Supplement Staples

by Linnea on 03/11/14
Here is my short list of supplement necessities that are always in stock in my pantry and why you should consider keeping them on hand as well..



1) A non-dairy mix of pre- and pro-biotics.  This particular bag is the 'equine' size, but it has the exact same formula as the canine/feline bag, it's just a larger quantity so don't let the horse fool you too much.  I pick up this digestive Formula at Ramsey Canyon Feed, but it should be in any Pet Club store.  It also contains digestive enzymes, which helps your pet break down their food more easily.  I like a non-dairy option as cow's milk is rather difficult to digest for really any species besides cows.  Additionally, many pets develop allergies to dairy milk.  The prebiotics help to feed the probiotics and as we all know probiotics are good to have on hand specifically for two reasons: 1) Digestive distress and 2) When your pet is on antibiotics - the probiotics help to reestablish the good bacteria in the gut that antibiotics wipe out.

2) Omega 3 fish oils.  Omega 3's are powerhouses - They help boost skin and coat health, they help to maintain healthy brain function and they also help keep joints lubricated.  Animals have different nutritional requirements than us, so make sure there are NO omega 9's as they do not need and cannot utilize them.  Speak with your vet about using an over the counter supplement and the quantity you should use for the size of your pet.  Sidebar:  sometimes starting fish oils at full strength can give pets loose stools until their GI system gets used to the extra oil, so weaning onto them is a safe solution.  At the same time, if your pet is constipated, a full dose of fish oils can help get things moving along.

3) Pure Pumpkin Puree - Pumpkin is nature's perfect GI balancer.  Whether a pet is constipated or has diarrhea, pumpkin helps to fix it!  It has a tastey dose of fiber and the water in pumpkin helps to rehydrate the body in the case of chronic diarrhea.  Anytime one of our pet's has some GI issue, I skip the traditional chicken and rice and instead give cooked ground turkey and pumpkin.  *If you buy the pumpkin canned, make sure it is PLAIN pumpkin and not the pumpkin pie mix, which is full of sugar.  Otherwise during the fall, pumpkin puree is easy to make and can be stored in the freezer!

4) Water-packed Sardines.  Basically I always have this on hand because our dogs and cats go bananas over sardines, and it can replace a fish oil capsule.  They come in different flavors so make sure it's only packed in water (and not hot sauce!).  A can is $1 or less and can be divided among your pets.  Even though Sardines are low on the marine food chain and therefore do not contain a concerning amount of mercury, I would speak to your vet if you want to make them a daily addition to your pet's nutrition.

Pet Parent New Years Resolutions

by Linnea on 12/31/13

We usually think of resolutions to improve ourselves but how about to improve our pets?  I made a small list of things to work on as a pet parent, but if you've mastered these, think about other ways you can improve your pet or your relationship with you pet..

1) Start brushin'!  In a perfect world, your pet's teeth would be brushed as often as your teeth are brushed but that's never going to happen in real life.  If teeth brushing already occurs at home, just make it more efficient or easier to remember.  Maybe keep the pet toothbrush and paste in the drawer of the coffee table, so when a commercial comes on, you can whip the brush out before your show comes back on.  If brushing is a new and foreign concept, ease your pet into it.  Pick a tastey pet toothpaste (I prefer the CET brand carried at your vet's office), brush only one tooth, give your pet a treat and you're done for the day. The next day brush a few seconds longer, treat, and done.  You're slowly introducing the brush and rewarding your pet for tolerating it.  Soon you can discontinue the treats!

2) Trim that tummy!  Obesity in dogs and cats has become an epidemic just like in humans.  Increase their exercise and decrease their portions and treats.  Reconsider the food that they're on as well.  If their food has rice, corn, wheat and other grains and carbs, it is an sneaky way to pack on the pounds.  Look into grain-free foods, where you get the same amount of calories in a smaller portion.  Or ask your veterinarian about the 'green-bean diet'.  It is better to be a slightly underweight than slightly overweight - extra pounds mean extra work on the joints, higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure (yes pets deal with these issues too!) and a higher chance of developing diabetes.

3) Routine vet checks.  Your vet can find diseases and illness in your pet long before you can - if you can give your vet a thorough description of your pet's activities (lounges around being lay all day, or excessive grooming, or sneezing a lot) this helps your vet to put together a puzzle of what your pet may be going through.  The minimum standard is 2 check-ups a year since pet's age much faster than we do, and it would be ideal to do annual routine bloodwork as well to keep an eye on important levels like liver and kidney enzymes.

4) Teach your old dog new tricks.  Work on some new behaviors this year and exercise your pet's mind!  Goldfish are trainable so that means even your cat is trainable!  You can work on new tricks with your pet or work on a behavior that has been driving you crazy!  Does your dog rush to the door when people come in and you're worried they'll escape?  Train them to sit on a small rug several feet away from the door.  If your cat insists on walking on kitchen counters, start teaching them to stay off them (it can be done!)

5) Invest in your pet's health.  You've been feeding the same brand of food for years and the same treats, and getting the same vaccinations year after year.  Start expanding your horizons and learn about preventative health for your pet.  Consider adding some supplements to their diet since many lose their effectiveness when they're cooked in kibble.  If your pet has an ailment like arthritis or diabetes, continue doing more research into alternative therapies.  Veterinary medicine continues to evolve the way human medicine does, stay current on new approaches to better help your furry family member.

What are some other suggestions for your resolutions for your pets?

Homemade Cat Toys

by Linnea on 12/25/13

Pet toys are so expensive these days and it's really easy to make a few of your own.  Here's the homemade version of a popular cat toy:

You can use any box that is not too deep for your cat to reach into.  Cereal boxes or pizza boxes are perfect for this.  If your leftover pizza box isn't all that greasy and you'd like to use it, just tape or glue a layer of parchment paper or even wrapping paper over the grease side - using either of these will keep the grease from bleeding through.

Cut uniform holes in the box - I chose a size small enough that a jingle bell can fit through, but a cat shouldn't be able to get his paw and the ball out.  I also chose to cut the holes in the box before wrapping....

I wrapped the box after cutting the holes, on purpose.  This way, I can still easily find the holes, cut into them and then wrap the edges and tape them back on the inside, giving it a smooth appearance so edges won't get frayed or easily torn if a nail catches it.

And tada! You just recycled a box, and if you don't have wrapping paper, you can use newspaper or just leave the box as-is (just remember to tape the opened end down).  Chances are, you already have plenty of cat toys you can put in there - a jingle bell, a crunchy shiny ball of something, a catnip mouse...

Bad Combinations of Pet Medications and Food

by Linnea on 12/06/13

Human doctors and pharmacists are great at telling patients about possible drug interactions and what to avoid while taking a certain prescription.  These cautions, for some reason, are often overlooked at veterinary hospitals.  Often times people will fill their pet's prescription at the local pharmacy instead of the veterinarian because it's cheaper, but pharmacists are not familiar with animal medicine and you may not be cautioned about possible interactions.

