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Buzz Feed
12-05-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
The Critical Mistake That Cost My Dog's Life
What began as a 'routine' care decision for our beloved dogs veered into irrevocable loss. We raised our two adorable West Highland white terriers in a house of love, spoiling Duncan and Dooley beyond measure. Rather than serving them dog food, my wife prepared special meals every day — chicken and rice or hamburger and noodles. Born from the same litter, they ate with us, slept with us and traveled with us. We raced to their rescue after skunk sprayings, possum gashes and a terrifying coyote attack. But like most pet owners, it never occurred to me to consider their dental care — and I worked as a dentist for nearly 40 years. When the dogs were 11 years old, Duncan developed a benign cyst on his shoulder, and needed it removed. Our vet recommended that she clean Duncan's teeth while he was under for surgery, and, oh, why not bring Dooley in for a cleaning, too? Sedation for canine dental care is a relatively common practice done to keep dogs still during the procedure and for the safety of the dental staff. Both dogs were anesthetized, but Dooley never woke up. My wife couldn't forgive herself for putting Dooley under anesthesia just to get his teeth cleaned, and we have never gotten over the loss. Our vet, traumatized as well, vowed to stop elective cleanings under general anesthesia. Since then, I've made it my mission to inform people about of what's needed to control their pets' oral health and how to avoid problems like infection and abscessing that can require invasive treatment or tooth extractions under anesthesia. Most people aren't aware that the exact same progression that leads to decay and periodontal disease in humans also happens for dogs; only the bacterial species is different. Inflammation causes the gums to swell and bleed, then comes breath odor, loose teeth and, finally, abscesses that typically require a tooth to be pulled. But just like with humans, there's a preventative solution for these problems — daily oral care. We know how important that is for us, but for some reason we haven't gotten that message with our pets. Stop brushing your teeth for one day and you feel the effects. It's gross. Now imagine not cleaning your mouth for weeks or years, and you begin to understand what dogs experience. The veterinary community recommends daily brushing as the gold standard, but most dog owners simply don't do it. As much as we adore our animals, one survey found that only 7% of dog owners brush their pet's teeth every day. We dog lovers take great care in feeding, sheltering and vaccinating our pets but we ignore this basic and treatable health concern. Even if your dog's teeth look healthy, it's estimated that 80-90% of dogs over the age of 3 are dealing with some form of periodontal disease. If you think those problems are minor, they're not. Periodontal disease can lead to health issues that affect the kidneys, liver and heart. If you've ever had a toothache, abscess, infected gums or mouth sore, you know how distressing and downright painful periodontal disease can be. Some say tooth-related pain in humans, when it is severe, is matched in intensity only by acute cardiac pain or the pain of childbirth. Dogs experience pain, too, but there is a difference: they can't tell you what they are feeling. That's why so many dental problems in dogs go unnoticed until they are severe. Ignoring your dog's dental care inevitably leads to more invasive treatment down the road. Without regular at-home cleaning, your pet is more likely to need intensive procedures like cleaning under the gumline to remove hardened tartar or extractions — and those almost always require sedation, which can put your pet at risk. Duncan lived to be 16 and had a wonderful life. Today, we have a new furry friend, Bogey, a Maltese-Westie mix we rescued off the street around the start of the pandemic. It's not always convenient, even for me, to clean my dog's teeth, but I do it. You never want to use human toothpaste because it can contain ingredients that are toxic to them. I apply a dog-friendly product with a finger cot similar to one I used as a dentist, but a soft-bristled dog toothbrush or even a bare finger works, too. I'll rub Bogey's teeth and gums for about 30 seconds. If your dog resists, try just the front teeth first. Once they get used to it, you'll find that it's a real bonding moment for you and your pup. It's recommended that you brush every day or, at the very least, three times a week to help keep your dog's mouth healthy. It is time to end the disconnect and start educating dog owners about the science of canine oral health. That begins with dispelling certain myths people have about dog's teeth. No, dogs' mouths are not cleaner than humans' mouths. No, chewing on bones won't clean their teeth; in fact, fragments from bones often cause injury to dogs. Perhaps the saddest fallacy is that dental problems are just an inevitable part of a dog's aging process — that your pup will get old, get infections and lose a couple teeth — but it doesn't have to be that way. Learning from Dooley's passing was tough — it showed us how crucial dental care is for our pets. That lesson came too late for him but it's not for others. Start cleaning your dog's teeth early and keep it consistent. We owe it to our four-legged family members to prioritize their dental care — not as an afterthought, but as a fundamental responsibility. By doing so, we not only safeguard their well-being but also deepen the loving and powerful connection we share through our commitment to their overall health.
