It’s is with great sadness that I have to report that my buddy “Butch” had to be put to sleep. He put up a galant fight against the brain tumor he was diagnosed with on February 23rd but despite our best efforts the tumor had quickly grown beyond the controllable range of [...]]]>

My Buddy Butch

It’s is with great sadness that I have to report that my buddy “Butch” had to be put to sleep. He put up a galant fight against the brain tumor he was diagnosed with on February 23rd but despite our best efforts the tumor had quickly grown beyond the controllable range of the anti-seizure medication and steroids that I was giving him to help control the effects. The decision came when on April 29th he suffered a very mild seizure in the evening and on April 30th, I noticed him having pain when I picked him up to place him in my truck. That evening, after much detailed thought, I reasoned that he had peaked and if he was having siezures again, mild though they were at that point, he was on the threshold of serious suffering and would die a painful death if left to nature’s course of events. He had peaked and was about to hit every branch on the way down. He had a happy remainder of his life after we diagnosed the tumor, never lost his faculties, and was still (barely) able to go down the two steps to go out side on his own. Butch was too good of a dog to let him die a painful death, and it would have been very selfish for me to put him through that. It’s awful quiet around home and in the studio without him. I will miss him deeply.

My little buddy, my muse, my best friend breathed his last as I held him on May 1,2012. “Cheers Butch! I’ll see you when I get there someday!”

I had the opportunity to speak with Marine Biologist Rick Rosenthal today about his work filming the Blue Fin Tuna. Now, everyone that is into wildlife knows that National Geographic is second to none when it comes to bringing interesting wildlife documentaries to the screen. This is no exception and Rick, who did the [...]]]>

I had the opportunity to speak with Marine Biologist Rick Rosenthal today about his work filming the Blue Fin Tuna. Now, everyone that is into wildlife knows that National Geographic is second to none when it comes to bringing interesting wildlife documentaries to the screen. This is no exception and Rick, who did the actual filming of these HUGE animals and has worked on other shows such as “Blue Planet” will join me on the My Buddy Butch Show next week to talk about his experiences. Didyou know that these fish can reach 10 feet in length and weigh in at 1500 pounds? Incredible! Did you also know that like so many other species in the world today their numbers are dwindling very fast? We need to educate the public (and governments) about this so we can save these great creatures from extinction. In the mean time, you can catch “SUPERFISH: Blue Fin Tuna” on the National Geographic Channel Thursday April 12th at 9pm Eastern and Pacific and again on April 19th. Oh Yeah, Listen in to some of the conversation I had with Rick on the MBB Extra.

I began reporting after Christmas on the radio show that Butch was not feeling well and we were stumped as to what the problem might be. Well, the worst of all news has come to pass regarding the illness and the Seizures that he began having in January. With only a few weeks of [...]]]>

"Butch"

I began reporting after Christmas on the radio show that Butch was not feeling well and we were stumped as to what the problem might be. Well, the worst of all news has come to pass regarding the illness and the Seizures that he began having in January. With only a few weeks of slowed behavior and an almost complete loss of appetite, the seizures started with no warning on January 16th. After a tough month into February and a trip to the Ohio State University Center for Veterinary Medicine Neurology Department for a complete workup and examination, it was discovered through an MRI that Butch has a tumor growing from the center of his brain and a mass of fluid roughly the size of a walnut surrounding the tumor. This tumor is called a meningioma which is relatively slow growing but nonetheless as dogs his size age roughly 5 to 7 years to 1 human year his time on this earth will be decidedly cut short. With the various treatment options available, the least objectionable (and least terrifying to him) was the use of steroids to reduce the swelling of his brain and hopefully significantly reduce the fluid built up around the tumor. This will relieve the pressure on his brain and in conjunction with the use of phenobarbital

