Article Archives
deep article archives for serious dog lovers
Accurate, timely, and inspiring news & resources for dog lovers
Champion of My Heart launched in April 2007. That’s forever ago, as things go. Since then, a small, but loyal community of dog lovers continue to follow our stories, look here for reputable advice, and made good use of our most popular resources.
Prior recognition includes the following award wins and nominations:
- Humane Society of Boulder Valley Community Engagement Award Winner
- DogTime Media Best Dog Blog Award Winner
- DogTime Media Best Dog Blog Award Finalist
Jump in and read a few a few things from our article archive. We’re glad you’re here. We hope you’ll join our community.
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New Colorado Vaccination Rules and Fallout from Rescue Group Rabies Scandal
A while back I wrote a Q & A about that puppy rabies case in Colorado. The Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act Program (PACFA) , which handles licensing, inspections, and enforcement of animal care facilities in the state, as an offshoot of the state’s Department of Agriculture, established new Colorado vaccination rules for the facilities here and for rescue groups and shelters bringing in animals from other states. There’s going to be some fallout.
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Book Review of The Hill by Leif Lathrop
Needed to do something different for about 1,000 reasons this week, so here’s an entirely off topic book review of The Hill by Leif Lathrop. It truly is an uplifting (and sometimes heart-pounding) story about the 6-man high school football team he coaches. It’s truly cinematic in scope and a fun read for anyone who already loves or wants to learn about life, community, and football in a small town. Lathrop is an accomplished artist (as seen recently on a 3-minute segment aired on CBS Evening News), fellow Colorado author, and a former semi-pro football coach. He also happens to be a high school classmate of mine and the leading man in another friend and classmate’s life.
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How Much Do Dogs Cost Over a Lifetime ?
Some new data from Synchrony / Care Credit sheds light on how much dogs cost over a lifetime. The survey also summarizes where people now cut back due to the rising costs for everything dogs need. I always think these estimates are way, WAY low, but let’s take a look at the results of the 2025 Pet Lifetime of Care Study (with 1,541 dog owners responding to the online survey).
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Hypothyroidism in Dogs and False-Positive Tests
A study published in 2024 set up blind, independent case reviews with 3 different board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialists to gauge the likelihood of dogs actually being hypothyroid based on routine blood test results that found low total T4. The premise is that overdiagnosis of hypothyroidism in dogs is possible. Here’s what those specialists thought.
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Study into Common Tummy Meds for Puppies
A study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in June 2025 looked at the effects of giving healthy puppies a combination of metronidazole-sulfadimethoxine. This study into common tummy meds for puppies found some not great outcomes in markers of intestinal health.
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Dog Urinalysis
Especially as dogs get older, I’ve always been in the camp that says, “Why not run routine tests, just to see?” Asking for a dog urinalysis is a good example. Why not check? Way better to catch anything early. Yet, with veterinary costs rising and other financial challenges for many people, including me, I (unfortunately) now take a harder look at my budget than I did earlier. I dug around in my dog files to remind myself how much a canine urinalysis test costs now versus then. Spoiler alert, the cost has nearly doubled. Honestly, it’s tempting to scale back, and I still might, but let’s look at some of the things we might miss if we skip doing urinalysis on a dog, of any age.
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5 New Breeds Added to When to Spay or Neuter Research
The research I first wrote about in 2021 that offered recommendations on when to spay or neuter 35 dog breeds has expanded to include recommendations for 5 more breeds — German Short/Wirehaired Pointer, Mastiff, Newfoundland, Rhodesian Ridgeback, and Siberian Husky. Let’s take a look at the details for these new breeds.
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Terrible Advice About Affording Veterinary Care
Petsmart Charities released results of a new survey recently that shows a majority of people (52%) struggle with affording veterinary care. Everyone is talking about it, as you’ve likely seen. I will probably write about it in more detail soon, but I wanted to share my thoughts (rant) about some terrible advice I saw from an e-newsletter and website for veterinary professionals. I won’t name it here, but I will say that I, myself, would not respond well or feel good about their ideas of how veterinary teams should pre-ask about paying for veterinary care or handle times when people feel worried about paying for recommended veterinary care. It’s cringe-worthy, IMHO.
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License for Rattlesnake Vaccine for Dogs Yanked
So, this is interesting. It turns out that the USDA pulled the license for the rattlesnake vaccine for dogs. That means it will soon no longer be available to veterinarians, just as rattlesnake season ramps up this spring (2025). Here’s what we know.
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Fun Dog Book for Kids
Author Jeff Pawlecki contacted me a while back, asking me to review his fun book for kids called The Three Terrier Tales on the Farm – Barking Up a New Adventure. He lives on a farm in Ohio, with family that includes people and several species of animals. The book is cute and pretty funny. If you know young readers who like terriers, it’s perfect for their bookshelves!
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AI Helps Find Lost Pets
I learned about how AI helps find lost pets while working on what turned out to be my last-ever article for one of my longtime, national pet magazine clients. Yes, I know about many of the ethical (and environmental) issues around AI. Still, this actually seems like a useful application of it. I included a couple of action items for you.
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5 Signs of Pain in Dogs You Might Miss
Pain often causes dogs to change their behavior in unexpected ways. A recent study found that people who better understand signs of pain in dogs are more likely to seek appropriate veterinary care (and sooner). Let’s look at 5 signs of pain in dogs you might miss. (Let me know what you would add to the list!) Also a real-life example at the bottom of the page.
