Maintenance

Nail trimming has never been a fun chore in our household. Basically anytime we bust out the clippers Andy acts like it's the death of him. He bites, he bucks, he screams. Literally - it sounds like we're killing him. The only way we've made the task even remotely doable the last couple of trims is by putting him up on the island in our kitchen. The height and the cold metal on his feet are enough of a distraction that we can actually get his nails clipped. This last go I was even able to smooth out the rougher edges with an emery board - a step I highly recommend if you want to avoid getting shredded by freshly trimmed doggy claws.

Flea & Tick Prevention

Before we adopted Andy I had a fairly passive system in place to deal with fleas and ticks. Basically, in an effort to not expose my pets to unnecessary chemicals, I only applied flea medication if and when they actually had fleas. I know, this sounds misguided, but this system worked while we lived in Indiana because our pets never had fleas. It wasn't until we moved to Pennsylvania that we actually started having to deal with them, but even then, we were always able to keep the situation under control with our previous dog Maxwell. With Andy it's a whole different ball of wax. He attracts fleas like he's some sort of free-for-all, all-you-can-eat blood buffet!

Keeping the fleas in check last year was a real challenge. The minute I first spied a flea on Andy I treated him and the kitties with some Advantage we already had on hand. The treatment lasted about 3 weeks before I started seeing fleas again. We basically spent the next 3 or 4 months cycling between Advantage and Frontline, with very little result. Arg. I even resorted to buying a "natural" spray medication at some point, which only succeeded in making the pets oily and cinnamon scented (review forthcoming). In the end, I think it was the change of seasons that finally did the fleas in. 

I never realized the far reaching effects fleas could have on my pets. Both Pablo and Diego ended up getting tapeworms from the fleas. Ew. Pablo developed a severe allergy to the flea bites. He ended up licking the fur off a good portion of his lower body. At some point it looked like he wasn't wearing "pants." It was obscene. After several visits to the vet it finally took a cortisone shot to take care of the problem. Given our struggles last year I decided we would have a whole different game plan this time around. We picked up 6 applications of a flea and tick preventative called Vectra 3D when we took Andy in to the vet last week (it came with an additional 3 applications for free) and I put it on him as soon as we got home. It wasn't cheap but hopefully it'll do the job. Will let you know what I think of the product towards the end of the summer. In the meantime, keep fighting the good fight and do what you have to do to keep your pets flea and tick free!

Annual Check Up

Andy went in for his annual check up two weeks ago and passed with flying colors. The vet said he looks excellent on the outside (eyes, ears, teeth, skin, coat, etc.), sounds good on the inside (heart, lungs, and digestive track), and his heartworm and parasite tests came back negative. That's what I like to hear! The pup was vaccinated up the wazoo while we were there - rabies, DHPP (distemper and parvo combination), and Bordatella (The vet asked us to bring Andy in a week later for his Lyme vaccination because she didn't want to hit him all at once). Having owned dogs practically my entire life I went into the visit knowing it wouldn't be cheap...but man, I was still surprised when it came time to pay the bill. Alas,  I firmly believe that an annual check up is par for the course for any responsible pet owner and I'm happy (but not thrilled) to shell out the money for the service. There's a certain peace of mind that comes with knowing my pup is in tiptop shape! 

Sidenote: Andy had a complete melt down as soon as we walked into the vet's office. I'm talking full blown panic attack: restlessness, heavy panting and whining that was on the verge of screaming. Sure, I get that dogs can get nervous in new situations but this was on a whole different level. It was horrible. Nothing we did calmed him down and he kept it up the entire 15 minutes we were in the waiting area. It was embarrassing and I felt like a parent with an out of control child! Thankfully the boy settled down when we got to the exam room and was fine by the time the vet and vet techs came around. Sheesh. We really need to work on Andy's anxiety issues.

Kitty 911 | Urinary Tract Obstruction

Most pet owners know dogs are creatures of habit. They like (even demand!) to be fed at the same time each day, look forward to regularly scheduled potty breaks, and seem to memorize the schedule of our comings and goings. Cats, though arguably more independent than dogs, are not all that different. This is why when Diego didn't show up for breakfast this morning we were a little concerned. I scoured the loft for the kitty and located him in one of the litter boxes. He was in the box for quite some time and he appeared to be straining to urinate. When he stepped out of the box I peaked inside and it didn't seem like he had gone at all. This immediately set off alarm bells in my head as it's a sign of a urinary tract blockage. I waited a bit to see if he would return and sure enough he came back soon after and had the same unsuccessful results.

