Furry patients give disabled students something to smile and learn about in Georgia, where anAAHA-accredited veterinary hospital part-ners with a vocational program that bene-fits everyone involved.

A 15-year partnership between the AnimalMedical Center and a local high school specialeducation program gives students an opportu-nity to work with pets and gain independentliving skills.

Cathy Griffith, a teacher at Lakeview FortOglethorpe High School’s special educationprogram, schedules students to work several

continued on page 3

Volume 2 Issue 4

8

Veterinarian Provides DisabledStudents with Skills, Smiles

The ability to trust your veterinari-ans is important, especially whenpets need anesthesia, drugs thatnumb the senses so that pets do notfeel pain during procedures.

Anesthesia is necessary but it can pose health risks, which is whythe American Animal HospitalAssociation (AAHA) requiresaccredited clinics to use monitoringequipment.

“Things can happen even withseemingly healthy animals underanesthesia,” said Elise Atkinson, acertified veterinary technician andAAHA accreditation professional.Using monitoring equipment andhaving a dedicated person to checkpatients regularly minimizes thatrisk, she added.

Monitoring equipment tracks apet’s vital signs – temperature,pulse, heart rate, and blood pressure– while he/she is under anesthesiaand alerts medical professionals toany changes in a patient’s condition.

Pet vital signs are checked everyfive minutes at Canobie LakeVeterinary Hospital, an AAHA-accredited practice in New

What You Don’t Know: Who IsMonitoring Your Pet Under Anesthesia?

continued on page 7

PetsMatter

to bark, despite distractions, and shedoes tricks, such as playing dead andcounting. Most dogs love to do what isasked of them and be rewarded for it,Gillaspy said.

Atkinson hired Eric to address exces-sive barking in individual sessions andthen realized that his dogs would bene-fit from an obedience class. “My wifeand I thought we knew enough to trainour dogs — we did fine with house-training and basic commands like sitand shake. If we could do it all overagain, we would put our dogs in everyclass possible with Eric,” Atkinson said.

Gillaspy explained that dogs respondwell to positive reinforcement of goodbehaviors and told Atkinson that byengaging his dogs with new tricks, hecould avoid some of the attention-seek-ing behaviors.

In other words, if your dog is engagedand performing tricks, it is less likely toexhibit the negative behaviors yousought help for in the first place.

For the Atkinsons, that philosophy

has proven to be true. “One of my dogsno longer thinks she is the boss and theother one has gained more confidenceso [she] doesn’t bark at everything thatmoves,” he said.

When looking for help with behaviorproblems, Gillaspy says that personalityis important. “People should like theirtrainer on a personal level. Trainerswithout people skills won’t do. Theyshould be able to explain things in away you can understand. Look for atrainer with lots of experience [and]always make sure your trainer has awell-trained dog. If they can’t train theirown dogs they can’t train yours.”

Some veterinarians have receivedadditional training in behavior, whichenhances their ability to diagnose andtreat behavior problems. There are about50 certified applied animal behavioristsin the United States but not all of themparticipate in one-on-one training withclients, which is why dog trainers likeGillaspy play an important role in train-ing and behavior sessions.

Share Your PetStories!Tell us how your pets matter to you! This call goes out to readers of all ages.We hope to hear how dogs, cats, reptiles,birds, and pocket pets have enhancedyour lives, and the role your veterinaryteam has played in that relationship.Email us with your pet stories atPetsMatter@aahanet.orgfor upcoming issuesof PetsMatter.Email away!Send your stories today!Read one pet tale onpage 7.

VeterinaryClinics: On theCutting Edge

Messages from the field“In today’s day andage there is somuch that a veteri-nary hospital canoffer its patients.Veterinary medi-cine is mirroringhuman medicine inthe services it pro-vides, and [as aresult] pets are living longer, andclients are more informed. Pet own-ers are extremely important in thepreventive care and treatment oftheir pets… [They] should not beafraid to take advantage of this newtechnology. The results can beastounding. That said, no matterhow wonderful the facility, how inno-vative and progressive the technolo-gy, how experienced the staff, veteri-nary hospitals… are here to serve theneeds of the client and patient.

