Pee reading

Wednesday February 18, 2009

By Genesee Keevil

MCCABE CREEK

Brown pee is bad news.

“It’s always a bad sign,” said BC rookie Jerry Joinson.

So when he noticed his dog Bunny’s urine turning brown, he stopped right away and put her in his sled.

“It means her muscle is deteriorating fast,” he said.

“And if I threw her back in harness she could die.”

The little white dog was looking out the window at the McCabe Creek dog drop, while vets put an IV in her left front leg.

“She’s just a yearling, but she works the hardest and will run lead,” he said.

“She’s one of my favourites.”

Bunny has what’s called sled dog myopathy, he said.

What happens is that the muscle breaks down faster than the kidneys can process it. The dogs can die of kidney failure, said Joinson.

The IV will help flush out the kidneys and Bunny will be fine, he added.

“It can happen fast, and they just drop,” said Joinson.

The Quest’s head vet Kathleen McGill was asked about sled dog myopathy, but wouldn’t comment.

She didn’t have time, she said.

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