Animal Radio® Show #640

He Cloned His Dog!
George Semel cloned his dog after it was mauled by a Rottweiler. Now the Koreans are holding his three cloned puppies for ransom. They want more than the $50,000 he was initially asked to pay. And what proof does he have that these are actually cloned animals? None yet. Join us as TLC's "I Cloned My Pet" films this compelling interview.

Cemetery Welcomes Man's Best Friend
Families have been known to skirt cemetery rules in trying to reunite Fido or Patches with their owners, slipping a tiny tub of ashes into a casket or sprinkling their remains at a grave site when no one's looking. But come spring, animal lovers won't have to be so sneaky anymore in one state.

Elayne Boosler Guests
Yes, she's one of America's most outstanding comics, but she's also an animal advocate with her own 501c3 organization created to help the smaller shelters save animals. Find out why she hates the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA.

Damn Fleas!
What is the life-cycle of a flea? why can't you get rid of them. Animal Radio® groomer Joey Villani explains the process that makes these pests so pesky.

Should Groomers Be Licensed?
After several news stories about bad groomers giving bad cuts or even cutting off ears and super-gluing them back on, a few legislators want to make licensing groomers mandatory. The crusade continues in California.

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Animal Radio® Show #639

Billy Dean Guests
Musician, actor, animal lover Billy Dean joins us for the Season of Stars on Animal Radio®. He's having his 50th Birthday Bash and he's inviting all Animal Radio® listeners to be a part of this celebrity studded extravaganza. Bring your pets!

Will DOGTV Turn Your Pooch Into a Couch Pet-ato?
Television is going to the dogs in San Diego with DOGTV, a new 24-hour channel for pooches that is meant to keep your dog company while you are gone. Gilad Neumann, CEO of DOGTV, says. "We are not intending to create couch potatoes out of our dogs. They're not intended to just sit there for eight hours and watch TV as humans do. But we do create a relaxing and soothing environment for them".

Counter Conditioning Your Dog
What do you do if your dog is scared of noises like trucks or sirens. You can train them to ignore frightening sounds by associating good things with them. Vladae the Russian Dog Wizard and Dr. Debbie have just the cure your panicked puppy.

"Mouser" the Cancer Sniffing Cat
When Charmaine noticed that her cat was paying particular attention to her left breast, she wondered what was up. Then she was diagnosed with mammary cancer in her left breast. The cat went on to diagnose cancer in the family dog. What is it that makes our animals aware of our sickness?

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Animal Radio® Show #638

News-anchor Bitten on Live TV
It came as quite a surprise when news-anchor Kyle Dyer was bitten in the face while hosting a local adoption feature for KUSA Denver. The incident has caused lots of controversy, even among Animal Radio® air-staff, Dr. Debbie and Vladae Roytapel.

McDonald's Apologizes
McDonald's apologized and pulled an ad that came back to bite them. The radio spot said "eating a Chicken McBite was less risky than petting a pit bull". Enraged pit bull owners petitioned the fast-food chain to stop airing the spot. The company issued an apology by email and social media sites and people who called a toll free number got a recorded apology.

Social Media For Pets
Social media isn't just for people anymore. Imagine if you could watch, talk to and even feed your pets through a Skype-like videophone. That's what Minneapolis-based start-up Anser Innovation LLC aims to do with its PetChatz technology.

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Animal Radio® Show #637

Margaret Cho on the Cho
Comedian Margaret Cho continues Animal Radio's Season of the Stars lineup with her twisted take on our furry companions. She also explains how she practiced for Dancing with the Stars with her dogs.

Seizure Alert Dogs
A new listener has a special dog that alerts him when his son is about to have a seizure. How does the dog know? And what does the dog do to alert humans? Is the dog ever wrong?

The Lowdown on Microchips
Microchips are a great source of identity for your pet. But what can the information on a chip really do? Can it warn a vet that a dog is stolen? What information is needed to return your pet home safely?

Toto the State Dog?
One Kansas lawmaker wants to take a page from "The Wizard of Oz" and make the Cairn terrier the state dog. That's the breed of Dorothy's dog "Toto" in the classic 1939 movie.

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Animal Radio® Show #636

Pet Insurance Unusual Claims
This month's most unusual pet insurance claim is about a pig named "Crispy Bacon." This critter is treated like a 'rock-star' - so it's no wonder that he overdosed on his human's drugs. This lucky pig happens to be a patient of Animal Radio's own Dr. Debbie.

Westminster Warm Up
The world's most-popular dog show is about to kick-off. This year some of the dogs are getting pampered in ways we only wish we could. Jerry Grymeck reports from the Hotel Penn.

