Michale Vick’s Dogs

The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption

An inspiring story of survival and our powerful bond with man's best friend, in the aftermath of the nation's most notorious case of animal cruelty.


Animal lovers and sports fans were shocked when the story broke about NFL player Michael Vick's brutal dog fighting operation. But what became of the dozens of dogs who survived? As acclaimed writer Jim Gorant discovered, their story is the truly newsworthy aspect of this case. Expanding on Gorant's Sports Illustrated cover story, The Lost Dogs traces the effort to bring Vick to justice and turns the spotlight on these infamous pit bulls, which were saved from euthanasia by an outpouring of public appeals coupled with a court order that Vick pay nearly a million dollars in "restitution" to the dogs.



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Archive for the ‘Dogs health’ Category

Learn to Recognize the Symptoms n Dogs That Your Dog Might Be Experiencing

Early recognition of symptoms in dogs is very important, particularly in senior dogs or very young pups. I was the owner of a senior dog, a Golden Retriever. August 6th 2009, she finally had to be put to sleep. Abigail was her name and she was my heart. It was because of her that I decided to make this blog. I wanted to do something that might help others with their dogs, senior or not.

Symptoms in Dogs - Abigail

I also have a special needs pet, a paralyzed dog, Isabel. . The special challenges that she presents are an education in themselves. And early recognition of her symptoms was critical for saving her life.

So you can see by these two dogs alone, there is a wealth of information that I can share with you about symptoms in dogs.

Our Abigail and Isabel were both rescued puppies. Abigail was a product of a puppy mill, and Isabel was an abandoned pup that we got from the rescue league. You have no idea what you are getting when you rescue a puppy so you need to be aware of symptoms in dogs related to multiple possible diseases. And taking any precautions recommended by your vet. But there are some things you can be aware of at the beginning.

All reputable rescue shelters provide veterinarian care. All diseases detected are properly treated and the animal cared for. Diseases such as distemper, parvo, rabies, leptospirosis, are detected and treatment administered. It is important to remember these are rescue centers and they are usually short funded. So if they do not believe the animal can be saved or is too far gone with a disease, a humane euthanasia is performed. So for you this means your dog has been treated and is felt to have been cured, or it would not be offered to you for adoption.

ASPCA Complete Dog Care Manual

You still want to take proper precautions and have your own vet look your new family member over. Disease symptoms in dogs can be missed especially if they are very early, or the animal was not handled much or emotionally withdrawn where it wouldn’t show it’s symptoms very readily. These animals need a lot of love and attention, but be sure to give it to them on their terms. Don’t force anything. Allow them to get used to you. But monitor and observe them for symptoms in dogs diseases. Educate yourself. You know what feels right or what causes you to be worried. The sooner detection does occur, the more likely it will be a full recovery.

Let’s just cover a few common diseases today.

Common Diseases and Symptoms in Dogs

 

Distemper

Symptoms in dogs with distemper are similar to the common cold – like runny nose and eyes, coughing, high temperature, and diarrhea. These are early symptoms. If the disease has progressed, you may observe nervous twitching, convulsions and even paralysis. Unfortunately there is no treatment or cure. Veterinarians can treat the dog palitively in the early stages, but the humane treatment is put the dog to sleep. Canine distemper is caused by a very contagious virus transmitted by air. The good news this is a common disease for vaccination. Puppies at rescue leagues will probably have been vaccinated. But a neglected older dog, now rescued dog may not have had such treatment, so early detection is key for your animal’s humane care.

Parvovirus

Symptoms in dogs with Parvovirus are lethargy, fever, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and rapid dehydration. It is spread by contact with infected stools. It is deadly and highly contagious. Treatment will entail rigorous intravenous fluids to combat the diarrhea and resulting dehydration. Supportive therapy may also be required. And isolation is necessary because it is so contagious. However, like distemper, cared for animals are vaccinated against parvo, so your dogs already in the home would be safe.

Tracheobronchitis (aka Kennel Cough)

Symptoms in dogs of this common ailment is a chronic, dry, hacking cough, usually associated with a recent trip to be kenneled, so in close association with other dogs. It is caused by a variety of viruses and bacteria. It attacks the respiratory system and results in the chronic cough. It is very transmittable but generally remains a mild infection. The reason we need early detection is the protection of the young pups and the senior dogs, if untreated, it could develop into pneumonia. There is treatment and recovery is usual. There is a vaccination available to prevent kennel cough.

