Sources: Dr. Rose McMurphy and Dr. Laura Armbrust, 785-532-5690
Photos available. Contact media@k-state.edu, 785-532-6415
Note: Malinois is pronounced MAL-un-wah
News release prepared by: Patrice Scott, 785-532-4046, pscott@vet.k-state.edu

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Sheriff's department drug dog:
CRIME FIGHTER FIGHTS FOR HIS LIFE WITH AN ASSIST FROM K-STATE VETS

MANHATTAN -- Riko's life is at risk every day as a drug dog for the Wabaunsee County, Kan., Sheriff's Office. However, his life was on the line when he needed the very things he takes off the streets: drugs and money.

The 7-year-old Belgian Malinois has had an impressive six-year career at the sheriff's office. Sgt. Bill Gollner became Riko's second handler when he was hired in 2002, and the team became a formidable force in the war on drugs. They've seized $926,000 in cash and generated $38,000 from the sale of vehicles used to transport drugs. Gollner and Riko have confiscated 579 pounds of marijuana, 86 pounds of cocaine and 26 pounds of steroids. The drugs' street value exceeds $2.2 million.

"Drugs are hidden in commercial vehicles, refrigerated trucks, cattle trucks, personal cars and rentals. You name it," Gollner said. "I see so much of this that when I rent a car, I search it."

Gollner and Riko spent five weeks at the canine training academy before going on patrol. Gollner learned to monitor Riko's daily habits because canine handlers are the first responders for their dogs. Gollner also had to learn to speak Dutch. Commands are given to drug dogs in a foreign language so those being searched can't confuse or distract the dog. Riko was trained to sit, a passive response, when he detects drugs or cash. Some dogs are trained to respond aggressively by scratching at the suspected area.

Traffickers wrap drugs in cellophane and use coffee, mustard, baby powder and shelving paper to mask the scent. These attempts have proven to be no match for this extraordinary dog. A dog has about 220 million olfactory receptors compared to a human's 5 million.

Of all the stops Gollner and Riko have made, none would be as important as the call they responded to in the early morning hours on Sept. 13, 2005. It would save Riko's life.

Gollner and Riko were dispatched to mile marker 322 on I-70 just inside the Wabaunsee County line. A highway patrol officer had stopped an Oldsmobile Aurora from Colorado.

Gollner gave Riko the command to search the vehicle. Seconds later, Riko sat. Cash--$30,000--was stuffed under the back seat. Because it was an assist, the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office would receive 10 percent of the find. Eight hours later, Riko's life would hinge on that $3,000.

In the weeks before this stop, Gollner had noticed changes in Riko's daily habits. He had lost weight and his high spiritedness. Gollner attributed it to Riko's age and the human equivalent of job burnout. However, when Riko left food in his bowl and his daily bowel movements doubled and changed in consistency, Gollner knew something was wrong. "His stools went from regular to soft, then to watery," Gollner said. "Then I saw blood."

Riko's veterinarian, Dr. Amy Rowe of Millcreek Veterinary Services in Alma, examined him. "Riko was thin, and Gollner got alarmed when Riko passed blood. I collected a fecal sample and ran tests. There was an overgrowth of bacteria. We put him on antibiotics, and he improved. But that only lasted three or four days after he finished the antibiotics. Then it came back with a vengeance. That's when I decided to refer him to K-State."

Dr. Rose McMurphy, anesthesiology section head and resident in emergency medicine and critical care at Kansas State University's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, said Riko's situation was serious. "He was quite thin at 62 pounds and had rectal bleeding," she said. The medical team collected scrapings, aspirated his lymph nodes and took radiographs and ultrasound images of his abdomen.

Dr. Laura Armbrust, associate professor of radiology, said Riko's colon and small intestine were thickened, and his lymph nodes were enlarged. "The bowel wall thickening and enlarged lymph nodes are typical of infiltrative disease from fungal infection or neoplasia (a tumor)," she said. "These get enlarged not only from the infection itself, but also from the inflammatory cells that the body sends to the area."

Within an hour, vets were able to make a diagnosis. McMurphy told Gollner that Riko had histoplasmosis and that left untreated, he would die. Histoplasmosis is a naturally occurring fungus that lives in soil, especially soil that is enriched with bat or bird droppings. McMurphy explained that the organism enters the body when a person or animal inhales dust that contains these fungal spores. There is no way to prevent contact with this pathogen.

McMurphy said Riko needed to be on a fungus-killing drug called itraconazole for six months or longer. He would have to remain on the drug for two months beyond the cessation of clinical signs. Drug therapy would cost between $6,000 and $8,000. And, McMurphy explained, there is the possibility that Riko would have to stay on the drug for life.

"The diagnosis and the cost of the medicine were pretty hard to handle," Gollner said. "In reality you can't put a price on a partner. A lot of my decision rested on Dr. McMurphy. She was confident we had caught it early."

Gollner was faced with a bleak reality as he called his boss, Wabaunsee County Sheriff Doug Howser. Riko was 7 years old and nearing retirement. The sheriff's office could buy a new drug dog for $8,000.

"Bill was real choked up," Sheriff Howser said of their conversation. "I know how Bill feels about the dog and how they work together. A lot of other agencies rely upon Bill and Riko. But, as an administrator, you have to do what's best when you are dealing with other people's money. I've also known Bill for a long time, and you can't close the door on that."

While Gollner was on the phone with his boss, McMurphy was calling on hers, Dr. Roger Fingland, hospital director. "I just explained the situation," McMurphy said.

"Dr. Fingland agreed to help with the cost of the treatment if they could afford to pay a portion of the bill. Once I told Bill that, he got a commitment from the sheriff to pay for the initial workup and $3,000 toward the cost of the itraconazole.

"Riko helped save his own life because of the sniff he did for the highway patrol that morning," Gollner said of the sheriff's office $3,000 cut. "For Dr. McMurphy and the hospital to come through with the donation … that was pretty amazing, you know," Gollner said. "I went from the lowest of lows in the thought of losing my partner to having hope."

Riko took his first dose of itraconazole that day and has faithfully returned to K-State every six weeks for blood tests to evaluate his liver enzymes, which have remained normal. "Riko's gone through six months of drug therapy and the symptoms have resolved," McMurphy said. "He may have to remain on some anti-fungal therapy for several more months."

Kansas was at risk of losing a tremendous asset in Riko. But with the help of a legal drug and medical care from caring professionals, Riko is back at work getting illegal drugs off the streets.