A veterinary hospital should meetyour pet’s medical needs [as well as]your emotional needs. You shouldfeel a bond with the veterinary teamand sense that there is a bondbetween the veterinary staff mem-bers caring for your pet. I am luckyto work in a facility that works hardto maintain strong, respectful inter-personal working relationships, andclient relationships, while providinga caring environment for pets….Choose a hospital that is the rightfit for you and your pet’s medicaland emotional needs, and you can’tgo wrong.”

– Gayle M. Craig, CVPM, practice managerfor Countryside Veterinary Hospital, anAAHA-accredited facility in Massachusetts.

Veterinarians Are the Best Resource forOwners with Behavior Questionscontinued from page 4

Color Us In!

HHeeyy KKiiddss !! FF lluuffffyy aanndd FFiiddoo aarree rreeaaddyy ttoo ppllaayy ..

Dr. W. Britt Schaffeld at the Animal MedicalCenter is shown with a patient receiving extra

care from student Evan Franklin

Gayle M. Craig, CVPM

AAHA Accreditation Matters: Not All Veterinary Clinics Provide Monitoring of Patients

Under Anesthesia

7PetsMatter

Hampshire. “If there is a problem, wewant to catch it right away,” saidDanielle Caisse, a licensed veterinarytechnician and practice manager.Practice members create individualanesthesia plans for each pet, dependingon age and the pet’s medical history.

To receive and maintain accredita-tion, veterinary practices like CanobieLake must use anesthesia-monitoringequipment and have designated teammembers monitor the machines.

That level of attention to eachpatient may, at times, raise surgeryprices but it helps protect lives,explained Rachel Carpenter, DVM,who was recently quoted in an articleabout the importance of anesthesia andthe use of monitoring equipment. She

encouraged clients to ask veterinaryprofessionals how they safeguard pethealth during surgery.

“Your veterinarian should be able toanswer questions about how your pet’svital signs will be monitored… andwho will be responsible for monitoringyour pet,” said Carpenter, a professorof anesthesia and pain management atthe University of Illinois College ofVeterinary Medicine. She advisesclients to ask about the level of carepets receive at clinics because not allveterinary clinics provide the samequality of medicine. At AAHA-accred-ited clinics, however, the use of anes-

thesia monitoring equipment is manda-tory, which provides clients with alevel of assurance that their pets arereceiving the best care possible.

There are approximately 3,000 vet-erinary clinics in North America thathave earned AAHA accreditation.Accreditation shows clients that theclinic or hospital has met high stan-dards of excellence set by experiencedveterinary professionals.

Trusting your veterinary team is eas-ier to do when you know the clinic isaccredited. That plaque is a fast way ofidentifying quality practices that areconducted behind the scenes.

continued from page 1

www.continuum3.com

New Educational Campaign Educates Pet OwnersAbout Their Dog’s Risk of Getting Cancer

Pets Are “Protectors, Confidants,Companions: How Pets Matter to You

A pets owner’s story“My husband and I are blessed to be guardians of two cats (a brother and sister)and a female multi-breed dog. All three were adopted from shelters. Our dogHallie is our protector, confidante, companion, in-house comic and the purestexample of unconditional love. Our cats Max and Samantha are big fur ballswho offer leg rubs, warm laps (even in the summer heat!), purrs that totally relax[our] busy minds and attitudes! Their love can be conditional depending on theirmoods but when they give it, it's so real and big!

Our animals make us smile every day. We can only hope that we bring asmuch joy to them as they do to us. Sharing our life with animals is sheer pleas-ure and fills a place in our lives that onlythey can complete.

We mostly interact with Dr. Dean Small. He hasunquestionably enhanced our relationships with our animals by genuinely caring, explaining everything, hiring an extremely caring staff, andfollowing up on visits. They offer the best carearound!”