Leptospirosis

This disease infects the kidneys and is caused by bacteria. It is spread through contact with mucous, urine or saliva of infected animals. Leptospirosis is of particular concern since it can infect humans. Symptoms in dogs include vomiting, diarrhea, and jaundice (detected by yellow color to gums, whites of the eyes and skin) excessive drinking, and distention of the dog’s abdomen. Intensive care is necessary for these animals. They require antibiotics and intravenous fluids. Animals can recover but are often left with permanent kidney damage. Vaccinations do exist, but the multitude of strains of this disease often thwart the effectiveness of preventive measures.

I hope this introduction to some diseases common to our rescued friends can help you with early detection of symptoms in dogs. It is my goal to help with the care and treatment of our beloved pets.

Products to Help With Home Care of Your Dog and Help With Recognition of Symptoms in Dogs

Dog Owner’s Home Veterinary HandbookComplete Dog Care Manual (Aspca)The Complete Healthy Dog Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Keeping Your Pet Happy, Healthy & Active Through Every Stage of LifeMy Dog!: A Kids’ Guide to Keeping a Happy and Healthy PetHow to Prepare Your House for a New Dog (Happy Dog Books Collection)The Holistic Dog Book: Canine Care for the 21st CenturyDog Care: A Quick Guide On Dog Training, Puppy Training, Dog Grooming, House Breaking And About Dog Food

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It’s the Ingredients That Make the Difference in Pet Food Prices

 

Pet Food Ingredients

It is sometimes surprising to see Pet Food Prices. You would think that if something is expensive it must be superior.

It may surprise you to know that while price can hint at quality, a high price does not always mean a good quality pet food. There are many factors that determine what the final price tag on a bag of pet food will be. To note, we are primarily talking about dry kibble as for cats and dogs in this article.

The Ingredients are a big contributing fact to the price of a cat or dog food. Quality ingredients drive a price up, cheap ones, enable the manufacturer to sell the food for less. And the price does not tell you that the ingredients are actually good ingredients. In fact there has been some real problems with some foods having tainted ingredients that are causing severe illness and even death in some dogs. In fact I almost lost my own Belgian Sheep dog, Isabel to tainted chicken in dog treats from China. You can read more about this Here and more about her recovery Here.

 

 

 

Saved from tainted chicken jerkey treats from China.

Isabel, My Parlayzed Dog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my Isabel that You’ve seen in a lot of other posts but she had a very scary time with that tainted Chicken Jerky from China. I am just so grateful that we saved her. But it did open our eyes that we needed to do so much better with choosing our dog food and treats. We learned to read labels and know what is important and good for our beloved pets.

Here is some more help to help you decide on a food for your pets. We may try to read the labels on our pet’s food, but what does it really say to us. We may need some help with this. Here is a Wiki Article that breaks the label down so we can make good choices. How to choose healthy dog food.

 

 

Choose Your Food Carefully For Your Precious Pets – Don’t Let Pet Food Prices Deter You From Excellence. 

 Iams Proactive Health Adult Lamb Meal and Rice, 15.5-Pound BagsPet Food Prices

Symptoms in Dogs – Part two of Common Dog Illnesses

In the last post I identified some of the common problems that produce symptoms in dogs. Some diseases that are difficult to treat, but easy to prevent if vaccinated when they are puppies. I want to finish that list with some more common diseases and causes of certain symptoms in dogs.

Canine Infectious Hepatitis (Adenovirus)

Adenovirus is transmitted through excretions – urine, feces, saliva. Symptoms include fever, depression, and loss of appetite, coughing, and a tender abdomen. This disease affects the liver and kidneys as well as the blood vessels. The dog will require Intensive care, if there is to be a chance for recovery. However, this is not guaranteed.

Corona (Canine coronavirus)

This disease seen more often in puppies since older dogs have built up immunity. The symptoms in dogs is very similar to parvovirus symptoms., except it is normally milder and more treatable. However it is highly contagious and attacks the gastrointestinal tract and causes fairly severe vomiting and diarrhea. This is why early treatment is so important because of the intensity of dehydration. You may also notice loss of appetite and depression and blood in the stools. The disease can even be misdiagnosed because the symptoms in dogs can mimic poisoning.  The necessary treatment includes combating the dehydration usually with IV fluids. As well as palliative treatment of symptoms for the dogs comfort.

