A Quarterly Publication of Guide Dog Users of Arizona
Editor, Don Noller, Treasurer and Membership Chair of GDUA
If you have comments, etc., please call 623.915.9111, or send an e-mail to
donoller@earthlink.net
In this issue:
President's Message, by GDUA President, Terri Hedgpeth >P>Greetings everyone from your GDUA President,
I hope you and your four footed friends really enjoyed the holidays and that you didn't go too far into debt. I can't believe it's already February 2004. Where has the time gone? I just wanted to tell you about a couple things as your president of GDUA.
Just a little about me personally: You may or may not know that I've worked at Arizona State University as a Disability Specialist for students who are blind and visually impaired as well as a number of other disability areas for the past nine and a half years. In that capacity I worked directly with students to insure their access to their courses and campus overall. I've just started in a new position with the University as a Disability Specialist in Research in the department of Computer Science, Fulton School of Engineering. I'm involved in some very exciting cutting edge research in assistive technologies for people who are blind or visually impaired. This is an exciting time in that arena.
GDUA Spring Convention - Our convention is right around the corner and there are some exciting presentations in store for you and I hope to see each of you there. You can check out all about the particulars in the article by Desi Noller that appears right after this one. Please do put it on your calendar and come. All of the planning and preparation is done for you so you'll have an enjoyable time and even maybe learn something new!
Sincerely,
Terri Hedgpeth, President
GDUA Spring Convention, by Desi Noller
Spring Convention Coming Soon! (April 30 through May 2)
By 2nd Vice President Desi Noller
Again this spring Guide Dog Users Of Arizona will be holding our convention in conjunction with the state convention of the Arizona Council of the Blind. Janice Williams and I are acting as the GDUA representatives to the AzCB convention committee. As in past years, some of our activities will focus exclusively on Guide Dog Users, and some will be held jointly between both organizations. At this writing, much of the planning and some of the work has been done to provide you with an excellent program. As so often happens though, some of the details described here may undergo some changes between now and the actual convention.
The 2004 spring convention will take place on the weekend of April 30 through May 2. It will again be held at the Sunshine Hotel and Suites, 3600 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix 85013. The closest intersection is Second Avenue and Osborn, one-half mile south of Indian School Road. Room rates are $49.00 per night, plus tax, single or double occupancy.
AzCB will host a Friday evening Karaoke session to which everyone is invited. This is a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and even try your hand at being on stage!
This year's convention theme is "How Do We Get There From here?" Saturday's program has something for everyone! The morning will begin with Ron Gallegos, Assistant U.S. Attorney General, speaking about the Americans With Disabilities Act and how it relates to our access and advocacy issues. A certain "must attend" for anyone who has had any sort of access problem, or anyone who simply wants to be prepared.
Mr. Gallegos will be followed by Michael Byington and his wife Ann, who is , by the way, a Guide Dog User herself. They will be conducting a workshop on an in depth look at Multiple Disabilities. Michael has a tremendous sense of humor and a wide background in drama, so this should be spectacular! He will also be the entertainment for our evening banquet. They are coming to us all the way from Kansas. You will find both Michael and Ann to be fun, warm, and engaging.
Our GDUA business meeting will be held at approximately 11:00 a.m., right before lunch. It is extremely important that all members attend! We will have some Board members up for election, and some other matters of business on which we need everyone's input.
Becky Barnes, from Guiding Eyes for the Blind, will kick off the afternoon by conducting a workshop entitled, "Resolving Advocacy-related Conflict." Becky has attended our conventions in the past. Any of you who have already had the pleasure of getting to know her will surely agree that any workshop of which she is a part will be outstanding!
After that we are planning a session on T-Touch. This will be a fabulous opportunity to learn how to relax your dog even under the most stressfull circumstances. No, I don't mean that we will provide you with stressful circumstances, but all of us who travel around this busy Phoenix Metro area encounter tremendous stress on a regular basis. Not only will T-Touch relax your dog, but you'll find that the wonderful interaction between you and your dog will relieve your stress as well.
