Helping Animals that Help People

It’s a scientific fact: companion animals are one of the best medicines for people. Many of us already know this to be true be­cause we simply feel it, like a warm, furry em­brace around our hearts. But study after study also shows the profound influence that animals can have on our lives, from promoting exer­cise to reducing blood pressure to fending off depression.

For some special animals, such as K9 cops, seeing-eye dogs, and therapy pets, help­ing people is their job. They protect us, they assist us, they restore us in mind and body. So when these animals come to UW Veterinary Care (UWVC) with a problem, the hospital’s veterinarians, techni­cians, and students feel a dual sense of purpose in getting them back to good health. They work hard for the sake of the animals themselves and for the people who rely upon them.

As therapy animals, UWVC pa­tients Pierre and Nova have a lot of individuals counting on them. Their stories are just two examples of how the UWVC team is helping animals that help people.

Pierre, Travel Trauma Deterrent

Travel can be stressful, and air­ports are packed with frazzled passengers. This is exactly why Pierre, a 12-year-old French Poodle, and his owner, Dana Schreiber, make the trek to the Dane County Regional Airport (DCRA) once per week to roam the terminal and look for people in need of some dog-induced relief.

Pierre and Schreiber, who are both certified by Pet Partners, an organization that registers teams involved in “animal-assisted interactions,” have been offering therapy services for many years. In the past, they’ve worked with residents at a local nursing home and with young readers at the East Madison Community Center. But they’re the first team to vol­unteer for the DCRA’s pet therapy program, which launched in June 2015. In fact, Schreiber originally proposed the idea to DCRA staff after learning about the success of a pet thera­py initiative at the San Antonio International Airport. Programs of its kind are part of a growing trend at air­ports across the country and represent increas­ing recognition of the therapeutic benefits of animals.

At DCRA, Pierre and Schreiber use their training to hone in on those who seem in greatest need of com­fort. With Pierre’s “Pet Me Please” bandanna serving as a friendly in­vitation, wherever they go, they leave a wake of smiles and thank you’s among passengers and airport staff.

“I like to share him with people, and he loves the attention,” says Schreiber. “Some people are still get­ting used to the idea because it’s something new, but a lot of people miss their dogs when they’re traveling, so Pierre is especially helpful to them. When they meet Pierre, they show me the photos of their own dogs on their cell phones.”

But not long ago, Pierre’s time as a therapy dog came precari­ously close to an end. In April 2014, he arrived at UWVC for an annual evaluation and teeth clean­ing with Dr. Jason Soukup, during which a small lump was discovered on Pierre’s neck. After analyz­ing a sample of the lump, clinical pathology resident Dr. Saundra Sample suspected it was a thyroid tumor.

Schreiber immediately sched­uled surgery for Pierre with Dr. Sara Colopy and Dr. Susie Sample, and they removed the tumor. Anatomic pathology resident Dr. Tamara Chamberlin confirmed that the tumor was a thyroid carci­noma, a malignant cancer that can spread to other organs. Because it was caught so early, oncology resi­dent Dr. Marin Miller determined that Pierre wouldn’t need any further treatment, such as chemo­therapy or radiation. Now he and Schreiber return to UWVC every three months for an evaluation and x-rays to make sure the cancer has not spread to his lungs.

“This case really underscores the importance of regular physical exams, especially for older dogs,” says Dr. Cecilia Robat, a clinical instructor of oncology. “The earlier you can catch a tumor, the earlier you can treat it and, most likely, the better the prognosis will be.”

Thanks to a little luck and some top-notch care, Schreiber now has peace of mind, which she and Pierre can continue sharing with others.

“It was a great relief because I just adore him,” says Schreiber, adding that she’s grateful to UWVC for making a difficult situ­ation as easy as possible. “All the vets and techs and staff I’ve dealt with have been fabulous. They couldn’t be more caring.”

Nova, Calming Equine Influence

Some therapy animals provide comfort for strangers. But others, like Nova, a 12-year-old Morgan Arab cross, focus on their families.