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Updated Thoughts on Colorado VPA Ballot Measure
I unpublished and updated this post about the VPA ballot measure in Colorado after reading additional input from the veterinary world and seeing DVMs on Twitter, in particular, calling BS on the ballot measure’s purported goals. So, here we go again. Jump down to the section called Other Reasons to Oppose It to catch up, if you read the earlier version!
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PD the Pug Books
That tiny foster pug puppy from a few years ago came as a revelation. One of the things I love about fostering is getting the chance to experience breeds I’d never know otherwise. So, I felt pretty excited to read some books written by PD the Pug.
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Q & A Puppy Rabies Case in Colorado
By now, most of you know about this puppy rabies situation in Colorado with a Denver-area rescue group called Moms and Mutts that specializes in pregnant and/or nursing momma dogs and their litters. I contacted the state’s public health department to get answers to some of the common questions people ask about this case and why the entire litter of puppies needed to be euthanized and tested for rabies.
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Bird Flu and Pets
Our home state Colorado has seen some bird flu issues recently. Bird flu sweeping through farms with egg-laying hens. Bird flu in dairy cows. Even some cases of bird flu in people and now cats! One other related news item coming out of Japan also caught my eye.
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Dog Needle Core Biopsy for Intestinal Issues
Full disclosure, the study on dog needle core biopsy results is small. Very small. Like just 17 cats and 3 dogs in the study. However, it looks like this biopsy option might be just as useful (and safe) as the typical surgical biopsies (with bigger incisions). I, honestly, had no idea veterinarians needed so many…
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Dog CPR Stats and Updates
The first RECOVER guidelines for dog CPR and cat CPR published in 2012. A whole bunch of experts in veterinary emergency and critical care went through and updated the guidelines based on what we know in 2024. Some of the stats on CPR for pets in veterinary settings surprised me, so let’s look at what’s changed (or not).
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Psilocybin for Dogs
Seriously. We need to talk about psilocybin for dogs because apparently people are giving psychedelics to pets. Major, major yikes. The potential uses, though, by trained professionals may be a real game changer for dogs with fear, trauma, or socialization issues.
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Lessons From a Veterinary Hospital Shooting
More than a year ago, we reported on this veterinary hospital shooting in Kentucky. It took me a while and some money to get access to the police records and other background information. I spoke with members of the victim’s family a few times. I also kept putting off digging into the details because it breaks my heart. Now that I’ve read through all the investigative paperwork and interviews and watched some (but not all) of the video provided on 9 DVDs, including law enforcement body cams, maybe someone like me with a long history writing about veterinary medicine can offer some fair insights, including several factors that made things worse.
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Dog Book for Kids Review
Don’t you love the idea of kids learning about dogs through reading? WT Kosmos asked me for a dog book for kids review for the first book in a planned series. It’s called Maya & Waggers – I have to scoop what? (ha ha) The truth is that I had a few issues with some things in the chapter book for kids ages 8 and up. Let’s clap for Kosmos who took my feedback and made revisions so that kids learn accurate (and safe) info about dogs and dog training, including how to teach sit and the dangers of dogs running loose. Yay! Let’s take a look at the book’s premise.
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High ALP in Dogs
Wading through a huge stack of veterinary studies about CBD for dogs, it’s clear that long-term use of CBD often causes high ALP in dogs. ALP is the abbreviation for alkaline phosphatase. It’s typically used as a routine bloodwork measurement of liver function. Of course, it’s all more complicated than that. It turns out that several things (other than liver problems) can cause high ALP in dogs too.
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Pet Microchip Scanner for Neighborhood
RED ALERT!?! Started out trying to show how the typical pet microchip usage works. Fell down a rabbit hole of failed systems and inaccurate information. Definitely, double-check all your pets’ microchip registries. Apparently, some of them have combined, and the data (ours at least) got jumbled.
Saw this article about a veterinary hospital in Arkansas that set up a pet microchip scanner station outside its facility so that community members can scan lost / found pets themselves for pet ID microchips. Genius really, so now I really want to set up one for our rural neighborhood — kind of like a free little library — if I can find an affordable professional grade microchip reader. Let’s talk about how all that might work and how best to scan pets you find.
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Furify Bed Sheets for Pet Lovers
If you allow your dog(s) and/or cat(s) to sleep in your bed, then you probably know the struggle of a build-up of hair and dander on your bedding — even with weekly washing. That’s the problem Furify bed sheets for pet lovers addresses by using bamboo textiles. We’ve had them on our bed for several weeks now. Here’s what I think.
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2024 Veterinary Consolidation Update
Here’s my 2024 veterinary consolidation update as I continue to worry about the kind of veterinary care options available to people like us in the future. The veterinary magazine article I wrote won’t publish until June 2024, but I want to share some relevant info with you from my research for that piece. Despite some stats that make my stomach hurt, industry experts I interviewed promise me that it’s going to be OK. Let’s look at what I learned and how experts answer questions about things like private equity’s role in veterinary medicine.
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How Brains of Anxious Dogs Are Different
As much as I value, appreciate, and regularly use personal development and cognitive skills to work my way out of destructive feelings in daily life, I also understand that some of us — including dogs — end up hardwired to feel things like anxiety. A study published in March 2023 looked at the rs-fMRI (resting state functional MRI) differences between the brains of anxious dogs and other dogs. Maybe it’ll help you feel better about some of your own worries too.