Because we usually have to hide our pet's medications in super savory treats, there is a high concern with interactions.  Here is a list of some bad combinations:

-Doxycycline/Tetracycline:  Do not use dairy products like cheese when using tetracycline antibiotics.  This includes the very popular doxycycline, which is almost always prescribed with upper respiratory infections like kennel cough.  The calcium in dairy products can prevent the body from absorbing the medication.  Cheese is a popular pill popper, but any high calcium food should be avoided with these antibiotics.

-Thyroid medications:  Should never be taken with a meal because the food absorption tends to inhibit the absorption of the medication.  It is best to give thyroid meds 1 hour before a meal, or 3 hours after.  This is especially true if your pet is on a higher fiber diet.

-Enalapril: ACE inhibitors cause the body to retain potassium so it is best to avoid high potassium foods.  This shouldn't be that much of an issue unless your pet has a taste for bananas or other high potassium foods.  You also want to avoid high sodium foods, so no hiding that enalapril in some salami!

-Cyclosporine: Many are not familiar with this drug, but it is an immunosuppressant for pet's that have severe allergies.  If your pet needs to go on fluconazole or phenobarbital, these can affect the removal of cyclosporine from the body.

These are just some possible interactions with more popular drugs used for pets.  Anytime your pet is prescribed a medication, ask your Vet about possible side effects so you can continue your pet's treatment with peace of mind.

The Scoop on Pet Insurance

by Linnea on 10/09/13

More and more companies are jumping on the pet insurance bandwagon but it is important to know that pet insurance is a lot different than human health insurance.  Let me break it down into sections...

What does pet insurance cover and not cover?

Most insurance companies will not cover pre-existing conditions.  If your dog has been diagnosed with a disease/illness, let's say hypothyroidism, then medications and further blood testing may not be covered.  Additionally, most companies will not cover dental cleanings (prophylaxis) because they consider them 'cosmetic', even though there is significant periodontal disease.  Any other procedures that fall under the cosmetic category also won't be covered (tail docking, ear cropping, perhaps even declawing).  Also, many companies do not cover alternative therapies like laser treatments, hydrotherapy/underwater treadmill, accupuncture... etc.  Wellness services like annual exams, vaccines etc., are not usually covered unless you opt for additional coverage.

Pet Insurance is mostly good for sudden illness or injury.  Often times there is a small waiting period between signing up for coverage and being to submit a claim (I've seen waiting periods of 7-14 days).  So it is mostly beneficial to cover you in an urgent medical situation like acute pancreatitis, a broken leg, torn ACL, or a run-in with some wildlife.  I have seen many companies actually cover the cost of euthanasia and cremation.  Insurance will also cover medications for the sudden illness/injury like pain killers or antibiotics, but usually will not cover supplements even when you purchase them from your veterinarian.  

What optional add-on's are available?

Some companies offer the option of add-on's for an additional amount of money.  For an extra cost, some companies will cover preventatives - this would include wellness exams, vaccines, heartworm testing etc.  Some of the more 'updated' companies have additional coverage to include alternative therapies and even dental cleanings!

What about discounts?

I've seen at least one company offer discounts for insuring multiple pets, as well as military discounts, or a slight discount based on your individual pet's information.  (A younger mixed breed dog will be cheaper to insure than an older pure breed dog.)  One company even offers a small discount if you pay for the whole year up front instead of monthly payments.

What is the process of submitting a claim?

In my experience of filling out claims when I was a veterinary technician, you (the owner) prints off a claim form and bring it to your hospital.  Your veterinarian (or a technician, if directed) will fill out the claim with your veterinarian's diagnosis (and their signature), and whether the pet is still under treatment or 'resolved'.  There might be a space where you or your vet's office will fill out the approximate amount of money you spent on the illness/injury based on your invoices.  When it's all filled out, you send the form back to your company.  I do not know the time frame of when you receive your reimbursement.

Name Your Price

You can usually chose the amount of coverage for the calender year as well as choosing your deductible.  You can choose for insurance to cover $1,000 for the year or even up to $20,000 for the year, and deductibles can be as low as $250 or higher towards $1,000.  This way you have an easier time choosing how much to pay on a monthly basis.

Some Pet Insurance companies you can check out online:

Embrace Pet Insurance

Veterinary Pet Insurance

Trupanion Medical Insurance

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance

24PetWatch Pet Insurance

PetsBest Insurance

Healthy Paws Pet Insurance

PetFirst Pet Insurance

No Grains, No Way, No How

by Linnea on 09/19/13

I need a bit of a ramp-up on this blog entry.  I should start off with saying I was once a mis-guided uneducated dog owner once, even in my early vet tech days.  I didn't have enough experience to question what I had been hearing all along, believing that what I heard from my vet's was absolute truth.  In human medicine we get second opinions if we're not sure about the initial treatment plan/advice, we do our own research on treatments and illnesses and consider alternative treatments (acupuncture, chiropractic, herbs are all considered alternatives).  So the concept of extra research shouldn't be foreign when it comes to our pets.  At a certain point in my animal career, I started becoming interested in alternative therapies for myself which led to an interest in all options for my dog.  When Pepe was a puppy I fed him a popular kibble promoted by my animal hospital, I thought it was top notch and even recommended to family and friends. Well I was wrong.  The longer I worked with animals, the more I saw how nutrition impacts their health and how certain medical issues could be directly stemmed from the food they eat every single day. So I began my quest of animal nutrition, attending CE's (continuing education credits) on diet and reading food labels and researching, researching researching...

My dog's have been grain-free for years now.  I do not allow wheat or corn to touch their lips and my 'rules' for nutrition carries over in their treat selections as well.  The first proof that grains should not be a part of a cat or dog's diet is to look at their teeth ... they have teeth designed for ripping and tearing, not for grinding.  Their bottom jaw does not have the ability to swing as they chew.. our bottom jaws swing in a similar fashion as ruminants (cows, sheep, goats etc.)  Humans and ruminants swing their bottom jaw for the purpose of chewing down grains and plant materials - dog's and cat's do not have this ability to even chew plant material properly.  Although whatever plant material in kibbles has been processed and doesn't require the amount of chewing it would in it's natural state, the inability to chew them is a strong indicator that it shouldn't be in their diets in the first place.

One major reason to remove grains from their diets is due to how grains are broken down in the body.  As we all know, carbohydrates are categorized into simple carbs and complex carbs.  Both break down into sugars, and excess sugar is the enemy.  Sugar specifically feeds yeast and cancer.  If your dog battles ear yeast infections, most likely diet is the cause.  If your pet battles with skin issues, there could also be an overabundance of yeast on the skin.  Cancer also feeds on sugars in the body.  When a pet is diagnosed with cancer, veternarian's put them on a high fat/high protein/low carb diet (Hill's N/D diet is for cancer and due to the high fat content, only a canned version is available).  Cancer needs sugar to live, so vet's put pet's on a strict diet to limit sugars as much as possible.  So then why don't we feed anti-cancer diets as a proactive solution??

Dr. Gregory Ogilvie, DVM at Colorado State University has done extensive research in the matter of canine cancer and the role that diet has on cancer.  Studies by Dr. Ogilvie have shown that dogs with lymphoma fed a diet high in simple carbs had significantly worse outcomes than dogs fed diets high in fat. Additionally, studies have shown that dog's and cat's that were fed grain-free diets, had 50% less cancer occurrences than those fed grain based diets.  Wow!!!  Those numbers alone are what convinced me to make the switch. 