Nova is one of seven hors­es that live with Clint and Tish Carlson, their five adopted chil­dren, and their two foster children, in La Valle, Wis. Like several of his stablemates, Nova is a rescue horse, and it might explain why he has such a strong connection with the Carlson children. Ranging in ages from 7 to 16, they have all left behind difficult circumstances for better lives, but mental scars still linger. Nova gives them what they need to cope.

“The kids work with Nova and our other horses—brush­ing, riding, feeding,” says Clint Carlson. “It helps soothe them and gives them a sense of re­sponsibility, and it shows them compassion and love.”

Although the Carlsons are not formally trained in any form of equine-assisted therapy, Tish plans to pursue certification in the fu­ture, and they witness Nova’s calming influence on their children every day.

“Nova loves to work,” says Tish Carlson. “It doesn’t matter what crazy thing they ask him to do, he does it without hesitation.”

But one night in May 2015, the Carlsons found themselves in serious jeopardy of losing their treasured horse and all the good he brings to the family.

“The kids went out to feed Nova, and normally he’s in our bottom field, but he was right at the door right away,” says Clint Carlson. “He was acting strange and poking his nose at his side.”

Knowing this could be a sign of colic, or abdominal pain, they called Dr. Suzanne McKichan, a 2009 graduate of the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, at Dells Equine, who drove out to exam­ine Nova. McKichan determined the most likely culprit was an in­testinal blockage, but after trying several methods to get him to pass whatever was lodged in his bowels, an endoscopy showed he was still backed up. Thinking a major sur­gery might be in Nova’s future, she referred the Carlsons to UWVC.

“He wasn’t responding to painkillers, and after a thorough abdominal examination, we found significant small intestinal disten­sion, or bloating,” says Dr. Sam Morello. “We later confirmed this with ultrasound.”

The ultrasound also revealed what looked like a “bull’s eye le­sion”—two concentric circles on the interior surface of the ab­domen—suggesting that part of Nova’s small intestine was telescoping into another. This con­dition, called intussusception, can cause major blockages and intense pain. In addition, an analysis of Nova’s abdominal fluid showed elevated levels of lactate and a particular protein, both of which suggested some of the tissue in his intestine was not being prop­erly infused with blood. All signs pointed to surgery as the only so­lution, but it quickly became much more complicated than a typical colic operation.

“We found a large mass in his abdomen that turned out to be a significant portion of his small intestine, folded up like an ac­cordion,” says Morello. “It was so thickened and stuck that we couldn’t straighten it out to evalu­ate the integrity of the tissue.”

The blood flow to the involved bowel was compromised, and that portion of the intestine could not be salvaged, so Morello and large animal surgery resident Dr. Russ Freeland elected to remove it.

“We were surprised and scared at first,” says Clint Carlson. “But Nova’s young, he’s a great horse, and he does so well with the kids, so we knew it was something we had to try.”

The procedure took several hours, during which Morello and Freedland removed nearly 28 feet of bowel. They also discovered and removed the cause of Nova’s condition. According to pathologists Dr. Jennifer Dreyfus and Dr. Renee Richmond, it was a leiomyoma, which is a fairly rare and benign tumor. The growth was attached to the jejunum, the longest and most coiled part of the equine small intestine, where it was interrupting the natural movements of the organ, causing the bowel to telescope into itself.

Given the large amount of bowel lost—the most Morello has ever had to remove—she was concerned that complications might hinder Nova’s recovery. He had mild episodes of colic in the first week, and he developed ileus, a condition where the bowel stops moving properly due to damage and inflammation. When left untreated, this may allow the intestine to stick to other internal organs. But after plenty of fluids, pain medication, and anti-inflammatories, Nova pulled through and went home a short nine days after he arrived.

“He had a great recovery, considering the severity of his condition,” says Morello. “He came into it in excellent shape, which served him well.”

Nova has been back home in La Valle ever since, and he’s eased his way back into his former role as therapy horse. The only major difference now is his diet. Now that he has to get by with a lot less surface area for absorbing nutrients, malnutrition is a concern. So the Carlson’s supplement his diet with a high-calorie, easily digested feed, which he’s taken to well. Nova is doing so well that the oldest Carlson child is preparing to enter him in a 4-H horse show.

“I’m extremely happy with how everything turned out,” says Clint Carlson.

And so are the Carlson kids.

Nik Hawkins