Concurrently with the T-Touch workshop Janice will again be hosting a session on Makeup and Skin Care for the women among us. Anyone who may have attended a similar session at our convention 2 years ago will remember how fun and helpful it was.
Concurrent with these two sessions will be another workshop hosted by Michael Byington, this time on the subject of deaf-blindness. Michael will draw upon his years of experience as an interpreter at the Helen Keller National Center. This will be one hour when it will truly be hard to decide what to attend
GDUA will once again this year be hosting a patio reception to end the afternoon. This is our way of saying thank you to the AzCB for sharing their time and space with us. It will also give us all a chance to just relax and chat.
Please be watching your e-mail boxes, or your regular mail boxes if you don't have e-mail, for more details on more events. I haven't covered absolutely everything here. I'm sure to have left out something important!
The cost for the entire convention will be $25.00 which includes: Continental Breakfast, Lunch, and a delicious evening Banquet. It is because of our partnership with the AzCB in putting on this convention that we are able to keep the cost so low! Mark your calendars and please come and join us. April 30 and May 1.
>Treasurer/Membership Chair message, by Don Noller
NOTES FROM THE GDUA TREASURER AND MEMBERSHIP CHAIR, Don Noller
Time to pay your dues! As I am writing this (February 15, 2004) 41 GDUA members have paid their dues for the year 2004. 10 of those people have also paid their dues through 2005. And one member has paid up through 2006. According to my records, 11 of our members have not yet sent in their dues for 2004. If you have not paid your dues yet, I urge you to get them in to me right away. I plan on sending GDUI's portion of our money to the national office on Feb. 17, in order that we may be allocated the correct number of votes for the GDUI national convention, to be held in Birmingham, AL, in July, 2004. If you are not sure if you have paid up, please call me or e-mail me. My contact info may be found at the end of this article.
As in previous years, our dues are $10 per year. Checks or money orders should be made payable to "GDUA." As you no doubt remember, when you pay your $10 to GDUA, it also entitles you to be a member of "GDUI," which is our national organization, and The American Council of the Blind. Please remember to send your dues to me at the address at the end of this article, and not to Jane Sheehan at the national office. When you join your state affiliate (GDUA) you are automatically enrolled as a member of the national organization.
Great Tee-Shirts! We still have some "cool" GDUA tee-shirts for sale. All proceeds go directly into the GDUA treasury. The shirts are $15 for long-sleeve, and $12 for short-sleeve. They are 50% cotton/50%polyester. Sizes are: small, medium, large, and extra large. We have a fairly good supply of short-sleeve shirts, but the long-sleeved ones are in very short supply. If you want to "snap up" one of these great shirts before it is too late, send your money to me, and I'll speed your shirt to you as fast as the U.S. Mail can get it there, and with no handling or postage fee for you to pay.
We hope to see you all at the Spring GDUA/AzCB convention April 30 and May 1 (see related article above, by Desi Noller.)
My contact information:
Don Noller, Treasurer, GDUA
4400 W. Missouri Ave. Lot 295
Glendale, AZ 85301
Phone: (623) 915-9111
E-mail:
donoller@earthlink.net
GDUA Board Meeting Update
At our most recent Board meeting, the GDUA Board decided to set a regularly scheduled time for our meetings. Effective immediately, GDUA Board meetings will be held on the first Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. The meetings are held by conference call. This allows our Board to attend meetings no matter where they live. Board meetings are open, meaning that any GDUA member wishing to attend may do so. If you have ever thought you might like to serve on our Board, or are simply interested in what goes on at our meetings, please contact President Terri Hedgpeth or Treasurer/Membership Chair Don Noller for information regarding how to become a part of our conference call. One of our reasons for meeting on Saturday is to minimize our telephone charges. Anyone wishing to participate in one of our conference call Board Meetings will be responsible for the long distance charges incurred. These charges reflect your individual long distance plan. In other words, you only pay your own long distance ch rges at whatever rate applies to your own calling plan. A lot of us have cell phones with tons of free long distance minutes on weekends. There is no extra charge to use the Conference Call Service. We welcome your participation!
