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Rebuilding Biscuit: Search and rescue dog on the mend following complex surgery
COBB MOUNTAIN, Calif. – Biscuit, a mixed-breed Labrador and pit bull owned by Leah Marshall of Cobb Mountain, has the dual distinction of being Lake County's only dog trained in search and rescue and of successfully undergoing a complex surgical procedure that will allow him to remain as such.
The short name for the operation, performed a little over two months ago by veterinarian Dr. Susan Cannon of Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic in Lakeport, is TPLO.
Long name: Tibia plateau leveling procedure. And it involves a canine's cranial cruciate ligament stifle joint, which is the equivalent of a human knee.
Once beyond this labyrinth of medical terms, we learn that what Biscuit went through was, as Marshall describes it was “basically having both of his hind legs cut off.”
“They cut all the way through the bone and cut off the head of tibia,” she said.
As Biscuit romped like the year-and-a-half-old “pound puppy” that he is at a Middletown park, anyone could see that his legs are working quite nicely.
Marshall watched him and said she hopes to see her hyper-energetic dog back at full strength soon.
“For eight weeks he couldn't do anything,” she said. “He climbed out of the back seat of the car and tried to get up. He was holding himself on his front legs and finally laid down. I had to carry him into the house. He's gained back most of the 10 pounds he lost and his bones are healing, but working a working dog up to the level he was before is going to take a little bit more time.”
Marshall said that Dr. Cannon was happy with Biscuit's progress after a followup appointment at the end of March.
She said that he's released to go back to work, “but slowly of course. He should be healing and improving for at least six months after his surgery,” Marshall said.
Although the term sounds remote, injury to a dog's cranial cruciate ligament stifle joint is common among canines of all breeds. Search and rescue dogs are particularly susceptible to the injury, according to Lake County Search and Rescue President Jim Steele.
“A search dog's legs are exposed to a lot of stress, because they do a lot of starting and stopping,” he said. “Some get hurt on searches.”
Steele said the cost of Biscuit's surgery was $5,000. But, for a dog that according to Marshall has received “hundreds of hours of training,” it is a price well worth paying.
Biscuit was involved in an official search during the disappearance and ultimate finding of a 12-year-old Cobb Mountain girl who ran away during mid-March.
“He's still in training,” said Marshall. “Search dogs can take anywhere up to two years to be certified, so we're actually working on being certified. Once we get back into training he should pass through the first level pretty quickly.”
At the same time, she said search and rescue is not all that Biscuit is capable of doing.
“Dogs can bond very well,” said Marshall, who has trained canines since graduating from Middletown High School 14 years ago. “That's why we have therapy dogs who go into hospitals. Biscuit does some of that. Search dogs can learn to go anywhere therapy dogs go. I can take Biscuit into a Kmart or into a school, and we're going to do more outreach with service organizations and things like that.
“Search and Rescue has all kinds of fun toys and interesting equipment that we can use (for demonstrations),” she added.
Biscuit is skilled enough to find lost people, friendly enough to make friends – especially with kids – and smart enough to find his bed, no matter where it is.
“If I have his bed in a backpack, he'll go and find it and drag it out into the living room so he can sleep on it,” said Marshall.
Attempts to hide the bed from the dog have not succeeded, she added.
Steele said an effort by Lake County Search and Rescue to “build up” its canine corps is in progress and that Marshall is being considered to head that effort.
Lake County Search and Rescue is currently conducting a fundraising drive to cover Biscuit's $5,000 medical bill and to purchase cold weather gear for Kelseyville youth who are training for search and rescue.
To date, Twin Pine and Running Creek casinos and the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association have made donations amounting to just over $1,000.
Anyone interested in supporting this fund or any organization that wants to host a visit by Biscuit and Leah Marshall should contact Lake County Search and Rescue, P.O. Box 812, Lakeport, CA, 95453-0812. Search and Rescue President Jim Steele can be reached by phone at 916-834-6165. All donations are tax-deductible and a receipt will be sent back to the donor.
Email John Lindblom at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter, @LakeCoNews.