Fur Kids Foundation Pack News Blog

March 2016 Case Update

3/30/2016

In March 2016, Fur Kids Foundation had nine families apply for assistance, and we were able to help four of those families (with four still in progress)—for a total of $521.14 given in aid. Below is a rundown of the cases we provided assistance to:

A puppy who was hit by a car who we helped cross the rainbow bridge
A dog who got out of a fenced yard and was hit by a car
A cat who had an allergic reaction to their new food
A cat who had an abscess on their tail
In progress: a dog who has a broken leg and damaged paw as a result of a car accident with its owner; a dog with a fractured hip after being hit by a car; a cat with rotten teeth; and a cat with possible inner ear issues.

As you can see, we’ve seen a lot of cases recently with dogs who have gotten out of their owners yard or house, and have been struck by a car. In June 2013, Fur Kids Foundation wrote a blog about dog proofing your back yard. Please take a minute to read this blog to see if there are things you can do to make your yard safer for your pets.

We are grateful for the dedication of Fur Kids Foundation volunteers and supporters who have helped these families stay happy and healthy, and together! When you volunteer, attend an event, or help us raise money by supporting the businesses who support us with promotions, these families are who you are helping. Thank you again for all that you do for the Foundation, and for families with pets in Campbell County, Wyoming.

If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.

March 2016 Volunteer of the Month

3/30/2016

Laura Miller
The Fur Kids Foundation board wants to give a huge shout out to Laura Miller as the March 2016 Volunteer of the Month!

Laura is our only volunteer who lives and works in Wright, and has been very supportive by helping us at events like Pooch Plunge and Pet-A-Palooza, as well as helping out when we are at booths. She reached out to the Foundation in December with interest in helping us with finding and writing grants. She had taken some grant writing classes, and wanted to put her new knowledge to good use—we were thrilled she reached out to us! Since then, she has been actively pursuing grants that will help the Foundation keep pets healthy in Campbell County, Wyoming. Laura is also a HUGE advocate for BarkBox because it supports the Foundation. Thank you, Laura for giving us some of your spare time! We appreciate your support.

Have you seen a volunteer go above and beyond? Let Mary or Felicia know at volunteerfkf@gmail.com.

When you sign up for BarkBox, every month you will receive a box in the mail with four or more carefully selected products and presents for your dog – anything from toys, bones and all-natural treats to hygiene products and innovative new gadgets! Support us AND get 10% off when you use our special code: FKF. Help Fur Kids Foundation raise some serious bones – we get a $15 donation with every order! Learn more at Barkbox.com.

Help us #StartWithaSmile!

3/25/2016

AmazonSmile announced a new campaign on March 24 dubbed #StartWithaSmile, and we need your help to get Fur Kids Foundation noticed. And, if we do get noticed, Amazon will share the photo with more than 30 million Amazon social-media followers! This could help us get more people to select Fur Kids Foundation for their AmazonSmile charity. You know what that means: we can help more pets in Campbell County, Wyoming stay healthy and happy with their families.

Here’s what we need from you
There's two ways you can help Fur Kids Foundation!

First option: send us pictures or videos of you, and maybe your pet(s), with the #StartWithaSmile sign (download it here). You can send those images to Fur Kids Foundation at furkidsfoundation@gmail.com. Pictures that are sent to Fur Kids Foundation will be shared with our Twitter followers, @furkidswyo.

Second option: Tweet a picture or video of yourself, and maybe your pet(s), with the #StartWithaSmile sign (download it here), and use the following text:

When you #StartWithaSmile we can save more pets lives #AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com/ch/45-3984478 @furkidswyo
When you #StartWithaSmile we can keep pets healthy in CC Wyo #AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com/ch/45-3984478 @furkidswyo

Check out our examples

Fur Kids Foundation supporters using AmazonSmile since 2014 have helped raise more than $300 just by shopping online! When you shop at smile.amazon.com and select Fur Kids Foundation as your charity, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com—with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.05 percent of the price of your eligible purchases to the Foundation! Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations—products will be marked as Eligible for AmazonSmile donation on their product detail pages. Learn more

Success Story: Tonto

3/15/2016

Fur Kids Foundation case managers have seen and helped a number of these stories: mischievous kitten with a broken leg. While many see cats as agile animals who pounce from place to place with grace, we’re beginning to learn that kittens seem to be similar to bulls in china stores -- clumsy and fragile.