New Editor for "Waggin' Tails"
New Editor for Waggin' Tails
River Forest, a charter member of GDUA and a long-time guide dog user has agreed to take over the job as editor for "Waggin' Tails," starting with our next issue. If you would like to contribute an article to River for "Waggin' Tails," you may send it to her by e-mail at the address listed on the next line:
newsletter@gdua.org
Guide Dog Users of Arizona Advocacy Update, by Kevin Chinn
Guide Dog Users of Arizona Advocacy Update
By Kevin Chinn
Last year ARS 11-1024, one of Arizona's laws on rights of disabled persons, access for service animals and pedestrian safety law was repealed and rewritten. At the time it was passed the violation, which was a class one misdemeanor, was taken out of the" white cane" portion of the law. This is a right that we as blind and visually impaired individuals have had for many, many years. It is one of our rights. Until we help make our pedestrian travel and safety more equal to that of the sighted public, this portion needs to stay.
The advocacy committee of Guide Dog Users of Arizona in conjunction with the Arizona Council of the Blind has presented a bill to Representative Mark Thompson. Rep. Thompson is from district 17, our very own GDUA President's district. Rep. Thompson has agreed to sponsor the bill, which has been heard in the house and is HB 2034.
Please call your State Senators and Representatives and tell them to vote in favor of HB 2034 and give us back our safety. The phone number for the House of Representatives is 602-926-4221. The phone number for the Senate is 602-542-4900. If you don't know which district you live in, you can ask the operator and they will assist you.
Maricopa County Waives License Fees for Service Dogs
Maricopa County Waives License Fees for Service Dogs
From the Arizona Republic:
Maricopa County officials have decided to give a break to service dogs trained to help disabled individuals. The Board of Supervisors is waiving annual license fees for guide dogs, signal dogs and others trained to assist the disabled.
In July, Animal Care & Control received a complaint from a disabled person about paying the fee, and it served as a catalyst for the new policy. "We want to remove any obstacles we can that would separate people from these amazing animals," Director Ed Boks said. Guardians may license their animals by providing proof of vaccination and microchip or tattoo information.
Officials estimate that 500,000 disabled people live in the county. They don't have exact figures on service dogs but estimate the fee waiver will affect about 50 dogs.
- Christina Leonard
Three Short Dog-Related Articles from the Associated Press
Three Short Dog-Related Articles from the Associated Press
Special Area Set up at Sky Harbor Airport For Pets
PHOENIX -- When you think of a bone yard, you may think we're talking about a cemetery. No, we're talking about a special area at Sky Harbor International Airport for our four-legged friends called the Bone Yard. An airport spokeswoman said pets can rest or walk and do their business if they're about to leave on a trip or if they've just arrived. They're also hoping the Bone Yard keeps the airport and sidewalks clean.
The bone-shaped pet area is set up in Terminal Four, which gets about 70 percent of the airport's traffic.The new pet area is outside and has a water supply for furry travelers.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Authorities: Dognappers Prey on Arizona City Pooches
CASA GRANDE - Nearly three dozen dogs have been reported missing from Arizona City, apparently the victims of dognapping, a Pinal County official said. Thirty-three cases of dognapping in the Arizona City limits were reported between January and the beginning of August, said Ruth Stalter, field supervisor for Pinal Animal Care and Control.
"That's a very significant amount for such a small area, and were very worried about it," she said. "What's really frightening is the fact that many people don't report missing dogs to us, so the amount of kidnapped dogs could be much higher."
