I repeat. Do Not Trust Humans. Two legs bad - four legs good!

I am warning my fellow canines - the humans do bad things. I am writing through my pain to make sure that no other dog should ever befall the type of mishap I have endured. Let me start from the beginning. My humans had been talking about someone named “Spay” for the past couple weeks and my mom always looked really upset when the subject would come up.

Not knowing who Spay was, I figured she or he was probably another human or dare I say it, a filthy cat, based on the negative reaction my mom had to him or her. I still haven’t figured out who this “Spay” is, but on Friday morning, my mom woke up really early. It was still dark out! Then she fed me a suitable breakfast of pheasant and tripe. I figured could get used to this - Louis didn’t try and eat my breakfast since he was still asleep. Then, my dad got up and we went into the thing with wheels that takes us to Grandma’s house and the park. Without Louis!! Finally, some respect!

Except, we didn’t end up at Grandma’s house. We were at a place I haven’t been before with tons of strangers. At first it was fine, since they were all admiring my royal tiny self, but then my mom and dad left me there! What in the bones is going on? I was thinking. Me, in a cage? I don’t think so.

The next thing I knew my beautiful right forearm was being shaved and I was falling asleep against my will. When I woke up, I was alone in a cage and there was intense pain in my tummy and mouth. I checked out my tummy and found that the once pink expanse of unblemished skin and fur that made up my lovely belly was now mangled beyond recognition. I was also dazed and could barely keep my eyes open. Blasted humans! I thought, What have they done to me?

I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection of my metal den. My face was discolored. I opened my mouth. My amazing second row of sharky teeth had been stolen! I knew they were valuable, since my mom and dad were always poking at them and my mom even managed to steal a few that had come loose. I never expected that they would all be stolen, though.

Out of no where, my mom and dad showed up. They were extremely sensitive and loving but they showed no rage at the humans who drugged me to steal my teeth and something from inside my tummy. Why wasn’t my daddy pummeling them? I didn’t understand. Another ride in the wheeled thing and I was back home. I didn’t feel so good, having had my innards and teeth stolen and all, but at least I was home. Louis was there and we all snuggled up in the big bed.

I am feeling better and the pain is starting to subside, but I am still upset. When I smile, I have one lame row of teeth, just like all the other boring dogs. And my tummy is not pretty, its still mangled. And my shaven foreleg..what the bones is that about? I am planning on staying fully clothed and indoors so that no one can see me in this condition. Oh, and I still don’t know who Spay is.

I hope your humans never leave you with the drugging teeth and gut stealing evil-doers.

Kisses,

Ella Bean

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To say my 13 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Louis and I love each other is an understatement. We adore each other. We sleep cuddled, often nose to nose and he follows me everywhere. When I do laundry in my building’s laundry facility, down the hall, he follows. Into the kitchen in the middle of the night? He is there. He gazes up at me adoringly while I write, drifting off to sleep from time to time.

The downside is, dogs don’t ‘love’ in the human sense and I am anthropomorphising my precious Louis. He is fixated on me, a common trait to his breed and it isn’t helped by the fact that I work from home. We spend more time together, then not and his days are filled with intermittent ear massages, belly rubs, play sessions and naps.

So, what’s the problem? This fixation makes Louis really upset when I leave the house. I can do everything that The Dog Whisperer or my hero Victoria Stillwell
would suggest to curb this behavior, but because of my schedule (and lack of car during days when my husband is out) we are inextricably bonded.

Because he doesn’t exhibit destructive behavior and about 10 minutes after I leave he is sound asleep or playing with his little sister Ella Bean, the key is keeping him calm during the ‘leaving the house’ process. Its not good for anyone to get so worked up that they are crying hysterically on a daily basis! Enter Bach’s Rescue Remedy.

The famous Dr. Edward Bach was a British doctor, practicing allopathic medicine in the 1920’s and 30’s. Frustrated by the limitations of the medical profession and the focus on disease vs. the patient, Dr. Bach began working with homeopathic remedies and eventually, flower essences.

