| Biker Dogs MC International USA - Canada - Japan - United Kingdom - Italy Founded September 27th, 2000 |
 |
Buddy |
 |
||||||||||||
| Biker Dogs Motorcycle Club Member click on photo below to zoom in on
Buddy |
||||||||||||||
We're sorry to report that
Buddy passed away in mid-2007, but his memory (and this web page) will live on forever. See his story below the photo. |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Motorcycle Biker Dog Buddy Kleinsmith of Santa Cruz, a |
||||||||||||||
| Buddy’s Week Long Plight By Joe (Doggy Daddy) Kleinsmith Buddy, my nine and a half year old white mini-bull terrier has always been a wonderful dog. He has many friends and admirers of both the human and canine kind worldwide. His best doggy friends are Lucky, our English pointer and all his fellow Biker Dog members. Buddy rides a Harley and has traveled to Sturgis, Yellowstone, Las Vegas, Reno, and all over California. Some time ago, at his water dish, Buddy inexplicably fell over like a tipped cow. He recovered and appeared to be fine, so I dismissed the incident. However some weeks later the same thing occurred again twice within a few hours. Initially I thought that he may have an inner ear infection affecting his sense of balance and immediately called his veterinarian. After explaining Buddy symptoms, I was told said he needed to be examined by a heart specialist and was referred to Pacific Emergency Veterinary. Dr. Struble did a physical exam and ordered some tests, including a chest x-ray, which showed that Buddy had an enlarged heart. Also, his heart rate was irregular and his heartbeat was extremely fast. The doctor believed Buddy’s fainting spells was due to his heart and recommended Buddy receive immediate heart monitoring and treatment by the University of California Davis Small Animal Clinic. Dr. Andrea Struble was instrumental in Buddy being admitted to UC Davis in days instead of weeks. On Monday at UC Davis, Buddy charmed everyone in the waiting room with his darling face and wagging tail. The Cardiology resident, Dr Fiona Campbell and students examined Buddy and found that Buddy’s heart was beating full throttle. The doctors decided to make an attempt at correcting Buddy’s problem with medication, but he responded abnormally and his heart stopped. This is known as "sinus arrest", and was likely the cause of Buddy’s fainting spells. Buddy was administered a shot to restart his heart and came back to life but the top half of his heart stopped working. Dr Campbell informed me that Buddy was okay and was placed in intensive care for observation. Buddy charmed everyone in the room with his demand for affection and his reaction to the drugs had all the doctors scratching their heads. However, I was filled with anxiety at the possibility of losing my beloved dog and riding partner. Buddy rested peacefully through the night while the drugs worked their way out of his system. The next afternoon, the top of Buddy’s heart restarted on its’ own and his heart rate was near normal. Dr. Campbell examined Buddy again and after several additional tests, including an echocardiogram (an ultrasound procedure). As Buddy was staying another night for observation, I was allowed to visit him before I went home. He had some of his energy back and looked dashing showing off his orange vest with saddlebags that held heart-monitoring equipment. Because Buddy’s heart rate continued fluctuating, a condition known as Sick Sinus Syndrome, the recommended treatment was to insert a cardiac pacemaker, which supplies electrical impulses when Buddy’s heart rate spontaneously drops dangerously low, and then to also give Buddy medicine to suppress his heart rate when it spontaneously starts racing too fast. This is a costly procedure, but without treatment Buddy’s prognosis was poor, so I decided to go ahead. On Thursday morning the procedure of placing a cardiac pacemaker in Buddy went well. He has a Medtronic Kappa SR pacemaker, which is the same kind found in people. The cardiologist, veterinary technicians and the other staff members answered my many questions and were very supportive. I took Buddy home on Friday. Two weeks later Buddy had his stitches removed and was fitted with a 24-hour heart monitor and orange vest. When monitoring was completed, the vest was mailed back to the university so they could evaluate its readings. The pacemaker is working appropriately to supplement Buddy's heart when it beats too slowly and the medication (Diltiazem) is proving very efficacious at suppressing the very fast rhythms that Buddy was having. Buddy was placed on 30 days house arrest without excitement and is recuperating rapidly. His giddy is back in his giddy-up and today Buddy enjoys life to the fullest and takes the pacemaker completely in his stride. He is as handsome as ever and temporarily hides his bad haircut with his motorcycle vest. Now like a motorcycle, Buddy will have to get his carburetor tuned-up annually. Woof, woof! Note: The sophistication of Veterinary Medicine practiced today is very impressive. Great strides have been made in animal care in the last 20 years. Today, the University of California Davis has one of the foremost Veterinary Cardiology and Cancer Treatment Service in the nation. They see over 1500 cardiology cases per year, and perform many interventional procedures, including the placement of pacemakers - about 30 pacemaker placements per year. The pacemaker consists of a small generator (about two inches in diameter and less than half an inch thick) with a wire lead attached. The lead is inserted via the jugular vein into the right ventricle, where it emits electrical impulses that control the rate at which the heart muscle contracts. The generator is placed subcutaneously in the neck. Care must be taken not to dislodge the pacemaker, so the dog is kept as calm as possible for three-four weeks after the placement procedure. If the dog is able to go out, an alternative to wearing a collar (such as a Gentle Leader or harness) is also recommended. The Cardiologist inserts the pacemaker with the assistance of a specially trained technician. An additional technician helps with programming the pacemaker. This 1-2 hour procedure is performed in the operating room while the dog is anesthetized. Specialized X-ray equipment (fluoroscopy) is also used to help guide the placement of the pacemaker and leads. Following surgery, the dog receives his first check-up at three months and a check-up annually there after. The cost is approximately $4,000 and the love of your dog, Priceless. |
||||||||||||||
| Buddy's guardian, Joe, writes: General Info: Interests and Activities: First major ride - Hollister police
order Buddy to leave town. Street Vibrations - no dogs allowed,
but Buddy allowed to proceed: Dislikes: Motorcycle Rallies and Events and
Fundraisers Attended: References: Newspaper Photo Coverage: |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Contact Buddy at:  |
||||||||||||||
Liberate a Dog !
We'd like to remind people that there are
a lot of wonderful dogs waiting to be adopted at your local animal shelter.
You can also offer to volunteer to walk sheltered dogs while they await adoption.
The dogs love getting to leave their cages for a walk!
Please visit our adoption page for featured
"Shelter-of-the-Month" and list of places to adopt.
Also visit Dogs On Bikes a website dedicated to motorcycle-riding canines!
Send emails to:
