Is Fido out of breath? Has Molly misplaced her waist? Dull or dry coat? Behaving badly? See positive changes through increased exercise, proper nutrition, & improved dietary habits!

We take a whole body & mind approach to achieving Total Fitness in the Urban Dog. We use positive training methods to keep our dogs happy and relaxed and to make everything fun. Even a hard workout!

Get involved with Marathon Paws as we participate in community events or post important information relating to the canine athlete or canine couch potato on our blog! Fill out our polls and comment often. Let us know how to make this site work for you.


Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Dog Days of Summer?!!!

Whoever first penned that phrase was completely wrong! Summer days in which the temperatures soar well past the 80's into the 90's and beyond are a dogs number one enemy! A car can reach over 120 on an 80 day! This is enough to injure or even kill your dog! Heat stroke kills more dogs each year than is necessary. Educate yourself and your dog will thank you!


What is Heat Stroke?

Heat stroke or hyperthermia is when the core body temperature rises faster than the normal cooling process occurs to dissipate the body's heat. A dog's normal temperature is 101.5 – 102.2, taken rectally. A body temperature of about 104 degrees or higher could indicate heat stroke. At high temperatures, the cells in the body begin to break down. At sustained body temperatures of 105 – 109 degrees, organs may be permanently damaged and death can occur.

Dogs do not sweat; they cool themselves by evaporation through panting.

Dogs most at risk for heat stroke are:
Young puppies or older dogs
Overweight dogs
Dogs with illnesses
Dogs with dehydration
Dogs with short nasal passages
Dogs overexerted by exercise
Dogs left in parked cars on warm, hot or sunny days


What are the signs of Heat Stroke?

Intense Rapid Panting
Agitation
Elevated heart rate
Weakness
Salivating
Staggering
Fainting
Difficulty in breathing
High Body Temperature
Bright Red Mucous Membranes, gums and eyes
Shock
Seizure, Coma


First Aid for Heat Stroke:

The immediate action is to reduce the dog's temperature. This may be done by placing the dog in a tub of cool (not COLD) water, sponging the dog with cool water or applying wet sheeting or towels to the dog's body. Place a fan directly in front of the dog. Ice packs, wrapped in a towel can also be applied. Another method is an isopropyl alcohol bath. The alcohol will evaporate and this will help cool the dog. The areas to target for cooling are the head, neck, armpits, abdomen and feet. You want to try and get the temperature down to 103 degrees within 10 minutes. However, overcooling is not advised. And you need to transport your dog to a Veterinary Clinic as soon as possible. You can continue cooling methods on your way to medical help.

Prevention of Heat Stroke:

Never leave your dog in a parked car, even with the windows cracked.

Dogs should avoid strenuous exercise on hot days, try going out in the early morning or evening.

Always provide a comfortable environment for your dogs, with plenty of fresh water. Leave the air conditioner on or ceiling fan.

Limit outside exposure during the peak daytime hours of 11AM – 3PM on hot days.

If you travel to warmer climates with your dog, allow them time to acclimate to hotter temperatures.

If you see an animal in a car exhibiting any signs of Heat Stroke or stress, call the Police immediately.

Order some great “Don't Leave Me in Here - It's Hot!" Flyers visit www.mydogiscool.com










Sunday, June 24, 2007

FDA Disputes Pet Food Pain Killer Findings But Texas Lab Stands by Its Test Results

The following article originally appeared in consumeraffairs.com
June 15, 2007


The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is disputing the findings of a Texas laboratory that reported it discovered the pain killer acetaminophen in some brands of pet food.

The FDA said it didn’t find acetaminophen in a handful of samples of dog and cat food it tested in the past week, according to The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

"We cannot validate their finding,” Julie Zawisza, assistant commissioner of public affairs for the FDA told the newspaper.

But ConsumerAffairs.com learned the FDA cannot confirm it tested the same lots and brands in which the Texas laboratory -- ExperTox, Inc. -- detected the pain medication.

“This case is not closed,” Donna Coneley, lab manager with ExperTox, Inc. told us. “They’re (FDA) still requesting samples and data from us. We’ve talked to them three times today. I don’t see by any means that this is over. If it was over and done with, why would they bother spending so much time with us on the phone and arranging for samples to be released?”

