The Holmeses say her neck was irritated by the collar (old dogs can have sensitive skin) so she wasn’t wearing hers.

The couple said Basie was not ready to die and that they were not ready to part with her. They are haunted by the idea that she was alone, without them, when she was killed. “We wanted to be there if she was euthanized. We didn’t feel like it was quite the time, but somebody else did,” Allen said. They have not decided if they will take legal action.

Animal hospital management claims staff immediately tried to contact the Prince William County Animal Shelter (the shelter for the county where the dog had been found), but the shelter refused to pick up Basie. But the next day her ashes were at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. It seems somehow someone had transported her — or at least her body — from Point A to Point B.

Basie (Photo: Allen and Alison Holmes, via The Patch)

The vet may have seen a decrepit old dog and figured she had no decent home, but if s/he had looked at her well-trimmed nails, or inside her mouth, where the Holmeses say Basie recently had a tooth extracted, there were pretty good hints that the dog had a home.

“We really took care of her,” Allen Holmes said.

So did the veterinarian …

A veterinarian should value every animal's life. Give it every chance to live. Not decide it's fate within ten minutes of seeing it. I've had old animals and I've known how badly they looked but I also knew that their spirit was still there and not going anywhere anytime soon. I can only imagine how horrifying and traumatic this experience would be.

Vegetarianism... Not Quite.

How can I fight so hard for the protection of animals and nature while I eat meat every meal?

Why am I not a vegetarian?

Animals taste really good. Sorry, I really don't have a better reason than that. I do have my justifications though. I feel that we are capable and able to eat meat without impacting the environment. If we select our protein sources well.

I feel that if we breed and raise domestic livestock then we are entitled to eat it. We take care of these animals to end up as food. This type of agriculture is found in many different animals. Termites, ants, bees.

Damselfish farming activity can have profound effects on the structure of the algal community. The territorial fish protect their dense stands of filamentous algae aggressively from other herbivores, thus reducing grazing pressure and increasing productivity. Non-destructive cropping of algae, which promotes exponential growth, is often observed, and some damselfish even selectively weed out indigestible algal species. These fish do in fact maintain farms of algae that are harvested for food, with management techniques.

Much like how we raise our food. Pigs, cows, and chickens are commercially farmed for food. Even species of fish are farm raised for food. We farm our food. Just like we farm the fruits and vegetables that are a part of our diet.

Now, I do still believe that the livestock used for food deserves humane treatment. I feel that slaughterhouses should treat every animal with respect and give them the best care possible. There are many dark blurry videos of PETA members hiding in slaughterhouses, watching chickens be killed by wringing their necks or cattle being killed by blunt force trauma to the skull. And it makes me sick that the animals are treated that badly. Slaughterhouses like that should be closed down.

In terms of fish protein, it may be the simplest and most beneficial protein source. Fish are full of omega-3 fatty acids which have been proven to improve brain function. It is also commonly farm raised if you're willing to work for it a little more. Salmon is readily farm raised. But farm raised fish aren't always readily available unless you look for it. But don't you think it's worth it to protect the world's oceans?  Think of all the animals caught up in fishing nets that die.

In summary... EAT ONLY FARM RAISED PROTEIN SOURCES AND IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS FROM WHICH THOSE ANIMALS ARE KEPT IN.



Pet Insurance Fraud

HUNDREDS of pets are being killed and maimed by callous owners to get insurance cash, investigators revealed yesterday.

Fake compensation claims quadrupled last year — with almost £2MILLION worth of fraud detected.
Some owners bump off their pets so they can claim an early-death payout. Others deliberately harm their animals — then claim they were injured in accidents.

Some cats and dogs also disappear mysteriously to cash in on policies that pay out if an animal is lost or stolen, says the Association of British Insurers.

The sick scam mirrors the "cash for crash" claims made on cars that are deliberately damaged for the insurance payouts.

Insurance experts say the pet payouts swindle is now the fastest growing area in the industry — and believe some vets must be involved.

One trick is to include claims for vet treatments that have not been carried out. Some healthy pets have even been deliberately put down to claim the insurance.

Fraud investigator Carys Clarke said £420,000 in bogus pet claims was detected in 2009, but this jumped to £1,929,900 last year — and the true scale is probably far higher.

She added: "The deliberate destruction or maiming of an animal can be disguised as an accident."
Last year there were 2.3million cats and dogs insured.

The ABI is now arranging a database of information about insured animals to help detect fraud.

November Feral Cat Clinic

The November Feral Cat Clinic was exciting.

I got there early and helped draw the three in one vaccines before the clinic started. The three in ones had to be done differently then the rabies. The sterile dilutent was drawn into the syringe and then squirted into the powdered vaccine before being drawn back into the syringe.