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Antibiotics and Dog Bites to Other Dogs
The decision to prescribe antibiotics gets weighed more carefully now than in the past because of the increase in meds-resistant infections. When it comes to antibiotics and dog bites to other dogs, veterinarians sometimes do NOT prescribe antibiotics if the dog bite wounds get clipped cleaned promptly by the veterinary team. If signs of infection develop, then sure, you can get some antibiotics for your dog. However, this 10-year retrospective study out of Australia generated some interesting results about how antibiotics and dog bites get paired up, including sometimes under-dosing.
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The Problem With Dog Attack Statistics
As we approach the anniversary of the dog attack defendant taking a plea deal in the case of the 2 loose dogs attacking me and Mr. Stix (from behind, without warning) in November 2021, I saw some new dog attack statistics I wanted to share. The numbers are interesting, but they also are misleading. Let me explain why.
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Training Dogs to be Careful Around Crutches
I wish I didn’t need to think about training dogs to be careful around crutches, but real life does its thing. I went through our dogs’ repertoire of behaviors and found some that prove helpful to me since I have many weeks / months ahead of me on crutches. Here are some prior dog behaviors that pay off if / when you get hurt. Cute videos, including one of a tiny Clover learning “go to place.” Don’t miss it!
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Frail Dogs
With my recent fall, hospitalization, and orthopedic trauma surgery, I found myself both annoyed and amused at how the human medical staff often treated me like a VERY old lady. They even sent a social worker to ask me about my normal life, before the injury, such as if I could do things like bathe and dress myself, cook and feed myself, etc. Giggle-snort. I mean, yes, I’m kinda old, but I’m not THAT old. So this work from the Dog Aging Project at Texas A&M University to find ways to identify frail dogs caught my attention since chronological age alone isn’t an effective enough predictor in assessing the health and potential risks as our dogs age. Based on frailty scales created in human medicine, these veterinary researchers promote similar strategies for our dogs. I also wax a little thoughtful on the idea of life-space.
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Keep Dogs Safe in Snow
People often seem stunned that our home state of Colorado gets such huge snowstorms when other places in the country already see spring blooming. It’s really quite common, though. Local weather people love to say, “You know, March is our snowiest month!” And, it’s true. The worst was 2003 when we got huge storms back to back and were stuck at home for a week before we dug out by hand. This latest storm wasn’t that bad, but still … bad enough (for more than one reason). Here’s our advice on how to keep dogs safe in snow. Plus, extra photos and videos of the storm. Jump to the very bottom for the bad news.
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Detecting Dog Cancers
I don’t pretend to understand the complexities of Raman molecular urinalysis, but a study published in February 2024 looks at its use in detecting 4 common types of dog cancers, including lymphoma, urothelial carcinoma, osteosarcoma, and mast cell tumors. The idea that a quick in-office urine test might find cancer signatures is pretty exciting, so let’s see what the researchers found.
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10 Things I Learned from Leland Dirks
I got news today (Feb 19, 2024) that my fellow Colorado author and border collie lover Leland Dirks died recently. It’s such sad news, but I know that his beloved (late) border collie Angelo shepherded his crossing. As I often do upon the death of people I love and admire, I wrote a bit of a Leland Dirks tribute that I like to pretend he’d appreciate.
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Easy Kale Recipe for People Who Don’t Like Kale
File this under entirely off topic. I planned to write about a new cancer test this week. However, no thanks to medical drama (both human and canine), I don’t feel up to wading through the research. Instead, since it’s about the time many New Year’s Resolutions fail and since *nearly March is kind of the new January, here’s an easy kale recipe I use all the time. It’s perfect for people who don’t like kale. I actually love it, as do my dogs. If you’ve ever tried to make kale chips and failed, then welcome to the club. This easy kale recipe made in a frying pan is much more forgiving than trying to crisp up kale in the over. Let me know if you try it. Also, don’t miss hilarious dog photos ahead.
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Goldens in Golden (My Hometown)
Despite a dismal cold and snowy weather forecast that more than came true and resulted in a bit of a dicey drive home, I ventured down the canyon to our hometown of Golden, Colorado, for the 4th annual Goldens in Golden event. It’s one of the biggest gatherings of Golden Retrievers in the country. Photos and about 5 minutes of video ahead, including the cheering for the massive group photo at the end of the video!
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$100 Dollar Bag of Dog Food
It’s 48 days until Spring. We got a full tank of gas, half a pack of M&Ms. It’s dark… and we’re wearing sunglasses. Bonus points, if you get that movie reference (edited a little to match our situation). I’m in a mood after spending nearly $100 for one bag of dog food last weekend.
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New Index for Tummy Problems in Dogs
The graphic I found to modify for this post alone is worth the trouble. Cracks me up. Let’s face it tummy problems in dogs are NO fun — for them or us. So, it’s pretty interesting that researchers at Texas A&M developed and validated a new diagnostic index that uses changes in a dog’s microbiome to figure out if something is acute or chronic … and eventually help find better treatments. I even answer the question, “How Does This Help Your Dog’s Tummy Problems?”