New York Times
17-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Bodega Cats: The Catch-22
Good morning. It's Monday. Today we'll look bodega cats and a petition that proposes a way out of their Catch-22. Mia and Silver and Gracie are captivating, charming and cute — cuddly, even. They are a very New York solution to a problem. And, like the other cats in delis and bodegas across the city, they pose a different problem. Bodega and deli cats don't just loll the day away, napping alongside the candy at the cash register. They do a job, patrolling for 'the problem all New Yorkers have,' as Maria Alavi delicately put it. Alavi, the owner of the Bean Gourmet Coffee deli at 320 West 14th Street, did not say the word 'mice.' Or, worse, 'rats.' But deli and bodega owners say that their cats, prey- and protein-craving creatures that they are, make mice vanish. Problem solved. That problem, anyway. State law says animals other than service animals cannot be in places where food and beverages are sold. So Mia and Silver and Gracie could be written up by an inspector. Dan Rimada, who started the Instagram account @bodegacatsofnewyork during the pandemic, calls this a 'New York contradiction.' 'The owners face fines for having rodents and for having cats,' he said. He posted a petition online a few weeks ago for the cats to be legitimized. He proposed a system of certification for bodega owners 'who meet clear, humane standards,' including regular veterinary checkups, spaying or neutering, proper feeding and 'safe 'cat zones.'' More than 9,200 people have signed it. For certification, an owner would have to provide documentation from a veterinarian that a cat has had the appropriate shots and 'that you're actually caring for the cat, that the cat has a place to sleep and is not locked in basements all day long,' Rimada said. Lola, the cat at Alavi's deli, wasn't locked in the basement but was somewhere down there. The employee who led the way down the stairs could not find her. Mia, at the Fresh Food Farm deli at 1310 Second Avenue, was stretched out on a box of umbrellas. There was a toy mouse at her feet but no live ones in the store, Goldy Gujja said from behind the counter. He would not pick up Mia. 'I don't like cats,' she said. But Mia is popular with customers. 'All the neighborhood dogs are her besties,' said Carol Sokol, whose West Highland terrier, Emmy, often visits Mia 'several times a day.' Rimada aimed his petition at several City Council members, but he may be, well, barking up the wrong tree. Cats in bodegas and delis are not regulated by the city. The city's Health and Mental Hygiene Department 'inspects 'food service establishments,' which we colloquially call 'restaurants,'' an agency spokeswoman said. But the state's Agriculture and Markets Department 'inspects retail food establishments, or 'markets.'' Then, using a shortened form of the state agency's name, the spokeswoman said that 'a 'bodega' is not a technical term but is typically a market and under Ag and Markets.' Echoing that, Julie Menin, a City Council member who is a former commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs, said that 'the city has no jurisdiction on this issue.' She also said she had not seen 'an army of inspectors' from the state agriculture agency. But Irene Donnelly, behind the counter at Myers of Keswick, at 634 Hudson Street, has. She called fines from state inspectors 'money well spent' as she defended bodega cats. 'You can't have it both ways,' Donnelly said. 'The rodent issue is so prevalent. The cat solves that. Why is that a problem?' Gracie, the cat in residence, sat up. She rolled over. She scarfed down a treat that Donnelly gave her. She remained a model of nonchalance as Donnelly said that Gracie had come with a hard act to follow. The store's previous cat, Molly, was trapped for two weeks between the store and the building next door soon after she arrived in 2006. Some construction workers volunteered to break through a wall and pulled Molly out. She lived another 15 years. Gracie arrived in January 2022, a month after Molly's death. Silver, the cat at York Deli, at 1492 York Avenue, has also been seen by inspectors — and on TikTok, which has made the manager, Angel Lea Gustavo Mejic, jealous. 'He's more famous than I am,' he said. Inspectors making the rounds sometimes ask managers if they have a cat in the deli. 'I answer honestly: 'I do,'' he said. One inspector told him, he recalled, 'I'd rather you have a cat than you have mice.' When Silver arrived a year and a half ago, he apparently did not understand that his job was to keep the deli mouse-free. Silver sometimes went outside and caught a mouse. Then, with the creature still alive and wriggling in his mouth, he would return to the deli and drop it on the floor. 