PETA Kills
What's really going on at PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals) Headquarters? Justin Wilson believes the 'extreme' animal organization is playing hypocrite.

Horses Ass, Head, Feet
We're happy to welcome horse expert Ernie Rodina to the Animal Radio® Dream Team! This country boy will be answering all your questions about equines.

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Animal Radio® FREE Pets & People Drug Discount Card
SAVE NOW ON ALL UNINSURED MEDS!! For both you and your pet!

You may already know how expensive pet medication can be. Especially when pet insurance doesn't cover drugs.

All of us at Animal Radio® are doing our best to help out. After all, we're all in the same financial boat and don't want the pets to suffer because a medicine's cost is prohibitive. We made a deal with the top pharmacy benefits managers. Here's what we came up with:

- The Animal Radio® Pets & People Drug Discount Card is FREE.
- It offers 15-55% discount on pet medicines or uninsured human medicines.
- It's usable at almost 60,000 pharmacies, including Walgreens, Wal-mart, Rite-Aid, Target, Costco, CVS...all the biggies!
- Card is pre-activated and never expires.
- Great for small businesses that can't afford benefits for employees, or even your church or local Senior Center. We will gladly send you as many cards as you need.
- You can print out the FREE card online at: http://animalradio.com/Pets_People_Discount_Drug_Card.html

Or, if you would like us to mail you a free card, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Animal Radio Drug Card
699 Paula Street
Morro Bay, CA. 93442

Please help spread the word. Your friends will thank you.

Print Your Free Drug Discount Card

Animal Radio® Headlines

Davey Jones Interview WILL Air on Animal Radio®

(Animal Radio® Newsroom March 1, 2012) An interview recorded before Monkees' Davey Jones untimely death will air on the nationally syndicated Animal Radio® show.

Davey Jones had been scheduled to guest as part of the Season of Stars on Animal Radio®. So far, the celebrity lineup has included Betty White, Elayne Boosler, Margaret Cho and Billy Dean. Jones' interview had been pre-recorded as part of this event.

"When we heard about Davey's death, we deliberated whether or not to run the interview as scheduled," says Animal Radio® host Hal Abrams, "Overall consensus was that he would have wanted that way. We will tribute him!"

In the interview, the very vivacious Davey Jones talks about his horses and jokes about his visits to the other Monkees in their nursing homes.

Catch this special national broadcast March 17th 2012, noon eastern on XM Satellite Radio channel 166 and 100 incredible AM-FM stations across the nation. Visit http://AnimalRadio.com to find a local affiliate.

Bill would license pet groomers in California

An uneven cut wasn't the only issue Sheri Test noticed after she picked her toy poodle up from a Modesto pet spa.

The shampoo and shear left 2-year-old Sophie with an open wound on her backside. "Ointment" later applied to the raw skin by the shop owner turned out to be glue adhesive that had to be removed by the veterinarian.

Test was shocked to later learn that the groomer didn't have to undergo training or become licensed to primp her pet.

"They should have to come up with qualifications and go through certain criteria for them to be able to touch a living thing," said Test, who has sued the groomer in small claims court.

State Sen. Juan Vargas, a Democrat, has proposed just that. If adopted, California would become the first state in the nation to require vocational licenses for pet groomers.

In addition to requiring that groomers pass a state-issued exam and pay a license fee of up to $350, the legislation calls for statewide standards governing everything from lighting to record-keeping. Violating the law would be a crime punishable by fines of up to $2,000 and a year in jail.

Supporters say the proposed regulations would hold groomers accountable and protect pets.

"It's going to weed out the people who are injuring and killing our pets because they've never had any training that had standards that they are going to be tested on," said Jacque Mercier, an animal advocate and dog rescuer who helped draft the bill language.

"The reality is that it's not a good idea in pet grooming to learn on the job only when you're dropping pets, when you are killing pets, when you are breaking their little limbs, when you're shaving off their nipples," he said. "That's not the way you do it."

But some groomers are growling about the proposal.

"To have the state of California be the tail that wags the dog is a mistake," said Pamela Demarest, the owner of Sacramento's Launderdog & More! grooming service and pet shop.

Demarest said she worries that even well-intentioned rules will result in a situation where groomers "regulate ourselves out of business." She said a state-run test can't replicate hands-on experience gained by cleaning kennels, bathing dogs and performing other "gruntwork" around a shop.

"You can't regulate experience," she said. "If you're trying to regulate the problems, you potentially mislead the consumers into believing the regulations or licensing is an equivalent of skills or experience."

