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Show Als The Salt Lake Tribune NATION Sunday,Mz People’s Love for Pets Spurs Revolution in Veterinary Care Ownersincreasingly willing to payout big bucks for Fido BY USHA LEE McFARLING KNIGH )DER NEWS SERVICE DAVIS, Calif. The heart monitor traces a steady G pulse. IV bags drip slowly. Rick LeCouteur hovers at the edge of the operat ing table — scrubbed, ready and anxious to attack. Behind him, MRI images show his target: a marble-sized tumor growinginhis patient's brain, But the neurosur- sa row of dial nachines and kidney transplants. Milinda Lommer, a dentist, removes bad teeth fromdogs, cats, rabbits and even rats. She does root canals mp, crownfittings. Charles De- a veterinary surgeon at Michigan State University, can find himself doing two total hip stock medicinal herbs. “As people buy ginseng, etc., “Oh, Ari, what thick skin,” he sighs. Just getting to Ari's brain is a challenge. It’s tough, physical for themselves, theypickit up for their animals,” says William Miller, a veterinary work. A dog’s skin, jaw muscles and skull are much thicker than a human’s. As LeCouteur saws dermatologist at the Cornell Uni- versity College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, N.Y And a popular new line of Hallmark get-well and sympathy through Ari’s skull, bone dust swirls like snow. ‘‘We'd be imals are tumbling onto the mar. Care Hasa Price: Arilies on ket. The Food and Drug Adminis- the operating table, his graying through this by nowif it were a person,” hesays. Nineteen minutes later, LeCou. teur puts down his saw. He gently lifts out a 2-inch square of bone. All that lies between LeCouteur gauze, the top of his head shaved clean. LeCouteur begins to cut. Couteur scrapes it clean, then replacements in a week. Meanwhile, drugs and health foods designed specifically for an- tration recently approved anti- anxiety drugs for dogs and horses, and many stores now tiny fraction of the nation’s 111 million cats and dogs. A young dachshund was put down cards for pets features one addressed: “To a wonderful vet.” muzzle gently tied shut with and Ari’s brain nowis a thick membrane, the dura mater. Le- recently after being at- slowlyclips throughit. Gingerly tacked so severely bytworottwei- he folds the membrane back. There, pink and glistening, lies from his body. Surgeryandintensive care could havesaved the an- Ari's brain. And somewherewithin, lies Ari's monster. Animals like Ari are a fortunate minority: His treatment, valued at $4,000, was discounted to $2,000 thanks to a research grant. Many morepets face minimal care, neglect, abandonmentor eu lers that his skin had been torn imal — for $10,000. The owners decided againstit. Owners, on average, are willing to spend on care before considering putting an animal to sleep, a 1997 survey in DVM magazine showed. But to some pet lovers, cold ownersrefuseto, or simplycan’t, questions about the economicsof caretrivialize the bondstheyhave payfor extensive care, regardless of how deeply they love their animals. Most payout of pocket; veterinary insurance plans cover a See Next Page thanasia at animal shelters. Most developed with their pets. They have a point, s geonis forcedto wait ononefrus trating detail’ a loose catheter keeps slipping from his patient's EQu paw peed eee GN Cp Gaus On the table is Ari, an 11-year old golden retriever with a brain tumor that sparks violent and dangerous seizures. Until recent ly have cer was hasieally not treated, says State Steve Withrow of Colorado University, the nation’s leadinganimaloncologist. “It was test and slaughter. Nolonger. Armed with high. tech tools, specialty training and procedures such as kidney transplants and hip replacements, today's vets are giving household pets treatment that rivals, and sometimes surpasses, the care manyhumansreceive. is revolution in veterinary care has been poweredby a grow ing minority of owners who are willing to spend thousandstosave a precious pet. These four-legged family members, more children BORROW MORE MONEY than pets, now merit day care, tailored chowand at times their own dermatologists, cardiologists and psychologists. AT LOWERRATE Canine neurosurgery is now routine for outeur and his team here at University of Cali fornia Davis. a leading veterinar’ nter Ari's surgery comes with no guarantees. As with humans. it’s dangerous, difficult work. The tu- mor is lodged just beneath the largest blood vessel in the dog’s WITHOUT CALLING THE RELATIVES. brain. One wrong move and Ari will bleed to death in minutes. Sometimes animals die,” Le Couteur gently reminds avisitor Now, for an especially before the surgery begins. He's also, it seems reminding himself For 11 s, Ari loped through the lives of Jeffrey and Anna Young — asweet-temperedgold low six-month introductory en retriever fondness for skunks and an inex plicable fear of water. Through years of teasing andear-pulling thedog remaineda loyal compan ion to the Youngs’ two sons. now 9 and 10. Says Jeffrey Young Ari’s like my firstborn OnJan. 24, the Youngs woke to find Ari in the throes of a back arching seizure. When Anna reached to comfort the terrified something shockingly Without th er He bit h ery, Ari would suffered a series of wrench zures d died within I couldn't watch him go s Young. “We he was going to avis showed High-Techfor Pets A decade ago, front-line diagnostic MRIs for pets were available ets sm yled their patients nan hospita after hours neaky Now animals have r owt This y ear rate, our Home Equity Line of Credit allows you to borrow up to 80% of your home's equity. 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