Extreme Make-over: Home Edition - Puppy Style

I just love watching the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition every Sunday. A few years ago, I drew up the plans of what I hoped to build for the rescue after watching several episodes. Tonight, I decided to bathe Mickey before I went to bed, so he'd be clean for his stay at the vet the next few days for his heartworm treatment.

Let me start off by saying that Mickey is a wonderful dog. He's very good, usually, for me. He loves to be near me, have my attention. For this reason, I thought I could take on an under 40 pound husky on my own in the shower... I was wrong. He's lean, and determined. His fur really should probably be shaved down so new, healthier fur can grow, but instead, I went for a full shampoo. I used almost an entire bottle, as Husky fur is very thick. I underestimated that, despite him being lean, anything I put on him he could turn into bathroom decor... and he did. And the hallway. And the kitchen. The floors are now cleaner, too, since I had to wipe up all the shampoo paw prints and water he traced throughout the house.

The good news is that we finally came to an understanding and after thirty minutes of negotiating, got all the shampoo out of the fur. The bad news is his part of the negotiations did not allow for a blow drying, so instead, I had to put more towels down on the floor in the kitchen for him to dry himself. Ugh. But at least I'll feel less like the vet will want to call doggy DFACS on me tomorrow since he at least smells a little better. It's a darn good thing he can't talk though...

The More People I Meet, the More I Love My Dog

Animal lovers have said this for years, but today, it pounded in my head. Today was to be a good day: get work done, do an adoption, pull in another dog to foster care, go home. All of that happened, but with one glitch.

Several weeks ago, we adopted out a dog through placement assistance for a friend of one of our volunteers. On paper and at the meet and greet, everything seemed fine. So the volunteer left the dog with the new owner, and was going to return with the paperwork. After a week of having phone calls unanswered, the volunteer went to the home on Monday, only to get no answer. She returned again on Tuesday, still no answer. On Wednesday, she left a note under the doormat, and noticed that mail was piling up. Today she called me, saying she was concerned and that she could hear the dog barking inside. So, we called SPD. Sure enough, the dog had been left alone for at least three days, and there was no power to the place. He seemed ok, and we put him back into foster care immediately. But I'm still fuming. How do people do this?

It just reminds me the reason we put all these safeguards on doing adoptions. We can't predict everything, but know that we certainly try our best.

K-9 Advantix Causing Serious Harm to Dogs and Cats

Like most people, I get way too much email in my inbox everyday. Most of the time, it is a plea for help... I got pregnant and you can't raise a baby and a dog, I'm moving and there is no place there that will take my 11 year old cat, we got a new kitten and our old dog doesn't like it, etc. But I also subscribe to about 16 rescue-related groups through Yahoo, which I get 1 email for 25 messages. One list has had a flurry of messages centering around K-9 Advantix for the last two days, and it aroused my curiousity.

I, myself, have never used K-9 Advantix, but I well remember their cute commercials with the little yellow lab puppy writing home from camp. I had always used Advantage until my vet turned me on to Frontline Plus. Since the fleas are so horrible here every year, we often have to rotate the products to help kill the fleas, and add in a round of Capstar. But like any good "mom," I was horrified as I read the experiences of this other rescuer. I don't know if anyone else is using the product, but I thought it would be important to share the information that she relayed. (As a side note, I also never use Banfield anymore as I have yet to have a good feeling when I've been in there with an animal as a last resort when my regular vet was not available. It wasn't just the vet alone, but the service all the way around, not to mention the outrageous pricing.)

This is a cross-post, with permission:
From: Debbie Stayer Kelly

I want to relay my personal experience with a topical flea product, as
well as share info that I discovered after researching this all.
Hopefully my experience as well as the info below may prevent this
tragedy from happening to you & your pets, as well as anyone you know
who has pets that you want to share this with.

In early Oct after bathing all 3 of my dogs, I realized I only had 2
tubes of Advantage.

It was late Saturday p.m., so I ran over to Petsmart's Banfield vet
clinic, to get another tube. They said they no longer carried Advantage
or Frontline, products that I've safely used for years. They said they
only sold a product called K-9 Advantix, and said it was the same thing
only better (has an ingredient in it to repel mosquitos). I didn't buy
it at first, I raced home & searched the net, found that it is made by
Bayer, who also makes Advantage, so I went back & got it. They only had
1 tube left, so they put it in a prescription bottle (without including
the little info flyer).