County officials are unsure what could be motivating the dognappings but note that the majority of the missing dogs are purebreds, meaning someone may be reselling them.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Missing Pets May Be Used in Dog Fights
TUCSON -- Has your pet been stolen, or is it missing? The Pima County Sheriff's office says up to half of Tucson's missing pets are stolen with some used for dog fights. The sheriff's office says it's now tracking pet theft reports because it can lead to other serious crimes.
The Humane Society of Southern Arizona receives more than 500 missing-pet reports a month. About one out of four missing animals reported to the Humane Society is believed to have been stolen. And at least two incidents in the last two weeks are believed to be linked to illegal dog fighting.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Canine Acupuncture - Dogs Can Get Needled Back to Good Health
Introduction
P>Thousands of years before Western ships opened trade with the Far East, Chinese civilization established a system of medicine that used herbs, diet, exercise, massage, animal parts, and a treatment technique known as acupuncture to maintain or restore a balance between mind, body, and spirit.
Today, traditional Chinese medicine has been rediscovered by pet owners and veterinarians as adjuncts to Western medicine. The American Veterinarian Medical Association recently recognized acupuncture as a valid veterinary alternative, and the World Health Organization considers acupuncture as an effective medical treatment. Veterinarians have formed the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncturists, an organization that hosted its annual meeting at the annual conference of the Ohio Veterinary Medicine Association in February.
Acupuncture involves the use of fine needles to stimulate the body to good health. It is based on the principle that the life energy that flows from the body organs can be disturbed by injury or disease. Known as Qi or Chi, this energy stream can be restored by the insertion of thin needles at certain points along the meridian or energy path. The needles are sterilized before use.
Acupuncture is used to treat a variety of conditions and disorders, including muscle and skeletal abnormalities, male and female reproductive problems, and neurological illness, and skin disease, and has been effective in improving athletic performance.
"Veterinary acupuncture helps strengthen the animal's immune system, relieve pain, and improve the function of organ systems," Dr. Brian T. Voynick told attendees at the OVMA conference. A veterinarian, Voynick is also a certified veterinary acupuncturist and includes acupuncture in his clinic practice in New Jersey.
"Acupuncture can help such fundamental problems as paralysis, arthritis, feline asthma, gastrointestinal problems, certain reproductive problems, and pain," he continued. "Treatments stimulate nerves, increase blood circulation, relieve muscle spasms, and cause the release of such hormones as endorphins and cortisol."
The treatment
Insertion of the needles is virtually painless as long as the animal is not extremely tense or struggling. Many animals relax during treatment that lasts anywhere from 10 seconds to 30 minutes and remain calm for a day or two, and some animals may seem worse for up to 48 hours after treatment. Voynick said that the average acupuncture treatment at his clinic is about 12 minutes.
Some simple ailments or injuries can be treated once, but more complex problems take longer to resolve. Weekly treatments are not unusual, and acute cases can take up to three treatments per week. Once improvement is shown, treatments can taper off.
Physical examination is as critical to acupuncture as it is to modern veterinary medicine. Practitioners observe the animal for external signs of illness such as dull eyes and coat, uncharacteristic body odor, elevated or depressed temperature or respiratory rate, and discharges. They also check pulse rate, palpate the abdomen, manipulate joints do x-rays, and question the owner about changes in daily behavior patterns, food and water intake, defecation, urination, breeding history, vaccinations, and history of medications and reactions. Much of the examination may be done by the dog's regular doctor, who then sends the information to the acupuncturist.
In the paper they presented to the OVMA conference, Priscilla Taylor Limehouse, DVM, and John Limehouse, DVM, noted six methods by which traditional Chinese medicine practitioners diagnose disease and develop treatment plans. Of these, two are preferred by small animal practitioners - Eight Principles and Zang Fu pathology. Under the Eight Principles, disorders are divided into Yin or Yang, hot or cold, interior or exterior, and deficiency or excess. The Zang Fu pathology involves a dozen organs, the functions they control or perform, and the signs of dysfunction. For example,
(1) the heart governs the blood, and signs of heart dysfunction include circulatory and cardiac problems; (2) the spleen holds organs in place and controls the limbs, and signs of dysfunction include digestive disorders, and weakness; (3) kidneys are the root of Yin and Yang, house the Jing or essence of life, and benefit the bones, low back, and knees, and signs of dysfunction include arthritis, renal disorders, deafness, and lumbar weakness or pain.