Rabies

Rabies is probably the most well-known disease of animals, including dogs. It even includes man. Why, they have even made movies about rabies, can you say CUJO. Rabies is a very serious illness that attacks the central nervous system and causes encephalitis or infection of the brain. The symptoms progress slowly, starting with nervousness, anxiety and isolating. Then they will become restless, irritable and extra sensitive to noise and light. Next the animal will begin to over salivate and have difficulty swallowing. Finally deep labored breathing, paralysis and respiratory failure. The animal including humans, will die if not vaccinated.

When a person is bitten by a suspicious animal, the animal must be quarantined for 10 days to monitor for signs of the disease to determine if the human must go through the rabies vaccinations. If the suspected animal is already dead, an autopsy of the brain will determine if the disease is present.  Rabies vaccine must be started in a series and Immunoglobulins must be given within 10 days of the bite.

When you get your new family member it is very important, whether they are a puppy or an older dog, to have them checked out by your veterinarian. Early detection of any disease is important. Some symptoms in dogs will show you the way to a cure if a cure is possible. Otherwise humane treatment of your dog can result from early detection. But no matter what the age of your pet or the newness of their arrival in your home, you must pay attention in the symptoms in dogs.

 42 Rules to Fight Dog Cancer (2nd Edition): Real Stories and Practical Approaches to Dealing with Dog CancerSymptoms in Dogs

 

Heat Stroke in Dogs is Potentially Fatal – Take Action Quickly But Prevention Is Best 

Heat Stroke in Dogs is potentially and frequently fatal. Why is it that people frequently fail to think of their dogs as living breathing creatures that require the same care to stay alive as they do? At least this is the way it seems when you hear on the news how someone has again left their dog in the car with the windows up and the temperature outside is 90 degrees.

heat stroke in dogs

Dogs do not have the ability to sweat and discharge that excess heat that has built up in their bodies. They can only pant which is their way of exchanging the hot air for cooler air, but what happens when the temperature on the outside is the same or worse than the inside? This is when heat stroke in dogs occurs, a deadly and painful condition.

Heat stroke in dogs  is an emergency. If you intend to save your pet you must act quickly. You must get the body temperature down below 104 degrees F. Do this by cooling them with cool water, not freezing, set them into a cool bath for a couple minutes then put them in front of a fan. Put cool cloths on their abdomens, groins and arm pits. Dip their feet into cool water or put cool cloths over the feet as well.

Keep checking the rectal temperature every ten minutes and when you have it down below 104 degrees F. get the dog to the vet, there are many complications that can occur after the heat stroke has occurred and been dealt with.

If you have a dog or pet and you love them, you must exercise that part of you that would do anything to save a child. Learn about heat stroke in dogs and how to prevent it and in the worse case scenario how to treat it.

Please take a moment to look at more detail in the recognition of the symptoms of heat stroke in dogs and the treatment in my Knoji Article regarding this very subject.

 

Heat Stroke in Dogs Requires Fast Action and Temperature Cooling 

 PlayaPup Pup Chiller Cooling Mat, Blue, Large, 37 x 27 inches

The Tainted Chicken Jerky From China Did Not Beat Our Isabel

I shared with you all how our Isabel became very very ill a few weeks ago. And due to her paralysis we made a near fatal mistake in recognizing the symptoms in this dog and we mistakenly blamed her symptoms on a Urinary tract infection. If you missed that post, you can learn here how the tainted chicken jerky affected ourParalyzed Belgian Sheepdog,

 

 

Chicken Jerky from China

Isabel doing Great Now!!

It just seemed to take a long time for her to get better. We’d think things were improving and she just never stayed on an even keel for a few weeks. But she finally turned the corner and it was such a relief to see her feeling better, and having some energy and some interest in her life again. I tell you it was frightening.

 

The new treats we are giving her that are made in America, are great. She loves them and she is doing very well with her health. So I am not at all hesitant to give them to her. I think we have beat it once and for all.