Later that evening I put this on my 11 yr old Sheep dog mix, & right
away he started running around reaching at his rear, & scratching like
crazy. I'm thinking he must have had more fleas than I realized. I do
not have a flea problem at my house, as I treat my yard, and I have no
carpet. I blow him dry & had only found a couple of fleas. Late on
Saturday evening, he finally stopped scratching & going berserk & went
to sleep. I thought he was just exhausted, but the next morning I
realized that he was almost comatose. I had to call his name loudly, &
he could just barely raised his head in response. I immediately put in a
call to the vet, & in the meantime scoured the web for a way to handle
this. I was horrified when I found a public forum addressing this
product (see link below). Instead of finding a remedy for side effects
on the Bayer site it was on this forum that I found it. I even read (on
this forum) that Bayer admitted to one petowner that they had not
done extensive testing on this product as was done on other products.
Later the vet called & said to get it off of him immediately, (scrub
with Dawn dishwashing liquid & rinse, rinse, rinse). He was so lethargic
he couldn't even stand up in the tub, I had to prop his head up to get
this washed off of him.

He was much better within just hours of getting it off, but it still
took 7+ days for him to get back to normal. About 4-5 days (still a bit
unstable but much better) I took him for a walk. Well, he fell really
hard coming up the concrete steps & then slid backwards down them. I got
him to the vet to find there was an incredible amount of damage done to
the cartilege in his throat & a hole the size of a nickel. They cleaned
it really good, but left the opening so it could drain. Of course it
healed & closed within a day. After running to the vet daily for almost
a week to have them drain the fluid she put in a drain tube. After a
month, the vet finally said that had to come out. He is also on
antibotics for well over a month. When it continued to worsen the vet
ran some blood tests & told me they had found cancer cells (melanoma) in
his throat, & that it was spreading, & there was nothing more they could
do for him, to take him home & give him anything he wanted to
make him happy & comfortable. She said she gave him maybe 3 weeks
(12/18/06). I am in shock!

I immediately made an appointment for the next day, with a vet that
specializes in canine cancer & disease. This vet looked at his wound &
agreed with the diagnosis. She told me that she had also used this K-9
Advantix on her own dog who had a really bad reaction to it as well (
rolling her eyes she said... "but we still sell it") I asked her if she
felt that this product could be responsible for this cancerous invasion
or if maybe he just was predisposed genetically to have cancer or just
what since he was otherwise healthy prior to my using K-9 Advantix? She
hestitated a minute & very carefully said, "Well (a very long well), I
can't say that the K-9 Advantix actually caused the cancer... and No, he
was not just predisposed to have cancer... cancer cells just seem to
come from nowhere when/where there is a weakened part of the body." The
vet said that while he may not be in any pain right now (melanoma
cancers aren't painful like bone or internal cancer) that since
this was a rapid moving cancer it could
spread to other parts of his body & at some point he could have lots of
pain. She said that since the mass is in his throat that the day would
probably come that he would not be able to swallow. The first thing I do
every morning is offer him a little piece of cheese to make sure he can
still swallow & am soooo relieved when he eats. She says that everything
could change to bad as quickly as overnight.

This cancer is growing massive on his throat (02/01/07) but he seems to
not be in much distress - he sleeps a lot more but perks up fast if you
ask him if he wants to go for a walk or ride. When I call his name, even
if he is too tired to raise his head, he always wags that tail. Some
days are good (Thank God for Rymadil)... & some days are not as good.

I am dreading the day he takes a real turn for the worse, & am just
thankful that today he is seems to not be in pain. He wags his tail
(along with his entire body) ever so humbly when I call his name, & then
stares directly into my heart & my soul when he looks at me - he knows
that he is loved & he trust me with his entire being. I feel such guilt
when I look back into those eyes, knowing what I've done to him by using
this poison. I am happy and so grateful for the time that I will have
left with him, but just tormented knowing it will end very soon. He has
been the best friend in the world.

IMPORTANT INFO & ADVICE THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW....

There are 2 main pesticides used in both Advantage & also K-9 Advantix.
I did not research the one pesticide that is common in both since I have
used Advantage for years with no problem. The other pesticide found in
K-9 Advantix, but not in Advantage is permethrin (the mosquito repellent
- also used to kill termites). I am shocked at what I have found.

