In my last column, I wrote about finding a dog locked in a car parked in the sun while his owner was inside a store shopping. It seems as though lots of you are also concerned about pets left alone in cars. I've received many comments after that column, all in favor of cracking down on pet owners that leave a dog or cat in their vehicle while they go do something. Some of you had good ideas. Some ideas were a little over the top. Smashing someone's window (ie. breaking and entering) is not the answer. Nor is buying several bags of ice and placing them on top of the car.
Crystal told me that she's actually called the police several times when she's seen a pet left unattended in a car. She suggests we get a few animal police to patrol for problems like this.
Penny from Morgan Hill felt a little differently. She believes that too many people overreact to this. "The vast majority of pet owners would never put their pet in danger." She thinks "we should all back off."
Priscilla took the middle road. She agrees that something should be done if she sees a pet alone in a car. But calling 911 may be the wrong response. At least at first, she says. She explained that one of her pets had been impounded (for a different reason) a few years back. She told me it was extremely difficult getting her dog back from the government shelter. "The bureaucracy was incredibly frustrating," she said. "No one should have to go through what we endured."
Her suggestion? If someone comes across this problem, go inside the store and have the manager make an announcement over the intercom. Stay near the car with the pet until the owner returns. If the dog becomes heat stressed, then and only then, call the authorities.
I like Priscilla's approach, but I don't think it's very practical. Most of us don't have the time to wait for someone to come back to their car. And I'm not sure how safe that might be anyway. One of my encounters ended with an unfriendly gesture and comment. Who knows what someone else might do if they are confronted? I'd rather not have anyone get personally involved, for reasons of safety. We don't need to start a new phenomena, "Parking Lot Pet Rage."
So as I said last time. Make a stand! But do it carefully and with consideration.
Q:
Our vet keeps telling us that we need to start Archie on some pain management. He (Archie) is an 8-year-old golden retriever who seems very happy and healthy. But when we took him in for vaccinations, the vet told us that he has arthritis and needs medication to improve the quality of his life. Shouldn't we be able to see if he has sore joints? Or is there more to arthritis that I should know about?
A:
While it's not unusual for an 8-year-old retriever to have some arthritis, many dogs this age have healthy joints until they are much older. I wonder if there was something in the way Archie walked or even in the way he got up after lying down in the exam room. Perhaps the vet saw something that you hadn't noticed. He may have detected some discomfort when he moved Archie's joints during his exam. Whatever the case, it should have been pointed out so you could see it. Arthritis (also called degenerative joint disease or DJD) causes painful joints. Dogs and cats that have DJD move stiffly and usually show some signs of pain or discomfort. But some can be stoic, making diagnosis more difficult.
More and more veterinarians are suggesting that older dogs like Archie take medication to prevent the development and progression of arthritis. Glucosamine is a nutritional supplement that helps slow the development of DJD in dogs and is safe to give to almost all dogs and cats. Adequan is another medication that also helps to improve the cushion of the cartilage in joints. Both are relatively safe. Glucosamine can be given orally and is even added as a supplement to some foods.
Pain management usually means giving some sort of analgesic (pain killer). But if there is no obvious discomfort when Archie moves or gets up out of bed, I don't think he should be given any of these medications.
Veterinarians are lucky now to have many NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) from which to choose. These analgesics have amazing effects, and can make a very painful pooch feel comfortable without the side effects of prednisone or other steroids.
But the NSAIDS also have some of there own potentially serious side effects. Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Etogesic and some of the others can cause serious, even fatal liver failure. That's why dogs need to have a blood test when they take any of these meds for an extended period of time.
It sounds as though you should talk once again with Archie's vet and understand why he is concerned about arthritis. This is a treatable problem and treatment in the early stages is always best. If he has mild pain, an occasional aspirin tablet might be all he needs.
Pete Keesling Pete Keesling is a veterinarian at San Martin Veterinary Hospital. He writes a bi-weekly column for South Valley Newspapers and hosts a radio talk show, Dr. Pete's Petpourri, Sundays at 1 p.m. and Friday mornings at 7:10 on KSCO 1080 AM. If you have questions about pet care, e-mail them to smvet3@yahoo.com.
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