Annika was involuntarily volunteered to be the one to sedate the cats. It was amusing to watch her because everytime a cat moved, she would almost shriek. It was entertaining. Kim got there later to give the anesthesia.

I opted to be the one who transferred them from the sedation room into the room where everything was going on. I think I like that area the most because I can see the cat's personalities. Some come in scared stiff to the point where injecting the anesthesia is incredibly easy. Others come in angry at the world and angry at us for taking them from their angry world. Others come in as stray pets that simply miss being loved and rub against fingers and syringes. Two came in with collars but no name tags. One had a microchip but it hadn't been registered. We checked for ear tips to show that some cats had already been through this trauma once already.

This time there were really little babies. They looked so tiny in the feral cat traps. Their personalities were so different from the adults. They seemed scared but inquisitive, as if they hadn't learned not to trust humans yet. They accepted it as an adventure.

Three had been sedated and surgery performed on but it was difficult bringing them out. So three others about the same side weren't done. It was risky. Because we couldn't guarantee that they would be caught to have a second chance.

It was an extremely long clinic. Last month, we did four hundred and nine cats over both Saturday and Sunday. But this time, we had four hundred and eleven dropped off. And we were doing them all in one day.

There weren't as many veterinarians as there were last month. For most of the day there were four but at one time there were only three. It was definitely daunting because last month there were like six. Dr. Henderson, Dr. Lalor, Dr. Wagner, and Dr. Goodman were performing the surgeries.

Most of the other volunteers and Kim left at four but I had decided that I would see it through to the end. I took over the bookkeeping aspect, logging down the genders of each of the remaining hundred or more cats, writing down which vet performed the spay on the females, and any medical conditions.

The genders were being shouted out by two other volunteers, Debbie and Rich, once the cats were sedated enough to be removed from the cage. Some had already been fixed.

Males were able to be done quickly because neutering is almost completely non-invasive. The scrotum was slit open and the testicle was squeezed out. Knots were tied in the tube and then the tube was cut. The knots were tucked back into the empty scrotum and stitches were done. Ocassionally there were some interesting neuters like undescended testicles which the doctors refered to as high flanking.

Females weren't as easy or quick. The surgery was delicate. An inch long slit was placed through the skin and abdominal wall. A hook was used to withdraw the fallopian tubes and ovaries. The pedicel was tied off and cut first. The uterus was drawn out and a knot was placed around the cervix. Once knotted, the entire uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries were removed. Stitches were placed in the abdominal wall followed by subcutaneous stitches. A small line of Vetbond was glued over the stitches. One female had a torn pedical. Another female had something called uteran unicornus which meant that the female only had one ovary.

Once down with the respective surgeries temperatures, breathing rates, and membrane colors were checked. The vaccines were distributed. Females and males with undescended testicles were given Buprenorphine for the pain post-op. Medical conditions were looked for and noted during that stage. Ears were tipped to show that they had been surgically sterilized to reduce the feral cat population's growth.

It is a myth that fleas can't occur in Vegas. But for some reason, they aren't seen in the pet population only the feral population. One of the kittens that I was warming back up after coming out of surgery had a flea on her.

Fleas were treated with Frontline, ear mites were treated with Ivermectin, and if they needed to be reversed out of anesthesia it was done withe Yobine.

The cats were then taken to another room where they were bathed and brushed. Some required some extra attention as they woke up. Ideally, they should be twitching their ears, blinking, or licking at their lips when placed back in the traps. But then again with so many cats, it was hard. So some volunteers watched them while they woke up in their traps to ensure everything was going okay.

It was alot of fun and exciting.

My Mission

A lot of my thoughts really don't make sense in this. I understand that. My train of thought is more like a train wreck. So I think I need to blatantly share my mission.

I want to change the world. The world of animals.

I want...

...To stop pain and suffering
...To end animal abuse so that no animal is ever touched in a cruel way.
...To end neglect and ensure that every pet will be fed and watered, granted access to a warm bed, and lots of love.
...Educate people on the proper care of their animals.
...Find a way to make veterinary medicine affordable so that no one will allow their animal to suffer on the
...Every stray and homeless pet to find homes so that feral cat clinics and animal shelters no longer need to exist.
...Make sure that the animal shelters that must remain have enough funding to find every dog a home.
...To end kill shelters.
...To bring animals back from the edge of death when no one else thought they would survive.
...To give every animal a chance to survive, no matter how big or small it is.
...To breed endangered species and bring those species back from the edge of extinction.
...To stop the illegal poaching
...To stop the destruction of natural land

I really don't want that much. Hahaha.