Rescue Remedy, the most famous of all of his remedies, is a combination of five flower essences, that when mixed together become an essence of its own that works to calm and soothe. Used on pets, Rescue Remedy is commonly used by vets on nervous patients, after seizures or anesthesia to revive and to speed recovery from heatstroke or exhaustion. When we first adopted Ella Bean, we used it to soothe her during the transition process. Many people find it useful for dogs who are afraid of thunderstorms. It can be used for anxious travelers on car rides and I use it to aid with separation anxiety. Basically, it provides instant calming in any situation.

It has become so popular for pets, that an alcohol-free version of the original remedy is being specifically marketed to pet owners. Louis loves it. When he sees the bottle he comes right over and practically opens his mouth for his dose. Ella Bean isn’t quite as fond of the ‘dropper in the mouth’ method. We put a few drops on our finger and rub it on her gums. Instant calm. My husband and I use it too - 10 drops in some tea before bed is totally relaxing.

My family, those with paws and without, highly recommend a bit of Rescue Remedy for calming, whenever things get stressful.

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And The Winner Is…

“Ladies and gentlemen, dogs and bitches,” said Palm Dog organizer, Toby Rose, as he welcomed guests at the 2008 Palm Dog Ceremony in Cannes. The 2008 Cannes film festival was rife with canine performances, said Rose “It kicked off with a standout performance in ‘Blindness,’ where a dog licks Julianne Moore’s face.”

Also recognized at the Palm Dog Awards was the Israeli animated documentary, Waltz With Bashir, which was in the running for the famous Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or. The movie opens with a pack of growling dogs bounding through the city, the movie, according to Rose, “shows dog camaraderie at its best.”

Of all the impressive canine performances, only one could be the top dog. The 2008 Palm Dog Winner, Lucy, was the canine co-star to Michelle Williams in Wendy and Lucy. The film follows Wendy (Williams) as she and her dog Lucy embark on a road trip to Alaska in hopes of getting well paying work at a fish cannery. The car breaks down mid-journey, leaving the already broke Wendy in a situation that grows increasingly difficult. As the film’s director, Kelly Reichardt, is also Lucy’s puppy parent, she accepted the famed Palm Dog collar on Lucy’s behalf. Unfortunately, Lucy was at home in Queens and was unable to attend the Palm Dog Ceremony.

A big Cup of Dog congratulatory “Woof!” goes out to Lucy, this years Palm Dog winner!

For more information on the canine craziness that is the Palm Dog Awards, check out Best in Show - Cannes Edition!

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The Main Event

Yesterday was Ella Bean’s spay surgery, the inspiration of the From Start to Ovariohysterectomy series of posts. In addition to her spay, my little Bean had over 10 baby teeth removed - they lost count because some were so tiny!

She did an excellent job under anesthesia and the vet was able to remove all the deciduous teeth, one of our major concerns.

We absolutely love our vet and his staff. They took such good care of our little girl and she is eating, drinking and going to the bathroom normally. As I am a regular on a lot of dog threads, there are a number of common issues to the spay and neuter surgery that puppy moms & pops seem to be concerned about, so here goes!

The Cost of Surgery

Plenty of rescued pups are spayed and neutered without any issues, through the shelter which they were adopted. Many spay/ neuter events cultivate an impression that the sterilization procedure can be done in an “assembly line” manner. Proponents of spay and neuter clinics and low cost sterilization aren’t wrong - spayed/neutered dogs make better pets and do not contribute to the millions of homeless puppies already looking for their forever home.

It is important to know that the spay procedure is a major surgery and your pet will need post-operative care and attention. Remember, this surgery is a one time cost and a lifetime investment in better health. The cost of the procedure varies from clinic to clinic, depends on the gender, size, breed, age and health of your pet. Discuss the fees in advance so you can be prepared and involved in any decisions that affect cost and safety.