I called our vet's office and they recommended that we bring him in immediately to be assessed and treated if necessary. Urinary tract obstructions in cats can quickly lead to complications and imminent death if not treated pronto, typically within 48 hours. We dropped Diego off earlier today and I just got a call from the vet letting us know that he's doing fine after treatment (Whew!). They had to put him under, insert a urinary catheter, and flush out his tubes. It turns out he had several small stones causing the blockage. The vet says Diego's prognosis is good - this is a relatively common problem and a change in diet should take care of it. Emergencies like this remind me of how important it is to know what is and isn't "normal" behavior for our pets. If we hadn't picked up on the fact that Diego hadn't shown up for breakfast this morning we might not have noticed that anything was wrong with him at all. Will let you know how Diego's doing after we pick him up from the vet tomorrow.   

For more information on cats and urinary tract obstructions check out PetMD.

Andy's "Crooked Toe"

Do dogs have toes? Or are they always just called claws? In any case, Andy came to us with what I call his "crooked toe." It's actually a nail on one of his rear paws that's a bit off. I first noticed it when we had to clip his nails for the first time. The nail was, and is, visibly askew and freaked me out when I first spied it because I thought the boy's toe was broken. Upon closer inspection I saw that whatever the problem was it had occurred prior to our adopting him or was a birth defect of some sort.

The nail isn't pretty to look at but it doesn't seem to bother Andy at all. I'm probably the only one that's actually bothered by it. I personally have a "toenail-falling-off" my foot phobia, if there is such a thing. In fact, I injured one of my big toes in the fall. The nail turned purple and I had a lot of anxiety about the possibility of it falling of. Shudder. Thankfully that didn't happen. The thought of Andy's nail falling off gives me the heebie-jeebies so I try to be mindful of how long the his claws are because the crooked claw looks like it could pop off if it got too long. Andy's due for his annual checkup in a couple of weeks and if I remember I'll ask the vet if it's anything we need to worry about. 

Pup Tip | Pilling Your Pup

Some of you may remember that Andy got a minor bite wound back in  December while at doggy day care. While the wound was small it did require regular cleaning and medication. Speaking from personal experience, pilling a pet can either be as easy as pie or like pulling teeth. The trick is to make the experience as stress-free (for both you and your pet!) as possible and to exhibit bucket loads of patience. Lucky for Andy we're seasoned pros when it comes to medicating both cats and dogs. 2011 was the year of medicating pets. At any one given time at least 2 out of 3 of our pets was on medication. At the peak of Maxwell's illness he was taking five pills, twice a day. Add to that Pablo, who was on antibiotics for reoccurring urinary tract issues, and Diego, who had to take steroids at some point for allergies, and we're talking about a lot of medication! It took a bit of research and a lot of trial and error before we had pilling the pets down pat. Here are some practical tips to help you get your pup pilled quick and easy. 

Andy's Long Day

Andy spent the better part of the day wearing his Elizabethan collar; aka the cone of shame. For those of you not in the know, an Elizabethan collar is that plastic doohickey you typically see dogs and cats wearing after surgery (It's reminiscent of the ruffled collars folks wore back in the Elizabethan age, ala Shakespeare, thus the name). It's intended to prevent post-surgery pets from chewing or licking at their stitches, which could lead to injury or infection. While dog's mouths are in fact cleaner than human's (go figure!) they still have a lot of bacteria in them and our vet wants Andy in the cone for the next day or two to keep him from licking his wound and getting it infected.  The boy's been able to move around with it on but because it's so awkward he's pretty much just been sitting on his favorite perch. Thankfully we had the cone from when he got neutered, otherwise it would of cost us another $15 for a new one. We've been giving Andy breaks from the cone now and then - during meals, when he goes out to potty, and overnight - so all things considered it's not that bad. If it'll help him heal faster than he'll just have to endure it.

The Ups and Downs of Raising a Shelter Pup

The annual holiday party at my work happened last night. This is the first year I actually RSVPd and made plans to attend. In fact, my husband and I planned on doing some serious gorging. To heck with hobnobbing and rubbing elbows...we were planning on putting away at least, at least, 3 lbs of peel and eat shrimp each. 