Dog Food Advisor has done a great job at pointing out even more reasons why grains should be eliminated from the diet.  The food reviewers at Dog Food Advisor really get into the detail on why certain food ingredients are poor choices and they have an extensive forum community where pet 'foodies' can post question and reply to each other. Here is a forum on grains from earlier this year and you can see there are many other knowledgeable pet owners who are very mindful of what they feed their dogs. (They have yet to make a CatFoodAdvisor.com).

Take a turn and compare a grain-based diet compared to a grain-free diet.  Read through the ingredients of each and specifically read about ingredients that they highlight in red.  Now a dog or cat will survive on both of these foods, but they will only THRIVE on one of them.

I hope this has been informative and not overwhelming (this is my short version of why grains are a no-no!).  All I want is for your furry ones to live long happy healthy lives, and nutrition is the easiest way to do this.

Some informative links:

Nutrition and Cancer: Frontiers for Cure, Dr. Gregory Ogilvie 

Cancer Diet for Dogs - Modern Dog Magazine

Nutrition for the Canine Cancer Patient - CanineCancer.com

More Protein, Less Carbs - FightCanineCancer.com

Dogs at Large: What to do When Approached by Loose Dogs

by Linnea on 09/16/13

Today was a rough day at work.  Dog-walking is not all sunshine and daffodils, and today was an excellent reminder of that.  The most important thing to me is keeping my clients pets safe while in my care which is why I'm a bit more 'heavily-equipped' than the average dog walker.  Although sometimes you're simply caught off-guard, having a great time with your walking buddy on a street you walk on all the time (you quickly learn what houses have the 'yard dogs', and thus decide your walking path) and a strange dog comes running at you out of nowhere...

In today's case, it was 3 dogs on 2 separate occasions!!  During the first walk, I was with my buddy, a young pitbull mix who just loves everyone but is not so fond of other dogs his size (or larger).  We were just 5 minutes into our walk, on our normal path when 2 large scruffy black dogs come running at us from a front yard.  I have never seen these dogs before so I'm guessing they might have just been resting in the shade of a tree.  My little buddy got mad ... real mad that these rude dogs were charging him and his favorite dog walker.  After having quite a bit of on-the-job experience with this, my first instinct was to use my 'mom-voice' and yell "NO!!" at them in a deep LOUD voice.  EVERY dog knows the word 'no' and it stopped them dead in their tracks no less than 20 feet from us.  I tried to get my little buddy behind me as much as possible (not easy with a strong pittie mix) and kept him as close as possible on the leash.  The dogs were clearly confused and would walk away and then come back to us, trying to get close and again I yelled 'NO!!"  I probably yelled 8 times or so and unfortunately only one person came out of their house see what the commotion was.  I had been standing in place with my buddy until I decided the best course of action was to slowly turn around in the direction we had come from.  The 2 dogs had decided they had enough of being yelled at and went on their way, but I still kept looking over my shoulder to make sure they didn't start coming our way again.

During another walk today, I was walking two dogs in a different neighborhood and a yappy pug came running out into the street to defend 'his territory' luckily the pug didn't mean much business and my 2 walking buddies really didn't care, and everyone went on their merry way.

Normally when I see a loose dog, I want to try to get them to come to me, leash them if I have one handy - I almost always do, and looks for ID tags.  But when I have a client's dog(s) with me, their safety comes first which is why I 'saddle-up' when I walk dogs.

Depending on the season, I wear 1 of 2 waist packs I have.  In the packs, I can carry my cell phone, poop bags, treats and citronella spray.  I have heard stories of people throwing treats at the charging dog in order to hopefully distract them - if they've been loose long enough, they might just be hungry enough to stop for a snack.  The citronella spray is a deterrent and can be found in most pet-supply stores.   I hear of many people carrying pepper spray but I also hear that pepper spray can kill a dog, so in a perfect world you can carry both sprays - one for annoying loose dogs and another for a loose dog that wants to kill you.

While charging dogs is a scary situation, if you try to flee from them, it might turn on their desire to chase. And if the dogs end up getting in a scuffle, be prepared to DROP the leash if needed.  While living on my own when I was single, I had just stepped outside my apartment with my 2 tiny dogs and an off-leash golden retriever charged us and attacked my dogs while we were still on our doorstep.  At that time I had retractable leashes (which I no longer use, for ANY walker) and my little dogs started getting their leashes wrapped around my legs trying to escape our attacker.  The leash can also get wrapped around their own legs, limiting their ability to defend themselves from the attacker.  

So in conclusion, you can never predict these things but you can be as prepared as possible.  Be prepared, be alert and be diligent friends!

Pet Friendly Pesticides

by Linnea on 08/30/13

Right now in our area of southern Arizona, we are having a massive problem with caterpillars and our normal grasshoppers.  This is especially detrimental for those of us who grow our own food!  Now, I am anti-'cide' of any kind... no commercial pesticides or herbicides are allowed on my property, mostly for the safety of my dogs.  Lawn chemicals are linked to cancer in pets... they walk through the grass and plants and then come inside and dogs lick their feet and kitties groom themselves.  I take whatever measures I can to prevent illness in my pets, so here's what I'm spraying in my yard....

You can invest a mere $10 in a gallon sized pressure sprayer and use a few things from your kitchen and you'll be set!

Some ingredients you can use:

Garlic - I'm sure fresh is best, and freshly minced is bestest! (Forgive me there)

Some sort of hot pepper - if you have some dried red pepper flakes, or cut up a jalapeno..

Essential oils - peppermint and citronella oils are great at repelling bugs, you can usually find these in a vitamin shop.

Soap- I haven't tried soap yet but you can easily find some more info about it online.

Let your ingredients soak in a gallon of water at least overnight or 24 hours if you're patient enough.  You'll probably need to strain the fluid so it won't clog the sprayer.  Have fun going to town on those buggys!

[PLEASE] put your pets indoors when spraying this in the yard - no doggy needs to be accidently pepper sprayed :)  And if you are sensitive to peppers, use appropriate gear (gloves, safety goggles etc) but for the most part you should be fine, I sprayed the garden down while groggy at 7am in my jammies :)

Here are some additional links you'll find useful:
Homemade Caterpillar Killer 1

Homemade Caterpillar Killer 2

Canine Arthritis

by Linnea on 07/31/13

Arthritis doesn't discriminate, it affects dogs and cats alike but we see it most often in large breed dogs and overweight dogs.  Arthritis is a degenerative disease, it will continue to progress and is incurable but can be slowed down or if using preventative measures, can likely delay the onset.

Preventatives:

-The easiest way to prevent/delay arthritis is keeping your pet at a healthy weight, or even lean.  The problem is, pets are becoming more and more obese that the 'norm' has become overweight pets - so when people see a lean dog, they assume it is under-fed.  The best way to gauge this is to use the Body Condition Score that vet's use.

-Omega 3 fatty acids  - these are found in certain fishes and in flaxseed.  They reduce inflammation throughout the body and they also reduce cartilage breakdown.  (make sure to use only Omega 3's ... Omega 6's induce inflammation).  Great sources of Omega 3's: flaxseed, sardines, salmon..)

