Norbert Bloat Surger Update-And a New Dog Food For us to Try

Norbert went for his 2 week post surgery exam at the Animal Medical Center 
today.  The vets said he looked great and the x-rays of his lungs looked very good.  Previously, one lung was not fully inflated and they worried that he might have developed pneumonia as a side effect of the surgery.   Norbert has been a little stiff  in his right foreleg singe the surgery.  This is more pronounced after he gets up from lying down and he will limp for a bit and then appears normal after walking for awhile.   The vet checked him out and said he looked very good for his age.  They mentioned that manipulating the limbs during surgery may have exacerbated existing arthritis there.  So for now we are just sticking with the Glucosamine and fish oil we give him already.  He was running up the stairs when we got home, so his arthritis doesn't seem to be slowing him down much.

Yawn, recovery is hard work

 I am so grateful to the vets at the AMC for saving Norbert's life.  I know if he hadn't gone to such a good emergency hospital he might not have survived the surgery for bloat and torsion, many dogs don't.    Its an amazing hospital that is at the forefront of veterinary medicine.  Before our appointment today, I met an 8 year old shih tzu who is going there to get radiation treatments for a tumor in his nasal passages.  I feel for his owners having a dog that is so sick, but I think its wonderful the dog is getting such great care.  He literally came bouncing out of the radiation session.  I imagine that treatment for what this little guy has wouldn't have existed even a few years ago.


Well off the subject of vets and onto something more fun-Dog Food!  Friday night we took Bob to a new store in Jersey City, Hound About Town.



It is a really nice little store with lots of adorable toys and good quality treats and dog foods.   They were having an event where the makers of Evermore Pet Food where in the store to discuss their product.  Evermore is made in Brooklyn, New York with fresh antibiotic free meats and organic fruits and veggies.  Its cooked, but is sold frozen.  The ladies who make it even taste test each batch of the food!  Bob certainly enjoyed the sample he tried.  

The only flaw with Evermore is its a bit out of our price range, at 10 dollars for two pounds of food (it was on sale for 8 dollars on Friday).

We bought one box to add as a topper to the kibble we feed Norbert, Bob, and Zira or the Honest Kitchen we feed Tubby and Ping.  

Here is a picture of Bob posing with a box of Evermore Pet food

Bibliophile Bob-A Hounds Book Review Post

The hounds are excited to introduce a new feature to our blog, book reviews.  Our mom loves to read, so book reviews are a natural choice.   We've decided to include non-fiction and fiction choices, so long as animals are featured in the book.  Our first book choice is Dog Sense by English animal behaviorist, John Bradshaw.  Below is Bob checking out his work:

 Mom took the book out of the library (got to support those libraries since our grand dad was the director of the Saratoga Springs Public Library until he retired).  Overall mom is glad she didn't buy the book because a lot of the information in it was things she already new from other books she has read and from John Bradshaw's interview in bark magazine.  Still mom liked the book and would give it a 3 and a half paw rating, out of four.

Things I (mom) liked about the book:

1.) Bradshaw points out that wolves and dog's are very different.  I have never liked the dog is a wolf theory, and pretty much all modern research into dog behavior discounts it.   Bradshaw points out that though dog's DNA is similar to wolves, they are still drastically different.  First, he provides evidence that supports that DNA does not regulate behavior.  Then he argues that dogs have been in existence for approximately 15,000 years, so they have had all that time to become very different from wolves.   Finally, he points out that our original assumptions of wolf behavior are very faulty because they are based on observations of wolves in zoos and those wolves are in an abnormal environment and thus don't behave like typical wolves in the wild.   Rather then looking to wolves for clues about dog behavior, Bradshaw suggests we look to the behavior of feral village dogs in India.  These dogs live much like dogs might have lived in early human times.   They exist in a loose pack structure, but there is no definite "alpha" dog and they don't hunt together.