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Dog Vasectomy and Ovary-Sparing Spay Study
With increasing interest in the benefits of dogs’ longer exposure to gonadal hormones and demand for options other than traditional spay/neuter, a study published in early 2023 caught my attention. It compares health and behavior outcomes for dog vasectomy and ovary-sparing spay patients with both sexually intact dogs and those with gonads surgically removed as is the current standard practice. It’s a small sample for dogs who’ve had those surgeries, but the results look interesting. I tried to include most of the important points. The full list of health conditions compared is long, but researchers grouped them as follows:
– Orthopedic problems, including blown knees
– Cancer
– Obesity
– Endocrine disorders (thyroid disease, diabetes)
– Reproductive disorders
– Other health problems (dental, heart, kidney, and eye diseases and disorders)
– Problematic behaviors (aggression, anxiety)
– Nuisance behaviors (mounting, marking) -
Itchy Dog Relief Guidelines
With a major veterinary magazine deadline looming, I spent time reading in full the latest thinking about itchy dog relief from the new 2023 AAHA Management of Allergic Skin Diseases in Dogs and Cats Guidelines. A few things jumped out at me, including how apparently cranky and impatient we are as veterinary clients when dogs develop symptoms of allergic skin diseases.
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Why Puppies Pee When Excited
Through my teen years, my family included a cocker spaniel named Brandie. My friends, however, likely thought her full name was “That’s Brandie. Don’t pet her. She’ll pee.” Ever wonder why puppies pee when excited or nervous? Well, consider my thoughts on the issue.
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Fun Dog-Centric Mystery Book Series
Are you sitting down? I’m going to recommend a mystery book series that repeatedly breaks my #1 rule about including debunked, outdated, and total BS dog training and behavior details. Shocker, I know. And, yet, these otherwise funny and engaging books have helped me survive a difficult year, and I adore them. FIVE STARS — Highly recommend. I traded emails with the author to share my angst over those mentions of alpha dogs and being pack leaders and other stuff, so they know where I stand. Why on earth am I writing this? Keep reading to find out what I enjoy these books in the Bought the Farm Series by Ellen Riggs (pssst … that’s a pen name).
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Dog Cancer Diet and Quality of Life During Chemo
A veterinary nutritionist friend served as the lead author on a study of a specific dry diet for dogs going through chemotherapy — a dog cancer diet, if you will, to look for possible effect on their quality of life. The paper published in late 2023. Let’s take a look.
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When Your Heart Dog Dies Reflections 10 Years Later
When your heart dog dies, it leaves you gutted in ways words can’t truly describe. I sliced myself open to write Heart Dog: Surviving the Loss of Your Canine Soul Mate while still absolutely devastated by the death of our original canine heroine Lilly. All of this sites content between 2007 and 2013, and a little beyond, tell her stories. So, with the 10 anniversary of her death coming up this weekend, I guess it’s time to reflect. To offset the sad parts, don’t miss the photos and videos at the very end of our latest fosters.
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New Dog Anxiety Supplement
hanks to our longtime leadership in the dog media world, I get to be one of the first to tell you about a dog anxiety supplement with new-to-market active ingredients from Brave Paws. Plus, for a limited time, fans and friends of Champion of My Heart are the ONLY ONES getting access to $10 off with an exclusive coupon code (HOLIDAY10), just for us. I look forward to trying Brave Paws for Tori’s stress and sickness in the car. I hope you’ll keep reading to learn more possible uses for separation anxiety, veterinary visits, thunderstorms, fireworks, car trips, or other ongoing dog stress concerns. Just in time for preventing holiday worries in dogs.
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Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC)
For now, I’m not going to attempt to write extensively about the weird (and maybe new / maybe not new) Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) cases all over the news that result in sometimes quick and dangerous pneumonia. Sure, it’s in my wheelhouse, but it’s also an fluid situation. I really do not want to add to the hype and drama. Instead, here are some recommendations on reputable places to get updated and accurate information, specifically for your community.
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Pet Loss Guided Meditation for the Holidays
Wow! The holidays pose extra hardships on grieving hearts. I decided to create a pet loss guided meditation to help those hurting this time of year due to the loss of their beloved pets. It’s less than 10 minutes long, and I hope it helps ease the heartbreak. I plan to create more of these in the future, but this is a start. This post explains the structure of the meditation. Scroll to the bottom for the video / audio you can use to ground yourself in love.
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Ups and Downs of Nosework 2 Event (NW2)
In September 2023, Clover attended her fifth NW2 competition. We did not earn a title that day, again. The challenge of nosework, unlike other dog sports, is that the first couple of titles require perfection all in a single day. You don’t get the build toward titles until later. For NW1, it’s 4 searches (with 1 hide each) in a single day. Clover did that on her first try. And, she *nearly did it on her first try at NW2. But, here we find ourselves, without that elusive 5 perfect searches in a single day … yet … because the searches are harder and can feature multiple hides. Here’s how things went. Don’t miss the video of us searching at the bottom of the page!
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Can I Give My Dog Dramamine?
Thanks to access to better tools that analyze big data I now know that people ask questions like this: Can I Give My Dog Dramamine: Is It Safe? So, let’s take a look. Remember, we went through a LOT of options for Tori’s epic car sickness. We have a solution that sort of works, but she still struggles. In some cases, dramamine is NOT safe for certain dogs.
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Mistakes Dog Owners Make
Rather than mistakes dog owners make, maybe I should call this … the dumbest things I ever did when it comes to dogs. Granted, most of them happened when I was much younger and less experienced with being responsible for 100% of my dogs’ care. Get ready to laugh (or be horrified).