-Glucosamine hydrochloride / Chondroitin Sulfate - These do not always come as a duo, but are often seen together.  Glucosamine supplementation can influence cartilage structure and chondroitin is a structural element of cartilage and extra supplementation has anti-inflammatory properties.

-Green lipped mussels - What are those?? Well, green lipped mussels are showing up in more and more bags of dog food!  They are actually delicious, they come from New Zealand and I buy mine locally from an asian market.

So your dog is starting to show symptoms of arthritis, now what?

I am not a fan of pharmaceuticals unless absolutely necessary, so I am VERY hesitant to rely on NSAIDs for pain management because they start to affect the liver, and unforunately in my vet tech experience, I have seen too many pets go into liver failure because of long-term medication use. Pain relievers do exactly what they say.. cover the pain.  How about looking for healthier ways to help supplement cartilage and reduce painful inflammation (it's never too late to start the supplements mentioned above).

-Talk to your vet about Adequan (a-dee-quan).  It is a series of injections that your vet's office will give your dog, over the course of a few weeks.  Adequan helps to maintain cartilage at it's current amount and supports the repairing process.  It is FDA approved, which assures it's effectiveness!

-Talk with your vet about alternative measures like acupuncture and laser treatment.  Even ask about at-home methods like massage and accupressure.

-If you have access to a canine hydrotherapy pool, utilize it!  Especially if your dog has weight-induced arthritis, swimming is the best way to exercise without the pressure on already achy joints.  I don't suggest going to a creek since most dogs will run and jump during play and the cooler water temps can stiffen joints.  Hydrotherapy pools (or underwater treadmills) maintain their water temperatures around 90*F which helps tender joints and muscles.

-Look into supplements designed for alleviating arthritis.  My favorite is Phycox, which comes in chewables or a powder.  Your vet can order these or you can purchase them through a reputable online pet pharmacy like VetRxDirect.com.  Another one I'm familiar with is Joint Defense by 2Doc's.

NSAID's like Deramaxx or Rimadyl should be your last resort.  Long-term use (which in the case of nsaid's, means longer than 5 days or so) requires checking liver values through a blood test.  This is very important and should be a red-flag if your vet doesn't suggest monitoring liver values while on these kinds of medications.  These can be used as-needed and not necessarily every day.

How to make your old achy dog's life easier...

-Mobility harnesses are used to help support your dog when needing to get around or in/out of the car, up/down stairs etc.  There are several kinds out there, just pick one that will be comfortable for your dog.

-In the case of larger breed dogs, ramps will help getting in and out of cars.  These take some training for the dog to get used to, so don't set it up into your car and expect your dog to walk up it right away.

So you can see it is a manageable disease and there are lots of options available to help your arthritic pooch!

Insight into Pet Food Recalls

by Linnea on 06/20/13

Pet food recalls seem to be happening more and more often and for owners who have food sensitive pets, it can cause a real problem trying to find a new food.  2007 will stay in my memory for a long time, not because my dog (I only had 1 at the time) ate any of the recalled food, but because I was a vet tech at the time and remember running lots of bloodwork on pets who had been eating one of the many recalled foods.  For those unaware, 2007 was a year when pet foods were literally killing dogs and cats.  China-based ingredients were contaminated with melamine, a substance used to make (inferior) plastics.  According to the FDA's website on the matter:

"Melamine can be used to create products such as plastics, cleaning products, glues, inks, and fertilizers. Under certain conditions, melamine mixed with wheat gluten can make the product appear to have a higher protein level than is actually present. Melamine has no approved use as an ingredient in human or animal food in the United States. Wheat gluten is a natural protein derived from wheat or wheat flour, which is extracted to yield a powder with high protein content. Pet food manufacturers often use wheat gluten as a thickener or binding agent in the manufacture of certain types of pet food."

It was essentially destroying the kidneys of pet's who were trying to filter the melamine out of their bodies, causing permanent kidney damage or even death in some cases.

Now the worst part, which many don't realize, is that even though food companies KNOW their product is causing health problems, it doesn't automatically mean their product is recalled.  The FDA has certain steps and procedures to recalling a product as there are 3 different types of recalls: Recalls may be conducted on a firm's own initiative (this is voluntary), by FDA request, or by FDA order under statutory authority.  Many companies will recall their product voluntarily because product testing will show that they may be contaminated with something.  Voluntary recalls like this are good Public relations .... in the company's eyes, this shows the consumer that the company cares enough about the possibility of a pet getting sick and therefore, will lose money on taking their product off the shelves, to prevent further illness.  Then on the other spectrum, FDA ordered recalls mean that a product has been shown to have problems, the company has chosen not to pull their product off the shelves, so the FDA HAS to step in essentially saying 'your product is pretty bad, and we will take it off the shelves since you are choosing not to.'

Now, recalls WILL happen... human food or pet food. When you're taking once-living ingredients (meat, fruit, veggies) that are meant to rot, and mass producing them in large factories, and cooking them at extreme temperatures ... you are bound to have problems now and then.  (Anyone remember our spinach recalls in 2006 or our ground turkey recalls last year? I certainly didn't stop eating those foods alltogether, I just waited until they were safe to eat again.)

Recently, there have been known issues with chicken jerky treats stemming from China.  The FDA hasn't recalled these treats because they haven't been able to find the reason why so many pet's are getting sick from these treats.  So they have been able to stay on store shelves - being sold to unknowing pet owners.  Additionally, pet food companies can be sneaky about labeling their products - while they can label their products as "Manufactured in the US" this does not mean their products are sourced from the US ... it can simply mean the product/ingredients come from other countries but are made/manufactured in the states. Sneaky sneaky... And unfortunately, this is the case for LOTS of companies.  So it is legal for them to say their final product comes from the US, individual ingredients could be coming from all over the world.  Always find out where your ingredients are coming from.

The pet food industry is also overseen by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) so it makes it a little tricky when you have two programs (FDA & AFFCO) keeping an eye on one industry (pet food).  It means pet food is not as well regulated as human food (imagine having two managers doing the job of one manager ... co-managing can make things difficult).

So what this all means is that no matter what, keep a close eye on recalls, you can even sign up with your email at Dog Food Advisor, or follow them on facebook for recall news.  Additionally, you might be interested in doing some research on your pet's treats - you may be buying treats that have been known to be causing illness in hundreds of pet's, but have not been officially recalled by the FDA (seriously, if you have store-bought chicken jerky treats, PLEASE look into this - I am choosing not to name brands here, but am hoping you will look into where your treats are coming from.)

Here is the FDA's main page for pet food/treat recalls.

Here is Dog Food Advisor's page for pet food/treat recalls.

Disaster Preparedness for Pets

by Linnea on 05/09/13

Here in the southwest springtime also means brush fires, which can easily turn into wildfires as we learned in 2011 with the Monument fire.  Wildfires are generally the only natural disasters we have to deal with here, but in other parts of the country you need to be prepared whether it's the possibility of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, or tornados. No matter what kind of pets you have, it is smart to be prepared if you have to evacuate your area in case of an emergency.

In 2011, as the Monument fire became a wildfire, I prepared a 'go' back for myself and our dogs.  Even my turtle has a 'go' bin to safely transport him in a container of water.

