The Senior Dogs Project "Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog."
..........."Looking Out for Older Dogs" ...........
- Sydney Jeanne Seward
| News.... January 2003 |
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Issues & Announcements |
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Blanket Drive at Brooklyn, NY, Animal Resource Coalition -- Saturday, January 18
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| You can help keep Brooklyn's homeless hounds toasty by bringing blankets, towels and other bedding to the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition's (BARC) Blanket Drive and Benefit on Saturday, January 18, 2003, 9 p.m. to midnight, at the Stinger Club, 241 Grand Street (between Driggs and Roebling), Brooklyn. Join the many supporters of this not-for-profit, no-kill animal rescue shelter for an evening of laughs, music, munchies and other tail-wagging treats. Comedian Ritch Duncan is the featured performer, offering his two-legged stand-up act to benefit our four-legged friends. Your clean and gently used blankets, towels and other bedding -- as well as financial donations -- are desperately needed in the cold weather. Entrance to the benefit is free with your donation of at least one blanket or towel; in lieu of bedding contributions, there is a $5 admission fee at the door. For more information, contact BARC at (718) 486-7489 or visit www.barcshelter.org. DIRECTIONS TO THE STINGER CLUB: L train to Bedford Ave. (first stop in Brooklyn). Exit station at Driggs Ave. and walk 4 blocks south to Grand St. and turn left. The Stinger Club is halfway down the block (look for red and white lights in front). | |
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The Fate of a Dog |
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We were recently sent a link to a site that illustrates the real-life case history of a dog taken into a shelter in Atlanta, GA. "Albert," as the staff decides to call him, is a stray and is allowed only three days at the shelter for his family to come and claim him. The family never comes. If you are involved in rescue, what happens to Albert is old news. However, if you are in any way not convinced that professional breeders need to take a long, hard look at the impact their breeding practices have on pet overpopulation; that backyard breeding should be banned; that puppy mills should be outlawed; that pet stores should not be allowed to sell live animals; that spay/neuter programs should be widely promoted; that adoption of animals is preferable to purchase; and that we need to promote the concept of pet lifetime guardianship, then you need to click here. Please also see the "Spot" (Stop Pet Overpopulation Together) website for more information on how you can help change the way we treat animals in our society.
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Help Stop Sonar Blasting That Injures Dolphins and Whales |
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| We kept returning to Gandhi's thoughts as we learned about the Navy's plans to use sonar blasting in ways that will harm sea creatures. He said: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way that its animals are treated." The Navy knows that there are dangers to dolphins and whales if they carry out their program of sonar blasting. The Navy needs to know that, as a nation, we need to be responsible for the viability of the great creatures of the sea. You can call the Navy: 703- 695-3131. Or, you can write: Secretary of the Navy, 1000 Navy Pentagon, Washington, DC. 20350-1000. If you write your own letter to express your views, the Navy will acknowledge it. The Navy has been sworn to serve all the citizens of the United States, and that includes you. Your letter doesn't have to be long. Just say something about the fact that the sonar is harming the world's marine life which in turn, affects us all. For more information on this deadly technology, please see the Defenders of Wildlife website. | |
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WARNING! Raisins and Grapes Can Cause Renal Failure
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Have you ever given your dog raisins or grapes as a treat? With apologies to the California Table Grape Commission, we must report that the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center has found a relationship between kidney failure and the ingestion of raisins or grapes. You may want to read the article on this topic in its entirety. The evidence seems fairly conclusive, so it would be wise to keep raisins and grapes out of reach of your dog, and to tell your friends who have dogs about these findings. |
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Annual Vaccinations and Titers |
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| In several of our recent newsletters, we have published information concerning the dangers of annual vaccinations and the growing trend of veterinary schools to recommend against the practice. In fact, it has been reported that all 27 veterinary schools in North America are in the process of changing their protocols for vaccinating dogs and cats, recommending against annual vaccination. In view of these changes, there may be a time at which it may be important to ascertain whether a dog is protected against such life-threatening diseases as canine parvoviius and distemper. In the past, a costly test was required, but now there is a new test available that is less expensive and quicker to yield results. Called TiterChek, this15-minute test can help determine if a dog is protected. Vets charge about $30 (compared with $65 - $100 for the old titer tests). For more information on titer testing in general, you can visit http://www.antechdiagnostics.com. | |
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Deramaxx -- a New Cox-2 Inhibitor -- Some Potential Problems? |
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| We've recently had some inquiries about a new drug for dogs (manufacturer: Novartis) called Deramaxx that is based on the formula for Celebrex. A website visitor noted that: "There is considerable information on the way Celebrex is metabolized in dogs such that some dogs will in effect be overdosed when taking it while others will receive little benefit from it. I don't know how Deramaxx is metabolized, because this was not tested by Novartis, or required by the FDA in their approval... It is possible that the modifications made to Celebrex in creating Deramaxx have avoided this problem, but I think it highly unlikely simply because, had that been the case, the FDA and Novartis would have noted it. All the Cox-2 inhibitors have some effect on the kidneys in humans. In dogs, this effect is magnified because Cox-2 is constituitively expressed in dogs' kidneys. The kidneys perform regulatory functions that help to maintain critical electrolyte balances. My concern with Deramaxx is simply with the way it is being marketed by Novartis. The FDA approved it for one very specific, limited application -- post operative pain management, but it is clearly being marketed as a Rimadyl replacement for long term use for which it has neither been tested nor approved by FDA. I have gathered considerable evidence that it is being prescribed this way and am planning to file a complaint to the FDA about this." If you wish to report an experience with Deramaxx, please correspond directly with: e-murray@pacbell.net |
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Rescue & Adoption News |
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Boise, ID -- Two Standard Poodles
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An E-mail from Teresa Lagoski, Standard Poodle Society, Boise, ID: "Mersadie and Merette, two elderly Standard Poodles from Boise, Idaho, have been adopted. They went to live in their new forever home thanks to this Senior Dog web site. Thank you so much for your all your help and for making their last years wonderful." ADOPTED as a result of this ad: Can you provide a loving home for these two wonderful, abandoned 11-year old Standard Poodles? Sadie and Merette really need to go to a home together as they are quite dependent on one another, emotionally and physically. They both have a touch of arthritis, so no long walks are necessary, and they both have fuzzy vision, so a huge backyard is not necessary. Otherwise, they are very healthy, housetrained, and well behaved. They are okay with cats and children, too. If you can provide a loving home for these girls during their golden years, please call Marilyn at (208) 884-0409 or Teresa at (208) 384-1227 or E-mail Poodle Rescue at BOYBUCKY@email.msn.com. Prefer Treasure Valley placement, but would consider other location for the perfect home. |