- Barbara Varhol takes her pets to Johnson County AnimalClinic, an AAHA-accredited hospital in Kansas.

2

Did you know that one out of two dogswill get cancer and one in four will diefrom it?

If not, you’re in good company.Surveys show that many – if not most –pet owners do not know that cancer isthe number one natural cause of death indogs age two years and older.

“Before the words, ‘Your dog has can-cer’ entered my life, I was blind to themagnitude of the number of dogs diag-nosed, the suffering they endure, andhow many lose the battle,” said KristenCrawford, a pet owner.

To educate pet owners like Crawford,the Morris Animal Foundation launcheda Canine Cancer Campaign. The organi-zation produced a poster, which hangs inveterinary clinics across the country, toprompt candid discussions between petowners and veterinary professionalsabout the disease.

The canine cancer poster has a chartof dog breeds – from golden retrieversto chow chows – and the types of can-cer that are most common for each.Collies are frequently diagnosed withnasal cancer, and skin cancer is com-mon for pugs and shar-peis.

You play a key role in safeguardingyour pets. Regular check-ups at the vet-erinary clinic and recognition of anychanges in behavior, and energy levelhelp identify cancer before it spreads.

With early intervention many cancersare curable and there are an increasingnumber of treatment options available.

Ask your team of veterinary profes-sionals today about this serious disease,and arm yourself with information toprotect your pets.

After learning about high incidence

rates of cancer in dogs, Crawford startedvolunteering her time to help other petowners learn about the risks of cancer.She first learned about the cause fromher mother, who saw a cancer poster atAAHA-accredited Mandarin VeterinaryHospital in Florida.

Crawford’s 11-year-old Labradorretriever, Dawson was diagnosed withtransitional cell carcinoma in Februaryand is – as she says – “still fightingstrong!”

Additional resources• “How to Deal with Your Dog’s Cancer

Diagnosis”• http://www.ehow.com/how_2038770_

deal-dogs-cancer-diagnosis.html• http://www.healthypet.com/library_

view.aspx?ID=37

“Before the words, ‘Your dog has cancer’ entered my life, I was

blind to the magnitude of the number of dogs diagnosed, the

suffering they endure, and how many lose the battle.”

– Kristen Crawford (pictured above with her dog Dawson)

“If there is a problem, we want to catch it right away,”

– Danielle Caisse, licensed veterinary technician and practice manager

HOW OFTEN DOES YOUR PET GET VACCINES?

Ask your veterinarian about the prosand cons to each vaccine.

Every pet has different needs.

ASK QUESTIONS.Learn why vaccines are an

important part of your pet’s health.

4 5PetsMatter PetsMatter

Whispers You Want Your Dog to HearWell before prime-time television actorsrecognized a market for canine behaviorprogramming, veterinary professionalshad been educating clients about how toteach, nurture, and maintain good petbehavior.

As experts in the field of pet health,veterinarians and technicians know thatbad behavior can lead to animal aban-donment. They also recognize that somebehaviors, such as urinating in thehouse, aggression, anxiety, and self-mutilation can have medical causes.

To address behavior issues beforethey become problems, veterinary clin-ics across the country offer classes andrefer clients to qualified professionals.Some clinics hire professionals withadvanced degrees in animal behavior(certified applied animal behaviorists)and others suggest dog trainers.

Talk with your veteri-nary team to get a list oftrusted professionals.

Lone Tree VeterinaryMedical Center, anAAHA-accredited hos-pital in Colorado, built aCanine Academy on siteand hired Eric Gillaspy,a canine behavior con-sultant and trainer, towork with clientsreferred by veterinarianBill Moyle, Jr.

“A well-behaved dogis a good family mem-ber and is less likely to be placed in ashelter,” said Nancy Moyle, PhD, co-owner. “Anyone who has a pet [he/she]loves understands what that means.”

When addressing behavior issues —such as excessive barking, jumping, andchewing — early intervention is impor-tant. Professionals say almost all behav-ior issues can be resolved but they warnthat effective training takes time.