For any female that is older and has gone through multiple heats or been bred, it can be time consuming and complex. Additionally, if you have a toy dog, or in my case - the smallest pup I have ever met - imagine the procedure from a vet’s perspective. At under three pounds, the surgery borders on a microscopic adventure!

The Spay

Let’s get to the nitty gritty. What happens when your girl is spayed? Well, it varies depending on your vet and their protocol, but the gist is that your pup is going to go under anesthesia. After she is under, her belly will be cleaned and the vet will scrub up. The team working with the vet will place the pup on her back, either on an operating table or in a sterile tray that is placed on the table. A tray keeps the dog from sliding around.

Gas anesthesia such as Isoflurane is usually used during the surgery. The benefit of gas anesthesia is that it can easily be increased or decreased, depending the dog’s needs. Often, vets use a heart monitor during surgery to monitor her.

The first part of the surgery is when the vet clamps the skin to stretch it and begins an incision using a scalpel. Careful incision minimize muscle damage. The uterus is a Y shaped organ that has two horns and a body. The vet removes the whole uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes and dissolvable sutures are used for the incision. After checking for abnormalities or bleeding and the incision is stitched up.

For a puppy who has never been in heat, the spay takes about 25 minutes.

Questions, Questions, Questions

As a concerned parent, you will likely have questions before the procedure. These are some common ones. Make sure you feel that your vet answered all your questions and you feel comfortable!

• Are the surgical instruments sterilized between each procedure?

The answer should be yes! Its more expensive and takes more time, but its much safer.

• Do you use a heart monitor during surgery?

Again, its a safety precaution that adds some $$ to the procedure. Wouldn’t you want your pup to be monitored?

• Is the incision closed with layers of stitches?

Again, this is more time consuming and costs more, but it’s safer.

• Does the clinic use reversible gas anesthesia?

The cost is higher but the risks of anesthesia are lessened this way.

• Will she be normal when I get her home?

Well, activity should be restricted for the week after surgery so as not to rupture the incision. Schedule your post-operative follow up appointment as you are leaving surgery so you can make sure she is reevaluated.

• Will she be in pain?

The surgery is preformed under anesthesia so she wont feel a thing during the operation. Usually, the vet will send her home on painkillers. It is up to you and your vet whether to continue to administer pain medication. Its important to note that dogs heal much quicker then we do. Some discomfort helps with the healing process, so she knows her limits and doesn’t try to play like normal and risk opening the incision.

Good luck and happy spaying!

Ella Bean is on her way to making a full recovery, she is already giving kisses and her antennae ears are whirling about. She is a little shaky and we are monitoring her closely to make sure she doesn’t try to hop on or off any furniture. (A BIG no-no after surgery.) We peeked inside her mouth and although its pretty red and her gums are a bit swollen, she now has the movie star smile she deserves!

For more information on spaying and neutering,  check out the rest of the From Start to Ovariohysterectomy series. Part I focuses on why dog sterilization is important and the myths that surround the procedure.  Part II is about the mandatory sterilization laws that are being passed around the US and the risks of sterilization.

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You love your dog, right? Do you love him so much, you want him with you the rest of your life?

Now, the once impossible, is possible. Your beloved Spot can be with you forever - or at least his clone can! BioArts International, a California based company says they have the technology to reproduce Spot. In fact, you can have a few Spots!

Starting June 18, BioArts will be auctioning the opportunity to clone your beloved pooch. Five winners will get to submit their dog’s DNA for cloning. Bidding starts at $100,000 and the project is called Best Friends Again.

In 2005, Snuppy (for Seoul National University puppy), was the first succesful cloning of a dog - a male Afghan Hound. Dr. Hwang Woo Suk, the controversial scientist worked with the team who cloned Snuppy. Earlier, Dr. Hwang worked with a team that claimed to have cloned the first human stem cells and embryos. Those claims were found to be false. Dr. Hwang is working with BioArts and the company’s cheif executive, Lou Hawthorne acknowledges that working with Dr. Hwang will raise concerns, but maintains that Dr. Hwang’s work with Snuppy had been independently verified.