The combination of Zang Fu and the Eight Principles helps the acupuncturist to diagnose the ailment and devise the treatment.
There are many acupuncture points along the meridian pathway. Just as the regular veterinarian chooses specific medications or treatments for specific illnesses or injuries, so acupuncturists choose the treatment points based on the diagnosis. Once inserted in the appropriate points, the needles can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, lifted up and thrust down, or simply retained in place, depending on the treatment plan. In some cases, electric current is used to shorten treatment time or provide more stimulation than can be given by manually manipulating the needles.
For more information about acupuncture as a treatment for canine ailments and injuries, contact AAVA at
http://www.aava.org/
(Dog Owner's Guide: Canine Acupuncture -
www.canismajor.com/dog/accupunc.html) is a part of the Dog Owner's Guide internet website and is copyright 2003 by Canis Major Publications. You may print or download this material for non-commercial personal or school educational use. All other rights reserved.
Heartworm Disease - An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure
Heartworm Disease - An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure
Introduction
Once considered a parasite of southern climates, the heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is now recognized as a major, global pest affecting dogs, wolves, coyotes, and foxes. From its discovery in dogs more than a century ago and the documentation in cats in the 1920s, researchers have devised diagnostic tests, preventives and treatments, but the disease still spreads.
To jog the concern of clients, veterinary clinics display a preserved heart infected with heartworm in a jar and hang posters about heartworm life cycles in examining rooms, but seeing is not necessarily believing; although clients can view the infested heart loaded with long, spaghetti-like worms every time they visit, many gamble that their dogs will never be bitten by an infected mosquito.
Heartworm prevention is simple. It involves a blood draw to determine whether the parasite is present and regular dosing with preventive medication. Heartworm infestation is dangerous; untreated dogs die and treated dogs go through weeks of discomfort while the worms are killed and expelled from their bodies.
The parasite
Parasites go through several life stages before emergence as adults and often need at least two hosts to complete the cycle. In heartworms, a mosquito serves as the intermediate host for the larval stage of the worm, also known as the microfilariae. The mosquito ingests the larva when it bites an infected dog and deposits its cargo in an uninfected dog when seeking another blood meal. The microfilariae burrow into the dog and undergo several changes to reach adult form. They then travel to the right side of the heart through a vein and await the opportunity to reproduce. Adult heartworms can reach 12 inches in length and can remain in the dog's heart for several years.
The time lag between the initial infestation of microfilariae and reproduction by adult worms living in the heart is six to seven months in dogs.
Female heartworms bear live young - thousands of them in a day. These young - the microfilariae - circulate in the bloodstream for as long as three years, waiting to hitch a ride in a bloodsucking mosquito. They undergo changes in the mosquito that prepare them to infect a dog, and they transfer back to the original host species the next time the mosquito bites. The process of change in the mosquito takes about 10 days in warm climates, but can take six weeks in colder temperatures.
The worms grow and multiply, infesting the chambers on the right side of the heart and the arteries in the lungs. They can also lodge in the veins of the liver and the veins entering the heart. The first sign of heartworm infestation may not manifest for a year after infection, and even then the soft cough that increases with exercise may be dismissed as unimportant by the owner. But the cough worsens and the dog may actually faint from exertion; he tires easily, is weak and listless, loses weight and condition, and may cough up blood. Breathing becomes more difficult as the disease progresses. The progression is traumatic: the dog's quality of life diminishes drastically and he can no longer retrieve a Frisbee or take a long walk in the park without respiratory distress. Congestive heart failure ensues, and the once-active, outgoing pet is in grave danger.