The Right TrainerWhen hiring trainers, veterinary profes-sionals look for depth of experience.The Moyles liked the fact that Gillaspyhad worked at the Academy of CanineBehavior in Washington State for sixyears and volunteered with a pit bullrescue group.

An important part of the veterinaryteam, Gillaspy consults with veterinari-ans if he suspects a medical cause forbehavior problems and frequently inter-venes if he sees a budding behavior

problem at the clinic. For example, if hesees a dog lunging or barking at otherdogs, he may talk with the owner abouthow he/she can correct the behavior. Heis also called into exam rooms forimpromptu consultations for separationanxiety and other common behaviorproblems.

“I was really happy that my veterinari-an had a trainer on staff that he obviouslytrusted,” said Bert Atkinson, a client atLone Tree and The Canine Academy.“Eric always stresses that your dogshould be having a good time, [which]makes me and my dogs feel comfortable.I think I’m learning just as much, if notmore, than my dogs,” he said.

The owner of a boxer and two pit bulls,Gillaspy knows how important it is tohave dogs fit into their owners’ lifestyles.To illustrate how effective his trainingcan be, he uses his boxer, Violet, as aclass assistant and a positive example.

A hospital therapy dog, Violet showscanine students how to resist the urge

Making Time for Play Could Prevent or ReduceBehavior Problems Caused by Stress in CatsEstablishing positive playtime withcats—even five or ten minutes a day—reduces stress and may prevent playaggression, a common behavior com-plaint, say veterinary experts, who havelearned that cats—like dogs—benefitfrom owner interaction.

It may be hard to imagine that catslounging around the house feel stressed,but medical studies prove that they doand that it can lead to aggressive play.

“We put cats in abnormal situationswhen we keep them inside and confinethem with multiple cats,” said ValarieTynes, DVM, diplomate of theAmerican College of VeterinaryBehaviorists (ACVB). “Yet cat loversknow it’s hard to get just one.”

To keep cats happy, veterinary behav-ior specialists suggest that owners playfor at least five minutes each day withcats individually or in a group. To deter-mine whether you should separate catsfor play, watch to see if they sleep sideby side and groom each other, Tynessaid. That behavior indicates good inter-action and gives a green light to groupplay, she said.

“Playtime provides mental stimulationand exercise,” Tynes said. “If you don’tengage your cats you have all thesepotential problems with aggression aswell as obesity. The goal is to get theseanimals up and off the sofa. They need[owner] involvement.”

Step one is to teach cats what isappropriate play.

Cats that attack moving feet or jumpon owners without warning may nothave learned the basics, Tynesexplained. “Kittens learn if they hurtother kittens or cats play ends,” she

said. “Unfortunately people don’tunderstand how to set these rules.”

To establish positive playtime usetoys—not hands or feet—to start gamesthat involve chasing and pouncing. Kittyfishing lines, balls, and furry mice helda few feet away from the body are goodtools to use.

Overall, play aggression normallyoccurs when cats misinterpret owneractions as games, say behavior experts.For example: One cat regularly jumpedon two young boys as they raced down ahallway after bath time.

“The kids were screaming and chas-ing each other and the cat thought itwas funny to land on the kids’ butts,”said Sharon Crowell-Davis, DVM, PhD,ACVB diplomate. “He thought therewas a really good game going on.”

She suggested that the owners shut adoor to the cat’s room during bath timeso he couldn’t see the boys run downthe hallway. The “attacks” stopped.

Owners can also try distracting a catduring instances of play aggression. Bythrowing something across a cat’s lineof vision, he/she will chase the toy

instead of going after your feet. In addition to establishing positive

playtime, owners need to recognize andrespect a cat’s limits. Some cats arefinicky about what types of toys theylike and are specific about the type ofattention they want.

“Most cats do not like to be heldupside down or scratched on the belly,”Crowell-Davis said. Since they groomeach other on the head and neck thoseare safe areas but signs—like twitchingtails and low growling noises—indicatethat they have had enough.