2.) Since he discounts the wolf theory he is very anti the dominance/alpha theory of dog behavior.   I love this because I am not a fan of dominance/alpha theory at all, lots of abuse has been dumped on dogs for many years due to the "alpha" theory.  In Bradshaw's opinion dogs are not constantly trying to dominate humans, or each other, and  if we act like they are they fail to really understand and bond with our dogs. 

3.) He is against physical punishment.   At our house we definitely prefer the carrot to the stick approach, in my opinion positive reinforcement is how dogs, people, cats, everyone learns.  Bradshaw recommends positive reinforcement and also withdraw of attention as an aversive for a dog who misbehaves.   So if a dog is jumping up on you and you don't like it, turn away from the dog and ignore them rather then physically punish the dog.  Then when the dog is behaving again (four fleet on the floor) lavish them with the attention they crave.

4.) He wants people to lighten up their expectations on dogs.  Bradshaw points out that we humans expect a LOT of our dogs.  We want them to behave in public at all times, to be quiet, to wait for us patiently while we are gone, to repress frustration and anxiety, etc.   Bradshaw has particularly good advice about how to train a dog to adjust to being left alone that might help dogs with separation anxiety.

5.) He's English-What can I say, I am an unrepentant anglophile so anyone from that country automatically gets points.

What I didn't like:

1.) Much of what has been said in the book has been said before and though Bradshaw does add some new things to the conversation, a lot of it felt like a rehashing of other books I've read.

Here is a link to a you tube video of Bradshaw discussing dog behavior

Happy Birthday Sugar-and Some Recipes

Today is Sugar the Golden Retriever's 10th birthday, 

isn't that wonderful.  It got is in the party mood and reminded us of Tubby's 10th birthday:

 He had a big smile too, just like Sugar!


Anyway we have been feeling nautical:



 (full disclosure: this is an old picture from before we had our grey hairs, but too cute too not share)

so we decided to make some nice tuna fishy flavored treats.

Mom based the recipe on one from Throw Me a Bone by the awesome Susan Orlean whose definitive biography of Rin-Tin-Tin is coming out soon.  Here it is:

Tuna Fish Treats

2 cans of tuna in water

1/4 cup water

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1 tbsp garlic powder

Parmesan cheese (or cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350.  Empty the tuna cans (and their water) into a mixing bowl.  Mash the tuna up with a fork and beat in the 2 eggs and the 1/4 cup of water.   Stir in the cup of flour (add more if the mixture is too dry, it should be the consistency of cake mix) and tbsp of garlic powder (garlic helps repel those nasty fleas.) Spread the mixture into an 8 inch square baking pan that has been coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle the top generously with cheese.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until its pulling away from the sides of the pan a bit and is the consistency of putty.  Cool and roll into small balls and store in the fridge.

(These would probably be good for kitties too-mom is going to try them out on Scooter, Baby, and Ernie).

Smells Tasty

Waiting for treats

Of course people got to eat too, so mom made her favorite fancy tuna sandwich (Pan Bagnat-french for something like tasty tuna sandwich we think.)   Don't do what mom did and by bread that is way too small to accommodate the filling, but she assured us it was still tasty.

Ingredients:

1 baguette

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cans Italian tuna in oil (12 ounces total)

bunch of basil

1 Vidalia onion, chopped

2 plum tomatoes, diced

6 sun dried tomatoes in oil (optional but I had them on hand)

2/3 cup brine cured olives

2 tbsp lemon juice

Parmesan cheese

 Slice the baguette in half and pull out some of the filling (this is a good time to give the pups a taste).   Spread both sides the bread with the 1/4 cup of olive oil and line them with basil leaves.

Combine the tuna, onion, olives, tomatoes, and lemon juice in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.   Spread this mixture evenly on the bottom half of the sandwich.

Top the tuna mixture with the sun dried tomatoes and  use a vegetable peeler to shave some Parmesan cheese on top.   Place the top half of the sandwich over the filling and then put a heavy weight on top of the sandwich.  I covered the sandwich in plastic wrap and then put a cast iron skillet on top.    Weight the sandwich for 20 minutes and then enjoy!