Asked about the FDA’s comment to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Coneley responded: “I don’t know their reasoning. What I do know is that when they told me they tested a few samples of cat and dog food, I asked them if they were the same lots and brands that we tested. And they couldn’t confirm that any of them were the same ones we tested.”

“We’re using two completely different testing instruments to detect those chemical, and the difference comes into play with the instruments and the instrumentation (used) to detect those chemical,” she added.

Coneley said her lab tested 100 to 150 samples of pet food -- and detected acetaminophen in five of those samples.

The FDA, she said, tested just a few samples of pet food for the pain killer.
“It’s easier to say that we can’t confirm something by looking at a few samples than to really investigate and continue investigating until you know something for sure,” Coneley said. “I think this might have been a quick way to get everyone off their (FDA) backs.”

"Imaginary Experts"

Could those “everyones” be the Pet Food Institute (PFI), which represents the makers of 98 percent of all dog and cat food produced in the United States and calls itself “the voice of U.S. pet food manufacturers?”

“Maybe there was pressure from them,” Coneley said.

As we reported on Wednesday, PFI cast doubts on ExperTox’s finding.
“Through our contacts in Texas, which is where the lab is located that conducted the analysis, we have learned there is genuine concern among key toxicological and analytical experts about the lab and the actual test results,” said PFI spokesman Kurt Gallagher.

Coneley questioned what experts PFI was talking about.

“They never name the experts they’re working with,” she said on Wednesday. “When someone says ‘people I know say this,’ it sounds to me like they’re trying to say there are experts who have looked into this and don’t agree with the findings. But I don’t believe there are.

“To me, it sounds like they’re talking about imaginary experts. The (scientists at the) FDA are the only people we’ve been talking to about our findings.”

Coneley told us today that her lab will continue working closely with the FDA and hopes to foster its relationship with that federal agency.

“We don’t want to build any animosity with the FDA,” she said. “It’s in our best interest to help them see what we’re seeing.”

Other Contaminants

As we reported, acetaminophen isn’t the only contaminant ExperTox discovered in the samples of pet food it tested in May.

The lab found the chemical cyanuric acid -- commonly used in pool chlorination -- in some samples.

And in other samples, it detected the chemical that triggered the March 2007 recall of millions of containers of dog and cat food: melamine.
The FDA discovered melamine in the wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China and used in the more than 5,600 products that pet food makers have recalled in the past three months.
The chemical -- used to make plastics and fertilizers -- is blamed for the illnesses and deaths of thousands of pets nationwide. It is not approved for use in pet or human food.

ExperTox did not identify the brands of food it tested because of a confidentiality agreement.

Menu Foods

But ConsumerAffairs.com confirmed one of the brands that tested positive for acetaminophen is Menu Food’s Pet Pride.

Pet owner Don Earl of Port Townsend, Washington, told us he hired ExperTox to analyze samples of Pet Pride "Turkey and Giblets Dinner" and Pet Pride "Mixed Grill.”

He says he took that action because his cat “Chuckles” suffered kidney disease and died in January after eating those flavors of Pet Pride food.
He also told us that ExperTox analyzed the same lots and styles of Pet Pride food that he fed Chuckles before she died.

We reviewed ExperTox’s findings of the samples Earl submitted, which confirmed the lab detected acetaminophen in the food.

The tests also detected cyanuric acid in the samples of Pet Pride food. Those samples, however, did not contain any melamine, the report stated.
Menu Foods declined to comment on ExperTox’s finding and referred calls to the PFI.

As usual, the FDA did not return our telephone calls or e-mails seeking comment.

Pet owner Earl, however, criticized the FDA for making what he called “unsubstantiated claims” about ExperTox and its findings.“At the time of the article, the FDA had not tested any of the sample tested by ExperTox,” he told us today. “It is also of interest that in an attempt to get a second opinion on one of the two varieties of pet food I had tested by ExperTox, I submitted a separate sample to UC Davis, only to later find that UC Davis is a major recipient of pet food company funding. Under the circumstances, it is my firmly held belief that if the FDA is going to make these kinds of unsubstantiated claims, their methods should be publicly examined along side those on the cutting edge of these findings.”
He added: “It has been three months since the recall was announced and pet owners still don't have any hard answers as to how and why this happened, or what is safe to feed their pets.”