I don't know how I'll accomplish all of it but I'm gonna try.

Veterinary Medicine...

Last week, I went to a vet school presentation by a speaker from Cornell Vet School in New York. It was an informal presentation but it kinda got me thinking...

HOW CAN WE BE SO CONCEITED?

How the hell did I come away with that conclusion from a vet school presentation? Let me ask you this, what do you feel is the primary goal of a veterinarian?

This speaker continually refered to veterinary medicine as helping animals in order to better the lives of humans. Horse health became important when they were needed for transportation and work. Livestock health became important in order to create better quality food. Small animal medicine became important when pets came into our homes.

Why can't animals be cared about just because they exist? They have every right to live that we do yet we constantly threaten that right. So instead of taking care of animals so that they may better our lives, can we just better their lives? Without some human-related end goal.

The One Health Initiative was also mentioned by the speaker. One Health is a program that looks to combine all angles of medicine. Because everything is linked together. Humans rely on the animals for food while animals rely on the environment. It makes sense that in order to get a smooth stable world, each aspect needs to be worked with.

I just wish that humans weren't always the top priority. I want to do veterinary medicine because I want to change the lives of animals. Not just so that the animals can benefit the humans.

The Rat Pack

I was never a big fan of rats. Don't get me wrong I have a reason. And I think it's a really good reason.

At Petco, I would come in to see a rat lifting it's head out of the ribcage of a partially devoured dead rat. That image was forever implanted in my mind.

It didn't help that I was bitten by a Rex Rat when I worked at my current pet store. Rex is not short for T-Rex. But it would have fit considering how much blood he managed to draw. My manager thought I had murdered something. Rex Rats are known for their curly rough coat and curly whiskers.

After a while, I began to warm up to them. They weren't evil, gross, or carrying the Black Plague. But I still wasn't going to consider keeping one as a pet.

Until I met Six. Six came to me after killing a snake. The owner of the snake then wanted to kill him. So I took him. He was a mess. Covered in scratches and blood. The vet at Banfeild told me it was a neurological issue. But then Melissa taught me about rat mites. After treating him with ivermectin every three days and cleaning his cage every day, he was better. The name Six came about when Mom suggested Subject Six, the surviving rat from I Am Legend. He was a blue and white fancy rat. He was my grumpy old man but he rocked.




Six after taking a bath


Dopey was the second rat. He was also used at snake bait but surviving by killing the snake. I fell in love with his big Dumbo ears that moved as he ate and would pout with him if I passed the cage without giving him a treat. He was a gray Dumbo rat.

Black Rat was the third. He was actually Dopeys brother. But he had been isolated for what looked like blood coming from his eye. Rat tears are actually pigmented with red so it wasn't blood. Just a really teary eye. He went to the vet once in the five months that he was in isolation for some antibiotics that had no effect. When it got to the point that it was euthanization, I decided to bring him home. We had a lot of trouble with his name. I considered Sewer Rat, Bilge Rat, Scabbers, etc. But while I considered names we just called him Black Rat and it stuck.

Dizzy came next. He was a special one with that definitely had some neurological issues. He walked in circles and swayed his head back and forth. His name was pretty easy to think of.

Sadly, Rats only live a couple years so all four of the originals have passed.

I have two at the moment. The brothers that were dropped off at my doorstep in a bank box. At least I think they were brother because they were the same age and had very similar markings.

Weasley is a gray and white chunk of a Dumbo rat with a white stripe down his face. He is a greedy gut with a lot of spunk. He likes to chase the dogs and tease the cats.

Potter is another problem child. The black and white Dumbo rat has a white lightning stripe down his forehead earning him the Harry Potter name. But he never got chunky like his brother. Because his bottom incisors are growing too long and stabbing into the roof of his mouth. Causing infection and definitely making it painful for him to eat. My mom and I have been trimming his teeth frequently. In theory, if I kept his bottom teeth short, his upper teeth would come back in. But they haven't yet. I'm beginning to wonder if he even has upper teeth. So I'm hoping to save up some money to get him x-rayed to find out.

Puppy Mills Leave dogs with long term psychological damage in addition to physical

We all know about the deplorable conditions at puppy mills, where puppies are mass-produced for sale in retail pet stores or online. The breeding dogs are confined in small cages or enclosures for their whole lives, get virtually no exercise or kind human contact, and usually sleep in their own excrement and urine.

Sadly, on the occasion that these breeding dogs make it out of the mill and into foster or adoptive homes, life doesn’t just automatically turn around for them. According to a study of 1,169 dogs formerly used as breeders in puppy mills, the psychological damage can be long-lasting — or even lifelong.