That is the case with Tonto. Tonto had a broken leg, but his misfortune didn’t end there. The break in his leg wasn’t healing properly, which caused a particularly nasty infection. Tonto’s only option was to have his leg amputated.

Bones most commonly broken (or fractured) in cats include the femur (leg bone), pelvis, jaw and tail. Cats are masters at hiding their pain, but if your cat has broken a bone, they will most likely:

cry out or howl in pain or moan/groan when touched in the area that is broken
refrain from walking or moving the part that is broken
won’t eat or groom the area that is broken
have swelling in the area of the broken bone

Tonto’s parents had hit a temporary rough patch. His dad had lost his job in November, and had just began a new job a couple of weeks before Tonto broke his leg. And his mom was on bed rest due to pregnancy. They reached out to Fur Kids Foundation for help, and we were able to provide assistance with Tonto’s bill.

We’re very happy to say that the vet removed Tonto’s leg, and he has made a full recovery. We hope he’ll be one of those graceful and agile cats in the near future.

If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.

Success Story: Hades

3/15/2016

This is Hades, a 7-year-old pit bull mix. Roughly six months ago, Hades mom noticed an unusual lump on his belly, but it didn’t seem to be bothering him, so she didn’t worry too much about it. However, when she noticed that a few other lumps began to develop, she was scared that her cherished family pet had cancer.

Worried that a cancer diagnosis would be too much to handle for a family who is on a limited income and were facing some unexpected bills soon, Hades family reached out to Fur Kids Foundation. We told them we would be happy to help.

Fortunately, the vet determined the lumps were benign lipoma, or what’s more commonly known as fatty skin tumors. Most fatty skin tumors are soft to the touch and are movable under your pet’s skin. They are often located on the stomach, just like in Hades’ case, but can be found anywhere on the body. If the lump is between the legs, or on the chest, those lumps can often interfere with the dog’s movement, and may need to be removed. Most dogs with one fatty tumor will eventually develop others as they age. Since lumps that are cancerous can often look like these fatty skin tumors, it’s recommended that every mass be examined by a vet.

Want to read more about lipomas/fatty skin tumors? Check out these articles.

The Bark: Dogs and Lipomas
Drs. Foster and Smith: Lipomas in dogs - benign fatty growths
Pet MD: Fatty Skin Tumors in Dogs

If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.

Success Story: London

3/15/2016

London the 5-year-old mixed lab is an wannabe escape artist. One lazy winter day, she was getting nosy and decided that she needed to see what was going on down the street, so she planned her great escape. Unfortunately, her great escape resulted in a severely broken leg after her leg was caught in the fence she was trying to leap over.

Dealing with recent break of her own and learning how to live off of disability, London’s mom was now facing a very expensive surgery for her pup. She knew she couldn’t afford surgery to put the leg back together for London, but wasn’t sure if an amputation would give London a quality life.

After a long discussion with her vet, London’s mom felt that the best choice for the family and London was to amputate.

Broken legs in dogs are quite common. If you see any of the following signs or symptoms in your dog, be sure to take them to the vet right away:

Unwillingness to put any weight on the injured leg; often picking the leg up and walking as a tri-pod
Refusing to play, walk or go up the stairs
Unusually aggression from the dog when you attempt to touch the leg that may be broken
Howlng or whimpering -- this is a solid sign of pain in a dog
Refusing to eat or isolating themselves away from you or the family

We are absolutely thrilled to report that London is doing fantastic (check out the video posted on Facebook that is below) and is recovering faster than her mom ever imagined.