Epidemiology
Heartworm disease is present on every continent except Antarctica. It occurs where these four factors are found: (1) a susceptible host population; (2) a stable reservoir of the disease; (3) a stable population of vector species; (4) a climate that supports the parasite's life cycle.
Dogs are considered the definitive host for the parasite; even though the disease is not transmitted directly from one dog to another, untreated dogs provide a stable reservoir for the disease. Mosquitoes of several different species are the vectors (intermediate host for the developing microfilariae). Development of the microfilariae in the mosquito requires a temperature at or above 80 degrees Fahrenheit for about two weeks. No larval development takes place in the mosquito below 57 degrees F.
Testing
Heartworms can be detected by blood test. The filtration test finds microfilariae in the blood; the occult test locates adult worms in the heart. Many veterinarians prefer to do both tests as the absence of microfilariae in the blood does not necessarily mean that there are no adult worms in the heart. Both tests are done with a single blood draw, preferably in the early spring before temperatures warm above 57 degrees F.
Radiographs (X-rays) can also detect the presence of adult heartworms in the heart and lungs.
Treatment
If a blood test or the onset of symptoms alert owner and veterinarian to the presence of this devastating parasite, treatment is possible and successful if the disease has not progressed too far. The first step is to evaluate the dog and treat any secondary problems of heart failure or liver or kidney insufficiency so that he can withstand the treatment. The next step is to kill the adult worms with an arsenic compound. Veterinarians now have access to Immiticide, a new compound that has fewer side effects than the previous drug and is safer for dogs with more severe infestations.
The treatment is administered in two doses each day for two days, followed by several weeks of inactivity to give the dog's system a chance to absorb the dead worms. Exertion can cause the dead worms to dislodge, travel to the lungs, and cause death.
At least three-to-four weeks after the administration of the drug to kill the adult worms, further treatment to kill the microfilariae is needed. The dog is dosed daily for a week, then the blood test is repeated. If microfilariae are still present, the dose can be increased. Follow-up studies should be done in a year.
Surgical removal of the adult heartworms is possible and may be indicated in advanced cases with heart involvement.
Prevention
Preventive doses come in oral and topical versions and are only available from a veterinarian. Diethylcarbamazine is given daily. Ivermectin (Heartguard), Milbmycin (Interceptor), and Moxidectin (ProHeart) are given monthly. Selamectin (Revolution) is a new preventive applied topically. Some of these drugs also kill other parasitic worms, and Revolution also acts against fleas, ticks, and mites.
Many veterinarians recommend and many owners use a year-round heartworm prevention program to guard against the occasional mosquito flying about in southern Ohio's relatively mild winters. If Fido has already had his yearly check-up, call your veterinarian to schedule a heartworm check. If he's due for yearly vaccination, be sure to include a heartworm check in the visit.
Notes
1. University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine parasitology 4001; course synopsis available on the Internet at
http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/parasit/heartworm/indexhw.html
2. The American Heartworm Society,
http://www.heartwormsociety.org/
3. Immiticide and Heartguard are registered trademarks of Merial Limited.
4. Interceptor is a registered trademark of Novartis Animal Health
5. ProHeart is a trademark of Fort Dodge Animal Health
6. Revolution is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc.
Norma Bennett Woolf
Dog Owner's Guide: Heartworm Disease (www.canismajor.com/dog/hartworm.html)] is a part of the Dog Owner's Guide internet website and is copyright 2003 by Canis Major Publications. You may print or download this material for non-commercial personal or school educational use. All other rights reserved.
That's all for this quarter's "Waggin' Tails." If you have questions or comments, please direct them to Don Noller, the editor for this issue. His contact info is at the top of this issue. If you wish to submit articles for the next issue, send them to River Forest, the new editor. You may send Newsletter related e-mail to River by using the address below:
newsletter@gdua.org
P>Return to GDUA Home Page.