Pet Meds

Pets & Thanksgiving Treats

Everybody loves Thanksgiving - including the pets in our lives.  I know my three girls (two Dachshunds and one cat) love the little “extras” that happen to fall to the floor during the cooking frenzy associated with preparing this huge meal.  They also look forward to getting their share of turkey scraps and other goodies.  As cute as they are - begging for food with those pleading little eyes that say “I wants some too! Hey, look at me - see how cute I am!”  try and restrain yourself from overindulging your furry little friends. 

Do I practice what I preach here?  I must admit - No, not always. But I am careful about “what” I give them and how much. My girls will get a few turkey scraps - but I won’t give them anything else, besides their normal food of course
Many animals react to eating foods they are not accustomed to with upset tummies and diarrhea. And we all know there is nothing worse than a pet with diarrhea!  Please whatever you do - do NOT give your dogs or cats the turkey carcass for them to “feast on”.  Even if you watch them closely, all it takes is ONE sliver of bone to pierce their delicate insides and cause all kinds of pain, damage and even death.  In some cases, a well meaning guest can actually posion your pet by feeding him something toxic and not even realizing it!!! 

Click here to see a list of common foods that are harmful or even fatal to dogs:
http://www.petmeds-plus.com/chat/viewtopic.php?t=265

Not to go into gloom and doom here - but I would rather educate someone now then have them live in guilt the rest of their lives if God forbid something happened to their pet that could have been completely avoidabed. With all the “well meaning” people who may want to slip your pet a bite of this or that, just imagine what kinds of foods he could get his paws on if “everyone” decided to give him a little treat. It’s best to tell your guests not to feed your pet anything at all. 

So from our household to yours - have a very Healthy & Happy  Thanksgiving!

Is Your Dog Afraid of Thunder & Lightening Storms?

Well if he or she is… they are certainly not alone!  Many people have animals or know people who do — that are deathly afraid of lightening and thunderstorms.  And unfortunately many people believe that there is no reason for this fear other than that the animal is just being a “big baby” when a storm brews up. 

Nothing could be further from the truth! 

Research has shown that many animals can actually “feel” the static electricity in the atmosphere.  You all know how keen a dog’s sense of smell is  — it’s a zillion times better than a humans right?   Keeping that in mind, it has been proven that some animals have a similar sensitivity to this static electricity and it is that “feeling” that scares them and makes them uncomfortable. 

Sure, many animals do not like loud noises, etc.  My “girls” (The Wee Weiner Dogs) do not particularly care for fireworks of any kind.  But the girls don’t seem to mind a nice thunder and lightening storm at all.  I am very fortunate in this respect!

However, I have one friend who’s dog is so deathly afraid of the noise of the storms he would find her (Lab Mix) terrified and hiding in the closet.  Another friend of mine has to be with her dog (Boxer) comforting him through the entire storm or he is so fearful she thinks he may harm himself.  (((Poor Doggies!!!))) 

So — what do you do to help them over their fear of storms?

Well, one thing that the study showed was that it helps immensely if you rub your animal’s fur thoroughly with a dryer sheet the minute you know a storm is coming.  Yes, the very same dryer sheets you use for your laundry.  It will remove any static electricity in their fur and keep them from actually “feeling” the affects of the storm. 

If you happen to live in a part of the country where storms brew often like I do — (Florida is the lightening capital of the world!) — make the dryer sheet rub down a regular regime with your dog.  And keep in mind an animal can sense bad weather long before the storm is near… so keep a watchful eye on your local weather channel and prepare accordingly - especially if you are not likely to be home with your furry buddy when the storm hits.

Your animal has a lifetime of anxiety and fear built up & they will need patience on YOUR part help them get over it.  All they know is that a storm is coming — and the noise of one may still upset them because they know what to expect when they hear these noises.

And for heaven’s sake… don’t just use a dryer sheet one time and go “well that didn’t work”.  Some pets may always continue to be fearful of  storms.  BUT - at least you know that if you use the dryer sheets – your pet won’t have to FEEL the affects of the static electricity that may run through their bodies.

Hopefully this post will help someone and their animal have much better storm experiences in the future.

Is Your Dog Afraid of Thunder & Lightening Storms?

Pet Dental Cleaning

Yes, pets have teeth too!  Or in Hanna’s case (my Dachshund) — she has teeth — just 8 less than she did a few days ago.  I am very happy to report that she has had absolutely NO down time from having these 8 teeth removed.  It is absolutely incredible!  I kept waiting for the meds to wear off and have her moaning around the house — not so!  She is still gets 1/2 a pain pill (Deramaxx) and 1/2 an antibiotic pill every day and that is it. 

I am not going to put her back on hard food for a few days yet.  Although she wants her dry food — I don’t think she will be too happy with it the first time she chomps down on it and remembers her gums are a bit tender.