Water, food, collapsible bowls, treats. (Photo from BeforeItsNews.com)

 

Here are some guidelines for preparing your pets for an emergency:

• Have a container of supplies in an easily accessible spot.  The container/bag needs to have some key items: Plan for a week's worth of food, food/water bowls - disposable containers or collapsible containers are best so they won't take up much room.  Extra leashes for dogs.  Copies of shot records in case you board/kennel your pets after you evacuate. Possibly some calming medications that could help alleviate stress and cortisol production.  I like holy basil and Rescue Remedy. Maybe some catnip toys for kitties.  For dogs, kong toys and bully sticks that can keep them occupied when you're holed up in a temporary spot like a hotel or again, possibly for boarding. Copies of medications your pet is on, in case you need a refill when away from home.

• Make sure microchip information is updated.  In stressful situations, many dogs will even flee from their owners.  If a local animal hospital is offering to board pets during emergencies, often times a dog or cat will get loose there and proper ID is crucial.

• Keep a good quality head-shot of your pet handy at all times.  What I mean is if you keep a flash drive with you, or a picture of your pet on your phone... In case they go missing during the commotion of evacuation, you can quickly make copies of a LOST poster.

• If time and space permits, bring your pet's carriers/crates with.  If you need to board them, chances are the local boarding facilities will be packed full but with enough help, they should be able to take more pets in if they have their own crate. Or if you can keep your pets with you at a hotel or a friend's house, their crate can keep them safe and confined if you need to leave the building temporarily.  This is why it is especially important for your dogs (and kitties too!) to be comfortable in their crate, it can act like a portable bedroom for them.

 

Rescue Remedy, great for calming animals!

In the mean time, check to see if the Red Cross is putting on any pet CPR classes, which can help you put together a first aid kit.  And if you do pack some kibble for your pets, change it out every 2 months or so and check expiration dates on canned food!

Preventing Rattlesnakes in Your Yard

by Linnea on 03/25/13

Rattlesnakes will start rearing their heads in the next few weeks and many of us know, if your pet gets bit by one, expect a roughly $2,000 vet bill in case it happens.  The best thing you can do is try to prevent rattlesnakes all together...

All our dogs have gone through rattlesnake training, but it's not a 100% guarantee so I've attempted to make a snake-proof yard - there's really no way to make a yard completely snake proof.. if a snake wants to get in, they'll get in but at least you can discourage them in every way possible!

First, reduce anything that will attract snakes.. like mice.  Bird feeders that spill bird feed on the ground inevitably attract mice, so be aware of where you put your birdseed feeders.  We adopted a feral cat from a trap/release program and once she adjusts to her new surroundings, we've 'employed' her to catch the field mice in our area (we live on 4+ acres). So take away a rattlesnakes food source, and hopefully they will move on!

Second, be mindful of your landscaping.. during the hotter mid-day hours, rattlesnakes have to retreat to shady areas to cool themselves back down.  They look for low-lying shrubs or other shady areas where they can coil up.

Third, close off any openings into your yard (like the giant crack under the gate).  We have a small dog-yard where the dogs can go to sun themselves and use the bathroom.. this is the yard that we have 'snake-proofed'.  We purchased 25 feet of 19 gauge hardware cloth from Home Depot and zip-tied it to our areas of chain link fence.  The 19 gauge is small enough to not allow adult snakes in.  To guarantee that even the smallest baby snakes can't get through, you will want a higher gauge (smaller openings) around 25 gauge or so. 

For any cracks under gates, etc you'll need to close off those openings as well.  We purchased pool noodles and slice out a small amount of the noodle to slide it into place.  Now, you're not going to win any pretty yard contests, but at least the noodles can be removed at the end of snake season and replaced next spring.

Now if you are in town and most likely have the typical 6' concrete block fence.. they are always blocks at the bottom of the fence with drainage holes.. snakes can get through there too!  You can put hardware cloth in the openings too, so water can still pass through but snakes can't!

Homemade Outdoor Dog Beds

by Linnea on 02/14/13

I had been wanting to make our own pvc dog beds for the doggy yard since they tend to lay in the dirt while sunning themselves.  For the size of bed I wanted, purchasing them online usually costs about $70 .. for a yard of fabric and pvc?? No thanks!

You can purchase pvc at Home Depot or Lowes and depending on the thickness, you can get 10' for around $8-$10.  But the local stores didn't have the elbow fittings I needed for the size of pvc I wanted - I wanted at least 1 1/2" to support our larger doggies.  The stores should be able to cut it for you too.

The fabric I bought online from FabricGuru.com .. under the outdoor fabric section.  I bought 2 yards (enough for 2 large beds) and with shipping, it was about $24 - my only cost for the project!  I decided to use 2x4's, which we already had some old ones laying around - so no extra cost there.  I cut the wood myself and my husband helped me drill the frame together.  I then nailed the fabric on as tightly as possible.  The fabric will stretch over time and it's important to use outdoor fabric.  I can't say for sure how much weight it'll hold .. Sarge is 65lbs which seems ok, but Butkus is 120 lbs and this particular bed I made probably won't hold him ... at least as he steps on it ... just laying on it with the weight dispersed might be ok.

If you want to use pvc, here are some great instructions! 

But be prepared.. after all that hard work on the new doggy bed .. it may take some time for your dogs to learn its OK to lay on it, and not in the dirt!!

Proper Crate Training

by Linnea on 01/29/13

I'm more medically and nutritionally minded so when I need training advice, I go to my friend Kiersten who was the head trainer at PetSmart.  We both believe in positive reinforcement training so I value her advice above those who use forceful methods.  I asked her to write an article on the importance of crate training and how to properly train your dog to enjoy spending time in their crate....

Having a new dog or puppy in the home brings more joy than one can explain. 

It takes patience and consistency. Teaching a dog to love its crate should be a positive lesson/thing. So, why not start from the beginning? Remember, for older or previously trained dogs, you can start again. Yes, old dogs DO learn new tricks.

       Starting with a crate that will fit the dog as an adult is the best bet. Finding one that has a divider is ideal if you have a puppy. The divider will be able to be moved as the puppy grows. The dog should have stand up and turn around room only. Any more room than that, the dog will potty on one side and sleep on the other.

       Getting your dog accustomed to the crate should start off slow. Throw a couple of Linnea's really high value protein treats in the crate for your dog to find. When you see your dog go in the crate on its own, put more treats in there. Kinda like a jackpot.  Verbally praising your dog when it goes in the crate will help. Kongs or Nylabones are pretty much the only other thing recommended to go in the crate. If your dog chews, happy little chemicals are released and should help the dog calm down, curl up and fall asleep. You can start closing the door a few minutes at a time. Then, gradually increase the amount of time. Four minutes. Five minutes. And so on. Then, increase it to where you can get in the car and drive around the block.

       Dogs are denning animals. It is natural for your dog to have a cubby cozy place. Keeping the crate door open while you are home gives the dog somewhere to go for rest or quiet. Somewhere safe to go when there is company visiting or to get away from the rest of the family.