'People thought we had mice,' Gustavo said, 'but he brought the mice in.' Expect a rainy, cloudy day with temperatures reaching into the high 50s. In the evening, the chance of showers decreases to 30 percent, and the temperature will dip to around 39. In effect until March 31-April 1 for Idul-Fitr (Eid al-Fitr). The latest Metro news For the birds Dear Diary: It was a bright clear morning in Manhattan. I was visiting from Arkansas, helping my college daughter settle into a summer program. While she was in class, I explored the city. Wandering through Bryant Park, I spied a crowd of people with their phones out and all pointed in one direction. Some of them were cradling large cameras with long lenses. I hurried over, eager for a celebrity sighting. The phones and lenses were angled downward at a cluster of bushes near the carousel. The crowd spoke in hushed tones. I was confused. 'What's going on?' I whispered to a particularly intense young man with a huge camera. His face was aglow. 'It's amazing!' he said. 'The mourning warbler. We don't usually see him here!' He lowered his camera, eager to show me shots of the small, brightly colored songbird. He explained its migratory pattern, its unique features and our stellar luck at being able to witness him. I nodded gratefully, tickled at his joyous rapture over this avian miracle. He returned to his focus, kneeling for more shots. A woman joined us. 'What is all this business?' she asked, her Australian accent evident. 'It's the mourning warbler!' I said, having caught the enthusiasm. 'It's amazing!' — Shelley Russell Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Send submissions here and read more Metropolitan Diary here. Glad we could get together here. See you tomorrow. — J.B. P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here. Stefano Montali and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@ Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
New York Times
17-02-2025
- General
- New York Times
How a Runaway Dog Became a Hero for New Orleans
He evaded death at a shelter that needed to make room for more dogs. He was shot at — a veterinarian plucked pieces of ammunition from his flesh. He dodged a train, scampered across an interstate highway and survived on cat food left out for strays. He is about 3 years old, weighs 17 pounds and has coarse, cloudy fur. And for several months, he had much of New Orleans looking for him. With each foiled capture or implausible escape, his fame grew and so did his reputation. He became an almost mythical figure, too savvy and swift to contain. His saga has inspired tattoos, murals and Mardi Gras floats. Some have held him up as a renegade, choosing freedom over the comforts of domestic life. Scrim, as someone along the way named him, is also a living, panting embodiment of the spirit of New Orleans: He, like the city, kept on going despite it all. But for the small band of volunteers who bonded over months of searching for him, Scrim is simply a little dog who has been through a lot of trauma in his short life. 'There were one of two things that could happen,' said David W. Brown, a journalist in New Orleans whose free time became consumed by the chase. The odds of a positive outcome, Mr. Brown said, grew more faint each day that Scrim stayed on the loose. In November 2023, an overcrowded shelter in a nearby parish sent Michelle Cheramie a list of dogs it planned to euthanize. On that list was Scrim, who looked like a West Highland white terrier mix. Nearly 20 years ago, in the brutal months after Hurricane Katrina, a passion for animals led Ms. Cheramie to start Zeus's Place, named after her own beloved dog. Her plan was to provide grooming, boarding and day care that would help support a rescue operation. By the time Ms. Cheramie took in Scrim, Zeus's Place was helping stem a crisis of a different sort: Dogs that had been adopted during the pandemic were flooding back into packed shelters. Scrim arrived frozen by fear, carrying the baggage of his old life. All she knew was that he had been battered and neglected. He stayed with volunteers for a while, recovering. Last April, someone wanted to adopt him and brought him home for the trial week that Zeus's requires. On the first night, he bolted. Hours turned to days of searching for Scrim; days became months. Fliers were posted and appeals were made on social media. Scrim was purportedly spotted all over, some calls more credible than others. A group of volunteers coalesced around Ms. Cheramie. Mr. Brown got looped in after reporting a sighting that turned out not to be Scrim. Bonnie Goodson started riding her bike around her neighborhood at night to look for him. Tammy Murray and Barbara Burger were easily recruited. 