Biking with Dogs

As any dog lover knows any time you can share  an activity you enjoy with your dog it instantly becomes more fun.   Things you can't do with a dog at your side, lets just say they interest me a lot less then dog activities.  So when my husband first got really interested in biking 3 years ago I wasn't very keen on getting involved myself.     I watched as he brought a Brompton Folding Bike



and later a Bike Friday. 








The nice thing about a folding bike is you can take it on the train, a must if you work in Manhattan like we do.   It made my husbands commute shorter and it helped him stay in shape, but it didn't involve dogs so I didn't pay all that much attention.

Then I read an article in Bark magazine about biking with dogs.  The article described a couple who biked across Europe with their dogs, I figured if they could bike across Europe I could manage to bike around the park.    The first thing I did was get my own Bike Friday.  That way I could ride it to work and shorten my commute as well as use it on weekends with my dogs.  I choose the Bike Friday over the Brompton because it is easier to fold and its handle bars would better accommodate a basket.   I have to say I LOVE riding the bike to work it shave at least 40 minutes of my commute and I get home to the dogs half an hour earlier.


Once I had the bike I ordered the basket recommended in the article from Cynthia's Twigs.  These baskets are beautiful and you can order pillows and liners in adorable colors and best of all they have a secure harness attachment so there is no worry about the dog escaping.   Then I went into Manhattan to the most adorable bike shop Adeline Adeline.  I wanted to buy everything in the store but I restrained myself and bought just this bell





The truth is my Bike game with a bell but how could I resist a doggie bell as cute as this one!

I decided I wanted a helmet that would advertise my love of dogs as well so I had one made by Belle Helmets.  It has a pug and a bulldog painted on it.  Here is a picture of Bob modeling it:

I was a little nervous about whether or not the dogs would like the basket.   For Tubby the answer was definitely no, he was a little too big and  couldn't get comfortable.   Dr. Zira, was also afraid of the basket which was no surprise to me since she is a pretty nervous girl.  Ping, however, LOVED the basket right away.   Here are some picture of her enjoying it:

If you have a large or more active dog and want to exercise with them you can use a walky dog to have them safely run beside you on the bike.   I'm considering this for Norbert but I am  a little afraid that this might be a bit too much for his mild arthritis.  Definitely is a great idea for a young active dog!

Another dog/bike product I would love to own is the burley tail wagon.  This is supposed to be safest pet wagon on the market and can accommodate larger dogs. 

We will definitely be biking more in the fall when the weather cools down.

Almost Wordless Wednesday-Bob and Norbert as The Boy Who lived

If you followed this blog you know I love Harry Potter.   In April I blogged about the animals in the series in this post.  If you follow the books or the movies as obsessively as I do you would know that Sunday, July 31, was Harry Potter's birthday (and his creator J.K. Rowling's).   I planned to post these pictures then but we had to deal with Norbert's medical crises.   Here they are now (and yes the last movie is great, not my absolute favorite but I still loved it).

Norbert is Home

Norbert is home!  He was very, very eager to leave the hospital.  We were also lucky that his bill was under the estimate, about 5000 rather then 8000, but thank goodness for insurance.    Norbert is on an antibiotic and pain medication if he looks uncomfortable.  So far he seems pretty comfortable but a little tired and he is eagerly eating his boiled chicken and rice.  I am so grateful to the animal medical center for saving his life.

Unexpected Emergencies-Norbert and Bloat

On Saturday night my husband and I faced one of the worst things pet parents can.  We came home

and Norbert (pictured above with his dad) was obviously sick.  He got up and walked to the door to go out but then just stood there stiff and whining.  When I checked him I noticed his belly was a bit large and hard and I immediately suspected bloat.  I know bloat is very, very serious so we immediately got into the car to take Norbert to the vet.   First, we went to the Hoboken after hours clinic but they were closed.   So we drove to Manhattan to the emergency hospital.   The drive was definitely the worst of my life.  Norbert was clearly very uncomfortable and breathing shallowly, with traffic the drive took about an hour.    When we got to the Animal Medical Center Norbert's stomach was bigger and I was sure he had bloated. 