Butch MRI from OSU

 to curb the seizures, will give him the ability to function normally for the time that he has left. As he has now been on the steroid taper since Feb 23rd and finished the first round on March 27 he has done remarkably well and is basically his old self again…for the time being. He has had more good days than bad days and is fully functional. He still plays and enjoys laying in the sun but his squirrel chasing days are over. There is no way to know what has caused this, where it came from, or if there is a genetic component to it. It is very difficult to watch this middle aged dog (7 yrs 8 mos at this writing) who was healthy as a horse slow down so rapidly in the prime of his life. I am enjoying the time we are spending together while he still has good quality of life left in him. As I was ready to put him to sleep on a couple of occasions, I was persuaded that as long as he is not in pain, is functioning on his own, and still enjoying his days to ”just leave him be!” There are many people that I have spoke to that say “He will let you know when he’s had enough and his time has come.” I’m taking it a day at a time and hoping that they are correct. Only time will tell. In the mean time, we’ll just keep playing ball as long as he wants to and he’ll be eating steak every weekend!

Since many of the cancers that develop in dogs are so similar (if not identical) to those in humans the definition of “Meningioma” may apply to both.

From Braintumor.org

MENINGIOMA – These tumors grow from the meninges, the layers of tissue covering the brain and spinal cord. As they grow, meningiomas compress adjacent brain tissue. Symptoms are often related to this compression of brain tissue, which can also affect cranial nerves and blood vessels. In some cases, meningioma growth can also extend into the bones of the head and face, which may produce visible changes. Most meningiomas are considered nonmalignant or low grade tumors. However, unlike nonmalignant tumors elsewhere in the body, some of these brain tumors can cause disability and may sometimes be life threatening. In many cases, meningiomas grow slowly. Other meningiomas grow more rapidly or have sudden growth spurts. There is no way to predict the rate of growth of a meningioma or to know for certain how long a specific tumor was growing before diagnosis. Meningiomas are graded from low to high. The lower the grade, the lower the risk of recurrence and aggressive growth….read more

Note from Jeff:

I have been at the Ohio State University Center of Veterinary Medicine the past week to have a complete neurological work up and MRI done to get to the bottom of Butch’s seizures. So I have been out of the studio [...]]]>

Jeff and Butch bringing you important information on caring for your pets!

Note from Jeff:

I have been at the Ohio State University Center of Veterinary Medicine the past week to have a complete neurological work up and MRI done to get to the bottom of Butch’s seizures. So I have been out of the studio in order to get a full diagnosis and treatment for Butch. Butch is 7 yrs and 7 months old which is roughly 53 in human terms. Late stage seizures like the ones he has been having are not good and are generally caused by one of three things, a lesion of some kind, idiopathic epilepsy, or a brain tumor. As none of these are desirable for any pet epilepsy is treatable and pets can live normal happy lives for many years. As he has been in ideal health and in great shape his whole life the most likely of these is a brain tumor causing his seizures, unfortunately.
Ohio State University is one of the top Veterinary hospitals in the country and Dr. Ronaldo de Costa of the Veterinary Neurology Department has been monitoring the procedures and tests Butch is going through at the facility and his current treatment. The MRI tells the whole story. Stay tuned for more details…

Hour 1 – Scott Hunt is co-owner of “Practical Preppers” which is a company that specializes in determining how preparred an individual is in the event of a disaster. Scott was one of the experts that provided his extensive knowledge for the National Geographic Channel’s show “Doomsday Preppers.” This is becoming quite the [...]]]>  

Hour 1 – Scott Hunt is co-owner of “Practical Preppers” which is a company that specializes in determining how preparred an individual is in the event of a disaster. Scott was one of the experts that provided his extensive knowledge for the National Geographic Channel’s show “Doomsday Preppers.” This is becoming quite the topic these days and Scott tells Jeff about some of the people he has talked to about this subject. Shame on us if we don’t start getting prepared and something bad hits. Jeff talks about a recent cooking project in trying to cook dinner for Butch from groceries bought on his regular weekly trip. He also gives an easy to make recipe and suprizingly enough Butch actually LOVED IT! With the recalls on jerky made in China Jeff also ventured once again into the jerky realm and tells you how to do it with some things in your kitchen and your oven. News and announcements.

