I love dogs, and am the proud owner of Phoebe, a seven-year-old black lab mix. I had never heard of your book until I came across an article in the October 28, 2006 edition of The Olympian newspaper out of Olympia, Washington, about a woman who saved her Australian Shepherd’s life by using the CPR technique she had only just read about in your book -- the night before! I thought you might share it with your readers so that more dogs’ lives could be saved. Thanks for writing the book, and good luck to you!

From: Marsha in Vancouver, Washington

Hi, Marsha. I was just stunned when I got the article you so kindly passed on to me, and grateful to hear the wonderful news that THE DOG BIBLE has saved its first life!

Because it’s such an important and frequently overlooked issue, I’m reprinting the full text of the article here. Readers can find the online version at www.theolympian.com/101/story/47798.html, and can learn the proper technique for using CPR on dogs and additional first aid and emergency information in Chapter 11 of THE DOG BIBLE.

[Marsha and her dog Phoebe were quite happy to receive a copy of THE DOG BIBLE as Tracie's thanks for sending her the following article.]

---

Woman saves pet by administering CPR
STEVE POWELL

In this case, dog's best friend is a woman. Dulce was playing with her twin, Julia, Thursday when she got caught up in the dog collar. Dulce let out a yelp. "It was a 'Mom, come now' cry," owner Janette Lytle of Olympia said Friday.

Julia was wedged into Dulce's collar, cutting into her jaw. There was blood. Lytle couldn't get the dogs loose. "I couldn't get it, couldn't get it, couldn't get it," Lytle said.

Dulce went unconscious. Her heart stopped beating. Lytle, 42, dragged the two 36-pound Australian shepherds about 25 yards to her kitchen. She grabbed a knife, jammed it under the collar and cut it off. Julia ran off, but Dulce was lifeless.

Ironically, Lytle had just read about cardiopulmonary resuscitation for dogs the night before. It was in the "Dog Bible: Everything Your Dog Wants You To Know."

Lytle remembers she thought at the time, "Who's going to do CPR on their dog? That doesn't happen," she said. But the next day Lytle was pumping on Dulce's chest and breathing through her snout. Lytle said she had to clasp the dog's snout and jaws tightly. "Dogs have big flabby lips," Lytle said, explaining how air would escape. "I had to hold the cheek and lips tight and blow like with a balloon."

She said she knows she didn't do it exactly right. She was supposed to give 15 compressions on the heart for every two breaths, but she was doing two and two. "I panicked," she said.

Finally, Dulce let out a deep breath, and foam came out of her mouth. She was breathing.

Lytle, a medical assistant by trade, wrapped Dulce in a blanket and took off for the vet's office. But their eventful day wasn't over.

Lytle said she ran a red light and was pulled over by a police officer. Lytle kept pumping on Dulce's chest. When the officer saw what was going on, Lytle said he remarked, "Oh, my God. Slow down, but go."

Once at the Deschutes Animal Clinic in Tumwater, Veterinarian John L. Smith and his staff took over CPR. Wendy Harden, a veterinarian assistant, said the dog was in shock when she arrived. They gave Dulce a steroid IV, an electrocardiogram and antibiotics, and observed her for a few hours.

"She was licking the tears off my face," Lytle said of Dulce.

Harden said she was surprised at how well CPR worked on the dog. "I'm sure that's what saved the dog's life," Harden said. "We've done CPR on animals. It's not real successful most times."

Smith told Lytle it would be a good idea to use a harness rather than a collar on the dogs in the future. Lytle is a now a firm believer in that. "Today they are not wearing collars," she said.

Lytle added that dogs could hang themselves on fences or trees; they aren't even safe in their own backyards. With a harness, dogs can wear their licenses, but won't be in danger of choking to death.

"With a harness, you reduce that risk," Harden said.

By using a harness, Lytle said she hopes she'll never have to go through something like that again. "There's nothing worse than watching your dog slip away," she said. "You feel so helpless."

---

© 2006 by The Olympian. Steve Powell is city editor for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5423 or spowell@theolympian.com.

Again, Marsha, thanks for thinking of me. More importantly, thanks for thinking of the other dog owners out there who might benefit from your thoughtfulness. In appreciation, I’m sending you a copy of THE DOG BIBLE, and a CD of my radio talk show DOG TALK. Please sign up for it at www.dogtalktheradioshow.com.

Bow wow for now!

Tracie Hotchner