Vargas said he's open to amending the bill to set certification or training requirements instead of a licensing exam. But he believes groomers should face the same sort of professional standards as lawyers, doctors, dentists and hair stylists.

"The reality is that it's not a good idea in pet grooming to learn on the job only when you're dropping pets, when you are killing pets, when you are breaking their little limbs, when you're shaving off their nipples," he said. "That's not the way you do it."

A lack of statewide statistics makes it difficult to estimate how common it is for pets to be injured at the groomer.

The state Department of Consumer Affairs does not keep keep track of complaints.

Mercier, the animal advocate, pegs the number of California pets injured at the groomer at 1,200 a year, based on a survey she conducted of local animal control services and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals chapters.

Groomers say serious injures are rare. Stephen Mart, a Washington state-based management consultant for pet groomers who runs PetGroomer.com, said the percentage of pets that need medical attention because of an injury suffered at the groomer is "one fraction of one percent."

Ask the Animal Radio® Dream Team

Listen to Animal Radio® LIVE every Saturday at noon eastern and Sundays at 5pm eastern on XM ch. 166 (America's Talk) or on any of the 100 AM-FM radio stations. Call with your questions toll-free 1-866-405-8405 or email yourvoice@AnimalRadio.com

Knee/Hip Surgery

June: My dog is almost 10 and she is having prob with her left hind hip or knee and I was wondering if surgery is recommended if need be and how successful it is or is there other things I can do to help her SHe puts her leg down some of the but mostly holds it up I do not have that much money but I love my Buffy and I do not want her to suffer in any way.

Dr. Debbie: Before you jump into thoughts of surgery...I'd want to see if we can figure out more about what is going on with Buffy's leg. A limping dog is a doggie in pain, so even though she isn't crying out I have to tell you she at least needs some pain medication. Please don't let concerns about what it could be- keep you away from getting her some pain relief.
 
The first step would be to have Buffy examined by a veterinarian. During a physical exam I can usually get a good idea if the problem is in the knee or the hip region. Often we can feel a "popping" feeling when placing a hand over the knee and bending/flexing the leg. Hip problems are tougher to know quite so easy, but an xray would be the next step to figure out what type of problem you are dealing with.
 
Small breeds such as the Maltese can commonly have problems with luxating medial patellas (a knee disorder). This can cause an on-again, off-again type limping on the hindlimb. Some dogs with this can do fine with pain medications, weight control and glucosamine supplements. But others may need surgery to best help them.
 
The next likely cause of her limping could be a ruptured cruciate ligament. This a major ligament in the knee that can be torn or ruptured with age/activity. Some dogs do fine with medical treatment, but again others may need surgery.
 
Hip problems could be possible, but less likely since she is a small breed dog.
 
Be sure to talk to your veterinarian in advance if you have financial concerns and they can discuss different options. The first step is to walk in that vet office and my guess is you'll get some good direction on what you are up against.
 
Give a puppy kiss to Buffy for me! I hope she feels better soon.

Innapropriate Pooping

Ina: I have recently acquired a 10 year old Australian Terrier - he is a good dog with the exception of pooping during the night in the living room. Would you have any solutions I may try to stop this behavior?

Vladae Roytapel: Coincidently I had just been training a dumb Labrador about a week ago -- pooped twice at night. Fixing the issue was snap; first I put him in his crate for the night, and I feed him at 6pm instead of 9pm. This remedy lasted a week and would seem to be a good fit for you as well. By the second week you could let your dog sleep in your bedroom (without a crate) and the door closed. Dogs are like people in the regard they do not enjoy being in the immediate vicinity of their poop (let alone sleeping in it).

Too Happy Dog

Sally Jo: Hi, I have a catahoula leopard dog that my husband & I rescued from our local humane society in November of 2011. She loves us soooooomuch and swings her tail soooooo hard that at the tip it bleeds.   We find marks on the furniture, cabinets, walls, etc.  what can we do??????

Dr. Debbie: She must be a happy, loveable gal. What you have going on is called "happy tail" and is not uncommon in vigorous waggers. I see this commonly in Labradors and Pit bulls and can be often seen during boarding visits.
 
We don't want to stop her being happy or expressing her joy in life, but since this is the cause of the excessive wagging it can be difficult to stop happy tail's bleeding. Some tips you can try...

-Avoid greeting her in confined areas- close hallways, near doorways, etc.
-Minimize the greeting and departures in the home- don't get excited when you see her and avoid talking in a high "doggie voice". Ignore her for the first 5 minutes after arriving home, let her outside to do her business, but do not acknowledge her.
-See your vet about bandaging techniques for the tail. This can be very frustrating to keep the tip of tail bandaged- the power of the wag causes most bandages to slip off! I often will use a few pieces of white waterproof bandage tape, or apply a protective shell/casing on the end of the tail.
-As a last resort, some dogs have to have the tail surgically shortened- amputated. These are usually the frustrating chronic cases that suffer tail damage.

