LEPTOSPIROSIS LINKS

“Lepto” is a bacterial disease spread by contact with urine from an infected animal, including dogs, raccoons, squirrels and skunks. Lepto can cause high fever, severe headache, vomiting and, if left untreated, kidney damage or liver failure.

Recent leptospirosis cases in Indianapolis
http://www.logcabinvet.com/mb/pb-451.post
Pictures of one of my patients died in Leptospirosis in Indianapolis
http://www.logcabinvet.com/mb/pb-410.post
Zoonotic diseases (harmful to humans)
http://www.logcabinvet.com/mb/pb-215.post
Centers for Disease Control information about Lepto
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/leptospirosis_g.htm
Detailed medical information (5-Min Consult)
https://app.vetconnect.com/5min/data/07680769.htm

FUNGAL DERMATITIS LINKS

Ringworm information
http://logcabinvet.com/mb/cmb-202.post

VACCINATION LINKS

Vaccination protocol website-1.
http://www.dvmvac.com/

Found a 2 years old male, neutered cat at Geist area. Please call 317-570-8035

Log Cabin Animal Hospital Staff

1-800-893-4116
8am-5pm M-F
http://www.entm.purdue.edu/Wildlife/wild.htm

Hello:

We had our 4th Annual Log Cabin Dog Wash Party yesterday. We had a huge turnout and we have raised $393 from this event to the Hamilton County Humane Society. See the letter from the Humane Society below. Please look at these videos of the Dog Wash party.

Video-1.: Dog washing, good music and Dr. Gal is dancing!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7838963364071337131&hl=en

Video-2 : Dog Washing and sitting in the pool
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4458767814360986468

Video-3 : Announcing the raffle
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=148722591253266608

Video- 4 : The Dog Wash Party event view from the street
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6973482441107989255

Letter from Hamilton County Humane Society
September 16, 2007

Hello Dr. Gal,

Thank you again for the fundraiser. It was a beautiful afternoon and always a fun event. We raised $393 from the event. Thank you again for all that you do for the HSHC.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Yoder
Manager of Event Marketing and Community Outreach
Humane Society for Hamilton County
Phone: 317-219-3324
Fax: 317-773-2131
email: syoder@hamiltonhumane.com
www.hamiltonhumane.com "

We truly had lots of fun! We had;

Professional Disc Jokey!
(by Michael “Ice” Carden)
Ping-Pong contest!
Free Dog Washed!
Raffle event!
Soft drinks and hot dogs!
Wet dogs and hot dogs!

The Log Cabin Dog Wash Parties are very fun events for parents, kids and dogs! Please look at the pictures of the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Dog Wash Party events below and you will see!
http://www.logcabinvet.com/mb/ufp-123.post

These are great events with a lot of participants. We usually wash 50-80 dogs per event! We provide soft drinks and hot dogs and -of course- the washing pools. Wet dogs and hot dogs...there's nothing better. For a donation, we'll lather up your pooch and make him or her smell like a rose! All donations ended up with the Hamilton County Humane Society!
We hope to see you there next time!

Dr. Sandor Gal
Log Cabin Animal Hospital at Geist
11060 Fall Creek Rd., Indianapolis, IN U.S.A.
Office: 317-570-8035
Fax: 317-570-8905
Cell: 317-710-8851
Web: http://www.logcabinvet.com
E-mail: sandorgal@gmail.com

The 2005 Dog Wash Party pictures
http://www.logcabinvet.com/events/target2.html

The 2004 Dog Wash Party pictures
http://www.logcabinvet.com/mb/ufp-120.post

The 2006 Dog Wash Party pictures
http://www.logcabinvet.com/mb/ufp-140.post

Q. How long do you hold animals after impounding them?

A. The Animal Care and Control Division is required by City ordinance to maintain animals for a minimum of 4 days for their owners to claim them. After that period, these animals become City property and may be placed for adoption, provided a humane release to breed rescue groups or euthanized if they are too aggressive or ill to be placed for adoption.

Q. Why did an Animal Control Officer enter my yard and impound my animal? Isn't that illegal?


A. Animal Control Officers hold Special Police powers that grant the authority to pursue at-large animals and impound them even if they return to their homes. In addition, if an Animal Control Officer sees that a dog is in need of care and treatment, your animal may be impounded.