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Shelter Dog Behavior After Adoption
A study done by researchers from the veterinary school at Ohio State University and published in August 2023, looked at shelter dog behavior after adoption at 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, and 180 days. The results look interesting, including how adoptions and data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and such affected outcomes and perspectives.
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Sulfa Drug Sensitivity in Dogs
Sulfa drug sensitivity in dogs often makes us think about Doberman Pinschers, but they are not the only breed potentially affected by sulfonamide medications. Let’s look at theories on causes and common symptoms. Don’t miss the gorgeous photo of a pal’s Doberman.
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Post Operative Bleeding in Dogs
Many of us likely think that post operative bleeding in dogs happens right away, but it turns out, in some breeds, some pretty scary post-op bleeding can happen 24 or even 48 hours later. Yikes!
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Mr Stix NACSW NW1 Searches
On June 23 2023, our youngest canine hero (Mr Stix) earned his NACSW NW1 title on his second try. He also earned a 2nd place and pronounced honors for his speedy exterior search at the event held at Rambler Ranch in Elizabeth, Colorado. He is SO cute when he is working with his nose. Don’t miss these 4 videos! It also happened to be the 10th anniversary of my Mom’s death (even though I say 20th in the final video), so I asked her for a little help.
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CYP2B11 Deficiency Dogs
If dog lovers are aware of CYP2B11 deficiency dogs, they likely think of sighthounds. The list of breeds with the CYP2B11-H3 gene mutation, though, reaches far beyond greyhounds and the like. CYP2B11 deficiency dogs pose greater risks of complications with anesthesia, including recovering more slowly. Basically, it’s because the gene mutation results in less CYP2B11, and that means their bodies are much slower eliminating certain medications.
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MDR1 Dog Breeds
Thankfully, all 3 of our dogs carry 2 normal MDR1 genes. We know that thanks to DNA testing. Most MDR1 dog breeds with mutations come from the herding dog group of breeds, but the top list of breeds includes some surprises. I recently came across some stats on how common MDR1 mutations are in specific dog breeds.
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FHO Surgery Dog
Let’s take a look at FHO surgery dogs sometimes need. Click through to see Mr. Stix’s actual pre- and post-operative x-rays from his FHO surgery in 2019. We have yet-another foster puppy (September 2023) who is recovering from … you guessed it … FHO surgery. Yes, I broke my self-imposed fostering sabbatical for the rest of the year to help a new little puppy-girl named STARLIGHT (~4-month-old German Shepherd puppy).
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Tech Updates to Dog Relaxation Protocol Audio
Quick newsflash for Dog Relaxation Protocol users about some required tech updates to the FREE audio files Champion of My Heart made available eons ago and continues to maintain. What a week! Because, you know, tech glitches are so much fun. [insert beleaguered face here] I could use some help from an Apple computer / Safari browser smarty-pants. Scroll down to see my plea.
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Give Rice to Dogs? Why I Can’t Stop
Recently, I mentioned in another dog diarrhea post about how some dog lovers and veterinary hospitals no longer recommend you give rice to dogs with upset tummies. When faced with a poopy puppers again in the last, week, here’s why I can’t stop using rice. TL/DR. It seems to work.
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Pet Insurance Annual Review and Renewal
In 2022, our pet insurance through Embrace Pet Insurance was going to go up a lot. I don’t remember the exact percentage, but it was enough to shock me after several years of steady increases in monthly premiums. Our 3 pet insurance policies through them for Clover, Tori, and Mr. Stix renew again in September 2023. No surprise, I suppose. The cost is going up another 24%. To cut back last year, I doubled our annual deductible from $500 to $1,000, and I lowered our reimbursement rate from 80% to 70%. And, a year later, we’re kind of back where we were. I always ask myself if it’s worth the cost. Let’s look at the numbers, including how much the pet insurance market grew in the last year. Funny (not funny) how the % of industry growth nearly matched the % of increase in our premium costs.
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Dog Genes and Cancer Insights
A new databank of dog genes at UC Davis may provide genetic insights into 3 common (and devastating) cancers in dogs & people.
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Dog Diarrhea Changes in Treatment
Most of us continue to use the same strategies we always have for dog diarrhea – out of habit or a sense of what seems to work for our dogs over the years. A new study, though, pokes a hole in a commonly prescribed dog diarrhea treatment medication and found that special tummy food works better.
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Behavioral Euthanasia and Dogs
Those who follow us on social media and subscribe to our site via email already know that our long-term foster dog Forest got adopted, returned a month later, and required immediate behavioral euthanasia on July 7, 2023. As a dog attack survivor in late 2021 and a lifelong dog lover, you can imagine the avalanche of emotions about his death. Let’s look at such decisions because they’re more common than you might imagine.
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Pet Ownership Benefits and Drawbacks
It turns out that sometimes the pet ownership benefits either aren’t as strong as we often believe or the drawbacks can be worse for some people. A recent (and small cohort) study in the UK looked at the “influence of animal ownership on mental health for people with severe mental illness.” The results, along with mentions of prior studies showing drawbacks, are interesting. Let’s take a look. Warning: It might challenge long-held assumptions.
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Starter Dog Book Review
Let’s get going with my Starter Dog book review. TL/DR Loved it. Perfect read for a long holiday weekend. Also, don’t miss the reason my copy of the book got chewed up.
