Do You Know the Difference Between an Assistance Dog and a Pet?
Did you know that the opioid epidemic is not only impacting humans but it’s also impacting working dogs? Police dogs are being exposed to deadly drugs in the line of duty. Dr. Ashley Mitek and Dr. Maureen McMichael from the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital are working with law enforcement and veterinarians to help handlers and veterinarians be prepared to prevent and treat a dog that has been or is suspected of being exposed to an opioid. Their work is fascinating and it is being used to save the valuable lives of these heroic working dogs!
BIO:
MAUREEN MCMICHAEL, DVM, DACVECC
Dr. McMichael received her BS in Biology from Columbia University and her DVM from Cornell. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care as well as professor and Service Chief of the Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care Section, Director of Small Animal Blood Bank and a professor at the Carle-Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois.
Her Research interests include: The microbiome and gut health, blood transfusions and leukoreduction, oxidative stress in health and disease, treatment with antioxidants, pro-thrombotic states and coagulation testing. She has published over 65 peer reviewed articles, numerous book chapters, and two emergency textbooks.
She has been dedicated to keeping working dogs healthy since her first encounter with Bretagne in 2001. Bretagne was a Search and Rescue (SAR) dog that had travelled to the World Trade Center after 9/11. She was then deployed to the Utah Winter Olympics and Dr. McMichael worked with her handler to acclimatize her to the Utah Winter. Dr. McMichael has received special recognition from Texas Task Force 1 for her work with their working dogs. In Illinois she has taught canine first aid and CPR to SAR groups, bomb squads, SWAT teams, EMS teams, Arrow Ambulance personnel, and the canine handlers at the Springfield Police Training Institute.
She recently partnered with Dr. Mitek to create an educational video on Opioid Dangers for Working Dogs and they continue to create educational materials to help prevent these dogs from suffering the effects of an overdose. She has two wonderful dogs, two feisty rats, and one bee hive.
DR. ASHLEY MITEK, BS, DVM
Dr. Ashley Mitek got her B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois. She is residency trained in anesthesiology and pain management.
She is an Instructor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Office of Public Engagement and serves as the Companion Animal Extension Veterinarian for the University of Illinois. In this role she helps educate the public regarding animal health matters, such as opioid toxicosis in working dogs. She has written over 200 hundred articles for the general public on animal health topics. Dr. Mitek recently helped to create the working dog educational video that teaches first responders how to treat a K9 that has overdosed on opioids and frequently speaks on the topic to the media and general public.