Hawthorne has wanted to clone a dog, three-quarters Border Collie and one-quarter Husky, named Missy since the 1990’s. The project was called Missyplicity. Missy passed away in 2002 and Hawthorne had taken genetic samples in 1997 and again after she died. In December, a puppy was born, named Mira. Mira was a clone of Missy. Two more Missy clones were born in February. Testing by the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory confirmed that the three dogs are, in fact, clones.

Just remember - even though the dog may be a clone - a puppy is still a puppy and will need house training!

As for me, that hefty price tag isn’t the deterrent for me wanting to make another Louis. Its the ethics of the whole thing. The name of the project - Best Friends Again, is just totally creepy! However, if cloning is your style, and your bank account isn’t affected by the current economy, happy bidding…and let us know how it turns out!

Image of Snuppy via theology.co.kr, Image of Lou Hawthorne & three cloned Missy pups via Heidi Schumann for The New York Times

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For the eighth year in a row, Toby Rose, a British Journalist has organized the Palm Dog competition. This crazy canine competition doesn’t involve breed standards and kennel clubs - its all about the dogs in the movies.

“Dogs are crucial to films and yet they are totally overlooked,” says Toby Rose, who founded the ceremony which includes an award for best on-screen dog performance, “Was Frank the singing pug an important plot element in Men In Black II? No. But was he the best thing about the movie? Oh, yes,” he said.

The event has gone mainstream; Chloë Sevigny (of HBO’s Big Love) is a Palm Dog Goodwill Ambassador and one of the past year’s winners, writer/ director Aki Kaurismäki, added the Palm Dog logo to the print of his Palm Dog-winning film Man Without a Past.

Past winners include “The all stray cast” in Mid Road Gang (Winners 2007 ) and “Mops” in Marie Antoinette (Winner 2006).

Sadly, Rose’s beloved pooch and muse, Mutley, passed away this year at age 13. “I’m not going to mention his death until the end or I’ll never get through it,” Rose says. “But this year is his tribute.” What else can we expect this year? We will just have to wait until Friday, when Cannes’ hairiest event awards this year’s brass studded collars!

For more information, please visit www.palmdog.com.

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Part I of the From Start to Ovariohysterectomy series was focused on the benefits of spaying and neutering and the myths that surround sterlization procedures.

Mandatory spay and neuter legislation is being enacted all over the country. As such, the debate has entered the mainstream media and an informative article on MSNBC outlines the risks and the controversy surrounding the legislation. In light of Ella Bean’s impending spay surgery, it seemed valuable to include this pertinent discussion.

Mandatory Sterilization?

Because of the pet overpopulation problem, Los Angeles, CA has passed legislation that will require cats and dogs over 4 months of age to be spayed or neutered, or risk facing fines up to $500. Palm Beach and North Las Vegas have recently passed similar laws and nearly a dozen other cities are mulling over the details of mandatory spay and neuter legislation.

As more cities pass legislation that requires pet owners to sterilize, the critics of such legislation have begun to make noise, stirring up a great deal of confusion for pet owners, who just want to do whats best for their beloved four legged family members.

Critics of the legislation are standing behind Every dog has different needs. While Louis had a pediatric neuter at 10 weeks old, Ella Bean is nearing 8 months of age and is due for her surgery this Friday. There are benefits to a pediatric spay/neuter. You can read about those benefits here.

Louis rarely, if ever lifts his leg and never marks his territory. He also has never exhibited humping or other dominant behaviors. My childhood dog was neutered later and was extremely dominant marked his territory everywhere. Louis is 4X the size of Ella Bean and was twice her current weight when he was neutered. (Neutering is also a much less complex procedure then spaying.) For Ella, it is good that we waited, as far as her deciduous teeth situation. Because she has not lost many of her baby teeth, they can be pulled while she is already anesthesia.