Q. How much do I have to pay to reclaim my animal?

A. An impound fee ($20 one-time fee, per animal) and kennel fee ($5 per day, per animal) apply for any animal reclaimed by its owner. Animal Care & Control accepts cash and major credit cards. Personal checks are not accepted as payment.

Q. Why do I have to have my animal microchipped?

A. All animals in Marion County must have permanent identification at all times (Section 531-202) and serves as proof of ownership when you attempt to claim your animal.

Identification includes the following items:

1.) An identification tag with the owner's name address and phone number(s). NOTE: Vet tags and pet name tags do not satisfy this requirement.
2.) A microchip implanted under its skin

Q. What do I need to bring to the Animal Care and Control Division to reclaim my pet?

A. Your identification, proof of pet ownership, proof of current rabies vaccination for your pet, and cash to pay all fees.

Q. Where is Indianapolis Animal Care & Control located?

A. Indianapolis Animal Care & Control is located at 2600 S. Harding St. just 5 minutes from downtown Indianapolis, midway between downtown and Interstate 465 on the south. Animal Care & Control provides lost and found information, pet adoptions, animal safety presentations and volunteer opportunities. Click here for directions.

Q. How can I help Indianapolis Animal Care & Control?

A. Consider A Donation
Become A Volunteer

Q. Why should I get my pet spayed or neutered?

A. According to the Humane Society of Indianapolis, in six years, one female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies and in just seven years, one female cat and her young can produce 420,000 kittens. Be a responsible pet owner and have your pet spayed or neutered.

Q. My pet is missing, what should I do?

A. The first thing to do, after thoroughly searching your own neighborhood, is to stop by Animal Care & Control to report the lost pet, view the strays and check through found reports. You can visit us as often as you wish but you should stop in at least every couple of days to make sure the animal has not been brought in. Descriptions of the same animal can vary from one person to the next; so don't rely on a phone call to identify your pet. And, remember, the more effort you make, the greater the chance of finding your pet.

Q. I found a dog or cat that no identification tags. Can you help me find its owner?

A. First take the animal to any veterinarian or shelter to determine if the pet has a microchip. If the pet does have a chip, the vet or shelter will call the owner(s) on your behalf and let them know how to retrieve their pet.

If the pet does not have a chip, we suggest you make found flyers and post them in and around your neighborhood as well as at your local animal shelter(s). Should you be able to not house the pet, you can bring it to your local animal shelter.

Q. Can I adopt a pet from Animal Care & Control?

A. Absolutely! The Indianapolis Animal Care & Control Division has a wide selection of healthy pets available and ready to be placed in a loving home. Please visit Indianapolis Animal Care & Control or visit Pets Available for Adoption to view available animals.

The fee to adopt your new pet is $60, which includes spay/neuter procedure, first round of booster vaccinations and a microchip. All pets are spayed or neutered at local veterinary clinics and new owners can pick up their new pet following the surgery from the veterinarian's office.

Q. What if I can no longer take care of my pet, can I surrender my pet to Animal Care & Control?

A. Yes you can, but it is important to note that not all animals surrendered can be held for adoption due to the number of animals brought to the shelter and space limitations. Animals that display or have displayed aggression, destruction, or fear biting may be euthanized. The shelter can and may euthanize the animal on the day it is surrendered depending on the circumstances.

For these reasons, it is important for the owner to make every attempt on finding the pet a new home and to seriously consider alternatives other than surrendering an animal to Indianapolis Animal Care & Control.

Q. How do I report animals that are stray or abandoned, sick or injured, not receiving proper care, aggressive or dangerous, attacking or biting, or barking?

A. If you live within Marion County, please call the Mayor's Action Center at 317.327.4622, 7:30am-5:30pm, Monday through Friday for service requests or information.

For after hour emergencies including sick/injured animals, dangerous and aggressive animals and animal attacks in progress, please call 317.327.3811.

To report nuisance wildlife please call the Indiana Department of Natural Resources at 317.232.4010.

Q. What are the hours of operation for Indianapolis Animal Care & Control?

A. The shelter is open Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm with extended hours on Wednesday until 7pm and Saturday from 10am-4pm. The shelter is closed on Sundays and holidays.

On the first day, God created the dog and said:

"Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years."

The dog said: "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?"

So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said:

"Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give yo u a twenty-year life span."

The monkey said: "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?"

