Dog Internal Organs

Sierra County cattleman's dog fights for life

A terrific cattle dog is recovering from injuries she suffered when an impatient driver ran her over during a livestock drive.

Maggie, an 8-year-old border collie, is recovering from a broken leg and severe internal injuries after the incident in Sierra County that shocked her owner, cattleman John Reader. A fund has been set up to help pay for her injuries.

"She's no spring chicken but still really is in her prime for my cattle operation," said Reader. "She's been my best dog."

For decades, the Readers have moved their cattle from Pike, about eight miles northeast of North San Juan, to the high country where they graze for the summer. Part of the drive is three or four miles along the Alleghany-Ridge Road before dropping off onto a dirt road.

Local residents and others typically set up folding chairs roadside and snap pictures of the drive, waving as the herd goes by each year. The Old West lives as the cattle move toward summer pastures.

Pilot cars in front and back were leading about 300 cows along the road on Sunday. Riders on horseback were at the front and rear of the herd.

As the cattle moved along, a couple of cars stopped to let the herd pass. However, another vehicle, a white Jeep Cherokee, pushed through instead of waiting. The car was near dregs of the herd when, Reader said, the driver made a sudden turn.

"I watched him deliberately take the steering wheel and whip it hard to the right," said Reader. "He gunned the car and ran into a calf and a couple of cows. I thought 'What kind of a crazy guy is this?' " The riders tried to stop the car, and Reader hollered for the driver to stop. But the car picked up speed, narrowly missing Reader's mount.

"My dog was on the shoulder of the road, not even on the pavement," said Reader. "He then turned his attention to her, turned the car that way and ran right over her with both front and back tires."

The male driver and his male passenger then sped on off. Reader said law enforcement is working to locate the driver.

Maggie, who is said to do the job of five riders, was taken to the Loomis Basin Veterinary Emergency Hospital where surgery was performed. The dog suffered a broken back leg, and her spleen, liver and stomach were pushed into her chest cavity.

The femur had to be fixed and her internal organs re-aligned.

"She's not out of the woods," said Reader. "It is amazing she's alive, really."

Veterinary bills now total $7,000. To help with costs, people can call the veterinary hospital at (916) 652-5816.

Facts about Diabetes in Dogs | Natural Health

If you think dogs can’t get the same illnesses and diseases as humans, then you are barking up the wrong tree because your dog can get any illness that a human would. Diabetes is not different in dogs than it is in humans because your dog can still suffer a lot.

This can be a life threatening disease in dogs and if you don’t catch the symptoms right away you could be putting your pet at risk. Here are a few facts that you need to know about diabetes in dogs.

In dogs, diabetes is a disease that attacks the endocrine glands and makes them not function properly. As in the human world, there are two types of diabetes in dogs and they are diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus. Diabetes insipidus is the lack of vasopressin in your dog. Vasopressin is a hormone that controls the way your dog’s kidneys take in water. Diabetes mellitus is when the dog’s body can not produce insulin.

Now that you have a slight understanding about on the difference about the two types of diabetes in dogs, let’s take the other type now. Diabetes mellitus is one of the most deadly diseases that your dog can get if you don’t know the symptoms to catch it right away but it can be handled. There are 2 types of diabetes mellitus. Just like human disease of diabetes, you have type 1 and type 2. They are very similar to the affects that humans are dealing with every day.

Type 1 diabetes in dogs is also known as juvenile dog diabetes. It gets its name because this form of diabetes usually shows up when the dog is a younger dog, puppy to age 2 roughly.

Type 2 diabetes is about the same as humans because this disease usually comes into play when the dog gets older and their body can no longer produce the insulin that the dog needs to make its internal organs function. If your dog has this type of diabetes you have to give your dog insulin shots and make sure you check your pets blood sugar level so that your dogs insulin is low you can give them a shot.

No matter if your dog has type 1 or type 2 diabetes, your dog is worth the money and the time you spend on your dog because of the happiness that a pet brings to you and your family. A dog is a pet that is irreplaceable because of the loyalty and the companionship that a dog brings to your family. Take your time and try to understand about diabetes in dogs because it can make a world of difference in your dog’s life.

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British medical journal, BMJ