Good luck with your wagging friend!

Hip Dysplasia

La Chelle: My Peaches was diagnosed with the following and I presently give her Rimadyl, and Glucosamine/Chondroitin.  Her vet stated she would need hip replacement and has a short life span.  Of course, I am dishearten about this because I can't afford an $8K surgery.  Are there other alternatives or places to go for assistance?  My baby is a Boykin Spaniel, 3yrs and very lovable.  I can't see myself without her.

Dr. Debbie: Hi La Chelle! Peaches' hips must be pretty severe if your vet is recommending a hip replacement- usually that is for dogs that have serious malformation, subluxation and arthritis in the hip joint. It can be the best long term solution and best comfort for a pet with hips that are in the severe range. However, it definitely can be cost prohibitive and needs to be performed by veterinary specialists.
 
Ask you veterinarian if Peaches' symptoms are severe enough that we should consider her for a femoral head ostectomy (FHO). This is an alternate surgery that is much less expensive and can be done in many regular veterinary offices. The general idea is to remove the "ball" of the hip socket and eliminating the painful bone on bone movement that occurs. Many of my patients have had the FHO surgery and can return to good use of the limb.
 
Outside of surgery, there may be some other medical options to try. An injectable medication called Adequan can alleviate pain related with arthritis. If her pain isn't well controlled, then additional pain relief medications can include tramadol or gabapentin- ask your vet if she recommends these.
 
Your other big goal should be to keep Peaches in lean weight- since any extra weight adds more pain/difficulty to a pet with hip dysplasia.
 
Best wishes to you! Peaches must be a pretty girl- we don't get to see many Boykin's in my area of the country!

How to Choose a Dog From a Shelter - What to look For by Vladae Roytapel

No Emotions - Just Logic
Look for true quality, like choosing a boy/girl-friend. The consequences of choosing the wrong dog can be even worse than picking the wrong spouse. Why? Because, especially in America, people are more more willing to end human relationships than dog one's. I think people feel guilt overwhelm them like they fail to give the dog up in the relationship because they made the wrong decision in the stage of emotion weakness. It is easy in America to get a divorce unlike giving up dogs. Society is more judgmental on the latter and plus there is no way to give them up because all shelters & humane societies are flooded with unwanted pets. They were loved once and forsaken the next.
Canine match making.

What ever you pick whether it be pure breed or pure american mutt (combination of different breed traits) you must consider your dogs personality & your own along with living conditions. Ask yourself:

* Are single or married?
* Do you have kids? If so, how old are they?
* Are you a race-car or couch potato?
* Do you have a backyard or balcony?

My great Russian Dog Wizard guide:
5 Bets breeds for kids:

* Boxers
* Bul Mastiff
* Labrador Retriever
* Golden Retriever
* German Shepard Dog 

2 Best breeds for singles:

* German Shepard Dog
* Akita
Those breeds will think they married you. 

3 best breeds for married families of all political persuasions:

* Democratic - Lab./Golden
* Republican - German Shepard Dog
* Independent - Portuguese Water Dog

Big backyard owners:

* All sporting/herding breeds

Small backyard:

* Lazy American Mastiff (not because of Russian rhetoric, just the truth)
Active people - get Dalmatian mixes. 
Couch potato's - get Pekinese.
Once you have determined what breeds or mutt match your lifestyle do a perfect dog test. 

Perfect Dog Test:

* Social - Make sure the dog loves you and every stranger he/she meets. Make sure they accept and play with kids (and other dogs)
* Intelligence - Put a leash and collar on him/her. Try to teach simple command likes heel, come, sit. Observe how focused they are. Remember, no puppies are created equal ('Those born to crawl will never fly"). 
* Sensitivity - Make sure they are touch proof. Grab his/her ears, neck, tail, paws. A perfect dog will think it's okay or fun. 

Welcome Home
Once your dog is home, let them know from the start who is the boss. Be the one in charge others they will.Get the help of a professional trainer. Don't assume you know everything (including how to train a dog). Russian's say, "Only Polish men think they know everything".

On a serious note. If you are not careful, love can be one step away from hate. A lot of people start loving their newly adopted pet and after give them back. Love is a lot but is not enough to sustain. Balance love with disciple and structures. If love is the only thing needed I would be out of a business.
 

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