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Always Carry an Emergency Dog Leash
Why I carry an emergency dog leash pretty much all the time — it’s a good time to get some yourself with fireworks season starting.
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Stressed Dog Signs 5 That Show Up in Bloodwork
I subscribe to a few veterinary news things that give me inside intel on various things. One article called “Top 5 Signs of Patient Stress & Excitement on Clinical Pathology” caught my eye. That’s fancy veterinary speak for how stressed dogs look in routine veterinary bloodwork. Note of course that excitement can cause these things too, but the idea that “chronic stress” can affect liver values means that NOT all of these end up being super-temporary changes in a stressed dog’s bloodwork.
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Mushrooms Toxic to Dogs
So far, it’s a chilly and rainy summer here in Colorado, which is quite rare. Weeks and weeks of almost-daily rain mean that scads of wild mushrooms keep popping up in our yard and pastures. To keep things simple when talking about mushrooms toxic to dogs, veterinarians often use the abbreviation LBM, meaning “little brown mushrooms.” Not that other types of mushrooms toxic to dogs don’t exist, but at least here … little brown ones tend to be most common. I take ZERO chances, and I pull and dispose of everything I find.
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USDA Approves New Parvo Treatment
In early May 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved a conditional license to Elanco Animal Health Inc for a new parvo treatment that uses antibodies. Until now, veterinarians only could provide so-called “supportive care” rather than an actual canine parvovirus treatment. In other words, this is pretty big news. Unfortunately, it’ll be a while before it’s available. Here’s why.
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Shively Animal Hospital Shooting in Kentucky
As a career journalist who specializes in topics in the veterinary space, I’m compelled to follow and report on the story of the Shively Animal Hospital Shooting on Mother’s Day (May 14, 2023). The hospital is located in Louisville, Kentucky. One staff member, age 21, died. His name is Trent “TJ” Taylor Jr. His mother and younger brother also work at the veterinary hospital and apparently were onsite at the time of the shooting. So far, police aren’t saying much, but here’s what’s out there right now, including a possible claim of self defense.
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FDA Approves Generic Cerenia for Dogs
At the very end of March 2023, the FDA approved the first generic Cerenia (maropitant citrate pills), which is used to prevent vomiting in dogs (and cats). This is exceptional news because brand-name Cerenia is expensive … at least it was when we tried using it for Tori’s unrelenting carsickness. (Hint: It didn’t work.) Here’s what we know about the new generic Cerenia.
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Dog Urine Sample Mistake
I spent about a day last week worrying and wondering how our eldest dog, Clover, may have ended up testing as suddenly diabetic. Turns out, I made a dog urine sample mistake that threw off the results, a lot. Thankfully, a repeat test — done just hours later via cystocentesis (getting a dog urine sample with a needle) — came back perfect. Whew! What a relief. So, learn from me, pals. Do NOT make this mistake. What you put the urine sample in matters … a lot.
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Arthritis Supplements for Dogs New Research Review
Well, crap friends. There’s some surprising new intel on arthritis supplements for dogs in a recently published veterinary paper that looked at a bunch of prior studies into various types of enhanced diets, nutraceuticals, and arthritis supplements for dogs (and cats).
I emailed the paper to our main DVM. We’ll talk about it more when the dogs get their wellness exams soon. I very well may be changing my strategies for preventing and helping my dogs with joint supplements. (Or not, keep reading to the end.) What works? What doesn’t? What’s *maybe on the horizon as the next big thing in arthritis supplements for dogs? Let’s find out.
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Blood Coming Out of Ear of Dog
Apparently, people get worried and search online for “blood coming out of ear” of dogs. Yikes! So I dug around on the veterinary medical research for insights and found the most common cause + the breeds at highest risk + other common risk factors of this happening.
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Patterns in Demand for Veterinary Services
Among the effects of the pandemic came a huge increase in demand for veterinary services. Several things drove that spike. Now, it seems demand for veterinary services is settling back down to normal levels. Let’s look at these patterns and what they mean for you and your dogs.
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What is a Veterinary Professional Associate?
The role of veterinary professional associate might offer one possible solution to problems with access to veterinary care for pets. What is a veterinary professional associate? Let’s take a look.
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French Bulldogs Disaster
Now that French Bulldogs rank number one in popularity in the USA in 2022 (according to AKC stats) a real disaster will get much, much worse. Here’s why (with data) from Nationwide’s Veterinary Analytics team that released chunks of new data and analysis about brachycephalic dogs earlier in 2023. The medical risks due to selective breeding for weirder and weirder faces in these dogs are simply too high, leading to death due to pregnancy (mom and puppies) and rampant, lifelong suffering and death of the puppies who survive birth. It isn’t just breathing problems. Several other health risks in extreme brachycephalic breeds, including French Bulldogs, remain scary high. Lovers of Pugs and English Bulldogs will also find relevant stats and charts.
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Canine Nosework Competition News
Well, drat, friends. Clover finished the nosework competition last Friday, March 3, 2023, in Loveland, Colorado, with finding 6 of the 8 hides (in 5 searches), but you have to be PERFECT and all in ONE DAY to earn the NW2 title, so we’ll try again March 31 at a trial MUCH closer to home … and, in fact, the same location where Clover earned her NW1 on her first try at that level of nosework competition. Thanks to an expedited video process. We already have our videos to share. Here’s how it went.