**Also searched for info on this product & it's relation/link to cancer,
and found the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified
permethrin as a suspected carcenogen.
http://www.scorecar/d.org/health-effects/chemicals-2.tcl?shorthazard_nam
e=cancer&allp=t9
(compliled of records and reports from the EPA) also
listed here as a definite carcenogen (don't know which is more current)
http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/permethrin/cox-rep
ort/cox.htm

**Read the comments in this public forum re: K-9 Advantix - it's not
just me with this problem. http://www.dogsonly.org Click on message
board on right side side then find the topic K-9 Avdantix. Most recent
comments are at the end.

Still another public forum that also warns about BIO SPOT...
http://www.elverson/puzzle.com/biospotlettersv13.html.

Read this article written by a Florida Veterinarian.
Topical Flea Control Products: What's the difference?
http://floridapetpa/ges.com/articles/TopicalFleaControlProducts.html


Even more Horrible facts......
K-9 Advantix can be/ is toxic to dogs if it is applied where they could
possibly lick it or if a puppy playmate were to get it in their mouths
playing & wrestling around with a dog that has this on. Unlike Advantage
that is applied between the shoulder blades, K-9 Advantix is to be
applied in several spots down the dogs back.

No adult dog topical flea products should ever be used on a toy or
miniature breed - ONLY applications for puppies should ever be used on
these breeds - even if they are adult dogs.

The product, K-9 Advantix is highly toxic to cats, even if it is on your
dog & the cat gets it on itself.

I am amazed that this is the only topical flea application that
Petsmart's Banfield clinic sells, knowing how many of their petowner
clients have both dogs & cats. Petsmarts Banfield clinic never even me
asked if I had cats - I have 6. I spoke to a mgr. at Petsmart who got
the number for Banfield corporate office for me told me that Petsmart
doesn't own Banfield. He rescues cats (has like 16 or so) & told me he
wouldn't use Banfield for anything ever - what does that tell you?? What
do you think he knows & we don't!

The Vet told me that right now the best & safest topical flea
application is Advantage - she even said that Frontline isn't working
anymore. She told me there is a new product that will be introduced
early 2007 but said she was going to keep a watchful eye on that product
even before she would use it on her own dog. I think many vets won't
speak against these products - don't know why! Guess they don't want to
ruin their relationship with Bayer or maybe they are under some sort of
contract.

Please if you love your babies, please don't use K-9 Advantix on
them! Even if you are using it, & it seems to be OK, they do not
know enough about it and by Bayers own admission, it was not thoroughly
tested. I don't think anyone knows about the long term effects. Please
please please protect your babies & never use this poison on them!
Pat in Atlanta

I've got a Full House

I didn't win any money, but I hit the puppy lotto this week. There's nothing better than puppy therapy, and this week, I got it times five.

The big goofy one on the left has been with me for over a year, as I adopted him when he was six weeks old. Out of the others, you can play the Sesame Street game "which one of these is different from the others" and you'll see Madison. She's a pretty little cocker spaniel/chow mix. I fell in love with her at animal control over a week ago, and couldn't wait to bring her home. She was so timid and so afraid. She'd rather run to the back of the cage than get a reprieve. I didn't let her get her way, and brought her home. The day I went to get her, was the day I met the other kids.

I try to visit animal control at least once if not more a week. There are so many great animals that end up there, and no one ever knows. People have always told me they just couldn't do it, they would be heartbroken to have to go in and see all the sad faces. How easy do you think it is for those who work there? Even for me, on a day that I know I only have one space for one particular size or breed of dog, to spend over an hour, temperament testing, debating, pacing, determining to pick just one. It's not easy. But when Mark called out to me as I opened the Montero door that day, I knew I was snowballed. He kept at me the entire time I was trying to get a big box of dog chews unloaded from my vehicle that I had brought for the canines to bide their five days in captivity. All he could do was grin when he unlocked the gate and locked me in. He didn't even have to show me where they were; I just knew.

And that is how Catalina, Carleigh, Cassie and Maverick came to stay with me as well. I didn't really have the room, but I knew I could find them the homes. So I just gave them more of mine.

Last week, Aaron came over to help me measure out the space in my home that is used for the rescue. We found the only part that isn't is my bedroom, and that's the smallest room in the house. But I've always believed that love grows best in smaller spaces. I remember hearing that song in high school, when I lived with my parents on a boat so they could achieve their dream (it may sound like a lot of fun, but let me tell you, this was not a yacht by any means). I can't sit anywhere without adding dog fur to my wardrobe, and I can't walk without four other feet tripping mine, but I couldn't imagine a more fulfilling life for myself.