animal health

(AP photo.)

An elephant who lost her foot to a landmine in the Thailand/Myanmar (Burma) border region ten years ago is getting measured for a prosthetic.  I’m not sure which is more amazing: that we can build a prosthetic for an elephant, or that elephants adapt so incrediubly well to adversity.

In January 1994, I visited the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage near Kegalle, Sri Lanka.  They had rescued a huge, wild bull elephant that had been wounded by poachers, shot more than a dozen times including in both eyes.  When I visited, they were still treating his wounds.  They had him tied to four trees, and all he could do was stand there and bellow with rage– you could hear him from miles away.

A few months later, I returned to Pinnawela.  The the wounds of the blind bull elephant had now been healed, and they were training him to move trees.  In a few short months, he had adopted a handler and begun a new career.  And you could tell he was happy just to be doing something.

• Onions
• Grapes
• Chocolate
• Yeast
• Garlic
• Macadamia Nuts
• Coffee
• Alcohol

They also offer these two animal poison control phone numbers, operated by the ASPCA:

• 900-443-0000 ($45 charged to your phone)
• 888-426-4435 ($45 charged to your credit card)

(RaeA photo.)

ASPCA warns that grapes and raisins can cause renal failure in dogs– and no one knows why.  Pesticides and heavy metals have been ruled out.

“When medical care was sought, blood chemistry panels showed consistent patterns. Hypercalcemia (elevated blood calcium levels) was frequently present, as well as elevated levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and phosphorous (substances that reflect kidney function). These chemistries began to increase anywhere from 24 hours to several days after the dogs ate the fruit. As the kidney damage developed, the dogs would produce little urine. When they could no longer produce urine, death occurred. In some cases, dogs who received timely veterinary care still had to be euthanized.”

If your dog eats grapes or raisins, ASPCA recommends inducing vomiting and/or administering activated c harcoal to expel/absorb the toxins. Then seek veterinary care.

Sam had his eyes replaced with prosthetics last summer because of canine glaucoma, but you’d never know it the way he plays with Pepper.  She loves to play, and will tease him until he responds.  We put a bell on her to help even the odds a bit, but he does surprisingly well even when she’s not wearing a bell.

Sam was terribly depressed for about a month after his operation.  He’s been gradually getting used to his “new” eyes, and now he’s pretty much back to normal.  He even stares at us when he knows we’re eating– and you’d swear he could see!  If he didn’t occasionally run into things, you’d never guess he was blind.

(Baby Javelina photo: Homemade dog biscuits.)

As the scope of tainted peanut butter products widens, Deseret News reports that SLC-based Albertson’s has voluntarily recalled Happy Tails multiflavor dog biscuit products because they may contain contaminated peanut butter.

“According to the FDA, pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Well animals can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Other markets around the country have also recalled Happy Tails, as well as some store brands.  The FDA says 31 million pounds of peanut butter have been recalled, about 4% of the country’s annual consumption.  But this is apparently the first pet product affected by the recall.  It’s almost enough to make you want to bake your own dog treats…

Because of his glaucoma, Sam had the ISP (interscleral prosthesis) surgery a month ago.  He’s now fully recovered, and the redness in his eyes (caused by internal bleeding from the surgery) has receded.  Here’s a photo of Sam with his new eyes.  They don’t have pupils, but they look fairly normal.  Most importantly, they don’t hurt him any more: they’re solid, with no fluid inside and therefore no pressure to build up.

Sam’s still getting used to having no light sensitivity at all, but he’s handling it pretty well.  He does go through moods, though, where he just refuses to do anything.  Also, he’s always had the attitude of “If I can’t see you, I can’t hear you.”  Now he can’t see us at all, so getting him to respond to commands is sometimes a challenge.

Yesterday we took Sam to Las Vegas (temperature 155 degrees), where the opthamologist removed the exterior stitches from his ISP surgery.  He’s doing well, still on an eyedrop that contains both antibiotic and steroid, and is allowed to be without his cone as long as he doesn’t scratch at his eyes (in other words, while supervised, since the dissolving internal stitches still cause his eyes to itch).

We ordered him a pair of Doggles– goggles specially designed with a chin strap for dogs.  They arrived today from SitStay.com, and he looks pretty stylish in them.  When Sam returns to going outside without his leash, he’ll need the Doggles to protect his eyes from obstacles, especially greasewood, a spiny plant we have in abundance.