Friday, June 22, 2007

A Shout out to our friends at 92.5 The River

Thanks to Ron and Angela at The River for allowing us the great, albeit incredibly stressful, opportunity to appear and to talk about Marathon Paws this morning!

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Help! My canine athlete ruptured her ACL!!!

Ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament *

Holly Nash, DVM, MS
Veterinary Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.

The knee is prone to a number of injuries as any football player will tell you. One of the most common knee injuries in dogs is a ruptured cruciate ligament.

Knee anatomy

The knee is a joint that is formed by three bones: Femur (the long bone extending down from the hip); Tibia (the bone between the knee and ankle); and Patella (the kneecap). These bones are joined together by a number of ligaments, which are tough fibrous bands of tissue. Two ligaments crisscross in the joint from the femur to the tibia and are called cruciate ligaments (cruciate means cross). The one towards the front of the leg is called the anterior cruciate ligament and the one crossing behind it is the posterior cruciate ligament. These ligaments prevent the ends of the femur and tibia from moving back and forth across each other.
A rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)

When the anterior cruciate ligament ruptures (is torn), the joint becomes unstable and the femur and tibia can move back and forth across each other. The anterior cruciate ligament is most commonly torn when the dog twists on his hind leg. The twisting motion puts too much tension on the ligament and it tears. This often occurs if the dog slips on a slippery surface, makes a sudden turn while running, or is hit by a car. Obesity puts too much weight on the knee and overweight dogs tend to have more occurrences of ruptured cruciate ligaments.

Symptoms of a ruptured cruciate ligament

Dogs who have ruptured their cruciate ligament will appear suddenly lame, and usually hold the foot of the affected leg off the ground. The knee may become swollen. In time, the dog may start to use the leg again, but often lameness returns.

Diagnosis of a ruptured cruciate ligament

The diagnosis of a ruptured cruciate ligament is made through observing abnormal movement of the joint. A veterinarian will place one hand around the femur and one around the tibia in a precise manner. By applying pressure on the knee, the veterinarian will feel the bones move abnormally in what is called a 'drawer sign.' It is called that because the movement of the femur in relation to the tibia is similar to pulling and pushing in the drawer of a cabinet. If an animal is in a lot of pain, or very nervous, the muscles near the knee may be so tense that they prevent the drawer movement from occurring. If a veterinarian suspects a ruptured cruciate ligament in a dog but cannot elicit the drawer sign, the dog may be heavily sedated to relax the muscles and then re-examined for the drawer sign.

A device, called the 'DGY2000,' has been developed by the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine to detect stretched or partially torn ACLs. In these conditions there is often insufficient joint laxity to detect using the procedure described above. The DGY2000 consists of a platform with two moving pieces. The dog's leg is strapped onto the platform and the femur is held in place while a small force is applied to the front and then the back of the tibia while radiographs (x-rays) are taken. An exact measurement of the amount of laxity in the joint can then be determined from the two radiographs. Earlier diagnosis and a chance to stabilize the joint before total rupture of the ligament occurs has the potential to help prevent pain and arthritis in dogs.

Treatment of a ruptured cruciate ligament

If the ligament is completely torn, the dog (especially a large dog) is generally treated with surgery. There are several different methods used to repair the knee joint when an anterior ligament is torn. They all entail using synthetic suture material, or a portion of adjacent fibrous tissue to basically re-create the ligament. The suture or tissue is made to extend from the outside lower portion of the femur to the inside upper portion of the tibia. After the surgery, the dog must be strictly confined for 2 weeks. By day 10 after surgery, most dogs touch the toe of the affected leg to the ground and will start bearing minimal weight on the leg. Once the dog has reached this point, it is often very difficult to keep the dog quiet until complete healing has taken place. The dog generally has to be restricted to only leash walking for a minimum of 4-6 more weeks; the exact amount of time depends upon the extent of the injury and the corrective procedure performed. This exercise is extremely important to prevent the surgical correction from tearing. The veterinarian's instructions regarding exercise during the recovery period should be followed very carefully.