The day started off fine. We dropped Andy off at Camp Bow Wow, because we needed to be out of the house for the better part of the day, and we planned on picking him up after the party. Things didn't go according to plan. I got a call from camp around 12:30. At first I thought Andy might of done something naughty and they were telling us to pick him up and never bring him back again, but no, it was actually the owner letting us know Andy got injured during some rough play. At the time he told us he had cleaned the wound and that it didn't look too bad - he just wanted to let us know so we wouldn't be surprised when we picked Andy up that evening. Well, around 2:30 I got a second call. This time the owner said Andy's "puncture wound" was still bleeding. He urged us to pick the pup up and take him to the vet asap. What the what!?!  

Winterize Your Pup

This is going to be Andy's first full winter. Here are some practical measures we'll be taking in order to keep him warm and safe this season:

• As the temperature drops and we get more snow on the ground we'll start to limit how much time we spend outdoors.
• When it's actively raining or snowing we'll try to put a coat on Andy to keep him as dry as possible. We'll also have a towel available by the door to dry him off as soon as we get back inside.
• We'll try to avoid salt, chemical ice melters, and anti-freeze when we're outdoors and make sure his paws are deiced and clean when we get back inside.
• We'll make sure Andy has lots of dry, warm, and comfortable spots to pass the time.
• We'll also do more to keep his mind and body stimulated since he'll be spending so much more time indoors. We have plenty of toys ready to go and I plan on doing more obedience training with him once the semester ends and I have more time.

For information on how to keep your pets safe this winter check out the ASPCA's Cold Weather Tips.

Pablo | Post-Vet

Pablo's visit to the vet this morning went well - besides the fact he complained the entire way there and back...but he's a cat so he gets a pass on that count. The doc knew almost immediately what the problem was - given Pablo's symptoms and the fact that he tested positive for tape worms. Blurg. Here we go again! She diagnosed Pablo with flea allergy dermatitis - a common allergic reaction to flea bites, more specifically the saliva of the flea.  Apparently we're not the only ones that have been struggling to keep the fleas at bay this summer. The vet said the problem has been especially bad this year given the mild winter we had followed by the humid summer. The tapeworms are a direct result of the flea problem.

Don't know if you remember but this whole scenario isn't new to us. Pablo and Diego both had the tapeworms back in August and we treated them at home with Tradewind Tapeworm Tabs. We dropped a pretty penny on flea meds this summer but nothing seemed to really help. So here we are. The fleas never really went away and Pablo has tapeworms again. Sheesh. Pablo was given a dose of Profender - a topical intestinal feline worm treatment that works on roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms...the whole enchilada. I also picked up more Advantage. We're crossing our fingers and hoping the flea meds actually work this time. The vet says once we take care of the fleas Pablo should stop with the itching, licking, and over-grooming of his coat. We really lost our battle against the fleas this summer and I'm going to have to totally rethink our approach next year. Fracking parasites!

A Trip to the Vet

I'm taking Pablo to the vet this morning. We've had a rough go of keeping the fleas at bay this season and he's been dealing with an allergic reaction of sorts to them the last couple of months. He's licked and itched patches of fur off his front legs and belly. He had some diarrhea last Thursday and Friday, which has since cleared up...not sure what caused that. We decided not to go to our usual vet hospital but will be visiting a vet that works exclusively with cats instead. This doesn't mean she charges more per say - just that she at some point decided she wanted to have a specialized practice. She came highly recommended by a coworker and I'm already impressed by the courteous and knowledgeable staff at the clinic. Some of the advice one of the staffers has given me already about feline diets is completely different from what I've been told by our usual vet and from what I've read on my own, so I'm really curious to hear what this clinic's philosophy and approach is. I'm going in with an open mind and am willing to throw what I know out the door in order to do what it takes to get Pablo back to 100%. Will update when I have more information.

Give a Dog a Bone?

So I mentioned in this morning's Farmers Market post that we picked up a smoked beef bone for Andy yesterday. Some folks we know that sell at the market recommended them as did other vendors and dog owners. The bones looked and felt sturdy and smelled delicious, so it was no surprise then that Andy was all over it. It got me to wondering though how safe is it to give a dog a real bone? I was a little creeped out by the fact the bone had soft marrow in the center - uh, salmonella anyone?

