Who is the Expert?

Toffee & Beignet, Yin and Yang

written by Carol A. Smock, Founder

Something happened in my family recently that had me asking, "so who is the expert anyway?"  I was diagnosed with Valley Fever and worried that if I had contracted it, my dogs may also have been exposed and could be dealing with this horrible disease.  So, off to the Veterinarian we go...

I love my Clinic.  Dr. Tenney SAVED my Toffee Nut's life last year by amputating one of his toes that had a spindle cell carcinoma attached.  They suggested radiation afterward to be sure we got it all, but after careful consideration, I opted *not* to put him through it.  I met a new doctor on Saturday who would draw their blood - she's lovely too.  Well educated. Well spoken.  Kind and compassionate.

We talked at great length about the fact that I refuse to give Heartguard, Frontline or Vaccinations.  I explained that I've lost two already to cancer and I want to try this Holistic approach to see if it makes a difference.  I explained that while I don't pump their bodies full of poisons and toxins anymore, I still have them tested for Heartworms and other diseases on a regular basis, often performing a full panel of bloodwork annually.  I give essential oil supplements and feed the highest quality food I can buy.  I also explained how I've read extensively about this chosen lifestyle and I've consulted many who could be deemed experts in arriving at my decision.

She was respectful, although I could see she was cautious.  And, I DO respect that.  My dogs' bloodwork came back...  the 10 1/2 year old who just had a battle with cancer last  year - PERFECT!  And, while he showed exposure to Valley Fever, he does not have active infection.  The 4 year old was negative for Valley Fever.

So, this begs the question, just who is the expert when it comes to our pets?  While I would never suggest that Veterinarians are not the most educated and knowledgeable, sometimes, there are experts out there who didn't go to school for their degree.  Sometimes, an expert can be someone whose lifetime has been spent learning by doing (as John Lloyd Wright suggested is the best method of learning), taking chances and risks and studying the results.

I trust my doctors.  I really do.  But, they believe in Western Medicine and I'm learning that I believe in an Integrated Approach.  I'm thankful that they respect me enough as a pet owner to "learn by doing".  They are there to warn me of possible impending doom and to make sure we are testing my pets along the way to insure their safety.

I want to call your attention to a Special Newsprint Section that published in the Washington Post yesterday. It was titled Pet Wellness and the website is http://www.petcarenews.com/.  I encourage you to take a look at what this special section has to offer - good information about nutrition, behavior and general health & wellness.  There are also some great articles on Rescue and Adoption.  A word of warning, it's not all written by veterinarians...  but there is great information in it for you to digest and discuss with your doctor.

Brown Dog Foundation LOVES pets.  We respect the doctors who study for years to save them.  But we also know that often times, "experts" walk among us.  And sometimes, the expert may be us.  After all, who knows your pets' behavior and patterns better than you?

Pet Insurance

Written by Andy Chmiel, VP of Business Development at Medicare.com
Brown Dog Foundation, National Board Officer (Treasurer)

It seems these days you can insure anything. Your hands... if you are a surgeon, your voice... if you’re a singer, and even your back side... if you’re Jennifer (J-Lo) Lopez. As a licensed Insurance agent I was intrigued when this product hit the main stream market a few years back – Pet insurance. A unique way for people to make sure no medical surprise disrupts their pet’s everyday life.

My team of agents reviewed the products and found out that this all started in England with a company named Veterinary Pet Insurance or VPI. Their first pet insurance policy was sold back in 1947. While Pet insurance has been around for quite some time, less than 1% of Americans have taken advantage of this opportunity. As more and more Americans choose to pursue their careers, they want to share their success with a devoted and loyal companion. No, not always a spouse, but four legged and feathered friends too. More and more empty nesters are adopting ‘loved ones’ to care for in their golden years. Americans have never been more poised to spend more time with their beloved pets then right now. These Insurance plans are just what the public needs.

The policies begin at $10-15 a month for a basic plan and grow to $60-80 a month for plans which cover medications, well checks, and surgeries. Monthly premiums will depend on the age, breed and general health of the pet. Some employer groups have offered pet insurance as part of their employee benefit package and a greater number of folks are saying ‘yes’.

Getting a plan might be as easy as calling your current insurance agent but may require getting online and doing some research. Find a plan that will fit your life style and budget but most importantly the needs of your pet.

Your ultimate goal is the health and well being of your family’s best little friend. As a person that plans everything out I am sure that when the right little furry friend enters my life I will weigh the pros and cons and do my own research on insurance. It just makes sense to be a responsible pet owner who prepares for the financial surprises of being a pet owner.

From Bad to Good

Last summer, a friend at a local Humane Society shelter told me to come meet a dog that looked as though she could be my recently deceased dog's grandbaby. I had loved Goldie so much and was disappointed that I only had 3 years with her, so finding a young one who looked like her was appealing. Hold onto your seat though... this little lady was nothing like Mama Goldie!

When I met her, she was extremely nervous and she didn't have a name. So I called her "Little Girl" during our initial interactions. She cowered in the corner the first several times I visited. Eventually, she came out of her shell and I fell in love. And, so she was named Beignet (Ben yay') and I brought her home.

She had been a stray for the first 14 months of her life, so she was not potty-trained, had a bad habit of eating paper and cardboard and thought that running through the house in circles was the best game! She wore me out and drove my older pit-mix, Toffee, over the edge. I had to do something. The accidents had given my home a distinct scent (not one I appreciated). The wildness was causing minor altercations with Toffee (who thank GOD is a great dog). We considered rehoming her, until my friend Cory at Middle TN Dog Psychology reminded me of the basics of behavior modification.