       The amount of time a dog can be in a crate depends on how old your dog is. Ideally a puppy should not be in a crate any longer than how many months old it is. Three months old should only be in the crate three hours. And that is just an example. Bringing a puppy or adult dog home on a weekend and by Monday expecting it to be crate trained probably won’t work. For people who are gone all day at work, letting your adult dog out at lunch is great. That is when getting a dog walker would come in real handy. Especially the days when you know you will be gone longer than normal.

       So, your dog should always think of the crate as something really good. This means that there aren't any time-outs in the crate. The only time out the dog should go in the crate for is if the HUMAN needs a time-out.

       I have a multi dog household. I feed my dogs in their crates. They are contained when they are done and not free to roam and potty in my house. They also associate their dinner and crate as a good thing.  I know how much each dog is eating. They aren't arguing about food. They are safe to eat without children in the house pestering them. They aren't going to be stolen from my back yard or get out during a storm. They aren't chewing up my sun glasses or electrical cords.  A good pet parent knows exactly what their pet is doing every single moment of the day.  

       Think about what your dog is doing before you let it out of the crate. Is it barking? Then, it will bark to be let out. Is it pawing at the crate door? Then, it will try that next time it wants to get out. It will also try it other places too. Like the back door to get out. Same thing with whining. These are all behaviors that can create separation anxiety like behaviors. When you come home, come calmly through the door. None of this, "HIBABYHOWAREYOUMOMMADADDYMISSEDYOUSOMUCH!"  type of chaos. That all creates puppy like behavior. We are acting like puppies! How confusing is that?

       Remember to reinforce the behavior you like. If you hear a "WOOF!" And you respond with a yell back. You just reinforced an unwanted behavior. Negative attention is still attention.

       Exercise and consistent positive training are key to teaching any dog.

Take a Minute, Thank a Tech

by Linnea on 01/06/13

Quite often, I'm asked why I decided to stop being a vet tech... which is always surprising to me.  Most people don't know this is a very high turn-over rate for techs and it's rare to meet a career tech.  It's a stressful, highly demanding job with such hazards as animal bites, bruises, cat scratches and it's share of xray exposure.  Many people don't understand that techs are the equivilent to nurses, every type of nurse combined.  Techs are your exam room nurse, your pharmacy technician, your anesthesiologist, your radiology technician, your phlebotomist, your recovery room nurse, your ER nurse, your dental hygeniest, your pediatric nurse, your hospice caretaker .. and so on and so on.  Techs are taught to do it ALL.  Then throw in a workforce of typically 95% women, 5 seconds to eat lunch, and crossing your legs because you're too busy for a bathroom break.  While a tech is taking care of a cat in kidney failure, they're wondering about the health of their own kidneys, counting the hours since the last time they were able to use the bathroom.

After leaving my position at my second hospital - where I was in charge of the nursing team, I decided I wasn't going to go back to being a tech.  I took my internship at the zoo, then became a hydrotherapy associate.  It was when I was planning my move to Arizona that I needed a job to pay the bills, so I took another position being in charge of my new hospital's medical team again.  I left that job when I was offered a job at a hospital where hour lunches were relatively mandatory, there was a couch in the break room and the hospital was decorated in relaxing earth tones :) A year later, I got married and moved to Cochise county.  It was time to be my own boss and start to focus on preventing illness and disease .. thus Panting Pooches was born.  But I want to shine some light on the stresses of being a vet tech and some of the animals that will forever be in my memory ...

Vet techs get the unpleasant duty of going over an estimate ... and the higher the amount, the more nervous they are.  People see dollar signs without understanding the medical care their pet would be receiving.  When we took Butkus to the doggy ER for his snake bite, the tech breathed a sigh of relief when I instantly signed the $1,700-$2,700 bill without so much as a complaint.  I explained to her "I teched for 7 years... I understand".  Techs often receive the brunt of everything .. client woes and painful patients..

The only dog bite I ever received was from the sweetest dog who was in and out of seizures all day long despite medications.  I was trying to give him his medication rolled in a ball of canned food, when he seizured up and clamped down on my finger, slicing the tissues down the middle.  His name was Bruno, some kind of St Bernard mix and the poor guy moaned through out the day, as he didn't understand why his body was failing him.  His family painfully decided to end his pain the next day.

One day in Tucson, a woman brought her GSD puppy in for humane euthanasia.  The puppy was born disformed with an incomplete spine.  The woman was afraid that her husband was going to find his own way to get rid of the puppy due to the inconvenience.  I'm not a crying person but we shed tears together in that exam room over a 4 week old puppy.

A geriatric doberman found itself in one of my hospitals on a saturday morning ... he was severely ill with an enlarged abdomen .. upon ultrasound we found his abdomen was full of fluid and his bloodwork levels were all over the charts.  The owner could not make up his mind whether he wanted to transport to the ER (as our hospital was supposed to close at 1pm), run more tests, or euthanize.  He paced back and forth and even left the hospital for a few hours when we advised him not to.  As he was gone, I lay on the floor of our radiology suite with this dogs head in my lap.  The moment the owner stepped back into the hosptal, I watched this dog take it's last breath.  The doctor and I immediately started CPR all while trying to inform the client what was happening.  The doberman died in my arms because his owner couldn't make a decision one way or another.  I couldn't look at that owner another minute .. and had to cool off outside.

Vet Teching is very emotionally demanding and incredibly difficult when you become attached to patients, in the way I was.  I hated to see them suffer and often times having to explain to clients that they are often the reason their pet is now in the hospital, due to negligence or mere irresponsibility.  The hours are long, the pay is so-so and the anxiety can be too much to bear sometimes. While I owe so much to my years of experience, I know that my specialty is in prevention.  Healthy pets live longer lives!  I take my pet nutrition very very seriously and to Zoey's dismay, I'm constantly telling my pooches 'no fatties in this house!'

So the next time you're at your animal hospital, thank a tech.  They deserve it.

What it Means When Your Petsitter is Insured & Bonded

by Linnea on 01/02/13

There are a lot of pet sitters out there ... A LOT.  In larger cities, pet sitters are a dime a dozen and the good ones will only offer services in a small service area due to population numbers.  It is easy to get overwhelmed with the possibilities of pet sitters.  There are a lot of sitters who do it on the side, around the timeframe of their full-time job and there are sitters like me, where pet sitting and dog walking is all I do.  Though, just because a pet sitter does it full-time, doesn't mean they have insurance or bonding ... So what is the advantage of hiring an insured and bonded pet sitter

There are different pet sitting insurance companies out there and each has different levels of coverage.  Panting Pooches pays an annual membership fee for insurance as well as another fee for additional property coverage.  This insurance and property damage coverage is there to protect YOU... You, your pets and your home. 

Bonding means that if a client believes a pet sitter was responsible for a theft in the home, the client would be covered financially by the bond.

There is no such thing as a pet sitting license ... simply a business license obtained from the government where required (with-in city limits).

There ya have it, in a very small and hopefully easy to understand nutshell =P

*After I typed this up, I came across this article on pet sitting insurance claims ... this will help you understand how insurance protects everyone... Click Here for the article.

Yellow Dogs

by Linnea on 12/13/12

There is a movement across the world (yes, it's in many other countries too) called The Yellow Dog Project.  This is a way to signal other people that your dog is not to be approached.  It can be for many different reasons: dogs who are scared of strangers, dogs who are dog-reactive, service dogs who need to focus on their person, ill dogs.. or maybe you just don't want people approaching you and your dog out on a walk!  