And God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow and said:

"You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to s upport the farmer's family For this, I will give you a life span of sixty
Years."

The cow said: "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?"

And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created man and said:

"Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For th is, I'll give you twenty years."

But man said: "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?"

"Okay," said God, "You asked for it."

So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you...

By Deborah Harlen

Does this description sound familiar to you: “My dog, Ranger, just won’t settle down. He seems to have an endless supply of energy, even after running around all day.” This is a common description shared by many Bark Busters clients during our initial conversation.

If this sounds familiar to you, the first question to ask yourself is “How am I stimulating my dog’s mind?” If your answer is “I do not know,” following are some suggestions to help you differentiate between physical and mental exercise, which in turn will help tire your bundle of joy.

This is an area where there is a parallel between dogs and people. If you have a mentally stimulating day where your brain really gets a workout, you are usually very tired and ready to just relax. If you don’t have any mental stimulation, you have more energy at the end of the day. The same holds true with your dog.

Have you noticed that a physical workout energizes you? The physical conditioning builds more stamina. It’s the same with dogs. There is a point where the exercise will tire them, but it takes a lot! Dogs can run and run for hours and still be ready for more, but 10 to 15 minutes of making them concentrate and THINK is exhausting, and they’ll be ready for a nap. Just as the physical exercise will give you and your dog physical stamina, exercising the brain will build mental stamina.

So, how can you exercise your dog’s brain? Obedience training is one great way. Making your dog sit and stay, correcting his mistakes and praising him for the right behavior is a great way of stimulating his brain. He needs to think about what he’s doing and he needs to concentrate. He doesn’t want a correction. He wants to be praised, so he has to think about what he’s doing.

A very slow walk—making sure he is right next to you—is another brain-stimulating exercise. The slower you walk, the more your dog has to think about what he’s doing. We’ve seen, over and over again, very high-energy dogs crash as soon as they come back from a very structured five- to ten-minute walk. A “power walk” will give them more energy, but a walk that requires brain power will be exhausting.

Puzzles are a great way to mentally stimulate your dog’s brain. Take one of his favorite treats, let him sniff it and then hide it. Let him try to find it or tie it inside an old towel and make him figure out how to get it out.

Scatter feeding is another great mental game. Your dog will have to search for his supper. Scatter feeding also works well if your dog has a tendency to wolf down his food. We’ve never met a dog that didn’t love this game.

The more you exercise your dog’s brain, the happier and calmer he’ll be. He does need physical exercise, just as we do, but he also needs mental stimulation. Dogs who are bored are more likely get into trouble.

If your dog is digging or chewing inappropriate items or if he’s running all over the house out of control, look at the mental side of the equation. A mentally stimulated dog is a tired dog and a tired dog is a calm dog. A calm dog is a happy dog and that’s what we all want.

Deborah Harlen is a dog behavioral therapist and trainer with Bark Busters, the world’s largest dog training company. Bark Busters trainers, who have trained more than 350,000 dogs worldwide, are renowned authorities in correcting dog behavior with all-natural, dog-friendly methods. Bark Busters training is the only service of its kind that offers a written lifetime guarantee. For more information, call 1-877-500-BARK (2275) or visit www.BarkBusters.com.

Deborah Harlen
Bark Buster Dog Behavioral Therapist & Trainer
IndyNorth@barkbusters.com
www.barkbusters.com
Indianapolis, IN 46236
317-341-3246

Pool Safety for Dogs

By Deborah Harlen

Keeping your dog cool during the summer months is extremely important. It can prevent heat stroke, dehydration or even death. Dogs not only need to drink plenty of water to keep cool, many of them like to swim in it as well. While it is a great form of exercise and will help to keep Fido from overheating, many dogs drown each year from pool accidents that could have been avoided.

If your dog loves the water and loves to jump into the pool, make sure he knows how to get out safely. If a dog falls into a river or lake, its instinct will tell it to turn around and try to get out from the point at which it fell in. This may work well in a lake or a river, but in a suburban swimming pool the dog may drown if it adopts this instinctive action. Therefore it is important to teach your dog where and how to get out of the pool regardless of where he went in.

To teach a dog how to exit a pool, first attach a recall leash to its collar. Gently place the dog into the pool from the steps. The dog will instinctively turn around and get out from the point of entry – the steps. Place the dog in the pool from the steps several times. Once it realizes that it can scramble out via the steps, move to the other sides of the pool and again gently place the dog into the pool. Use the recall leash to guide the dog to the step area, giving as little help as possible to the dog.

