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Rabu, 13 November 2013

Bark Softening: Fiction & Fact

Here's more info about the cruelty of devocalization...please become informed and spread the word! –Kim

Bark Softening: Fiction and Fact

Some special interest groups have advanced misleading claims about devocalization for their own profit or convenience. Here's one – and the facts.

FICTION: "Bark softening" isn't devocalization. It's a different, non-invasive procedure.

FACT: "Bark softening" IS devocalization. The only way to alter the voice is by cutting the tissue of the vocal apparatus. Whether that's done through the oral cavity – spun as "bark softening" – or an incision in the neck, it indeed is invasive, painful and dangerous, with long-term consequences.

The term "bark softening" is also misleading in another way. No vet can predict the quality of the post-surgical voice: It may be hoarse. Or it could be shrill, wheezy or strange and disturbing. Most people say devocalized voices are far more irritating than those with which the animals were born. But once the vocal cord tissue is cut, there's no turning back.

Take a look at this brief video and meet Porter...

Newfoundlands like Porter rarely bark. But Porter's first owner had her vet, who'd performed many devocalizations, cut his vocal cord tissue just to stifle his voice anyway. Then, she no longer wanted Porter. He was given to a rescue group.

Though the devocalization was done through the oral cavity, the less invasive approach, scar tissue formed over 50% of Porter's airway. His new adopters paid for a $2,000 procedure to remove the blockage, but were told Porter still will never again breathe normally or bark like other dogs. Instead, his hoarse voice makes him sound like a chain smoker. His adopters say it's painful to hear.

Porter can barely walk a block without struggling to breathe. He is at great risk for heatstroke, even when it's not hot, or choking – a terrifying way to die. And because his larynx was permanently damaged by the devocalization, he risks inhaling food, liquid, even vomit into his lungs, which in turn can cause fatal pneumonia.

But at least Porter is still alive. Other devocalized Newfies given to the rescue group weren't as lucky.

Get the whole story about devocalization and sign the petition below. For more claims and facts, visit: http://stopdevocalizing.weebly.com/claims-and-facts.html.

And, please visit this page on FACEBOOK and "Like" it! Thanks for your help!

Source: http://cprpets.weebly.com/devocalized-porters-story.html
Copyright 2012, Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets

CLICK HERE to SIGN THIS PETITION
against Devocalization

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Please "Like" this Campaign Against Devocalization on FACEBOOK
Here's Piper on FACEBOOK (9 secs.) – Please "Like"!
More True Stories of Devocalized Dogs
United Against Devocalization
Myths & Facts about Devocalization
Tell Your Veterinarian: Devocalization is Mutilation!
ATTN: Vets and Vet Techs
Support State Laws Banning Devocalization

Videos:

Senin, 07 Oktober 2013

Jaxon's Story: Devocalized

Here's the story about one of our fosters who had almost died, due to devocalization! –Kim

Abandoned in an Empty House, Unable to Bark for Help

Jaxon

Jaxon, a young, neutered Chinese Crested, and Foxie, a Pom, were found in an empty house, where they'd been abandoned without food, surviving by eating their waste.

If Jaxon were alone, he wouldn't have been discovered in time to save his life: That's because he was devocalized.

But with her vocal cords intact, Foxie could bark loudly enough to be heard, and the dogs were discovered. The rest is what happy endings are made of.

A dog rescue group called Bald is Beautiful pulled Jaxon and Foxie from the county pound, and a kind couple – veteran rescuers and dog bloggers (TopDogBlog!) – fostered them. Another couple drove from Maryland to Chicago to adopt Jaxon, Foxie and a third dog, Maddie.

Foxie

Now 4 years old, Jaxon is living the good life with his foster siblings in a loving home. And Jaxon is extra lucky: His adoptive mom, a nurse, knows how to manage the consequences of devocalization. Adopters who don't – or who don't even know their animals were devocalized – may unwittingly cause their deaths.

Becky waters Jaxon's food to ease swallowing so he won't die the terrifying way other devocalized animals have, choking on food.

And she monitors his play, because though he loves to do "zoomies" in the yard with Maddie, Jaxon becomes winded after a few minutes as a result of devocalization.

He coughs after drinking water and intermittently throughout the day and night, sometimes so badly, his family worries he won't be able to catch his breath.

Becky says, "No animal should ever be devocalized. It's especially odd to us that Jaxon was, because he barks only when one of our cats is near him. He doesn't even try in doggy park."

But that didn't keep someone from having his vocal cords cut.

Source: United Against Devocalization / Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets
© 2013 Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets

CLICK HERE to SIGN THIS PETITION
against Devocalization

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Videos:

Kamis, 15 November 2012

Tell Veterinarians: Devocalization is Mutilation!

Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...be a part of the solution to this abuse! –Kim

Sign the Petition against this Abuse

It's hard to believe, but some veterinarians actually cut the vocal cords of dogs AND cats just to suppress their voices. We know because it happened to our dogs before we adopted them. They're two very different breeds – a Newfoundland and a Chihuahua – and we live in two different states.

We joined with Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets, which led the successful campaign to ban devocalization in Massachusetts, to make sure no other dog or cat anywhere suffers as ours have.

But until the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) changes its position on devocalization, countless other dogs AND cats will be subjected to this inhumane, unnecessary surgery.

Though devocalization is so cruel it is illegal in many countries, the AVMA continues to condone it as a "final alternative" to manage barking.

That leaves animals vulnerable to and legitimizes devocalization. Here's why:

No vet can possibly know if devocalization is a "final alternative," and some won't ask. Even receipts from a trainer or behaviorist don't mean the advice was followed consistently or at all; devocalization is easier for lazy or impatient owners.

And just as devocalization didn't keep our dogs from becoming homeless, it hasn't prevented the abandonment and euthanasia of countless other dogs and cats.

HOW AVMA'S POSITION HURTS ANIMALS

Massachusetts currently has the only enforceable state devocalization ban in the US. Other state laws protect owners and vets but not animals, who are subjected to a dangerous surgery they don't need but are helpless to refuse.

We wish veterinary associations had supported legislation that truly protects animals by prohibiting vocal cord surgery except to treat a physical illness, injury or birth defect.

Instead, these associations have opposed enforceable humane laws, using the AVMA's "final alternative" position to justify cutting an animal's vocal cords just to deal with barking or meowing.

Why would any vet condone such cruelty? It's obvious that some devocalize dogs and cats because it's profitable. Others won't devocalize, but oppose banning it anyway. It could be they fear these laws would lead to prohibition of other unnecessary, mutilating [profitable] surgeries like declawing, cropping ears and docking tails.

HOW DEVOCALIZATION HURTS OUR DOGS

Please meet our dogs in the video on this page.

Though an experienced vet devocalized our gentle giant, Porter, in the least invasive way, scar tissue formed in his throat, making it hard for him to breathe and swallow. He rasps, coughs and gags throughout the day like a chain smoker. Because devocalization permanently damaged his larynx too, he's at great risk for inhaling food, liquids, even vomit into his lungs.

Tiny Lola struggles to force out a bark and doesn't always succeed. Like other devocalized animals, she coughs and gags a lot. One day, she may have to face the same $2,000 surgery Porter needed to save his life after he was devocalized.

That's brutal punishment for the "crime" of communicating!

Please don't let this brutality continue. Tell the AVMA: There is no ethical reason to cut vocal cords just to stifle an animal’s voice – ever. Devocalization is an act of cruelty that no animal deserves, no vet should perform, no veterinary association should sanction, and no civilized society should allow.

Meet the HUMANE vets in this video. They're what every vet should be...

CLICK HERE to SIGN THIS PETITION

Source: http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-veterinarians-devocalization-is-mutilation
© 2012, Change.org Inc.

Get involved!
Wonder where your vet stands on devocalization? It's not enough to say 'I don't devocalize.' Not all vets willingly disclose that. Ask your vet to join those who have called for a ban on devocalization of dogs and cats without exception. Have him or her fill out this easy online form. And if the vet won't, consider finding one who will.

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Rabu, 02 November 2011

Pet First Aid: Choking & CPR

Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...it's good to be prepared! –Kim

Pet First Aid: Choking & CPR
Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM

Recently I had an emergency call from a client who thought that her pet had stopped breathing – her pet had been chewing on something behind the couch.

This scenario has happened before...meaning, it could happen to YOUR dog or cat.

I tried to talk her through performing some rescue breaths to see if his airway was really obstructed. Then, if so, I was going to try and describe how to do the Heimlich maneuver.

This is hard on the phone, and virtually impossible to do in an emergency.

An Emergency is NOT the time to learn!

But, being in this situation sure is not the time to learn this stuff. There are a few things that you need to do first.

KNOW how to check if your dog or cat stops breathing.
PRACTICE what to do IF this ever happens.

I have done a HUGE Dog and Cat First Aid Video Presentation that shows you all of these steps in detail.

The video is here (for cats and dogs):

The signs of choking are much the same as a person: Your dog is struggling to breathe, with their mouth open. They may be pawing at their mouth. They may be attempting to vomit. You may hear an unusual sound as they attempt to breathe and pull air through a foreign object lodged in their throat.

Causes

The causes of choking are with anything that can lodge in the throat. An example would be a dog fetching a ball, and having it lodge in their throat. A variety of food objects can lodge in your dog's airway.

Solutions

CALL YOUR VET IF NEEDED. Dogs are notorious for trying to swallow things that are a little too big. The result can be choking where an object lodges in the airway.