Yellow is the color that people are using to signal this need for space.  Generally, people have been using yellow ribbons attached to the leash, but in my opinion ribbons are not visible enough and can get ruined easily or torn off.

My plan was to create durable yellow leashes made entirely out of paracord, but I realized I would need tremendous amounts of cord for a 5' leash.  I then came up with this leash addition.

Weaving paracord onto leashes makes it extremely durable and highly visible.  It would be a semi-permanent addition to your leash.  It's going to stay on until you cut it off basically.

This movement is important to me as I'm out in many neighborhoods walking dogs and I've been approached by neighbors while walking dogs even when I've communicated that this particular dog needs space.  Not all dogs are super friendly in every situation.  And again, some are service/therapy dogs that have a job to do .. to help their person. 

I tried to come up with a slip-on option, but with paracord it's simply not possible.  If you are local, I only need your leash(es) for 10 minutes each.  I can weave on your yellow marker for only $5.

Desert Dangers: Valley Fever

by Linnea on 11/10/12

There's a hidden danger lurking the dirt/sand of southern Arizona.. the nickname for it is Valley Fever, but it's real name is Coccidioidomycosis - which doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.   Valley Fever (VF) is a fungal infection caused by the spores of Coccidioides immitis.  It is specific to the southwest, with the highest number of occurences in southern Arizona - lucky us!  It is not species specific, but luckily it is also not contagious - you cannot get it from anyone and cannot be passed between pets.

So this fungus hangs out in the ground and dogs can theoretically become infected quite easily since their noses are always to the ground smelling, and digging little holes here and there.  With our windy days and dust storms, the spores are carried up into the air making it even easier to inhale the spores.

So what does VF do?  Well, in most cases pets are asymptomatic and their immune systems are able to fight it off.  Most often, spores are inhaled so the most frequent symptom is coughing as the fungus starts to live in the lungs.  If the fungus has a chance to spread, it goes into the bones (below pic) causing limping.  In rare causes, the spores enter through a wound and will cause a skin infection.  Once infected and symptomatic, the infection will only get worse and worse, so it is imperative that it gets treated right away.

What does treatment entail?  Fluconazole ... months and months of fluconazole.  Vets will perform a titer test, which tells you just how severe the infection is.  Titer's should be repeated at least every 3 months to monitor the progression.  A good vet will highly recommend monitoring bloodwork to keep an eye on liver enzymes, as long-term use of fluconazole can damage the liver.  Now ... there are supplements that can help boost the immune system and speed up recovery.  My former vet hospital really recommended supplements and I've seen how much of an improvement they can make in recovery time.  If your pet has VF, talk to your vet about what sorts of supplements can help.  In case you're wondering, the supplements we used were: Immune Assist , Pet Antioxidant Formula , Cell Support, 

How can you prevent VF?  You can't really.  When I moved to AZ three years ago, a tech told me it's almost guaranteed my dogs would get VF.  All you can do is to keep them inside as much as possible during really windy days, discourage digging in the ground, and to do your very best to maintain healthy immune systems.  I remember a dog who went into liver failure just because of being on the medication and unfortunately, fluconazole is the only anti-fungal that really has a chance of getting rid of VF.  I met a lady, a nurse actually, who had gotten VF herself and it knocked her down so much she was unable to work for 9 months. 

If you want to read up and familiarize yourself with VF, the UofA actually has a Valley Fever Center for Excellence.  Here is their webpage for VF in dogs.  There is even an annual walk in Tucson to raise money and awareness for the disease.  Please learn about the symptoms and contact your vet if you think your pet has symptoms.

Panting Pooches - On Call Peace of Mind

by Linnea on 10/29/12

I've been trying to come up with a clever way of stating that I don't just do dog walks and pet-sitting while people are vacationing.. but clever isn't always best.  Sometimes you just gotta come out with it, so here goes.

Generally, I have two types of clients: 1) Those who call me up as they're planning their vacation, and 2) Those who I call my 'standing orders'.  My 'standing order' clients are those who give me a housekey to keep.  Their pets usually have a routine schedule (M-F visits, once a week visits.. etc).  Although, I do have a handful of pet owners who have me keep a house key, and then all they have to do is give me a schedule for that month, or even just call me the night before. While their pet's don't require daily visits, this way, they know I can come check on their pet's last minute, if need be.

Often, with my 'standing order' pets, because I have an extra house key, I've been able to help out with matters unrelated to their pets.  Locked out? Give me a call, I'll be right over.  I've been able to help clients out by letting in a repair man, if they couldn't get there in time.  I've even checked on leaky pipes during the day.  I even did a rental walk-through for a client, as she was deploying overseas.

Some of my visits are for pets with separation anxiety, some are for potty training puppies, some are to run dogs to help get the wiggles out, and one of them was simply to help the dog learn how to walk properly on a leash.  I even had a client who paid me to take a training class with her, so that she could work with one dog and I could work with the other!

I've been working with companion pets professionally since 2005, but I just started pet-sitting professionally this past year.  But prior to starting this endeavor, I made up my mind early on, that my mantra would be 'to not be a busy pet sitter, but to be an effective one'.  I've turned down many great marketing opportunities because I'd rather be heard of by way-of-mouth.  If every Joe Schmo who saw an advertisement called me to pet sit for them, I'd be way too busy to care for your beloved pets properly.  Quite honestly, I have no desire to be busy!  I want to be dependable, trustworthy, professional and courteous.  I am there when you need someone to help you out!

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

by Linnea on 09/29/12

Pumpkin is a powerful tool for helping the little tummies of cats and dogs.  I call it 'nature's pepto bismal' and it is a widely recommended 'tool' of the veterinary world for it's ability to resolve diahrrea as well as constipation!  It's therefore considered a perfect GI 'balancer'.  If your pet gets loose stools, instead of turning to chicken and rice, consider browned ground turkey, baked (plain) sweet potato and some pumpkin!  Much healthier options and still very bland and easy on the tummy.

First, the best pumpkins to use for puree are pie pumpkins because of their consistency, but even a large carving pumpkin would work. Note: each pie pumpkin makes roughly 3 cups of puree.

• Cut the tops off each pumpkin as you would like a carving (jack-o-lantern) pumpkin. Then cut the pumpkin into 2 halves down the middle so you have 2 equal looking halves.   Preheat oven to 350*F.
• Gut the pumpkin as best you can, removing all seeds and pulp.  Then with the two clean halves, go ahead and cut each of those into half again (now have 4 equal quarters).  Place each quarter, skin side down on a baking sheet and bake for approx 50 minutes or until each piece is fork tender. Remove from oven and when cool, remove the skin (this will be very easy to do now).
• Chop the pumpkin into small cubes and add to your blender/food processor.  You may need to add a little water to help with the puree process. Puree to a very smooth consistency. Then store as desired.  I like to pour the puree into quart sized bags, then smooth them and lay them flat in the freezer.  In the freezer, your pumpkin will last months and months! (I'm still using pumpkin from last fall!)