“Once the dog has oriented himself to the steps in relation to the house and understands how to use the steps to exit the pool, the danger of it drowning in the pool will be reduced,” stated Liam Crowe, Bark Busters’ president, COO and master trainer. “Practice as much as possible with your dog, especially with pups, but make certain your dog does not become exhausted. The most you will be able to achieve at any one time is three or four entries and exits.”

With regards to exhaustion, it is also important for you to keep an eye on your dog while in the pool because swimming can be very tiring for a dog. Just like many dogs will chase a ball or Frisbee again and again until they nearly collapse, many dogs will continue swimming without any thought as to how tired they are. And unlike chasing a ball on land, they have no solid ground on which to rest.

If a dog has year-round access to the pool area, you should conduct pool safety in all weather, hot and cold. Try to keep the pool’s water level as full as possible, as the dog has a much greater chance of being able to get out the closer the water level is to dry land.

If you don’t have access to a pool that allows dogs but still want to take him swimming, nature offers other enjoyable options. However, be aware of the surrounding area if you take your dog to the beach, lake or pond. Watch for trouble and make sure your dog will come to you as soon as you call. Recall is one of the most important lessons you can teach your dog. It can literally save his life.

With a little planning and forethought, you can help your dog swim without incident in most any environment during the hot summer months. We love our pets and want them to be with us for as long as possible, and the above tips will go a long way to ensure their safety.

Deborah Harlen is a dog behavioral therapist and trainer with Bark Busters, the world’s largest dog training company. Bark Busters trainers, who have trained more than 350,000 dogs worldwide, are renowned authorities in correcting dog behavior with all-natural, dog-friendly methods. Bark Busters training is the only service of its kind that offers a written lifetime guarantee. For more information, call 1-877-500-BARK (2275) or visit www.BarkBusters.com.

We received this nice letter from Kathy Lee (Mittens's owner). See it below.

Please click on the link below to find updated information on the recent dog food toxicity:

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?C=32&A=2528

Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls Single Product, Prescription Diet™ m/d

Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls Single Product, Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline Dry Food, Only Product Containing Wheat Gluten

Topeka, KS (March 30, 2007) - In accordance with its over-riding commitment to pet health and well-being, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. is voluntarily recalling Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food from the market. Hill's is taking this precautionary action because during a two-month period in early 2007, wheat gluten for this product was provided by a company that also supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods. U.S. Food and Drug Administration tests of wheat gluten samples from this period show the presence of a small amount of melamine. Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dry represents less than one half of one percent of all Hill's products.

This is the only product Hill's currently sells in the United States and Canada that contains wheat gluten from any supplier. No other Hill's Prescription Diet® or Science Diet® products are affected by this voluntary recall. Hill's Science Diet Savory Cuts Feline canned cat foods, manufactured by Menu Foods, were previously withdrawn from the market as a precaution. Together with this earlier withdrawal, less than 1% of all Hill's products have been affected.

The voluntary recall of Hill's Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food involves discontinuation of all retail sales and product retrieval from sellers. This recall does not include Prescription Diet m/d Feline canned food which contains no wheat gluten.

Consumers should stop using this product and return it for a refund. All Hill's products carry a 100 percent guarantee, and consumers can receive a refund for recalled product.

Hill's expects to resume shipment shortly of a reformulated version of this highly beneficial product that will not contain wheat gluten. Please check with your veterinarian for an alternative Prescription Diet until m/d Feline dry is reformulated and made available again.

A lady found the fawn under her step (they think the doe might have been hit by a car. Her Ridge Back dog is helping look after it. The family named the fawn Bella. Once she has regained her strength (she was not in good shape when the family found her) they are going to send her to some friends who (in the past) raised two orphan deer and released them to the wild. Right now she is being bottle fed. Their dog (Hogan) has basically taken over. The fawn even shares his bed. Click on the great pictures below.

Pumpkin is our hospital cat at Log Cabin Animal Hospital. Pumpkin has a wonderful personality! He spends his day at the reception area and likes to great everybody when he is awake. (he takes naps in his basket next to the copy machine).

Click on this link to see this VIDEO of Pumpkin!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-834961392675291909&hl=en

Dr. Sandor Gal

First-year students at a Veterinary School were receiving their first anatomy class, with a real dead cow. They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet.