Luckily, the hospital is an experienced emergency facility and they brought us to the back immediately.  Norbert's heart rate was very elevated and his breathing wasn't great.   They x rayed him and confirmed bloat and torsion.  They hooked him up to hear monitors and fluids and called the surgeon.   Bloat is very serious and they explained to us that there was a very real chance that Norbert would not survive the surgery or that the would succumb to complications following the surgery.  We went to the back to say goodbye to Norbert in case he did not make it, and it was heart breaking to see him try to stand up to follow us.   In the process he knocked off some of the monitors he was attached too.

We went home since I couldn't stand to sit and wait at the hospital and thank goodness they called us at 3:30 am to say he had pulled through the surgery and was breathing on his own.  We were very lucky.  Norbert did well during the surgery and avoided some of the worst complications.  His stomach tissues had not developed necropsy (dead tissue) and his spleen returned to color once his stomach was untwisted.   There are still many things that can go wrong  after the surgery so the Doctor's prognosis was guarded.

The next morning, Sunday,  the news was better and Norbert was alert and his heart monitor showed no evidence of arrhythmia (a common side effect).  We saw him that afternoon and he was able to walk up to us   but he was still clearly in pain.   Sunday evening his prognosis continued to improve and he was eating on his own.   As off this morning the vet says he is stable and has moved him out of the ICU.   Norbert has even eaten a little of the turkey we brought him.   He is still on pain meds, antibiotics (to prevent infection), and his blood is being monitored because his platelet count is a little low, luckily the rest of his blood work is normal.    The vet expects him to be able to come home with us tomorrow.  Norbert is not entirely out of the woods,  I  have a friend whose Akita died suddenly two days after bloat surgery, but as Norbert has been recovering well in an excellent hospital we are hopeful.

This experience has definitely taught me some things, and confirmed some things I already knew:

1.) Its important to know about medical conditions your dog may be susceptible too.  Since I read a lot about dog health I was familiar with the signs of bloat and knew that Norbert as a large deep chested older dog was at risk for the disease.

2.) It is essential to know the location of a good emergency clinic in your area.  We actually did not take Norbert to the closest clinic, and I am glad we didn't.   The hospital we took him too  is a major medical center and very familiar with bloat.  The fact that he got quality care quickly probably saved Norbert's life.  If we had waited even a few hours, he would have almost certainly died.

3.) Emergencies come out of no where.  Norbert had a wonderful perfectly normal day Saturday.   He went to the dog park and for a long walk and he ate his regular meal.   His behavior was not the least bit unusual until the evening.

4.) Bloat is impossible to predict.   There are many theories about what causes bloat.  One of the most common ones is a dog eating a large meal, Norbert had actually eaten a smaller then normal meal.   Other theories involve strenuous exercise after eating, Norbert had not exercised after he ate his dinner.  The surgeon told me that bloat is very difficult to predict and that in her belief most of the theories about what causes bloat are inaccurate.  In her opinion the safest course of action is to be alert to the signs and seek veterinary help immediately.

5.)  If you have a large breed dog at great risk for bloat, such as a Great Dane, consider Gastropexy.  This is a procedure in which the stomach is tacked to the abdominal wall and it helps to prevent bloat.  Once a dog has bloated there is an 80% chance they will do so again, but with gastropexy the change drops to 4% to 5% Norbert had this done during his bloat surgery.

Of course we are still worried about Norbert and he still has more hurdles to get through (recovering from the surgery and avoiding infection.)   The vet said for at least two weeks he will be on strict regimen of rest and very limited exercise.   I will post about his recovery.

6.) Veterinary insurance is a good thing.   Thank goodness we have Embrace Insurance for Norbert and he is covered for accident, illness, and prescription drugs.  The estimate for Norbert's care is 8000 dollars!  Of course this has a lot to do with the fact that he is in a Manhattan hospital, but still many dogs with bloat die because their owners cannot afford treatment.   Hopefully,  after we submit the claim Embrace will reimburse us for 80% of Norbert's bill.