Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Allografts are Useful in Veterinary Dentistry, Too

Last post I discussed the benefits of bone tissue banking for fracture repairs and other orthopedic procedures in dogs and cats. Turns out the same company provides bone allograft material for dental procedures. This material is especially useful in dealing with the ravages of periodontal disease.

Severe periodontal disease weakens the bony structure of the jaw leading to tooth loss and even fractures of the mandible. Veterinary Transplant Services (VTS), makes a product called Osteoallograft™ Periomix™ for use in treatment of periodontal disease resulting in bone loss. With this product, tooth loss is not a forgone conclusion, in some cases.

Colostrum or Mother's Milk - How Important is it? A New Scratchings and Sniffings Out Loud

In this session of Scratchings and Sniffings Out Loud, Dr. Larry and Dr. Grace educate us on colostrum - or "mother's milk" as many of us know it. I found this discussion interesting and informative, as usual, but the main thing that really makes it worthwhile for anyone is the announcement that there is a pet food with colostrum in it, now. An important ingredient that provides great health benefits to not only puppies and kittens, but dogs and cats with dietary issues.

Let's let Dr. Grace and Dr. Larry explain it - they do a better job than I do! 

Bone Grafts for Fracture Repair

As I well know, sometimes broken bones don't heal properly. I spent most of 2008 dealing with a broken wrist from my mountain biking habit. After and unsuccessful cast I had surgery where a plate was applied to the fracture. Along with the plate I had what is called a bone allograft. That means that I had bone supplied by a tissue bank from some other human donor. This bone was packed into the fracture site along with the plate to help bridge the gap created by the non union.

Using bone from a tissue bank is common practice in human orthopedic surgery. The other option is to harvest bone from the surgical patient at the same time you are doing the fracture repair. Called an autograft as opposed to an allograft, bone is usually taken from the patient's hip for use at the fracture site. 

Katie the Wonder Dog - A Celebration of Life

Sometimes there are stories that just need to be shouted from the rooftop. This is one.

Katie, a gorgeous Black Lab, is truly a wonder dog and she embodies the hope and happiness of many pets and pet parents. Katie, with the help of her pet insurance policy (provided by PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance), made it through a harrowing ordeal, to become one of Michigan State University's "Miracle Pets."

MSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital honored 50 "Miracle Pets" this past weekend, in a Celebration of Life ceremony, an event that is in its 7th year. And, because of this outstanding focus on caring for our pets, PurinaCare has created a yearly award to be given to vet students.

It's Allergy Season Again

This time last year I was miserable. Runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, headache, you name it. Allergy sufferers know what I'm talking about. And don't even get me started on all the OTC and even prescription meds that are supposed to help. Unless your allergies are minor, drugs are pretty worthless. Unless you want to go to sleep. 

Dogs, and to a certain extent cats, deal with allergies, too. Unlike us though, dogs and cats usually react to allergies by scratching. While we sneeze, they lick, bite, chew, scratch and rub. Chronic ear infections are also common with allergic dogs, as is licking the pads of the feet.

 

It really doesn't matter whether the allergy is to pollen, mold, carpet or food, itching is the most common sign of allergy in dogs. Of course there are many other causes of itching and they all have to be ruled out before a diagnosis of allergy can be made.

First Ever Pet Blogger Conference Rocks the Net!

In case you haven't heard about it yet, BlogPaws, the first ever pet blogger conference created to help pet bloggers learn how to monetize their blogs, connect with brands, and just be better at what they do, is rocking and rolling! As a co-founder and pet parent, I can tell you that this conference is already showing signs of major success in the pet community, and it can only get better as we grow.

I suppose this is tooting my own horn, in a way, but it's also a nudge to folks who have heard about the conference and are still on the fence about attending. This event isn't just a tweet-up - although networking is a huge part of it, there will be dozens of experts there to present on subjects like SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Product Reviews (including an appearance by an FTC rep), book publishing (in a digital world), blog strategy, how to raise funds in your own backyard for shelters you support, and the nuts and bolts of running a sweepstakes.

Could Tyrone Be Traumatized for Life?

I got a frantic call a while back from one of Tyrone's chief benefactors. Tyrone was recovering from having his dew claws removed after snagging one and darn near tearing it off. The problem was the dreaded elizabethan collar poor Tyrone was forced to wear. Seems he had been chewing on his stitches and removing them prematurely before the incisions had healed.

 

Well, according to Steve and Alexandra, Tyrone's humans, the cure was worse than the original insult.

 

Tyrone was going nuts with this thing on his head. He'd back into stuff, paw at it, whine, whimper and generally protest. When he finally realized he couldn't rid himself of the device he settled into what Steve described as a state of "depressed resignation".

Twiggy Comes to Visit

Here she is, in all her glory: Twiggy the family Greyhound!

She sits still for the camera, but she seems leary of it. Interesting weekend with "the puppy" and the cat. The cat tolerates the puppy, on a limited basis. She's pretty vocal about the fact that Twiggy spent the night - two nights, in fact. Meowwww...MEOW....

However, the two of them are getting along nicely and this is good news. Now we can start 'thinking' about a new dog in the house.

See pic of The Wabby, resident household feline, as she watches Twiggy bounce around the house. (she seems a bit worried that all that bouncing will land doggie paws too close, but Twiggy knows what's she doing!)

Twiggy bounces like Tigger - it's quite comical. I'll try to catch it on video. 

Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association

You might remember the post I did on the dogs of the Navajo reservation. My wife Chris and I came across a number of seemingly homeless dogs roaming our campground near Canyon De Chelly on the Navajo reservation in Northeastern Arizona. It was a very sad sight to behold in an area so rich in Native American history. 

I remember thinking to myself that I wished there was an organization that could come into an area like this and provide some basic veterinary care. Some vaccinations, de worming, spays and neuters could make a real difference to the people and their pets.

 

I stumbled across just such and organization at last week's Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas. The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association or HSVMA does great work in rural areas around the US and around the world.

NAVTA, The National Association of Veterinary Technicians

I was lucky enough to meet Andrea Ball, the Executive Director of NAVTA at this year's Western Veterinary Conference. We had an interesting conversation and, as usual, I learned something I didn't know, this time about the world of Veterinary Technicians. For those of you that might not know, Veterinary Technicians are analogous to Nurses, and like Nurses, Vet Techs are key members of the medical team at Veterinary Hospitals and biomedical research centers around the world.

Veterinary Technicians receive a minimum of two years of specialized training at over 100 American Veterinary Medical Association accredited facilities across the country. In a former life I traveled to many of these schools giving Nutrition lectures and I was always impressed by what I saw.