The professor started the class by telling them, "In Vet Medicine it is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor: The first is that you not be disgusted by anything involving the animal body.

For an example, the Professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the butt of the dead cow, withdrew it and stuck it in his mouth.

"Go ahead and do the same thing," he told his students

The students freaked out, hesitated for several minutes. But eventually took turns sticking a finger in the anal opening of the dead cow and sucking on it.

When everyone finished, the Professor looked at them and told them "The second most important quality is observation. I stuck in my middle finger and sucked on my index finger. Now learn to pay attention."

I always loved beautful murals and the pictures below will show you the works of this extraordinary artist. Looking at these beautiful murals reminded me of the time when I decided to have murals on the walls of our Log Cabin Animal Hospital.
http://logcabinvet.com/mb/viewimg.php?pr=ufp_&postID=303

Our artist, Richard Jones has painted beautiful pictures on the walls of all exam rooms, the dog kennel, the radiology area and the central treatment area. The idea was to create the feeling of a 19 th century old log cabin in Indiana. In the exam rooms, all walls are cedar logs except one wall area where closets used to be. Dr. Gal commissioned artist Richard Jones to create the image of an open window in each exam room, so it gives the impression that you are looking out the windows of a log cabin, viewing 19 th century rural scenery.
http://logcabinvet.com/gallery/murals.php

The Purpose of a Dog - from a 4 yr. old

We received this e-mail from someone and we would like to share this story with you. How true...

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human
lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life - -like loving every body all the time and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care.

Terry Hutt, your receptionist at Log Cabin Animal Hospital suggested I contact you regarding our dog Maddie. Maddie is 6yrs old and fifty pounds. She is to the best of our knowledge part Schnauzer and part Chow. She is a wonderful pet and very much loved but unfortunately we are being transferred out of state and because of housing Maddie cannot go with us. We want to find Maddie a great home with lots of room to run and play and preferably kids to play with. She is housebroken, spayed, chipped and loves kids...she would make a wonderful pet for a loving family. Can you please help us????? Thank you for any help you can give us! We have attached a picture of Maddie at Christmas time...she has since been cut and groomed so at this time is not as full as pictured.

Jackie & Ron Nitowski
Mouthwkr913@aol.com

Hi Dr. Gal,

Thank you again for your continued support. I have hired a new groomer, her name is Sandi Whitmyer. She has over two years experience but most of all she comes with the same philosophy, love and kindness for the pet. We are taking new clients, Monday-Saturday. Sandi and I continue to look forward to our growing relationship.

Thank you again.

Lori Shuman and Sandi Whitmyer

Supposedly, these paint jobs cost $15,000 and had to be repeated every 3 months as the cat's hair grows out. Must be nice to have $60,000 a year just to keep your cat painted.

Search and identification methods that owners use to find a lost dog

Lord LK, Wittum TE, Ferketich AK, Funk JA, Rajala-Schultz PJ.
Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the process by which owners search for lost dogs and identify factors associated with time to recovery. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

SAMPLE POPULATION: Owners of 187 dogs lost in Montgomery County, Ohio, between June 1 and September 30, 2005.

PROCEDURES: A telephone survey was conducted.

RESULTS: 132 of the 187 (71%) dogs were recovered; median time to recovery was 2 days (range, 0.5 to 21 days). Dogs were recovered primarily through a call or visit to an animal agency (46 [34.8%]), a dog license tag (24 [18.2%]), and posting of neighborhood signs (20 [15.2%]). Eighty-nine (48%) dogs had some type of identification at the time they were lost (ie, identification tag, dog license tag, rabies tag, or microchip). Owners had a higher likelihood of recovery when they called an animal agency (hazard ratio, 2.1), visited an animal agency (1.8), and posted neighborhood signs. Dogs that were wearing a dog license tag also had a higher likelihood of recovery (hazard ratio, 1.6). Owners were less likely to recover their dogs if they believed their dogs were stolen (hazard ratio, 0.3).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that various factors are associated with the likelihood that owners will recover a lost dog. Both animal agencies and veterinarians can play a role in educating dog owners on the importance of identification tags, licensing, and microchips and can help to emphasize the importance of having a search plan in case a dog is lost.

1: J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2007 Jan 15;230(2):211-6.