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This was posted on Newf-L
I thought it might be a good idea to give a 'heads-up' on a toy that could be deadly to our big guys!


I just came back from the vet with our 20 month old Newfie, Cinder. I let her out to play this morning and gave her the treat ball she usually plays with. In less than an hour, she had it stuck on her lower jaw. She was completely freaked out and over stressed.

I took her to the vet, where she had to be put under anesthesia to have this removed. Somehow, she managed to remove the recording portion and literally had her lower jaw wedged inside of it! By the time I got her in to see the vet, she was so stressed that her temperature was well over 105. Not only did they have to remove the toy, they also gave her fluids via IV and a cold water bath to bring her temperature down.

She is now home resting and very happy to have the toy removed. The vet said he has never seen anything like it. The hole is really small and he can't imagine how she could fit her jaw into it. Needless to say, the toy is broken into a million pieces and now in the garbage can!

Below is a link to a similar toy. The one we had does not have the lights in it and was blue/red colors. Never-the-less, it is the same type toy. In this picture, you can see the recording devise which you twist to remove. This is area she wedged her jaw into.

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441809342&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026219&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023689&bmUID=1149718803868&itemNo=16&Nao=12&In=Dog&N=2026219&Ne=2

OK...now to take my blood pressure meds...may need an extra dose after this.

Remi is an experienced Therapy Dog (a blue Great Dane) so Cowboy got and I got to follow in her much more experienced paw prints at a Senior Center.  It was GREAT!  Cowboy got more loving even than he gets here at home.  FUN day!!!

My name is  Elissa Dominici and I have four Italian Greyhounds, that are  my  children. Easter Sunday, my 4 year old Italian Greyhound, Lily, managed  to unzip my purse and retrieve an unopened package of Orbit sugarfree  gum. She, unknown to me, took it to her favorite place and proceeded to  eat the entire package, minus one piece. I discovered her amongst the  empty wrappers. I was concerned that the gum could cause an intestinal  blockage, so I called my veterinary practice, which provides 24 hour  care (Thank God!!).
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 I was told by a vet tech that some sugar  free gums can be toxic to dogs. She called my vet and he then called me  and informed me that I needed to bring Lily in immediately. He told me  that the ingredient, Xylitol, can cause a fast release of insulin,  which results in a rapid decrease in
blood glucose (hypoglycemia). It  can also cause seizures, coma and liver disfunction and/or failure. I  was shocked. I had no idea that I had this deadly toxin lurking in my  house and my car!! The gum has no warning labels, which surprises me,  considering it is hazardous to dogs.
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My Lily is currently in  the ICU unit of my Veterinary practice, where she has been for the past  two days. She has been on a dextrose drip to counteract the decrease in  blood glucose. Last night's liver test indicated a high increase in her  enzymes and a clotting problem. She has been put on vitamin K and  rceived a blood transfusion. We are awaiting
results on more liver  tests that were taken. I cannot express my fear and concern for my  little girl! I feel completely helpless.
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I have decided that I  can empower myself by sharing this awful experience with others in  order to hopefully educate and possibly prevent others from having to  go through this with their dog children. Please forward this to all of  your dog friends and fami ly and ask them to do the same. I would have  considered myself an educated dog owner, however, I was completely  unaware of a hidden danger I had lurking in my environment!!! I plan on  contacting the Wrigley Co., makers of Orbit, and asking them why they  do not have a warning on their packaging. I personally will never  purchase a package of Orbit gum again. Xylitol is also found in Trident  gum. I hope all who read this find it educational and will indeed share  this information with others. I don't know what the outcome will be for  Lily, I can only pray that she comes out the other side of this. 
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....and read the wrong book for this months Book Club, but what a fortunate mistake.  I read The Dogs of Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz.  HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended.  It's not just he adventure he has working with his border collies and herding sheep.  It's about the philosphy of loving dogs and why we do.  The story of his sister with her Newfoundlands was heart wrenching but image his border collie trying to herd them "like trying to herd sofas" was hysterical.

Please consider this for your next read.

A lady opened her refrigerator and saw a rabbit sitting on one of the
shelves.

"What are you doing in there?"

she asked.

 The rabbit replied:

"This is a Westinghouse, isn't it?",
to which the lady replied

"Yes."