Growing up we always gave our dogs bones from the table. The bones were never from chicken but from beef and the occasional ox tail. They loved it and we never had any problems. Digging around on the internet however yielded the fact that the FDA made a recommendation back in 2010 that dog owners not feed real bones of any kind to their pups. According to their consumer update the potential risks involved are many, including: broken teeth, bone fragments getting stuck in the intestines, constipation due to bone fragments, and severe bleeding from the rectum (ouch!).

The debate appears to be raging on. While many vets recommend avoiding bones altogether others say it's ok to feed your dog raw bones (they're less likely to splinter). I guess as dog owners we each have to decide how much risk we're willing to take when it comes to the health of our pups. From past experience I can say with confidence that giving my dogs bones never caused any issues but reading this FDA report has me feeling less confident about how safe they are. I hate to be overly protective of my pets, but then again, I think why take the risk? Yesterday Andy was focusing on nibbling off the meaty bits on the outside of the bone and the marrow that he could reach on the inside. Today he started really focusing on the bone itself and was managing to break off little pieces. I took it away at this point to be on the safe side. I'm on the fence about this and would love to hear what you think.

Review | TradeWinds Tapeworm Tabs

A month ago we came home from vacation and discovered that both of our cats were infected with tapeworms. Arg. Once we got over our initial disgust I did some research on the internet  to find out what our options were. It used to be that as soon as something was wrong, or even remotely wrong, with any of my pets I would run to the vet. I've since learned to be more patient - to take the "wait and see" approach if a situation doesn't appear to be dire. I've also started experimenting more with home remedies. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this course of action for everyone, but I trust we have enough experience and common sense to know when we really need to go to the vet.

One product quickly rose to the top as I did my research - TradeWinds Tape Worm Tabs Cat Tablets. The active ingredient in these tablets is Praziquantel, which is proven to be 100% effective and safe for the removal of common tapeworms in both dogs and cats. This is what a vet would typically prescribe for the treatment of tapeworms but the product is now available without a prescription. One dose was all it took to rid both cats of this parasitic pest. How do I know? Brace yourself for some grossness...Body segments of the tapeworm are passed through the cat's feces or the segments will pass straight through the cat's anus. Before treatment I saw visual evidence of dried out segments and...here it comes...even saw a live segment "crawling" around Diego's butt. Ew. The medication seemed to work immediately and I haven't seen any evidence of tapeworms in almost a month now. I think it's safe to say the cats are tapeworm-free.

     

Simon's Sister's Dog 'Fed Up'

That's a Lot of Sausage!

I just read this article on Yahoo about a 70 pound dachshund. Wow. According to this article the average dachshund tops out at 32 pounds - Obie, the pup in question, weighed 77 pounds at his heaviest. To put things into perspective: Andy weighs approximately 32 pounds. Obie is now on a calorie restricted diet and his new vet tech owner hopes to ensure he will lose weight through proper diet and exercise. Just as for humans there are many heath risks associated with obesity in canines: diabetes, stress and strain on bones and joints, heart disease, and a decrease in the quality and length of a dog's life to name a few. 

I've read that calorie intake is key in preventing obesity in dogs. This means ignoring the "serving" instructions for most brands of dog food and figuring out the actual number of calories that is optimal for your dogs breed and size and feeding accordingly. Calories from treats and snacks should also be taken into consideration. One thing that I committed to when we adopted Andy was to not feed him table scraps or processed human food (raw fruit and vegetables are ok) right from the get go. I had a bad habit of doing this with Maxwell and because he got used to it I found it really difficult to resist sharing my meals with him. He ended up overweight at some point and had to go on a calorie restricted diet. So far Andy is pretty good about not begging for food...human food that is. He still sits impatiently by his bowl and begs for kibble when he knows it's chow time.

Kennel Cough

So we hit a bit of a snag yesterday with our plans to take Andy to day camp at Camp Bow Wow. When I called in the morning to arrange to take him in I was told by the owner of the facility that they had some cases of kennel cough in dogs that had recently boarded or been to day camp reported this week and were advising clients to stay away for a bit unless absolutely necessary. While this put a kink in our plans I appreciated his honesty and his concern for his canine clients, especially because he's taking a hit in his profits this week as a result. According to the ASPCA,

Kennel cough is a term loosely used to describe a complex of infections—both viral and bacterial—that causes inflammation of a dog’s voice box and windpipe. It’s a form of bronchitis and is similar to a chest cold in humans. Though it usually clears up on its own, kennel cough is highly contagious to other dogs.