It’s something those who work with puppy mill rescues have seen for years. But this large-scale study, by the Best Friends Animal Society and the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School, is the first of its kind, showing that even those mills approved by the government can be extremely damaging.

“The results of the study indicate it really doesn’t matter if the breeding operation claims to be shiny and clean, abiding by the laws, or even whether or not they are licensed by the USDA,” says Frank McMillan, lead researcher of the study and director of well-being studies for Best Friends. “This study gives us strong evidence that the dogs kept in these large-scale breeding facilities don’t just suffer while they’re confined there, but carry the emotional scars out with them for years even when they’re placed in loving homes. Many of the dogs show difficulty in simply coping successfully with normal day-to-day life.”

The cages were approx 1.5 feet high and 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide. The cage floors were of approx. 1.5″ x 1.5″ coated wire. No solid surface for support — just look at this poor Mama’s splayed paws, and long, untrimmed nails curling around the wire. And can you imagine how uncomfortable it must be for her to lie down? The piles in the foreground are feces.

The buildup of feces and urine were beyond comprehension … the urine puddle beneath the Mama Doxie was cheeselike in consistency. The collection tray was full of mold. … The foul odor and flies were beyond comprehension. I could not fathom this as being an acceptable, much less humane, way to raise man’s best friend. It made me sick to hear her whimpering as she looked at me … like what did I do to deserve this?

The study shows that former breeding dogs have greatly elevated levels of fears and phobias, strong compulsive and repetitive behaviors like pacing, increased sensitivity to being touched and picked up, and problems with house soiling.

Fortunately, many such dogs are able to overcome the damage with a lot of love and patience. But not all can.

“The saddest stories are those from the kindhearted people who adopt these dogs and work hard for years to give them love and acceptance. They’ll sometimes report that even after several years the dog will simply sit and stare blankly into space,” McMillan says. “They tell me that it’s like ‘he’s not really there,’ or that the little dog is reminiscent of a severely autistic child.”

The word “heartbreaking” does not come close to describing the damages inflicted by these places …

Disgust with Pet Stores... A certain one.

For Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, I am dissecting three lizards to compare and contrast the digestive tract of herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores. My specimens are an Iguana, Bearded Dragon, and Savannah Monitor.

Now this wasn't my original intended dissection. Originally I wanted to do a dissection of a reptile with Metabolic Bone Disease to show how the disease affected the skeleton of the reptile.

But finding dead reptiles is surprisingly difficult expecially when wanting such a specific specimen. Vets didn't keep bodies.

So I began to get a little desperate. I decided that I would secure some reptilian specimens and then build a project based on what specimen or specimens I could get. I tried pet stores. And one came through for me. Exotic Pets. Yes, it was beneficial to me but it also disgusted me to know how many dead animals were in their freezer. Two hedgehogs, an anaconda, a ball python, an iguana, a bearded dragon, a skink, and an ornate uromastyx. I found it a little disgruntling. But I needed specimens and now I had them.

I decided to use the Bearded Dragon and Iguana to compare the digestive tracts. Then I came across the monitor completing the three types of digestion.

But out of curiosity, I dissected them all.

The bearded dragon most likely died of an upper respiratory infection because it's lungs were filled with mucus. The lungs had a volume of 50 cc. Thirty of that was the mucus which I squeezed out. If he was that bad internally, then there were obvious visible symptoms that had to have been ignored. Upper respiratory presents with labored bearthing (often audible), mucus (from nose and mouth), and general lethergy.

The skink was a questionable species. I was told it was a schneider's skink. But from references, schnieder's skinks were supposed to be extremely tubular with short legs. The specimen on the table, was extremely thin and legs looked too long. When he was cut open, I released why he was so anorexic. His abdomen was filled with worms. Parastic worms were along the intestine, inside the stomach, and inside the lungs.

Now I know that I probably wasn't getting healthy specimens. Healthy specimens wouldn't have died. But at the same time, these animals didn't have to die either. Both conditions were treatable had the symptoms been noticed. Or worse, maybe they were noticed but ignored.

Now besides their dead animals, they have a lot of audacity.

Every time that I've stepped into their store, there has been something dead. Turtles, snakes, lizards, insects. And they'll insist that it's not dead but it is. Because it's not breathing, it's liver is black from decomp, and it smells something awful.

Then, they'll sell animals close to death. They've sold someone a snake that died within twenty four hours of leaving the store. But that's probably why they don't have a health quarantee on their animals. Because they know it's sick and dying.

What I don't understand it why Ken Foose is so respected by the herpetological world when his store is such a shame. He has an article in every Reptiles USA magazine describing the care of different herp species. Why would someone trust his word when there are so many things dying in his store.

I have stopped going there.