 

So to lighten the mood to go along with our Isabel’s return to good health, I wanted to share this very cute video. It is hysterical. And makes me laugh every time, something we have really needed after our long spell of worry. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Another Horrid Puppy Mill Shut Down

Puppy Mill in Kentucky under attack. The ASPCA and Humane Society has again come through and made a huge difference in the lives of 40+ dogs. These dogs were a part of a Puppy Mill in Nancy, Kentucky. The dogs ranged from Chihuahuas to Blood Hounds. Many of them had never had human contact. They were sick and obviously in need of veterinary care and they were in need of shelter but most of all love from humans who were not going to ever hurt them ever again. They needed to know what it means to be warm and loved and cared for.

 Successful Shutdown of Puppy Mill

If you’ve read my blog before you know how I stand on Puppy Mills. They need to be shut down! They exist in every state and most countries. They are horrid, vile, evil places that kill the soul of any dog in them. A torture chamber of horror.

Puppy Mills

My puppy Abigail that was a product of a Puppy Mill in Missouri

 

Thank God for people who work with the ASPCA and Humane Societies Across this country. The work they do is not easy and can turn the stomach sometimes, but they are driven forward to help these dogs. We can help them too. Please consider a donation to either life saving group or a dog rescue of your choice. But do something!! Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk. Step up and Donate! Go to any of their websites and you will find a place to donate.

 

Here is the video showing the rescue of these 40+ precious dogs. It is very short, but worth your time. The dogs are so beautiful and precious and now safe from further harm.

 

Here is the LINK to the original article by the ASPCA.

I have had so many people contact me because their special and precious dog has become paralyzed and they are asking for help. What do they do now? How do you handle this? How do you deal with the emotional stress of this huge life changing event? What is the next step? Where can you get help?

I have answered many of these emails personally and tried to help where I could. I must stress that I am not a veterinarian. We must all rely on the expertise of those trained in the care of our beloved animals.  But the Veterinarian does not come home with you and your newly paralyzed pet, no one is there to hold your hand and give you guidance or answer your questions. I know this because it all happened to me.

Paralyzed Dog, Isabel

Yes, when my Isabel became paralyzed there were no answers. No one to help. I searched the internet and nothing came from my searching. There simply was nothing out there, that was six years ago. Today there are more choices and more people trying to help. Including myself.

Does this mean there are more paralyzed dogs than their used to be? I don’t think so. I think people are just much more comfortable with using the internet and there are more people comfortable with putting the information they are searching for out there. It is a good marriage. When people need information and ask for it, other people who write online have figured out how to give them what they need.

So I am in the unique position of loving and owning a paralyzed dog. And learning the ins and outs of this through trial and error and have figured out things that work very well, and other things that are just dumb. As I said before I have tried to help a lot of people, but it is on a one to one basis. So now I have created help that anyone can use anytime without waiting for me to respond.  It is a site I have created called Care Of A Paralyzed Dog, kind of catchy isn’t it?

Please feel free to bookmark it so you can refer to it often. My Isabel was the Model for the site and she had a great time making videos and posing for photos.I hope you find it helpful and I hope your paralyzed dog is going to benefit and that your lives will improve and become joyful. Just remember, It is not hopeless. It is never hopeless.

 

Care Of A Paralyzed Dog

A Website with some answers about caring for and loving a paralyzed dog.

My Isabel on her Eddies Wheels Loving Being Outdoors

Isabel, My paralyzed dog on wheels

Puppy Mills Must Be Shut Down – It will Take All Of  Us

 

Everyone Knows how I feel about Puppy Mills. My Abigail came from a puppy mill and worse yet, we didn’t even find that out for weeks after we purchased her. It was one of those situations where she was sold by a puppy mill to a dog broker who supposedly is reputable, then he sells to individuals and to pet stores. Well no matter how you white wash it, it is despicable, and needs to be stopped.

Puppy mill puppy

A friend of mine over at Associated Content for Yahoo, Michele Starkey, has written an article that really needs your attention. Here is an excerpt. Please got to the article because at the end is a link to a form you can fill out to speak to your legislature no matter where you live, to help put a stop to this nightmare.

I’m counting on you, the puppies need us. Puppy Mills will never be shut down as long as we ignore the problem. Not taking a stand will only prolong the agony of these tortured mother dogs, these neglected puppies with very little hope and we devoted dog lovers. Puppy Mills and their disgusting breeders. Please read the article and take action.