'You bring me out one time,' said Ms. Burger, a court reporter and an acquaintance of Ms. Cheramie, 'and I'm on a mission.' The team worked the grid of streets in the Mid-City neighborhood like patrol officers, Mr. Brown said. They crawled under countless houses. They hurried to check out reports of dead dogs, hoping they were not Scrim. He kept running, always just beyond their grasp. Ms. Cheramie set up a target in her backyard made from a tracing of a dog they rescued that looked just like Scrim. She practiced and practiced with a tranquilizer gun. On Oct. 23, a tipster reported spotting him around a lot where a limousine company parks its vehicles. Ms. Cheramie got there, positioned the dart gun and fired. 'Perfect shot,' she said. He ran for seven minutes before he started wobbling in circles. Ms. Cheramie and Ms. Goodson swooped in. 'You're safe,' Ms. Cheramie told him. He had broken teeth. A chunk of his ear was gone. He had been shot with a pellet gun. After leaving the animal hospital, he went to what was supposed to be his new home, settling in over a few weeks. When his new caretaker needed to go away, Ms. Cheramie temporarily took him in. On Nov. 15, while she was out, Scrim went upstairs to her daughter's bedroom, where her cats lounge on beds facing the sunlight. The window was open but screened. He chewed and clawed through the mesh. He jumped onto the roof of her front porch, and then he was gone. The leap only intensified the legend. This time, Scrim covered a lot more territory. He passed by the Superdome. He was spotted hanging around the giraffes at Audubon Zoo. He somehow made it all the way to Harahan, a far-flung suburb. A crowdsourced map online filled with sightings. A polarizing school of thought emerged: Maybe the dog didn't need to be caught. He wanted to be free, so let him be free. For some, Scrim had come to represent a romantic notion of shaking loose from the leash of life, choosing one's own path 'He isn't just a cute dog and a funny story,' said Coco Darrow, who designed a Mardi Gras display known as a house float that portrayed Scrim as a saint on a prayer candle. For the search team, Scrim's second escape meant more tips to check out and more crawling under houses. He snubbed the traps they set with beef and Popeyes fried chicken. They became convinced that he had figured out how to use New Orleans's one-way streets to his advantage: If he ran against traffic, it would be harder for pursuers in cars to reach him. Ms. Burger brought out her son's old motorized scooter one night and chased him for at least two miles. But it goes only 15 miles per hour, and Scrim got away. The long nights in random corners of the city reminded them that Scrim was not the only creature lost in New Orleans. The team rescued dozens of other dogs and cats. They checked in and offered help, too, to distressed people living on the streets. 'It opened my eyes,' Ms. Burger said. The longer the search went on, the more the prospect of finding him alive seemed like a miracle. He was loose during the eruption of fireworks on New Year's Eve, and attention turned away from Scrim after a deadly attack on Bourbon Street the next day enveloped the city in grief and fear. He also was on his own during the commotion that came with hosting the Super Bowl and a blizzard that shut down the city, dumping more snow than New Orleans had seen in decades. On Tuesday, Ms. Cheramie got a text message with a photo. Scrim was squeezed into a trap that had been set for feral cats. Two days later, there he was, chilling in a little bed at Ms. Cheramie's house. He was perfectly calm, even as people cycled through to bear witness. He was like a newborn baby everyone wanted to see and hold. He accepted the scratches, toys and some of the treats visitors brought. Ms. Cheramie's dog, 90 pounds of curiosity and cuddles named Scooby-Doo, sulked like an attention-starved big brother. The traps had been dismantled. Ms. Cheramie was looking forward to disconnecting the second cellphone she had carried for responding to tips. When the search team assembled at her house on Thursday night, it was to eat pizza and share stories. Ms. Cheramie still obsessively checked her doors, windows and gates. Ms. Burger said she would like to believe Scrim was ready for a different life. Maybe he was. But he might also be plotting, waiting for that perfect opportunity to run.