If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.

So proud of my girl only 24 hours after surgery!!!!
Posted by Sherry Larchick Barnish on Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Pain Management in Dogs

3/2/2016

Beatrix enjoying acupuncture.

Last April, my beagle Beatrix would yelp or cry out unexpectedly. Sometimes it was when she was getting out from under the covers, when she would run out the door, or even when she was out walking. When it would happen, I’d rub her from head to toe and watch her for a bit, but she seemed to go back to normal quickly, as if nothing was bothering her.

Until one day, she didn’t bounce back.

I also noticed that she couldn’t lift her head to look up at me, so she’d keep her head low and just watch me with her eyes. She’d cry out when she tried to take a treat from my hand. She had a hard time climbing stairs or jumping up on me in my chair or couch -- she loves to snuggle at night. She was eating, but not as enthusiastically as usual -- my beagles get The Honest Kitchen for dog food, so they are usually quite excited for nummies. I noticed that she had slowed down on our walks, acting like she didn’t want to go for that second mile, and she seemed to be panting more than normal. When I would pat her down to try to determine where the source of pain was, she’s stiffen up, making it nearly impossible to locate the source -- and sometimes, just cry out or yelp when I’d reach toward her to see if I could find the issue.

Many of these symptoms/signs Bea was displaying I knew were signs of pain. It was definitely time to go to vet.

My vet started her on a regimen of pain meds, and we were under strict orders not to be as active as usual, which is easier said than done for a beagle who loves her daily walks, chasing balls and scent work. After a few trips, and one emergency vet visit on a Sunday, we had an x-ray done that showed she had a herniated disc in her neck. This herniated disc was pressing on a nerve in her spine, and causing her to be in incredible pain. A couple of times, we thought the only option Bea would have was surgery to remove the herniated disc, so we started looking into other integrative approaches such as laser therapy and acupuncture.

Some 10 months later, Bea is leaps and bounds better -- literally. She’s bounding after balls, challenging Cooper and I to continue on to a third or fourth mile, and chasing squirrels and bunnies as if she were on a hunt. It’s great to see her this way, but I continue to do a lot to manage her condition. And, I’d like to share what I learned with you.

Pain Medicine
Often, it will take several different medications before your dog will begin to improve. Below is a list of the medications that you may encounter if you need to help manage pain in your dog.

Amantadine: This is another drug that is used to help control pain -- often used for arthritis or to treat pain from a nerve injury. It is mainly used in combination with pain relievers to improve their effects.
Gabapentin: This drug controls nerve related pain and arthritis, and can work to normalize the electrical activity in the brain. It’s most often prescribed to help control seizures in dogs and cats.
NSAIDs: The drug group most vets will prescribe are the same type of medications that we often take ourselves when we have a headache -- NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Like the name suggests, these are generally used to reduce inflammation, and can be removed once the inflammation has gone down. Commonly used NSAIDs include Rimadyl, Metacam and Previcox. These medications are generally safe, but are known to cause liver or kidney damage in some dogs with continual use. Please speak with your vet immediately if your dog is taking an NSAID and their behavior or appetite changes, they vomit or have loose or tarry stools -- they may be having a bad reaction to the drug. If you do give your pup Rimadyl, be sure to check out the Rimadyl Rewards Program. For every bottle purchased, you'll get points for a refund. You'll also receive credit on a special Rimadyl card to use for future meds or yearly blood tests. Be sure to talk with your vet about this program. Please note: Aspirin, a common over-the-counter NSAID, should not be administered without a vet’s direction. And other pain relievers such as Tylenol should never be given. Please consult a vet before you give your pet medication for pain management.
Robaxin: This drug relaxes muscles in your pet, helping to provide relief from the pain associated with muscle spasms.
Tramadol: Another drug group vets will use for pain management are opiates. Tramadol, which is a mild opiate, and isn’t a drug that will reduce pain, but reduce the response to pain. This medication was prescribed to once before when I was trying to make my dog Lucy comfortable while going through bone cancer.