1. All dogs want a "job". No, modeling would not fit the bill (although she's pretty enough to be one) and no, I wouldn't be able to earn a living off of her efforts. Rather, they need a daily routine in which they focus on following their leader and being part of the pack. So, we started walking daily and to my happiness, she leash-trained quickly.

2. All dogs want "boundaries". She was not sleeping at night (I can assume a behavior leftover from nights as a stray) at the foot of my bed and I would wake up to toilet paper strewn throughout the room, magazines shredded and Christmas ornaments pulled off the tree and eaten. So, we began crating her at night. The crate became her den (her safe place) so she could relax and rest. And, this proved to be the core issue with Beignet's behavior. Not sleeping at night made her wild during the day! As soon as she began sleeping safely... that nervous energy that she'd exhausted on chewing, destruction and running around in circles slowed down considerably.

3. All dogs want "discipline". Not a heavy hand when they do something wrong - rather a set of rules to follow and be rewarded. Feeding time was tough at first because my pit sits and waits, but Beignet wasn't picking up on it. Cory fixed it in one 30 second session (still don't know what he did, but I'm glad he did it!). Now both dogs sit/wait until I release them to eat. Other routines include walks, potty breaks, snuggle time, play time with each other, chew on their bones time, and more.

Yes, I still coo over how pretty she is and kiss her and hug on her way more than I should. But, overall, we've settled into a nice routine. We still have the occasional destruction (recently she opened a cardboard case of beer, punctured a can and drank it as it was spraying all over the kitchen), but for the most part - our home is once again a peaceful, enjoyable place to be.

Why Brown Dog? Why now? Why National?

Good morning and welcome to Brown Dog Foundation's first blog! I had an interesting conversation yesterday about our organization's vision and mission. And, since this is about the ten-thousandth time I've had this conversation, I decided to start a blog - in hopes of helping everyone around me understand why I am so very passionate about taking Brown Dog Foundation's program national rather than keeping it local to Nashville only. And, this also helps others understand why it's so important for us to maintain the integrity of the original mission rather than change it to meet any single, major donor's desire.

First, one has to understand where I came from. I grew up in a small, closely-knit community in the North, the middle child in a fairly large family. My parents were devoted to us kids, they let us have a family dog (who outlived most pampered pooches in today's world), but we were taught that there is a big difference between "needs" and "wants". Pets are a "want". And, you don't get the "wants" unless you can afford them.

My career background is business - specifically business growth, business analysis, process automation and marketing. In order to seek funding for any idea - for profit or not - one must be able to substantiate the "need" and identify a repeatable model that can be executed with or without the creator.

Next, you need to understand my journey toward pet guardianship as an adult. In my twenties - I was single and loving it. Nary a care in the world... no time for the burdens of a pet. In my thirties - I bought my first house and decided a chocolate labrador would be the perfect accessory. So, I found a 4.5 year old male thru a Rescue site in Tennessee (my first exposure to "Rescue Groups"). The experience was fabulous! But, Chip had just had a cancerous tumor removed (he was surrendered to the local pound by his owners because they couldn't afford treatment) - so I knew I was walking into a landmine.

For several years I was able to provide for Chip - a lifestyle better than most children enjoy to be exact. However, when he needed me most, I couldn't provide - a situation I never expected to be in. I had just lost my job at the start of one of our country's worst economic recessions with NO prospects on the horizon. Paying for chemotherapy treatment was not an option. And, so, with God's help, love and guidance, I made the decision to end his suffering when it was time.

So... why serve as a resource for working class and temporarily disadvantaged responsible pet owners rather than save all the animals? It's really a simple answer - there are several much larger organizations whose mission it is to "save them all". And, yet there is still never enough money left over to help the working class and/or the unemployed. Brown Dog receives 68 application requests per month, every month that qualify for our program. No other agency focuses on the families that we do.

Why now? Because our country is in the throws of the worst financial and economic downturn we've ever experienced, and it doesn't appear to be getting better anytime soon. The job-market is changing and there is a segment of our population who will never earn again what they once did because their job has been outsourced to another country or eliminated by a computer. Some areas of our country are experiencing 20%+ unemployment rates - while others hover at 10%. Both are bad! Families who have always worked to earn their living, now don't - not because they don't want to... because there are no jobs. And, since the number of applications for our help have doubled in the past four years, I can only assume it will continue to get worse.

So... why national and not local where you could offer more services to more people and attract a larger local following? Again, it seems simple to me - we have a repeatable process today that has quite low overhead to execute. And, we receive 68 qualified application requests every month from families with stories just like mine, who are turned away from the larger agencies because of lack of funding - they have to save the surrendered animal first because that is their mission. A localized agency will only help the 30 or so that we receive in TN and then will begin offering more services and programs to use up the excess cash. So I ask... Why not help everyone, anywhere, anytime?

Just this morning, I read a woman's story... her husband has left, she has a young daughter and one dog. She earns a modest income that provides sufficiently for her and her family, including their pet. The dog needs surgery to correct a dislocated disc in his neck/back. The cost - $2,000. She will likely end up euthanizing their only source of comfort in the midst of an already difficult situation. She lives in Missouri. Sadly, because we do not have sufficient national funding, we can't help her.

If you've read this entire blog, you are feeling one of two ways - motivated to get involved OR completely depressed at the huge undertaking of solving this recurring and rapidly growing problem. Either way - we need you! Help us tell our story. Encourage your friends, family and co-workers to follow our blog. Donate when you can, encourage others to donate, volunteer, DO something!

In this blog, we plan to explore in more detail what we've learned over the past 5 years from collecting the data we have. But, we will also deal with many pet-related issues - from alternative treatment options to dietary advice to help understanding the need and how we can best address it. Everyone on our boards will contribute.

Stay tuned... and I hope you get some big, wet puppy kisses today!