Does your dog lag behind on walks?

Seem reluctant to go up and down the stairs?

Subtlechanges inyour pet’s

behavior mayindicate pain.

Ask your doctor about pain management.

www.stepstoplaymore.com

Resources:The Indoor Cat Initiative(www.vet.ohio-state.edu/2218.htm) provides examples of popular toys aswell as solutions for scratching andother tips.

Cat Behavior Tip Sheets from theHumane Society of the United States(www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/cat_behavior_tip_sheets)

Aggression Information from theHumane Society of the United States(www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/cat_behavior_tip_sheets/aggression_towards_people.html)

American College of VeterinaryBehaviorists(www.dacvb.org/community/blog/public_education/)

Resources:Association of Pet Dog Trainers — provides information on what to look for in a trainer

Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists — www.certifiedanimalbehaviorist.com

American College of Veterinary Behaviorists — Go to www.dacvb.org/home4 tofind a veterinarian board certified in behavior

American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior — avsabonline.org/avsabonline

International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants — www.iaabc.org

continued on page 8

“Playtime provides mental stimulation and exercise,

if you don’t engage your cats you have all these potential

problems with aggression as well as obesity.”

— Valarie Tynes, DVM

couch. “It’s a warm, home-like environ-ment,” said Michelle Iund, DVM, owner.

Saying goodbye to a cherished pet isnever easy but veterinary professionalscan help you identify when it is in thepet’s best interest to do so. Iund recent-

ly euthanized her own pet Jesse, abeloved 16-year-old cocker spaniel, soshe knows firsthand that there is noone-size-fits-all approach.

“I’d had her since she was six weeksold,” Iund said. “She was my closecompanion and inspiration. From this

very personal, heart-wrenching experi-ence, I can unequivocally tell you thatnothing prepares you for that time.”

Joy Dias, PhD, director of theCompanions Program at the Universityof Florida Veterinary Medical Center,

agreed. “If you’re waiting for the daywhen all the events are right to makethe decision [to euthanize a pet], it’llnever happen.”

Arming yourself with pertinentdetails can, however, soften the emo-tional blow. Knowing how illnessaffects pets helps pet owners feel moreconfident about the difficult decisionto euthanize, professionals said.

Dias, who offers bereavement coun-seling, advises pet owners to askwhether pets will get better, if the gooddays outweigh the bad, and when thatbalance will shift shift. “Would yourather [have] your pet’s last day be agood or bad one?” she asks clients.

Veterinarians urge pet owners to con-sider that the average life span is 10 to12 years for dogs and 12 to 15 yearsfor indoor cats. A pet’s age and staminaare factors to consider when weighingeuthanasia against a possible extendedmedical recovery effort that may last afew weeks or months.

Barb Gaddess, a registered veteri-nary technician and owner of ValleyVeterinary Hospital, an AAHA-accredited hospital in Canada, saidthat the ideal scenario is for veterinar-ians and clients to make euthanasiadecisions together.

For example, the hospital recentlyadmitted a cat that was struggling tobreathe. Despite many attempts withmedication, surgery, and therapy, thecat did not recover, she explained.“The client and veterinarian decidedthat they had done everything possible

to help the cat but due to the increas-ing breathing trouble it would be bestto euthanize him.”

A client recently sent the followingnote to the team at Valley VeterinaryHospital for their help during theeuthanasia of her pet Rocko:

“I will never be able to express toyou how deeply I appreciated yoursupport, kindness and gentleness…especially for showing me how muchyou cared for Rocko that day andalways. I really needed that. It helpedme in my sorrow.”

6 3PetsMatter PetsMatter

Veterinary Professionals Act as Pet Advocates

Although the question of euthanizing apet is emotional, preparing for this end-of-life procedure can alleviate somestress and grief associated with it.