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Clients Fired from Veterinary Hospital, Revisited
As we learn more about veterinary consolidation and veterinary non-compete clauses, it made me wonder what happens if people get fired as veterinary clients from a hospital or clinic that’s owned by a big veterinary corporation. If you’re banned by one, does that mean you’re banned by all facilities owned by that company? I asked around and got an interesting answer. Plus, don’t miss a peek at our latest partial litter of foster puppies (3 from a litter of 6) – photos and a video of them playing with Clover. Calling them the Birthday Bunch. Might name them all after CAKE.
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The Problem With So-Called Common Dog Attack
I explained before how often others’ words belittle or diminish a dog attack after it happens. Along with the ever-present “It could have been worse” from others, I received a note from animal control, telling me this was a “common dog attack.” That phrase sounded like “no big deal” to me, especially when paired with them disagreeing with my assessment that the dogs that attacked me and my youngest dog in late 2021 were dangerous. What is a common dog attack, anyway? I truly don’t believe this label on our experience is true. And, if it is, then beware because that means a crap-ton of dangerous dogs live in our communities. Here’s what I think.
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Using Dog Nail Grinder
Made time to record a video showing our progress from a garage-sale dog nail grinder to the really nice Lucky Tail Dog Nail Grinder we use now (~$40). The video also shows different strategies for using dog nail grinders on dogs with different needs and personalities. No exaggeration, switching from dog nail clippers to a dog nail grinder was a game-changer for us. No more drama!
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Dog Broken Leg Cast Tips
Starting with our very broken first foster puppy (now family member) Mr. Stix who arrived at our local shelter with 15 fractures — all four legs, his hips and his tail, we started specialize in fostering dogs who’ve likely been hit by a car or similar vehicle. For example, with Mr. Stix, we wonder maybe something more like an ATV since clearly the wreck didn’t kill him or cause any internal organ damage (that we know of). As we learned, though, from the unexpected death of foster puppy Dream from an undetected internal injury, no guarantees about how a dog broken leg situation will turn out. With so many injured dogs and puppies in our experience bank, I figured I’d share a few dog broken leg cast tips. Yep, that’s a keyword. Sorry it’s weird.
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Dog Not Eating – Sudden Dog Food Aversion
What. A. Week. Non-stop snow and wind and cold (and work deadlines). Then, Clover stopped eating. It happened once before during a lengthy false pregnancy. Don’t miss myths and facts about dogs who won’t eat from back then. This time, it turns out, the situation started with 1 or potentially a confluence of 3 things. Let’s take a look.
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Veterinary Noncompete Clauses and You
After my recent post about corporate veterinary consolidation and my concerns, I got a tip about about the related problems of veterinary noncompete clauses and how they affect veterinarian’s career options. It affects you too, as a veterinary client. Let’s take a look at how and even what the Federal Trade Commission may do about it.
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Veterinary Consolidation Continues
I feel absolutely gutted to learn that yet another veterinary hospital we’ve used for 30+ years got gobbled up in veterinary consolidation. It’s the incredible facility (with doctors and others I consider friends) where we go for emergency and specialty care. When it got bought several years ago by one of the smaller veterinary corporations, I wasn’t thrilled, but I also consoled myself with the idea that at least they chose a smaller one. I imagined them banding together to fend off the veterinary consolidation giants. In December 2022, I learned they fell to the same huge company that also owns the general veterinary practice we use. It seems I cannot escape the long arm of NVA at least until someone bigger buys them too.
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Coughing Dogs
Sometimes a cough is more than a simple cough. It seems easy to chalk coughing dogs up to so-called “kennel cough,” but veterinary researchers continue to find additional and more complicated ways dogs end up coughing and coughing and coughing for longer than you’d ever expect.
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How We Know Dogs Smell Stress
A recently published study reported that dogs smell stress on us. Yep, we kind of stink in different ways when stressed, and our dogs know that. Let’s go beyond the headlines and look at the canine scent work strategies researchers used to figure this out.
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Dogs That Bite Other Dogs
I’m extra interested in this new study about dogs that bite other dogs. It looked at demographic details of the dogs that bite other dogs, the nature of those bites, and the impact of those bites (such as needing veterinary care). The study did not look into motivations or triggers. As Stanley Coren wrote in his recap of the study, “In other words, attempting to answer the questions who, what, and where, but not why.”
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Conditional Approval of Drug for Pancreatitis in Dogs
Breaking News !! Just in time for the 2022 holiday season, when dogs often accidentally get into rich foods and trigger an acute pancreatitis attack, the FDA gave conditional approval to Panoquell-CA1 for 1 year, with the option for 4 additional annual renewals. The drug meant for injection during hospitalization for cases of pancreatitis in dogs has been approved in Japan since 2018. It’s made by Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha Ltd. Below, you’ll find some FAQs about this new medication and canine pancreatitis in general.
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Dog Attack Restitution
Another chapter in the long, painful, lonely, and frustrating story of being attacked from behind by 2 aggressive dogs without warning comes to a close with the payment of dog attack restitution received this week. The attack happened nearly 1 year ago, the day before Thanksgiving 2021. That makes Thanksgiving 2022 the anniversary. Essentially, the holiday feels ruined. And, yet, the check arrived more than 6 months after it was ordered. The restitution process is convoluted and lengthy, with it not becoming official until like late July and then having a 91 day waiting / comment period (as if the month’s prior didn’t count) and then a letter going out demanding payment. Here’s how all that feels today.