The bordatella (kennel cough) vaccine is typically administered intranasally on an annual basis and is recommended for any dog that encounters groups situations, whether it be at a kennel, a dog park, or even visits to a pet supply store where they may encounter other dogs. All dogs at Camp Bow Wow are required to be vaccinated yet somehow an infected dog brought kennel cough to camp and infected other dogs. I don't know how many dogs have been affected but the owner of the facility said one was too many as far as he was concerned and he wants to nip the problem in the bud before it spreads any further. I hope all the sick pups recover fast. Andy had kennel cough when we first adopted him and it took a while for it to clear up. It was basically like a prolonged cold - lots of sneezing, coughing, and nasal discharge. Looking forward to day camp next week!

First Day of September | Heartworm Preventative

It's the first of the month, which means Andy got his heartworm medication this morning. Heartworms are nasty little parasites that can do some serious harm to your pup's heart and lungs. As the summer comes to a close, and the whether starts to cool down, we should be seeing less mosquitoes but it pays to stay vigilant for the sake of our furry companions.

Tapeworms

So...when we got back from vacation I noticed some odd sesame seed looking things on a blanket one of the cats had been sitting on. After doing a little internet detective work I discovered these "seeds" were not seeds at all but the dessicated remains of tapeworm segments. Um. Ew. Gross! 

According to WebMD,

Tapeworms are the most common internal parasite in adult cats. They live in the small intestines, and vary in length from less than 1 inch (25 mm) to several feet (1 foot is .3 meters). The scolex (head) of the parasite fastens itself to the wall of the gut using hooks and suckers. The body is composed of segments that contain egg packets. To eliminate tapeworm infection, the head must be destroyed. Otherwise, the worm will regenerate.

Body segments of the tapeworm are passed through the cat's feces or the segments will pass straight through the cat's anus. According to WebMD "praziquantel is one of the most effective medications for both common species of cat tapeworm." Praziquantel used to only be available via prescription but is now readily available over the counter. 

What's Your Poison?

I've always known chocolate is toxic to dogs but it was only recently I found out from a neighbor that moldy black walnuts are also a no-no...not that I'd let Andy eat anything with mold on it anyways. While it's impossible to keep an exhaustive list in our minds of things that are toxic to our pups it is a good idea to at least be familiar with some common things around the house that can cause our dogs problems:

• people food (chocolate, avocado, macadamia nuts, etc.)
• medications for people
  
• chemicals (cleaning products, pesticides, etc.)
• household plants

Click here for a Top 10 list of dogs poisons as identified by WebMD.
Click here for an ASPCA list of People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets.
Click here for a comprehensive list of toxic and non-toxic plants from the ASPCA.

I was surprised to learn raisins and grapes are toxic to canines as well as xylitol, an artificial sweetener commonly found in sugar-free gum and candy. When it comes to things in and around the house that may be toxic to our pups we all need to be vigilant and let common sense prevail. I've always had a bad habit of sharing food with my dogs in the past. Thankfully I managed to not give them anything toxic in all those years but with Andy I'm trying really hard to avoid the issue completely. This will not only keep my boy slim, it'll also ensure I don't inadvertently poison him, and that I can eat my meals in peace. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it!

Pup Tip | These Nuts Are Whack!

As we were walking Andy through a local park the other day a black walnut hit the ground a couple feet away from me with a loud thud. It fell at a pretty high velocity and had I been walking any slower it might have hit me square in the noggin - whack! Ouch! Thankfully I made it out of the park unscathed. Black walnuts are sold commercially in the U.S. but also grow in the wild. Squirrels would bring them into our backyard when we lived in Indiana and I see them all over the place here in Pennsylvania as well.

When black walnuts fall fresh from the tree they're covered with a tough husk. The husk is acid green in color and has a nice lemony scent. As the husk ages it turns black. These are the nuts you typically see on the ground in the fall. Dog owners need to be aware that these black walnuts can turn moldy. If your dog ingests a moldy black walnut he can get seriously ill. The moldy nuts are toxic and can cause tremors and seizures according to the ASPCA. Thankfully Andy pays no heed to the nuts we pass on the ground but their round shape may prove tempting to your pup. Keep them away!