Activities for a Rainy Day

by Linnea on 09/12/12

Now that Fall and Winter are coming, some yucky weather will be coming with it.  Here in the southwest, our winters are often damp, making it muddy outside.  Our northern neighbors have to deal with inches of snow and sub-zero temps.  Some of us have dogs that aren't too fond of below 70's temperatures.  So I try to come up with indoor activities to keep everyone from getting cabin-fever...

*Puzzle Toys - These are particularly useful for food motivated dogs (not all are!)  There are lots of different options out there.. Nina Ottosson makes top of the line puzzle toys, they are also the most expensive.  I'm a fan of Kyjen puzzles, we have the 'paw flapper' puzzle at home.  Something to consider .. if you trust your dog with removable parts, or if you should stick with puzzles with hinges.

*Interactive toys - Similar to puzzle toys, but these tend to make your pooch move about the room to get their treats/kibble.  We have the Kong wobbler in our house.  Our buddy Butkus has lots of fun carrying it from room to room and batting at it with his giant paws.  Unlike the typical Kong toys, the wobbler is made of a durable hard plastic.  We also have a ToysRUs Treat Ball which is actually quiet tricky to get treats out, but not a great option for heavy chewers.  There is of course, the ever popular traditional Kong toys.  Each of our 4 dogs has their own distinct Kong toy - different shapes, sizes, colors to help prevent confusion.  I take my Kong-making to the next level.. I add a little bit of kibble first, then some healthy canned dog food, then sometimes frozen yogurt ice cubes or a bit of peanut butter, then freeze them.  Freezing them helps keep pooches cool on hot days, but it also freezes the yummy contents, making it more difficult to finish quickly.  For some recipes to use inside traditional rubber Kongs, click here.

*Indoor activities:  I have to admit, I play hide and seek with my dogs on occasion.  It's always me doing the hiding, but they have great fun trying to find me when I duck behind an open door and squeeze between the door and the wall and whistle if they have trouble finding me.  Sometimes I'm in a closet and sometimes I'm in a cabinet, yes I can fit into kitchen cabinets.. my husband can vouch for this.  I sometimes will also hide kibble around the house, forcing the dogs to 'hunt' for food the old fashioned way, with their noses. And they LOVE it!  My husband has also been caught running up and down the stairs with the dogs in hot pursuit.  Great cardio for everyone.

If your pets partake in the taste-testing activities, factor in these additional treats with their overall caloric intake.  Keep those pooches slim!  But most of all, keep their minds engaged.  Bored, under-exercised dogs become destructive dogs.

Our Date With a Rattlesnake

Most of you know, our God-doggy Butkus was bit by a rattlesnake this week.  It's been my worst fear since moving to AZ 3 years ago. My husband had already gone through a rattlesnake bite with one of his dogs years ago (when we were still dating), so he was a little (okay a lot) less frantic than I, that night.  But for those who haven't gone through the ordeal yet, I figured I would chronicle our process to help you prepare in case the dreaded deed ever happens to your pets (kitties included).

About 7:30pm, my husband and I returned home from dinner and let the dogs outside to go use the bathroom, around 7:45pm he went to let them in and found Butkus throwing a baby snake up in the air, playing with it.  Turns out it was a (now dead) baby western diamondback rattler - very small, about 8" long.  I closely inspected all the dogs faces, as that's where they are almost always bitten.  Butkus was the only one with a slobbery mouth with dirt.  After a few more minutes, I inspected them again, looking under their chins, flipping their lips up and looking inside.  Sure enough, Butkus had a tiny little puncture that oozed clear fluid when squeezed - within a few minutes, localized swelling around the puncture started to occur.  It was almost 8pm at that time.  All of our local animal hospital were closed so my husband and I headed to Tucson with extra blankets (for the excessive drool to come) and a headlamp (to visually monitor the swelling progress while we were in the car).  I called the animal ER in Tucson to let them know we were coming and when to expect us.

Upon arriving at the ER, a tech quickly came out to ask questions and whisk Butkus away to take vitals.  It was a busy night so we had to wait around 90 minutes to meet the doctor.  They ran a test to confirm Butkus had venom in his system (25-33% of snake bites are 'dry' .. meaning no venom) and sure enough he did, so we left him there for the night with the authorization to do everything/anything needed.  The following morning, I spoke with the Doctor on the phone who said he was doing so well clinically, he was safe to go home (after only being there 12 hours) and I was on my way to pick him up.

So important things to know if you ever find yourself and your furry loved ones in this situation: 

*Do your best to find out what kind of venomous snake it was.  In our area, the western diamondback seems to be the most prevalent biter, but we also have the green mojave's which have a different type of venom.  A mojave snake bite is EXTREMELY urgent as they also contain neurotoxins which makes it the most deadly of the North American snakes.

*Get your pet to the hospital as soon as possible! And call them to let them know you're on your way, so they can prepare.

*Try to prepare yourself for the estimate.  A bottle of anti-venom is around $800.  Then there are hospitalization costs (this is pretty much covering the cost of a tech being available to your pet at all times, and monitoring vitals throughout the night). Then there are IV fluids which need to be administered throughout the stay, as well as bloodwork to monitor platelet counts and blood clotting times throughout the hospitalization. As well as pain medications.  I always tell people to prepare for a $2,000 bill. Sometimes more, and seldomly less.

*Once discharged and sent home, your pet will be put on antibiotics (because snake fangs aren't the cleanest things in the world) and oral pain medications.  Swelling from the bite/venom will go down in time.  Your pet will continue to be at a 'bleeding' risk for a few days.  In some cases, skin around the bite site will start to slough off days to weeks after the bite, but new healthy skin will start to come in again.

*To help prevent this from ever happening, recruit a reputable snake avoidance trainer and make sure they do the three-fold training: scent training, silent rattlesnake training, and audible rattlesnake training. This is important as not all rattlers actually 'rattle', but just sit their quietly with no audible cue that they may strike.

 

Pet Sitting is NOT a Glamorous Job

Contrary to what many believe, working with animals is not all candy canes and lollipops.  They're not all puppies & kittens, and some pets could care less if you're there.  I think this often as I'm picking up mounds of dog poop, spewed hairballs, scooping really stinky kitty litter, and the occasional pile of grass that a dog vomited up.  Yummy..

I started working with animals (professionally) when I was 20, as a vet tech assistant.  I started with laundry, cleaning kennels and rooms.  Poop and pee - lots of it.  Of course I stuck around long enough to become an actual veterinary technician and upgraded to working with blood, flakes of dental tartar, abscesses, open wounds and more!  As a technician, I've had multiple cat scratches up my arms, bruises from large dogs, and 2 very minor dog bites. This is a large cause of the high turn-over rate for technicians.

But as a professional who strives to give peace of mind, I'm always cleaning up after the pets.  Cleaning up kitty vomit and thrown up hairballs, picking up doggy poop - sometimes big sometimes small, even getting completely covered in dog hair when they're blowing their coats.  I've even gotten a few thorns in the feet while walking dogs near mesquite.  I joke that I'm also a professional thorn/burr picker, dogs are always so appreciative when I gently lift their paw up and pull out whatever foreign body is bothering them.

But to me, it's worth it. Dogs and cats are what I know and helping vacationing families feel comfortable is a priority of mine.