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Dog DNA Test Results for Dream
It’s bittersweet to receive Dream’s dog DNA test results after her unexpected death on Sept 27, 2022, but the results are still kind of fun. Especially, the random big dog breed in her family tree. We used Embark, just as we did for Mr. Stix’s big breed reveal. Because Dream was so lanky, we thought she might have some whippet DNA, but nope.
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Adverse Vaccine Reactions in Dogs Quiz
For those new to Champion of My Heart’s award-winning dog and veterinary content, let’s recap that we gained some notoriety when Lilly, our original canine heroine, died from an adverse vaccine reaction to a routine rabies booster shot. That whole saga in painful detail here. Following that devastating experience, I pay particular attention to what shows up in the veterinary profession world about adverse vaccine reactions in dogs and cats. I recently found an online quiz about adverse vaccine reactions for veterinarians and staffers to take. Unfortunately, you need a login to see the whole thing. It’s free to get a login. I have had one to this professional site for years, so I tried to take the quiz. I only got 2 of 9 answers right. The quiz includes some adverse vaccine reactions in dogs and cats I’d never even heard of. Sharing, as a friend says, for the good of the order. Let’s learn a little something together.
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Rest in Peace, Foster Puppy Dream
Devastated to report the unexpected / sudden death of our most recent foster puppy Dream. Feel like I jinxed things by writing about our preparations for her arrival in real time and by writing about that anesthesia-related deaths study. Her heart stopped during emergency surgery September 27. It appears that whatever caused her broken leg also caused an internal injury that went undetected until her chest and lungs began filling with fluid. She only lived with us for 19 days, but we love her like our very own. The pain of the loss is as bad (or maybe even a little worse due to the shock) as losing our Lilly in 2013. A few of my fav pix and a short tribute video at the bottom of the page.
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Dog Anesthesia Risks of Death
Researchers looked at more than 157,000 cases of dogs needing a general anesthesia / sedation events between 2010 and 2013 and reported on the dog anesthesia risks of death. The published study includes insights into relative risks based on age, health status, type of procedure (including spay/neuter), and even length of dogs’ noses. It’s meant to be reassuring, but even an experienced Dog Mom like me learned a few things. Don’t miss the context and caution about possible overestimation of risk at the bottom of the page.
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Update Foster Puppy Example
With our latest foster puppy (DREAM) in the house for a full week now, here’s an update and real-world foster puppy example of how parts of our foster puppy set up actually work. Written and video updates ahead, including the #1 skill I taught my own dogs that keeps chaos to a minimum. Plus, live video of baby DREAM! Don’t miss it!
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Foster Puppy Set Up
With another foster puppy arrival imminent, I decided to document the foster puppy set up I use to prepare the house. I figured since I needed to do all the work, then I might as well explain my process. Photos and text ahead, if you want to speed read. Otherwise, scroll all the way down the site’s page to see a video that shows how I keep foster puppies safe inside and outside the house, including where they sleep and potty and hangout, etc.
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Dogs Detecting COVID
A study published in June 2022 reported on results for dogs detecting COVID compared to other testing methods. It’s pretty neat. Let’s take a look at what the dogs found, including how dogs detect COVID, how long the dogs trained, and what it all might mean.
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Cuterebra in Dogs Questions and Answers
Cuterebra in dogs — also called warbles, botfly larva, and straight-up maggots — rank pretty high on the yuck scale. Yes, in some cases, they can be dangerous too. Based on real-life experience with them over the years, let me answer some common questions in case you ever need to know. To see what cuterebra holes look like and what cuterebra themselves look like scroll all the way down. That way I don’t accidently gross anyone out. Your choice to scroll that far, or not.
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How Veterinary Care Access Issues Hurt Us All
Let’s continue looking at the problem of veterinary care inequities and how veterinary care access issues hurt us all, including veterinary professionals. That’s important because if they keep cutting back their hours and services, quitting entirely, or, worse, dying by suicide, everyone’s access to veterinary care is only going to get worse.
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Veterinary Care Inequities
I recently researched and wrote a lengthy article for veterinary professionals on veterinary care inequities. It’s NOT YET published, but some important parts got axed in editing. It felt like an issue of fragility, if you understand that term. I argued (and lost). I feel that NOT sharing painful details about the problem only perpetuates inequities many people face when trying to access veterinary care for their pets. So, I alerted some of the people I interviewed about the editing cuts and got permission to share these key points here instead. Who isn’t getting the veterinary care? How common are veterinary care inequities? What barriers do people face? What underlying biases preserve the problem? And, how does this bias and lack of access feel in real life? Let’s take a look.
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Dog Size and Cancer Risks
Maybe I’m more distracted after handing off our tiniest-ever foster puppy (Pavé) earlier this week, but this third cancer relative risk paper from Nationwide Pet Insurance is really something to wade through. It discusses dog size and cancer risks — overall as well as for several specific / common canine cancers (bone cancer, splenic cancer, liver cancer, lymphatic cancer, mammary cancer). This may require more than one post. I may do a video at some point, but let’s dig into at least some of it now. Scroll all the way down to see bonus photos and more info about tiny Pavé in case you missed him on our social media feeds.