"Well," the rabbit said,




"I'm westing."

http://www.wimp.com/dogscompilation/

Here is Kahn's (a Newfoundland) sad story:


Kahn was the beloved companion of the Bradford family of Wetumpka, Alabama. On Feb. 20th, 2004, Kahn was abducted from the Bradford home by criminals who intended to use him as a "training" dog for fighting pit bulls. Kahn was placed in a pen and attacked, tortured and mutilated by multiple pit bulls trained to attack and kill on command by their human owners. After a long, heroic struggle to survive against overwhelming odds, Kahn was shot to death and left on the side of the road, his usefulness to these criminals at an end. Only the perpertrators of these heinous acts know to what extent Kahn suffered before they cruelly murdered him. The Bradford family found their beloved gentle giant and family companion laying dead in the gutter, by the side of the road. Kahn was tossed aside like garbage by these sociopathic criminals who mutilated, tortured and murdered him.


Can you imagine the incredible horror and overwhelming grief you would experience if you found somone you loved gone, as a result of a situation such as this? How would you feel? What would you feel? What would you feel like doing? Rage? Anger? Incredible sadness? Incomprehensio n? What would you tell your son or daughter had happened to their friend and companion? Do you think those feelings would diminish when the criminals who did this received only a $400 dollar fine? Well, sadly, that's what happened. Adding incredible insult to heinous injury for the Bradford family. The current laws of the State of Alabama classify this type of activity as a Class 'B' Misdeameanor. Any sane, law-biding citizen of our Great Nation can recognize that the criminals who carried out these heinous actions did so in a pre-meditated, cruel and wanton manner with complete disregard for anything other than fulfilling their own perverted, sociopathic desires. In order to conduct this activity, these criminals had to:


#1.) Find a suitable dog in a pre-meditated search.


#2.) Plan to abduct and obtain the identified dog


#3.) Trespass on Private Property to abduct the animal.


#4.) Break and Enter into a secure area where the animal was restrained.


#5.) Commit theft and larceny to remove the property of the Bradfords from their private property.


#6.) Posses Pit Bull dogs previously trained to attack and kill.


#7.) Posses a previously prepared "pen" or area to place Kahn to allow the planned and pre-mediatated attack, torture, mutilation and murder of Kahn to take place.


#8.) Utilize a deadly weapon and discharge said weapon in such a manner as to cause the death of Kahn.


#9.) Dispose of Kahn's remains in a pre-meditated manner so as to effectuate a hinderance to Legal Authorities in determining the perpatrators identity and location.


All of these pre-meditated criminal activities cleary add up to what can only be charecterized as a pre-meditated criminal conspiracy and enterprise to conduct these unlawful activities. What Prosecuter, Judge and Law Enforcement Authorities would be willing co-conspirators in prosecuting this matter in a way that would culminate in a $400.00 fine? Many people in a rural community would be pre-disposed to dismissing any seriousness in prosecution with a statement such as "It's only a dog". However, I direct your attention to the link in the sidebar titled "From Animal Cruelty to Serial Murder: Applying the Graduation Hypothesis". Criminals who engage in these types of activities are very often predisposed to the gradual escalation in the violent tendencies and behaiviors these activities reinforce. Our Legal systems responsibility to our society demands significant punishments for these behaiviors. Lack of punishment will only reinforce in these criminals minds the tacit acc!
eptance by society at large of these sociopathic and cruel behaviors.


Mr. Bradford served his country proudly for over 20 years as a member of the elite United States Navy SEALS. Is this justice in the country which he served proudly for the majority of his adult life? Are these the ideals for which Mr. Bradford and countless others have risked and sacrificed their lives for since the birth of our nation? The antiquated laws of Alabama currently reflect a turn of the century, agricultural mindset and jurisprudence. Times have changed. Companion animals are not livestock like cattle, pigs, chicken and sheep. The incredible trauma inflicted on a family is not adequately served or protected by these antiquated laws.


This website is our first step in working to achieve JUSTICE FOR KAHN! and all our companion animals. Together, compassionate, caring people can work together and take ACTION to petition elected officials to make CHANGES TO THESE LAWS NOW! We look forward to working to achieve that goal and look forward to YOU, our compassionate friends in helping us achieve that goal.


PLEASE sign Kahn's petition, maybe his death will help the next animal from suffering his cruel fate
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/464850126?ltl=1143736319