Pets of OMP: 5 Essential Tips to Protect Your Dog at Home and On the Go

(Editor’s Note: If you have a pet you’d love to see featured in Old Mission Gazette, contact our Pets of OMP columnist Paula Kelley, [email protected], or me, [email protected], and I will pass your info along to Paula. Read on for her notes about how to keep your dog safe and have an enjoyable experience for all while out walking or hiking the trails. -jb)

Hello, Old Mission!

More Pets of Old Mission articles will be coming soon, but in the interim, here are some public service announcements regarding our furry friends.

PSA #1 – Be a Good Dog Owner

Some of the parks in the National Park System have had a B.A.R.K Ranger Program in place for several years. During my travels down south, some state parks are jumping on board this program, as well.

With more than 66 percent of U.S. households owning dogs — and most of them, it seems, coming to visit the Traverse City area! — the B.A.R.K. program ensures that both people and Fido will have an enjoyable and safe time out in public. The guidelines of the B.A.R.K. program are:

B – Bag Your Waste. I’m guilty myself of forgetting to grab a poop bag when I take a quick spin around the neighborhood, so I’m glad the Township Parks Committee has a poop bag station at our parks.

A – Always On a Leash. Besides being common courtesy to your neighbors, Grand Traverse County has a leash law (MCL – Section 287.262 – Michigan Legislature). This states that it is unlawful for any dog to be off the owner’s premises without being managed by a leash unless that dog is engaged in hunting, field training or farm work. Leashed dogs do not tend to roam into the woods rustling up skunks and porcupines, mark their territory on your neighbor’s bushes, startle toddlers on bikes, or irritate other dogs (or humans) who are also out walking.

R – Respect Wildlife. Dogs on leash also do not tend to chase or harass wildlife. In the Gazette article about my dog, Roxie (aka “The Party Girl”), she and I worked for several years at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore as B.A.R.K. Rangers to educate others about keeping their dogs on leash.

In the interest of full disclosure, my puppy, Dash, is the designated turkey and deer herder of Team Dog. I love living in the country and seeing all the animals wandering about. However, I do NOT enjoy cleaning up multiple dogs who want to roll in the turkey droppings or cleaning up dog yack off the carpets after the team consumes Turkey Poop Snacks.

When I tell Dash it is time to work, she goes out the garage door, looks to me for direction (“right,” “left,” “go about”), chases the critters to the edge of the Invisible Fence line, and trots back for her treat. She doesn’t care much about the wildlife that roam around outside the boundary line, and the deer seem to know that she will only go so far in the yard.

K – Know Where You Can Go/Know the Rules. Not all parks are dog friendly, and even in those that are, there may be areas that are restricted due to wildlife concerns. Sleeping Bear Dunes, for example, limits dogs during a portion of the summer months along areas of the Lakeshore due to the piping plover nesting season.

PSA #2 – Do NOT Leave Your Dog in the Car on Hot Days

Even with the windows cracked, temperatures in the car can rapidly climb. The chart below shows how quickly the inside temperature of your car can increase. And remember that Fido is wearing a fur coat, too.

PSA #3 – Keep Fido’s Head in the Car

If you have ever had a bug go splat on your forehead or land in your eye while walking or biking, you can imagine how this feels to your dog when you are zipping down Center Road at 55 mph. Also, rocks or debris that are kicked up by other cars can seriously injure your dog. It goes without saying that a dog should never ride in the open bed of a truck.

PSA #4 – ID is a Must

The County law says that all dogs must be licensed, have a rabies vaccine, and the dog license should be worn at all times. However, even more importantly, your dog should always wear an ID tag that states his or her name, address, and multiple phone numbers (of yourself and/or friends) in case your dog gets away from you. It makes me sad to see the posts on social media where some kindhearted soul has picked up a stray dog but has no idea how to contact the owner because the dog is not wearing a collar.

PSA #5 – Beware of Gallbladder Gunk in Dogs

Last April, Roxie was having an ultrasound to make sure her kidneys and adrenals were functioning properly (they were), but the ultrasound turned up sludge in her gallbladder that had already formed a plug. This link — How serious is gallbladder sludge in dogs? at the Canine Liver Disease Resource Website — explains very simply the functions of the liver and gallbladder and the importance of early detection of sludge in the gallbladder.

Essentially, the gallbladder is located beneath the liver and is responsible for storing bile and tiny solids and then sending them on their way in the body. When the gallbladder misfunctions, these particles form gunk that gets trapped in the gallbladder. This sludgy stuff can then form a plug in the bile duct of the gallbladder so that nothing can process through. The gallbladder then stores more and more gunk while continuing to expand in size, which will eventually lead to a rupture. A rupture is a serious medical emergency which will need surgery, and the most likely result is death.

After Roxie’s ultrasound discovered the sludge, we tried a course of medicines to reduce the sludge, but because the plug had already formed, the medications were not effective, and it would only be a matter of time until the gallbladder ruptured. There is not a specialist in Traverse City who can perform surgery of this magnitude, so my vet and I consulted with the internal surgery department at Blue Pearl Pet Hospital in Grand Rapids.

Because of Roxie’s overall fabulous physical health, (she will be 14 this July!), the decision was made to remove the gallbladder. Fortunately, a dog can live quite well without this organ. The surgery was successful, the surgeon was impressed with the entire abdominal exploratory that was also done, and the recovery process was not too bad.

The end result is that I now know a LOT about dog gallbladders. A dog can form sludgy stuff if they are older, have a history of liver disease, or for no reason at all. Certain breeds are also prone to gall bladder sludge: cocker spaniels, Shetland sheepdogs, collies, shelties, and mini Schnauzers.

Often, dogs who have developed sludge in their gallbladders will display no symptoms at all until a rupture happens. Besides Roxie, who is a collie, I also have a collie/sheltie mix at home – Maverick, whom you have already met. I decided it was a good idea to have an ultrasound screening done, and I’m glad I did because he, as well, had quite a bit of sludge, and his gall bladder was almost double the size it should be. However, no plug had formed, and at a second ultrasound a month after being on the medications, his bladder has shrunk and there is not so much gunk present.

Dr. Van Fleet at Omnivet: Emergency Vet & Urgent Pet Care in Traverse City is who I use for the ultrasounds. He is very knowledgeable and willing to take the time to educate pet owners. Omni Vet has a nice price point designed to make it reasonable for pet owners to do a basic screening such as this. For Maverick’s initial ultrasound, which included an exam, I paid about $300. For the re-check ultrasound, I paid around $230.

It’s also important to keep up to date with your pet’s annual or bi-annual physical, which should include a comprehensive blood panel.

Have a fun and safe summer!

– Paula Kelley, Old Mission Gazette Pets Columnist

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