2023_NorthStarVets_Pets_Digital_Issue

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REAL PETS, REAL PEOPLE DOGS AT WORK Clockwise: (From left) Fagen, a Belgian malinois, Dia and Peat, both American field labradors; Peat works with handler Arden Blumenthal; Dia points out a spotted lanternfly egg mass on a pine tree to handler Joshua Beese. Following Their Noses NJ CONSERVATIONISTS ARE USING DOGS TO SNIFF OUT INVASIVE SPECIES IN OUR FORESTS. MOST PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR with dogs using their sense of smell to help find missing people, to detect drugs or even bombs. But dogs can also be used to sniff out certain plants, animals and fungi, which is a big help to conservation experts and ecologists right here in New Jersey. Meet Dia, Fagen, and Peat. The three dogs, along with their handlers, Arden Blumenthal and Joshua Beese, make up the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference’s (NYNJTC) Conservation Dogs Program. The dogs’ noses help keep forests in New Jersey and New York safe by sniffing out invasive species like oak wilt, kudzu, Scotch broom and the spotted lanternfly. But it’s not just invasive plant and insect species the dogs can find. With the dogs’ help, the program keeps tabs on the small whorled pogonia (New Jersey’s rarest orchid species), some protected turtle species, and the movements of bobcats in the region. Dia, an American field labrador, proved herself in a big way on a project to identify slender false brome in the Lower Hudson Valley. “To sum it up, Dia found more plants than we knew about,” Blumenthal says. Fagen, a Belgian malinois, is a trained search and rescue dog and “the most handsome doggo in the Northeast,” according to his official bio. Fagen joined the team in 2019. Peat, also an American field labrador, is the newest sniffer. A Christmas puppy born on December 25, 2020, he primarily works with Blumenthal. “He’s goofy; he’s still figuring out where his limbs are,” she says. “He’s a big cuddler, he loves food and he loves toys.” Peat’s first project, at 9 months old, was to sniff out growths of Scotch broom. Training a dog to detect a plant or insect involves much the same process as training a dog for other scenarios, like finding missing people. Plants and insects have distinctive scents, often undetectable to human noses. The dogs are rewarded with toys and interactions—or, as Blumenthal describes it, the game of “I smell X, I get toy.” Dogs are not subject to the same inherent biases that humans might be, Blumenthal says. Humans might end up relying on what maps and data have already told them, “whereas dogs are more unbiased searchers; they’re going to follow their noses,” she says. Until May of this year, the team concentrated on finding egg masses of spotted lanternflies, an invasive insect species that has troubled New Jersey’s trees and agriculture in the last few years. To learn more about the program, visit nynjtc.org. —Erin Roll PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY TRAIL CONFERENCE 4 NorthStarVETS ® .com
REAL PETS, REAL PEOPLE SUCCESSSTORIES Meet Some Truly Amazing <strong>Pets</strong> and Vets Rusty Ducky DUCKY, A 6-YEAR-OLD LABRA- DOR RETRIEVER, was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis (OA). Back in 2019, he had a left total hip replacement performed by the NorthStar VETS® Surgery team, as part of the BFX Centerline® total hip replacement clinical trial in conjunction with BioMedtrix. Recently, Ducky came back to have his right hip replaced with a BioMedtrix hybrid system. We’re happy to report that little Ducky was walking pain free one week after surgery. He had to put in some extra hours of physical therapy and rehab so that he could serve as best man (or should we say best dog) in his parents’ wedding ceremony in August. Way to go, Ducky! FIVE-MONTH-OLD RUSTY had a very loud heart murmur, the result of severe valvular pulmonic stenosis. Pulmonic stenosis is one of the most common congenital heart diseases in dogs, where the pulmonic valve (the valve between the right ventricle and the main artery leading to the lungs) fails to open completely. This causes narrowing (stenosis), which can lead to fatal consequences if the disease is severe and untreated. Cardiologist Hyeon Woo Jeong determined that Rusty would require a balloon valvuloplasty. This minimally invasive procedure involves inserting a balloon catheter through the jugular vein, feeding it down into the heart across the pulmonic valve, and inflating the balloon to open the fused valve. Through the excellent and careful teamwork of the NorthStar VETS® Cardiac Intervention team, Rusty’s procedure was successful. The reduction of pressure gradient was about 50 percent, which is the general target (meaning that his right ventricle only has to work half as hard as it used to in order to maintain normal lung blood pressure). After an overnight stay, Rusty was his Hyeon Woo Jeong, DVM, DACVIM playful and affectionate self the next day. His pulmonic stenosis is now considered moderate. As long as his valve stays open by a three-month recheck, this lovable boy is expected to live a happy life! Jett ELEVEN-MONTH-OLD JETT was rescued from a shelter in Texas as a pup. He was found at just 3 months old, emaciated and with a badly infected right rear leg. A local veterinarian amputated the infected leg and gave Jett the proper medical care he needed. When Jett was healthy enough for transport, he was fostered and eventually adopted here in New Jersey. Recently, Jett’s remaining rear leg became painful and weak—he couldn’t stand or run and play normally. His mom took him to an orthopedic veterinarian, who determined that Jett needed more advanced surgery and referred them to NorthStar VETS®. Since Jett is a three-legged dog, the veterinarian highly recommended Dr. Daniel Stobie for his skill and expertise with delicate cases. The NorthStar VETS® Orthopedic team performed radiographs and a CT scan. Jett needed a total hip replacement. A 3D-printed bone model of Jett’s pelvis aided in the planning of the surgery, and Dr. Stobie and the Total Hip team used a BioMedtrix BFX lateral bolt system to replace the hip joint. After surgery, Jett recovered in the hospital and was cleared for take-off a few days later. We are happy to report that this cuddly, loving boy can now enjoy a pain-free life with his family! Pet Perspective 5
Page 1 and 2: YOUR TRUSTED SOURCE FOR KEEPING PET
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Page 5: RealPets, RealPeople ■ Amazing re
Page 9 and 10: REAL PETS, REAL PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHS:
Page 11 and 12: SUPPORT SYSTEM Veterinary oncologis
Page 13 and 14: REAL PETS, REAL PEOPLE SAFETY TIPS
Page 15 and 16: 5 3 WITH YOUR PET IN NJ O T S G N I
Page 17 and 18: 10 GET CLEANED UP There will be no
Page 19 and 20: 22 GO WHALE WATCHING Jersey Shore W
Page 21 and 22: PHOTOGRAPHS: (RED HORSE) COURTESY O
Page 23 and 24: GIFTS FOR PETS 6 The Name Game Hous
Page 25 and 26: can also help improve symptoms of a
Page 27 and 28: HAPPY HEALLTHY PETS To try and iden
Page 29 and 30: HAPPY HEALLTHY PETS Comprehensive C
Page 31 and 32: NIBBLES & BITS your dog away from t
Page 33 and 34: NIBBLES & BITS FETCH PET BAKERY Mul
Page 35 and 36: MY SHELTER PETS ARE MY BEST FRIENDS

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