 

 

 

According to the ASPCA and several members of the U.S. House of Representatives, there is a giant-sized loophole in U.S. law concerning puppy mills. Breeders who sell to puppy brokers and pet stores have to be USDA licensed but those who sell directly to the public are NOT monitored by the USDA.The Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety (PUPS) Act has appeared in past Congressional sessions, but has always timed out. Why has the Congress let this Act time out? Inquiring minds want to know.

read the rest of this article

 Saving Gracie: How One Dog Escaped the Shadowy World of American Puppy MillsPuppy Mills - Saving Gracie

A very frightening health crisis with my paralyzed dog, Isabel happened in the past month. I wanted to share with you so maybe you don’t have to go through this with your dog.Isabel, Paralyzed Dog

 

Isabel became acutely ill. The usual dog symptoms of a paralyzed dog and urinary tract infection did not seem to be occurring and she has never been sick with any other symptoms so we were at a loss. We watched her closely for about a week and she just didn’t get any better, The main thing we noticed at this time was lack of interest in her walk. She was still eating and drinking in fact she was drinking a lot, but not enough to worry us. Then she began having diarrhea, of course this is a huge concern because she for sure will get an UTI. A dog in diapers can not tolerate having diarrhea without infecting themselves. So I did my best to keep her clean and gave her Immodium to stop the diarrhea.

 

Next she developed vomiting several times. Nothing was in the vomit like undigested food or anything, but she stopped eating. She would still drink and a lot, more than usual, The thing to worry about with a dog with excessive thirst and urinating a lot is diabetes. So we were worried but still watching.

 

We decided she was having too many dog treats. Maybe her partially paralyzed bowel and being ten years old, was just causing her not to be able to cope with the harsh jerky treats. She wouldn’t eat her chow but she still wanted her treats. We gave her the Costco Kingdom Pets Chicken Jerky Treats, in fact she has eaten them for years, long before her paralysis, so we thought nothing of it, in fact we were glad she would eat anything. Well then I saw in her vomit a bit of the jerky undigested and that was that. We stopped the jerky, She could only have her lamb and rice cookie treats from then on.

 

Well lo and behold she started to improve after a couple of days. No further diarrhea or vomiting and she slowed down on her water and she nibbled her regular chow at last.

 

Well coincidentally, one of her favorite treats was the Costco Kingdom Pets sweet potato and chicken jerky wrap treats. I thought the sweet potato would be much more gentle to her stomach and bowel. Our Costco stopped carrying it and so I went online to see if I could find them since we decided the other jerky treat was too harsh for her ten-year old paralyzed bowel to handle.

 

Wow, what a surprise I found! Do a search on Google for Kingdom Pets Chicken jerky dog treats. You are going to find post after post of concerned pet owners that have fed their pets these treats and they have sick dogs and some have dead dogs. It was shocking to us. I couldn’t believe it. I was killing my beloved pet by giving her tainted chicken from China. Are you kidding me? Who can you trust?

 

My Isabel had every dog symptom listed on the websites, many many websites. Diarrhea, vomiting, excessive thirst, increased urination, lack of appetite, and lethargy. The next step for her would have been kidney failure and then death.

Isabel, Paralyzed dog on her wheels

 

 

 

I actually believe her dog paralysis is what saved her because I blamed her partially paralyzed bowel on not being able to handle the treats. Not the treats causing the problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an excerpt of the ABC’s report on this subject:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about chicken jerky for dogs, saying some products imported from China may be associated with 70 reports of dogs who became ill or died.  That number is up from 54 reports last year, the agency indicated.

 

Finish reading this ABC News Post Chicken Jerky Treats Linked to Illnesses in Dogs

I am happy to say she is healthy and completely back to normal. We caught it in time and for whatever reason paralysis or dumb luck the events of this story are having a happy ending. I do hope any of you reading this will save your dogs too.

 

Needless to say we went on an all out search for dog treats made in the USA. At first not such an easy task, but we did find a couple that Isabel likes. One is Steak House Treat Company’s Lamb Cuts, treats for dogs, carried by Costco. The other is

Yummy Chummies, Wild Alaska Salman, Soft N Chewy that Costco also sells. Also cookies made with chicken, steak, peanut butter and lamb, lots of choices. She seems to like them all. She will never eat anything from China ever again. Neither will we!

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I have connected with an amazing woman who loves dogs as much as I do. Her website, Health for Dogs, teaches dog owners ways to keep their dogs optimally healthy with more natural methods. She has also studied many symptoms in dogs and diseases that affect our pets and is willing to share her knowledge with us all. Feel free to visit her site, I know I do.

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