www.SilverSandsVeterinary.blogspot.com
Donald H. DeForge, VMD
www.SilverSandsVeterinary.com
15July2017
Pillars of Hope
Sharing the Human-Animal Bond
We rescue dogs from shelters so they can rescue our veterans from PTSD, physical ailments, loneliness, and so much more. Service dogs are like battle buddies to our disabled veterans. They will always be there; keeping crowds at bay; waking their owners from nightmares; warding off anxiety attacks; and returning a vital sense of independence to their handlers.
When your dog can pick up the pen you dropped, fetch medication and get help when needed, there's no need to rely on a spouse or child for everything. That improves confidence and self-worth, which helps the whole family.
Training a service dog generally takes six months to a year. Sometimes longer. It all depends on the dog, the type of tasks the service dog must master and how easily the dog and handler progress as a team. We never rush the process. Each team is on a unique journey. The timeframe that's right for one team isn't necessarily right for another.
What makes our program so unique is the extensive attention we give the dog and veteran. There's no "10-days and you're ready to face the world" program here. We do all our training in the real world and critique at every turn. A dog may be perfect in a quiet room, but a busy Walmart is a different story. We want our dogs to experience every strange sight, sound, texture and smell they possibly can.
We test our service dogs every two years, to make sure their skills are still razor sharp. Every dog we train not only represents us, but all service dogs. So it's up to our teams to show the world how a true service dog should behave in public. It should be unobtrusive and focused solely on its handler. The better behaved our dogs are, the greater acceptance all people with disabilities will enjoy with their dogs by their sides.
We like to start with dogs between 1 and 3 years old -- young, but after the goofy puppy phase is over. All our dogs come from distress situations. We find them in local shelters or intervene before they get there. We will also train a pet that is already part of the veteran's life, if the dog has the right stuff. We'll do an extensive evaluation to find out.
Their mission was to keep us free. Ours is to give them the freedom to enjoy life again.
I am privileged to call Rick Kaplan my friend. As a master dog trainer he has brought new life to many of our veterans suffering from PTSD. His therapy and service dogs have changed the life of many of our veterans. Rick once told me that the service dog he trains from local dog shelters for veterans is a "O" in the shelter. He comments that the veteran returning from Iraq or Afghanistan with PTSD is passed along or forgotten and they are also a "O"! He concludes, when you add "O" + "O" the two zeros become -ONE COMPLETE ENTITY......an entity than now brings the veteran freedom from the pain of PTSD and a return to a new life free from ALL pain! I ask you to support Canine Angels and Mr. Rick Kaplan's efforts. His contact information is below. He commonly speaks about our veterans as the "forgotten heroes"! Rick is a humble man but he is also a hero to our veterans that seek the help of his therapy dogs. A tip of the hat to Mr. Rick Kaplan and to all of the Canine Angel Service Dogs. Dr. Leo Bustad told this story many times..there was an old man walking along the beach...that night thousands of starfish washed up on the shore...as he walked he would pick up one starfish and place it back into the ocean....a young man confronted the old man and said old man you are wasting your time...you will not make a difference throwing one starfish back into the ocean when there are 100's around your feet...the old man picked up another starfish and placed it back into the ocean...he turned to the young man with a smile of love and compassion and said.....I MADE A DIFFERENCE FOR THAT ONE! Service Dogs
Rick Kaplan President and Master Trainer 917-575-6235 Rick@CanineAngelsServiceDogs.org
Donald H DeForge, VMD SilverSandsVeterinary.com DonDeForge100@gmail.com General Companion Animal Care Walk-In Emergency and Urgent Care Roundworm-The Hidden Zoonosis Roundworm a Serious Zoonosis Toxocariasis Toxocara Roundworm A Serious Zoonosis Roundworm infection, or Toxocariasis, is a zoonotic disease — a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Dogs and cats are the definitive hosts for the roundworm species that commonly cause human disease. Zoonotic Potential - Roundworm Infection Roundworm is common in our pet population in the United States. It can be found in all ages of dogs and cats but is most commonly seen in kittens and puppies. Because of this, it is critical to bring your pet to a veterinarian as soon as it is adopted; purchased; or rescued. Your pDVM will set into place a very important deworming program to prevent your pet from being affected by roundworm and to prevent it from being spread to family; friends, or others in contact with your new
SilverSandsVeterinary.com Donald H DeForge, VMD General Practice Walk-In ER -Urgent Care 203-877-3221 DonDeForge100@gmail.com Become a Super Hero and Help Your Geriatric Pet! “I wish people would realize that animals are totally dependent on us, helpless, like children, a trust that is put upon us.” – James Herriot The Senior Pet and Unconditional Love- Become a Pain and Discomfort Detective! From the American Veterinary Medical Association: What do senior pets need to stay happy and healthy for as long as possible? No matter how well cared for, senior pets are vulnerable to aging-related issues, including certain diseases. This means that senior pets require more attention than younger pets, including more frequent visits to the veterinarian as well as possible changes in their diet and home environment. Here are some basic considerations when caring for senior pets: Increased veterinary care: Senior pets need to see a veterinarian twice a year or more so signs of illness or other
Silver Sands Veterinary.com DonDeForge, VMD Director DoctorDeForge@yahoo.com Cancer? Why Veterinarians Perform Fine Needle Aspirates! Fine Needle Aspirates –With Informed Consent Average time for a Cytology report to be available: [1 week] Histopathology/biopsy surgery occurs only after the completion of the FNA cytology procedure at the pathology laboratory. As with other types of biopsies, the sample collected can help make a diagnosis or rule out conditions such as cancer ! Histopathology: When It's Used Histopathology is commonly performed on swellings or lumps located just under the skin if cytology is not confirmatory of a benign mass . Not ALL FNA Cytology procedures are definitive with a complete diagnosis; if a diagnosis is not definitive surgical biopsies or special stains may be needed for diagnosis. Early malignant tumors can often appear quiet and benign and some can have very slow initial growth rates. If benign dise
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