REMOVE THE OBJECT. When time is of the essence, you must act quickly.

Open your dog's mouth.
Grasp the upper jaw with one hand over the muzzle.
Press the lips over the upper teeth with your fingers on one side and the thumb on the other so that the dog's lips are between its teeth. Firm pressure may be required. The dog then can't close its mouth without biting itself and is less able to bite you. Pull his tongue out of the way.
Reach deeply in to the back of your dog's throat and try to grasp the object. If it is a ball, and you are unable to move it, try using some type of instrument; tweezers, pliers or even a spoon shaped tong.
If this method does not work for extracting the object from your dog's throat, try this technique. Lay your dog on its side. For small pets, place your palms behind the last rib on both sides of your pet's abdomen and press your palms together quickly 2-3 times. Repeat if necessary. For larger dogs, place both hands behind the last rib and push down and slightly forward sharply. Repeat rapidly until the object is dislodged.
If you still can't remove the object and if your dog can breathe, transport him to your veterinarian. However, if your dog can't breathe you must continue to try to dislodge the object either by compression or by using the Heimlich, as your dog is unlikely to survive the delay in reaching veterinary aid.
COMPRESSIONS. Gentle compressions on both sides of the widest point of the chest may help dislodge a ball or other object. Place both hands at the back of your dog over the widest point of the chest while he is standing, and give 5 firm compressions to dislodge the ball.
HEIMLICH. If after trying to manually remove the object, and after gentle compressions it won't move, and your dog is still not breathing, then proceed with the Heimlich.
TURN your dog upside down, with his back against your chest.
WITH both arms, give sharp thrusts to the abdomen.
AFTER 5 thrusts, stop and check to see if the object is visible in the airway. If so remove it and give 2 mouth-to-nose rescue breaths. If the breaths do not go in, repeat HEIMLICH.
In some cases, your dog is too large to pick up. You can lay him on his side, and make a fist. Put your fist into the hollow beneath the rib cage, then push firmly inward and upward. Repeat 5 times, and then check to see if the object has been dislodged.
If, after a few attempts, it is still lodged, but you can still hear wheezing and some noise when your dog is breathing, then you have time to rush to your vet.
CPR. If your dog completely stops breathing, then you will have to know the CPR steps (see below).
After the airway has been opened, you may need to give artificial respiration.
CLOSE your dog's mouth and breathe directly into his nose until his chest expands. If the chest doesn't expand then go back to STEP 2 – "AIRWAY" (see CPR below).
VENTILATE at 15 breaths per minute. One BREATH every 4 seconds.
PROCEED to STEP 4 – "CIRCULATION" (see CPR below).

In some cases of choking, your pet's mouth has been injured. This means feeding a soft food for 7-14 days while the wounds heal.

CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)

See Pet CPR Video here.

Assess Responsiveness. Before you start CPR, ensure that your pet is not still breathing, and their heart is not beating. If so, they DON'T need CPR.
AIRWAY. Establish a PATENT airway. Perform 2 rescue breaths by wrapping your hand around their muzzle and blowing into their nose. If the chest rises, then the airway is patent. If the chest DOES NOT rise, then you need to check for an OBSTRUCTION. If this is the case then you need to do the HEIMLICH. In this procedure you are holding your pet upside down, their head is pointing down and their spine is against your body. You give 5 sharp thrusts to the abdomen – you are putting force on the abdomen to help dislodge any obstruction.
ONCE you have a patent airway – you give 2 rescue breaths. When you see the chest rise and fall, and you know that the airway is open, then you proceed to Step 4 – Circulation.
CIRCULATION. In this step you are compressing the chest, and that in turn compresses the heart. This is best performed by having your pet on their right side. The heart is easiest located on the left side of the chest, behind the left armpit. For a large dog use 2 hands, For a cat use your thumb and forefinger. Compress 15 compressions – 3 compressions every 2 seconds, then follow this up with 2 rescue breath.

Continue until your pet starts breathing again or you have emergency care at a Veterinarian.

Sources: http://www.petspawsibilities.com/?p=285
http://www.theinternetpetvet.com/dog-and-cat-cpr-do-this-if-your-pet-stops-breathing/
Copyright © Four Paws Online Ltd.

Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM has been a practicing Veterinarian for almost 20 years. He is a strong advocate of Natural Pet Health Care, and knows that the most important way to heal our pets and prevent disease is through proper nutrition. He developed Ultimate Canine to give our dogs that extra advantage – something that will provide them with everything they need to develop stronger immune systems to fight disease, heal sore or stiff joints, and help them live longer, happier lives. Dr. Andrew Jones' main focus is on alternative, non-traditional remedies for pets. His interest in alternative pet medicine culminated in the writing of his book, Veterinary Secrets Revealed.

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