At one time, Bea was taking what my vet and I referred to as a cocktail of all five of these medications to manage her pain. I’d say it took a few months of her being on this cocktail, and not being as active as normal for us to get her pain under control. Currently, Bea is taking a quarter of Rimadyl and one Gabapentin every day -- and hopefully we’ll be able to come off of that in time.

Other Approaches
Fortunately, I also learned about a few other treatments for pain that were a bit more natural to help Beatrix improve.

Acupuncture: This prickly technique is said to encourage the body to heal itself by correcting energy imbalances in the body. Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into body tissue where nerve bundles and blood vessels come together called acupuncture points, which run throughout the body on what is referred to as energy channels. These channels permit a cycle of energy to occur throughout the whole body over 24 hours. Acupuncture enhances blood circulation, nervous system stimulation, and the release of anti-inflammatory and pain relieving hormones. And for Beatrix, worked wonders. Within two, roughly 10-15 minute treatments, I saw a major difference in her level of pain and could tell she was feeling better. We started by going to a couple of treatments a week, and eventually those tapered off to going every three weeks, which we are still scheduling. When we go, I simply rub her chest while the needles are doing their job -- I think she quite enjoys the treatment. I also feel confident in saying these helped me reduce the medications she was taking, and helped her feel better the quickest. (I’ve even started going to acupuncture for myself.) Currently, Animal Medical Center of Wyoming allows Kate Johnston of Gillette Acupuncture to come to the clinic and provide acupuncture treatments to pets on Tuesdays.
Laser therapy: Laser therapy can treat injuries, sprains and strains, arthritis, and swelling due to back disc problems, among others. It also helps to regenerate nerve tissue after surgery. With laser therapy, an intense beam of laser light is directed into tissues to help promote healing by reducing inflammation and increasing blood flow, which will also help reduce pain. Thankfully, three veterinary clinics in town offer this service: Gillette Pet Veterinary Clinic, Red Hills Veterinary Hospital and Thunder Basin Veterinary Clinic.
Supplements: These offer an over-the-counter approach to pain management. The supplements that I have chosen to use include Glucosamine and fish oil. Glucosamine helps with the production of joint lubricants and shock absorption that helps maintain healthy cartilage and joint function. Glucosamine is also involved with the formation of nails, tendons, skin, eyes, bone, ligaments, heart valves, and can help with digestion, breathing and urinary tracts. This supplement is extracted from crab, lobster, or shrimp shells and here are three forms of it--so, if your dog has a shellfish allergy, this is not an option for you. For dosage and recommendations on which form your pet should take, be sure to consult with your veterinarian. Fish oil can have a positive effect on the skin and coat of your pet as well as the heart, kidneys and joints (and others), but it is also a great treatment for inflammation. For dosage information, be sure to consult with your veterinarian. Another note about supplements: Some of the over-the-counter options may not work well together with prescribed medications. It's a good idea to speak with your vet beforehand before adding something to your pet's diet.

One of the best articles I read about pain management came from the December 2015 edition of The Whole Dog Journal titled Pain treatment for dogs now commonplace in veterinary medicine, by Denise Flaim. And here is another website that I referenced a couple of times, International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, https://ivapm.org.

It certainly helped me to research Bea's condition but the best partner for Bea and myself in all of this was our vet, Dr. Darren Lynde at Animal Medical Center. I kept him busy with questions, and many updates on how Bea was doing, and having his counsel certainly helped.

IAABC releases posters highlighting dog behavior

3/2/2016

Recently, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) released some posters highlighting appropriate dog behavior at Dog Parks – calling it their Dog Park Safety Project. The goal of this project is to promote safety in dog parks and in dog play through community education. Fur Kids Foundation just loved these posters so much we wanted to share them with you. Check them out. And, visit the IAABC on Facebook to learn more about them.