Canine health…and you: Guest Post by Ron Katz

Ron Katz writes The Sleuthing Silvers series of detective stories (www.thesleuthingsilvers.com). A screenplay he developed from one of those stories, “The Mystery of the Missing Reading Glasses,” recently won Best Comedy TV Pilot Teleplay 2025 at the Austin International Film Festival. 

Ron Katz:

The great thing about dogs is that everyone thinks that theirs is the best, and everyone is right. Dog ownership is an experience that is both unique and universal.
 
Nowhere is this clearer than on Facebook, where many canine death notices appear.  They are virtually all the same, a paean to loyalty, affection, fun and heartbreak. That, however, does not detract from their unique ability to penetrate even the stoniest heart.
 
The worst thing about dogs is their relatively short lifespan, a guarantee of mourning that, of necessity, is never fully contemplated when the dog is brought into the family/pack. Inevitably, health problems arise, however, for example the kidney problems of our beloved rescue, Snowball, aka Snowbie, whose breed, according to our vet was “Terrier X,” a polite way of saying “mutt.”
 
As Snowbie’s health problems progressed, treatment unthinkable years ago—in this case, dialysis—extended Snowbie’s life by, probably, a few months. My wife and I learned how to administer this treatment at home, which, in retrospect, was not the best solution for either Snowbie or for us.
 
We didn’t want to let her go. We should have followed the vet’s advice to do just that..
 
After a mourning period of six months, we visited the pound again, and brought home another Terrier X, this one with sandy-colored fur. Of course, we named him Sandball, aka Sandy.
 
We were told by the pound personnel that Sandy was approximately one year old, which was determined by looking at his teeth. It turns out that that estimate was probably inaccurate, because, after five years of seemingly robust health, Sandy came down with something called Cushing’s Disease, which only afflicts dogs older than eight. 
 
Cushing’s disease means that the dog produces too much cortisol, which, in turn, leads to, among other things, too much drinking and too much urination. That requires diapers, something else that would have been unthinkable back in the day.
 
The treatment for Cushing’s is a drug called Vetoryl, which costs about $100/week. How much is given is, at first, trial-and-error. Also, it’s important not to give too much, because too much leads to Addison’s Disease, the opposite of Cushing’s, in that not enough cortisol is produced.
 
After six months, Sandy’s vet is still in the process of determining the right dose. And my wife and I are still in the stressful situation of monitoring swings in Sandy’s behavior of too much urination caused by Cushing’s vs. loss of appetite caused by Addison’s. That monitoring also includes expensive testing on a monthly basis.
 
Which brings me back to the title of this piece.  Growing up, I could have never imagined so much involvement in canine health. Now it is unimaginable not to be this involved. 
 
What is the cosmic meaning, if any, of that will probably be assessed differently by different readers. Is it excessive, loving, or just plain stupid?
 
I’m pretty sure I know where the dog owners will come out.