Euthanasia, a painless experience forthe pet when conducted by a veterinari-an, may be the last act of compassionyou can show toward your ill or suffer-ing pet. Veterinarians, who recognizehow personal this decision is, helpguide clients through the process.Questions that pet owners who facethis decision often ask their veterinaryprofessionals include: • Is my pet suffering?• What are the effective treatment

options?• How do I know if the illness/condition

is affecting my pet’s quality of life?Veterinarians began offering formal-

ized pet euthanasia servicestailored to support clientemotions in the early 1980s.One of the first grief supportprograms was Changes:Support for People and Pets.It is now known as the ArgusInstitute at Colorado StateUniversity. The ArgusInstitute offers direct clinicalsupport to pet owners andtraining to veterinarians andveterinary students.

ConsultationTo help clients with this diffi-cult decision, some veterinarians dedi-cate tranquil spaces within clinics whereprivate discussions about pet euthanasiacan take place. At AAHA-accredited

Vista Veterinary Hospital in Texas, thegrief/consultation suite is windowed andcontains plants and a comfortable

Pet Euthanasia: The Last Stage of Care for Beloved Pets

Nutrition Tips forWeight Management

� High levels of protein in a pet's weight loss diet stimulates metabolism and promotes fat loss.

� Maintaining a healthy weight can help minimize the risk of weight related problems such as arthritis and diabetes mellitus.

� The Purina Life Span study showed that maintaining an ideal body condition can actually help dogs live longer healthier lives.

purinaveterinarydiets.com

Euthanasia Resources forPet OwnersThe Argus Institute:http://www.argusinstitute.colostate.edu/grief.htm offers comprehensive read-ing lists related to the decision to euth-anize a pet, understanding the process,talking to children about the death of apet, grief management, and pet losshotlines.

The Association for Pet Loss andBereavement (http://www.aplb.org)offers a live chat room where grievingpet owners can contact someone dayor night. In some cases, professionalcounseling may be warranted.

Article: “How to Cope with the Lossof a Pet”http://www.ehow.com/how_2032672_cope-death-pet.html

Questions to Consider beforeEuthanasia Procedures:• Should the procedure be handled at

the veterinary clinic or at home?

• Which family members should bepresent?

• How will you explain the decision toother family members?

Euthanasia: …a painless and easy death to a

patient suffering from an incurable or painful disease.

— Webster’s II New College Dictionary

continued on page 6

continued from page 3

Pets, Students Benefit From Unique Internship Opportunity

hours a day at different communityvenues. The veterinary hospital is afavorite choice. Student tasks rangefrom washing dishes to folding towels,and perks include befriending thepatients.

It is a mutually beneficial arrange-ment, said Britt Schaffeld, DVM,owner of the Animal Medical Center(IAMC).

“Miss Griffith and her students makesure each animal gets lots of extraattention,” Schaffeld said. “Any wayyou look at it, with this program every-one wins.”

Griffith, whose three cats and onedog are treated at AMC said, “Thewhole class has observed my cat'scheckup and Dr. Schaffeld even letthem listen to [my cat’s] heartbeat.”

The clinic also treats the class ham-sters. “One poor hamster had to havehis leg amputated but thanks to Dr.Schaffeld, Meatball, our three-leggedhamster, led a long and happy life,” sheadded.

“We have a wide variety of studentsand abilities,” Griffith said. “For some,

it’s like a real job. For severely disabledkids, being with animals helps them tolearn to react or respond.” For exam-ple, a boy with severe difficulties, whodid not display much emotion, bright-ened significantly at the veterinaryhospital.

While he was there, his demeanorchanged, Griffith said. “His face lit upas he’d gently pet the kittens.”

Michelle Griswold, a tenth-grade,special-education student with pets athome, said “My favorite part is work-ing with the animals, but I am learningresponsibility and am making friendswith the animals, the other students,and the people at the Center.”

continued from page 1

“For severely disabled kids,

being with animals helps them

to learn to react or respond.”

– Cathy Griffith, teacherLakeview Fort Oglethorpe High School