Conflicting Information

For as many studies that tout the health benefits of spaying and neutering, there are studies that support the opposite claim - that sterilization actually can increase risk of some cancers, incontinence and thyroid issues. Studies also show that some of the aggression and behavior issues that were thought to be curtailed by spay or neuter procedures, may not actually be helped.

WHAT? This flies in the face of everything I have been taught about dog rearing!!

So what is the truth?

Well, everything depends on your specific dog. How old he or she is when the procedure is preformed, the breed of the dog and lifestyle must all be taken into consideration. Large and giant breed dogs, for instance, may fare better if they undergo the procedure after their growth plates are closed, at about 12-14 months. I realize that isn’t very helpful, but find a vet you trust and work with him or her to decide what is right for your pet.

If you purchased a purebred from a reputable breeder, they will have definite opinions about when their puppies should be sterilized and those opinions will be based on experience with the breed. For those who adopt, often times the procedure takes place before your pet comes home with you.

This is a definite departure from the archaic ‘6 month’ approach - which many vets still practice. According to MSNBC’s article, this notion dates to the 1960’s and 70’s when it was found that spayed and neutered dogs showed a decrease in undesirable behaviors and spaying females before their first estrus cycle nearly eliminated the risk of mammary cancer, which commonly occurs otherwise.

Risks vs. Reward

The actual risks associated with sterilization are minimal, but they are real.

Experts disagree when the surgery should take place, but they do ultimately agree that spaying and neutering is what is best for pets. There is no risk that outweighs the benefits of sterilization.

Given that this fact is agreed on, and millions of animals are euthanized each year, it seems to me it would be a far better use of financial resources to direct money toward providing communties with low cost or, even better, free spay and neuters then directing money and energy at passing legislation that requires the sterilization of pets and collecting fines from those who don’t sterilize.

For more information on the benefits of spaying and neutering, please see From Start to Ovariohysterectomy Part I and please check out Kim Campbell Thornton’s article on MSNBC.

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Today, Cup of Dog’s continued coverage of Chihuahuas in the news presents…The Scuba Diving Chihuahua, five year old Mondex! OK, Mondex doesn’t actually dive, but he sure looked the part at a Manila, Phillipines pooch fashion show. Mondex emerged as the winner, seizing his prize from another Chi, Tucker, who was dressed as a cowboy.

Those crazy Chihuahuas! First, there was a Paragliding Chihuahua, then a praying Chi, next was the therapy Chihuahua, the racing Chihuahuas followed and finally, the Beverly Hills Chihuahua!

What will the Chihuahua do next?

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Today, Male Human woke me and Louis up at an ungodly hour. He made us sign these paper things called ‘Card’ and told us that it was Female Human’s birthday.

SO? Why would you disturb my beauty sleep??

He made up for it by filling our food bowls, but still. He showed us a really pretty, shiny necklace. I tried it on, but then he took it off and said that it was for Mom (I figured out he meant Female Human. I guess that’s her name.)

When Mom(?) woke up, he gave her MY box with MY necklace. She had the gall to put it on her big, hairless paw. Why doesn’t she understand that its a necklace?

Whatever. I can’t wait till MY birthday and I get my very own necklace. Humans, I would like to put in an early request for a Bean necklace, to represent the beauty that is The Bean.

Kisses,

Ella Bean

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Worchester, UK. A five year old Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Lye was trained as a utility dog, providing assistance for her deaf owner. She has gone above and beyond the call of duty, first, assisting her owner after she had fallen in an alley due to a injured knee. The dog ran to a main street and tugged on a man’s pant leg, dragging him to assist her owner. The gentleman who helped Lye’s owner was alerted by the dog’s “Hearing Dog” coat and realized that the dog was trying to tell him something. Lye’s second act of heroism came when intruders invaded her home. The dog woke her owner and scared off the burglers with some serious barking.

The group that trained Lye, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, awarded the dog with the title “Hearing Dog of the Month.” Cup of Dog congratulates Lye!

Image of Lye and owner via Worcester News.

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