In some instances, if the cruciate ligament is only partially torn, the animal is older, has medical conditions which could affect healing, or the owners will not be able to keep the dog quiet for a number of weeks after surgery, medical treatment is used. This basically consists of controlling the dog's activity for 8-12 weeks. Swimming and low-impact exercise (walking) may be done on a controlled basis, as instructed by a veterinarian, to keep up muscle strength. If overweight, the dog should be placed on a reduced-calorie diet. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as carprofen, etodolac, meloxicam, deracoxib, buffered aspirin, or other medications are often used to reduce inflammation in the joint and relieve pain. (Do NOT give your cat aspirin unless prescribed by your veterinarian.) Products containing glucosamine, chondroitin, perna mussel, polysulfated glycosaminoglycans, and other chondroprotective agents are often recommended, as well.

If a dog with a ruptured cruciate is not treated, severe degenerative joint disease (arthritis) usually occurs. In addition, because the dog favors the affected leg, he will generally put more weight on the unaffected leg. It is not unusual for the dog to rupture the anterior cruciate ligament on that leg as well because of the increased stress on the leg.

Prognosis

If the dog's exercise is restricted as instructed, and overweight dogs return to normal body weight, the prognosis is good. Depending on the amount of injury to the knee and length of time between the injury and correction of the problem, degenerative joint disease may occur as the pet ages.

*This article originally appeared in www.peteducation.com

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

In honor of Duke, my beloved golden-doodle client

This is a joke which I found on another forums list....

The American Kennel Club has decided to recognize these new breeds of dogs that are the result of cross breeding:

  • Collie + Lhaso Apso: Collapso, a dog that folds up for easy transport.
  • Spitz + Chow Chow: Spitz-Chow, a dog that throws up alot.
  • Bloodhound + Borzoi: Bloody Bore, a dog that's not much fun.
  • Pointer + Setter: Poinsetter, a traditional Christmas pet.
  • Kerry Blue Terrier + Skye Terrier: Blue Skye, a dog for visionaries.
  • Pekingese + Lhaso Apso: Peekasso, an abstract dog.
  • Labrador Retriever + Curly Coated Retriever: Lab Coat Retriever, the choice of research scientists.
  • Newfoundland + Basset Hound: Newfound Asset Hound, a dog for financial advisers.
  • Terrier + Bulldog: Terribull, a dog that makes awful mistakes.
  • Bloodhound + Labrador: Blabrador, a dog that barks incessantly.
  • Malamute + Pointer: Moot Point, owned by...oh, well, it doesn't matter anyway.
  • Collie + Malamute: Commute, a dog that travels to work.
  • Deerhound + Terrier: Derriere, a dog that's true to the end.
  • Poodle + Min Pin: PooPin, a dog for constipated people.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Smile...say BONES

Renowned canine photographer Kendra Luck is in the Boston Area for three days this week offering her fine art photography!


Don't miss out..... she is a San Fransisco based photographer who has graced the pages of Bark Magazine!!!



Kendra Luck
www.dogumentarian.com
or
510.527.1011.

Spaces are limited!

Friday, June 8, 2007

Countdown to Take Your Dog To Work Day!!!

On Friday June 22nd please join Marathon Paws in a celebration of the Dog Days of Summer by participating in Take Your Dog to Work Day!!!

Marathon Paws is planning some extra special goodies for that day so keep a look out on our blog and stay informed!!!

For all corporate dogs in downtown boston, back bay and financial districts we will be offering special $10 afternoon walks!!! Book early! Space is limited!

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Update on Bella the Boxer


Bella has settled into her foster home quite nicely. She has begun to put on weight and only needs her crate on special occassions, although she sometimes chooses to curl up in it when I am busy answering emails or watching a movie. She is loving her homemade meals, however, with the time committment of running a small business we have decided to try a great frozen raw food product from Primal Pet Foods. The cost will be about the same but I will save the time that I currently spend in execution.

We will get back to you on Bella's thoughts of the new food. Meanwhile.... check out their website at www.primalpetfoods.com and if you are interested please go to the Polka Dog Bakery on Shawmut in Boston's the South End. Rob and Deb have a great selection of snacks, toys, food, gear and supplements to help you and your canine (or feline) friends.