Hour 2 – Dr. Patrick Mahaney of California Pet Acupuncture and Wellness, our “Vet to the Stars” in Hollywood joins Jeff to talk about his trip to the Westminster Dog Show in New York. Every year there seems to be something new going on and since Jeff could not make the trip this year for their annual breakfast meeting, Dr. Patrick carried the mantle of reporting his findings. Naturally the 6 newly introduced breeds were a big hit and Dr. Patrick was able to attend some of the additional functions, even the ….fashion show? Also, during the period where Butch was in peril the past month Jeff had the opportunity to talk with one of Butch’s Veterinarians Dr. Troy Larson in detail about some of the traveling that he has done over the years and his most recent mission trip to Brazil. Dr. Troy, along with his Church group, travel around the world on mission trips helping children and people from all walks of life. Dr. Troy Larson and Dr. David Soehnlen of Soehnlen’s Veterinary Clinic are the two people responsible for literally saving Butch’s life as Jeff really thought he was going to have to put him down! News and Announcements.

Animal Poison Control Center

This week – Hour 1 – The ASPCA has a great web site not only for their Animal Poison Control Center that can help pet owners in an emergency 24/7, 365 days each year but also for holiday do’s and dont’s with your pet. Jeff goes down the checklist [...]]]>

Animal Poison Control Center

This week – Hour 1 – The ASPCA has a great web site not only for their Animal Poison Control Center that can help pet owners in an emergency 24/7, 365 days each year but also for holiday do’s and dont’s with your pet. Jeff goes down the checklist that all pet owners should be aware of and reminds everyone of the potential hazards. Dr. Frank McMillin is the Director of Wellness for Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in KANAB, Utah. Best Friends was the rescue featured in National Geographic’s “Dog Town” Show. Dr. Frank joins Jeff for the rescue of the week segment to talk about the mental damage that the puppy mills put the dogs through that produce the puppy’s we see in chain pet stores. With the amount of dogs, cats and other animals in many over crowded shelters around the country, Jeff reminds us that these places, and breed rescues are the places to get that new furry family member.

Hour 2 – Best Selling author are life coach Jackie Lapin joins Jeff to talk about her new book ”Practical Conscious Creation” which debuted as a #1 hot seller on Amazon.com. Ever want to improve your life..well who doesn’t. Improving your relationships, improving your daily life, improving your finances and feeling happier are all well within your reach and Jackie tells Jeff how! There are an increasing number of people that are including their pets in their last will. There are also those who worry about their pets when they are away from them for any reason. Rachel Hirschfeld an attorney and partner of LegalZoom.com joins Jeff to talk about how to do this properly and what the difference is between a pet trust and a “pet protection agreement” that she developed. News and Announcements…

Don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Newsletter “The Chronicle.” You can catch All our tweets at Twitter! don’t forget to check out our MBB RADIO Facebook page. Become a friend of the show! We would love to have you with us. go to our Archive page to download mp3, Apple itunes, or zune versions of all of our shows!
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As we try to help rescue organizations around the country fufill their mission of rescuing and caring for deserving , we like to try and get on board for as many free giveaways for large scale items as we can. Pearla and the folks [...]]]>

Click Logo to Find out more about this great organization and VOTE!

As we try to help rescue organizations around the country fufill their mission of rescuing and caring for deserving , we like to try and get on board for as many free giveaways for large scale items as we can. Pearla and the folks at Angel’s Rest have worked hard to become a finalist in this contest so please remember to vote for them on JULY 5th and help them win this much needed vehicle. You can listen to a brief interview with Pearla on the MBB Extra on our Radio Home Page and also click the pic above to visit their web site. Below the video are a few directions to follow for voting or setting a reminder to vote!

Voting is limited to only one day: July 5th. You can only vote once via FaceBook (one vote per FB account). Here is how you vote:

To set a reminder:
- Log on to your FB account.
- On the FB search line type TOYOTA
- Go to the left column and hit 100 CARS FOR GOOD (third line down)
- Click VOTE TODAY.
- Then Click VIEW CONTESTANTS.
- Then click on Angel’s Rest Animal Sanctuary’s link and it will take you to our day to vote
- Click REMIND ME TO VOTE ON THAT DAY.
- A pop-up window will come up and confirm “success”
FaceBook will remind you on July 5th to vote for us.

To vote on July 5th:
- Follow same instructions as above
- Vote directly for Angel’s Rest
- Wait for confirmation