This quote was shared with me by a good and honorable friend.  I have the pleasure of interacting with strong individuals every day and am often reminded of Mr. Roosevelt's words. 

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt, "Man in the Arena" Speech given April 23, 1910

Long Live Friendship!

After losing his parents, this 3 year old orangutan was so depressed he wouldn't eat and didn't respond to any medical treatments. The veterinarians thought he would surely die from sadness. The zoo keepers found a dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutan lived and took the dog to the animal treatment center. The dog arrived at the same time the orangutan was there being treated. These 2 lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since.

They are together 24 hours a day in all their activities. They live in Northern California where swimming is their favorite past time, although Roscoe (the orangutan) is a little afraid of the water and needs his friend's help to swim. Together they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship. They have found more than a friendly shoulder to lean on. Long Live Friendship!!!!!!! I don't know. some say life is too short, others say it is too long, but I know that nothing that we do makes sense if we don't touch the hearts of others... while it lasts! **********************************************************************

Blue Green Algae Blooms are Deadly to Pets

By M. Kathleen Shaw, DVM

North Bennington, Vermont

Blue green algae, (known as cyanobacteria) are microscopic plants that grow in any type water and are too small to be seen. However, they can experience rapid growth (bloom) in nutrient rich water in late summer or early fall and can be deadly to animals.

When the algae blooms, the water appears cloudy or like foam, scum, or even matts on the surface of ponds or lakes.  Some liken them to the appearance of pea soup. Since the blooms float, they are easily driven towards shore, making them more accessible to livestock and pets.  The poisons produced by some cyanobacteria are among the most potent natural poisons known. There are no known antidotes.  Although most blue green algae blooms don't produce toxins, it is impossible to determine without testing.

Dogs affected by these poisons may exhibit neurological signs such as weakness, stumbling, difficulty breathing, or seizures 15-20 minutes after exposure. Other signs include severe vomiting and diarrhea, jaundice, pale mucous membranes, blood in the stool, and abdominal pain hours or days later. Livestock drinking from water with algal blooms are often found dead near the source.

Sadly, the prognosis for a pet surviving a toxic exposure to blue green algae is very poor once clinical signs have occurred, so prevention is essential. Don't let pets drink from or swim in ponds or lakes that are scummy.  If you suspect you or your pets may be affected, rinse with fresh water as soon as possible (don't let your pet lick themself) and seek immediate veterinary assistance.

For more information and up to date tracking of blue green algae blooms in Vermont waters, visit the Vermont State Department of Health’s website at: http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/bg_algae/weekly_status.aspx

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The Vermont Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA), founded in 1898, is a professional organization of 340 veterinarians dedicated to compassionate animal care and quality medicine. For more information, visit www.vtvets.org or call (802) 878-6888.

Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a potentially life threatening disease spread by wildlife and found in stagnant water.  The following information is a summary of the disease and how we may prevent its infection in our companion dogs. 

Please contact us with any questions!

Tick Identification

Tick season is in full swing! Many of you would like to identify which type of tick you find because of the different diseases they may carry. We wanted to provide you with some detailed pictures to help you with tick identification. We highly recommend the use of flea and tick preventatives, so call us if you have any questions about which preventatives are most effective.

Porcupines!

Please Don’t Sniff the Porcupines!

It’s 6 a.m. and the ridge line glows brilliant orange with the dawn of a beautiful day.  In olfactory overdrive, your canine companion explores the peaks and fields on your path.  His movement is halted by a rattling sound in the tall grass: pursue!  Yips of excitement. . . swiftly followed by yelps of dismay.  Your pup has found a porcupine on the defense.  His face is now as prickly as the retreating herbivore’s rump.  

Porcupine encounters are frequent in our Northern coniferous forests.  Porcupines (from the Middle French Porc Espin, or “spined pig”) are herbivores that browse on inner tree bark and foliage.  They are most active at dusk and dawn.  Contrary to popular myth, these mild-mannered creatures cannot shoot any of their 30,000 quills, which are specialized hairs.  When threatened, they prefer retreat, facing away from their aggressor to flare and rustle their quills which can make a rattling sound.  Get too close and they slash with their tail.  With direct contact, the quills embed and release into the skin of the intruder.  The multiple barbs at the quill’s tip causes it to stick in flesh, and untreated quills can migrate into deep tissues.  Once embedded, the quills also expand as they absorb moisture, creating greater penetration and inflammation.

Quill injuries should be treated immediately.  The majority of these encounters occur “after hours” and your inclination may be to delay therapy until the next day.  Please do not hesitate.  Call your veterinarian promptly.  The greater the time between injury and presentation, the greater the potential for complications.  The quills quickly migrate into deeper tissues which may involve joints, eyes, vital organs, the thorax and abdomen.  For quills that become inaccessible, we may need to allow them time to “fester” out of tissues - their exit is not predictable or desirable in some cases.  For instance, one that enters near the shoulder may eventually exit into the thorax causing lung injury. 

Your veterinarian will meet with you to provide pain relief, sedation and possibly general anesthesia (depending on severity) to remove the quills.  Duration of quill removal will vary significantly based on number of quills, length of time since injury and location of quills.  Dogs like Pineapple will likely receive several days’ supply of medication to minimize pain and inflammation. 

For the fortunate few, only a few quills may be embedded.  These may be safely removed at home using a pair of hemostats or needle-nosed pliers (think of your Leatherman tool as well).  Hemostats are readily available at medical supply stores, online, or through your  veterinarian.  Grasp the quill near the entrance to the skin and pull slowly and gently, straight out. Quill length generally varies from ½ to 4 inches. 

We share our woodlands with a wonderful host of creatures, from birds to deer to porcupines (and skunks!). Encounters are rare, and shouldn’t prevent us from taking time for a good romp.  So “Cheers!” to many sun-drenched hours in the company of dogs, companions, and our many woodland friends.