So, what has Hanna’s Mommy learned from all this?  Pet dental care is important.  Here are some facts I dug up to share:

Periodontal disease affects 85% of adult dogs and cats and can lead to pain, bad breath and tooth loss.  Even worse, chronic oral infection can spread harmful bacteria to other parts of the body, including the lungs, heart, liver and kidneys.  Fortunately most periodontal disease is preventable through a program of oral hygiene and regular professional care.

Here is my Doxie Hannabell — doesn’t she have a purdy smile?

pet dental cleaning

Doggie Dental Work

It’s about 8:00pm now… we picked Hanna up from the vet around 5:30pm.  As I blogged earlier today, her simple teeth cleaning procedure turned into a nightmare and they ended up having to pull eight of her teeth!  

I’m happy to report that she looked great when we went to get her!  She was happy to see us (no kidding!)… and gave Crissy the Vet Tech many kisses so I knew she was happy with her treatment.  Crissy is just awesome anyway — she pays special attention to all the animals and she just so happens to love our Doxies!  (((Crissy)))

Vet says the usual  “go easy on the food and water” tonight and tomorrow… make sure she can keep it down.  He also talks about the extractions and tells us that she will have no problems going back to eating her dry dog food in a few days or so.  I am like….. how is she going to do that with EIGHT teeth missing?  He reassures me (Geez this guy knows me so well) that Hanna still has plenty of teeth left, still has her back molars top and bottom and she will be just fine.

I of course am skeptical — because I KNOW my dog.  So, $380 later and a bag full of pain meds, antibiotics and doggie mouth rinse — we walk out the door to take Hanna home.  We are both dreading the minute that her pain meds from the surgery wear off and she begins writhing in pain.  But so far so good… she is sleeping next to my feet and seems quite content.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings and I am not looking forward to it.

Doggie Dental Work

Pet Teeth Cleaning

For the past several years my Vet has been telling me that my baby weiner dog, Hanna, should have her teeth cleaned.  My Dachshund Hanna is 6 years old… and apparently she gets tarter build up.  I had no idea this could happen to a dog - but then again — why not?  They have teeth just like we do — I’m sure they have some of the same issues we do as well.  I buy her doggie dental treats and doggie chew toys to help with the situation - but we have never brushed her teeth, much to the chagrin of our Vet of 17 years.

We finally have been digging our way out of the financial hell we have been in with all the medical bills for Jamey’s cancer and for my foot surgery — and decided it was time to take Hanna in for her long overdue teeth cleaning.  We had noticed that she was having some difficulty chewing up her ritual “after meal cookie”.  So we figured it was time.  She had no issues with eating anything else and no bad breath — so we assumed all was well

I take her to the Vet today — which for her is a traumatic experience in itself.  This little Doxie is very sensitive — to everything.  I inform them that she is having a little difficulty eating her cookies and to please make sure they give her plenty of pain meds.  Usually after a teeth cleaning Hanna is down for three days…  and she “moans” in pain!  (((Hanna)))

So when Crissy the Vet Tech wisks her away to be put back in a cage until it’s time for her teeth cleaning — I watch Hanna’s little brown eyes look at me like  “Mommy — don’t leave me here!”  Even though I had assured her all the way over there that I would be back to get her in no time.  *Sigh*

The Vet’s office called me at 11:30am to inform me Hanna was out of surgery and doing well.  I non-chalantly ask if they had any issues or removed any teeth.  I fully expected them to tell me she had at least one that was bad…. but when they told me they pulled EIGHT TEETH — I almost dropped the phone!

OMG!  My baby had to have eight teeth pullled?  What kind of Mommy was I not to know that!  My husband and I looked at each other in horror… and counted the hours down before it was time for us to go and get her.  Eight teeth… pulled — that is all I could think about!  Poor Baby Hanna!  If she was down for three days with just a cleaning - how would she be with so many teeth pulled.  I felt sick to my stomach!

Pet Teeth Cleaning

Holiday Pet Health

Tis the Season… for our beloved pets to be exposed to many harmful things that aren’t all that common during the rest of the year.  Christmas should be a time for joyful celebration — make sure your pets are save during the holiday season by being mindful of the following information:

Tree Trimings:  Tinsel & ribbon (any “string-like” items) may be pretty but they can also be deadly for curious pets who may decide to eat them.  These linear foreign objects have been known to cause some serious intestinal damage. If the entire piece object does not pass through your pet there is the potential that a piece of it may get stuck while the rest is tearing at the intestines. 

I know it is horrible to even contemplate this scenario… but this is information that every pet owner should be aware of.  In my opinion, pet owners should not decorate with tinsel — and this especially holds true for households that have puppies and kitties. I haven’t had tinsel in my home for well over 27 years.

Christmas Lights / Electrical Cords:  What can I say except that we pet owners all know how tempting it is for our dogs and cats to want to play with and chew on these things. The end result can be electrical burns or electrocution. Diligence in monitoring your pets (especially the youngsters) is the best way to ensure they stay safe.  I also tend to “go easy” on the lights and cords when we have a new pet that has not been trained to stay away from these dangers yet.

Christmas Tree Water:  No worries here as long as you do NOT put any additives in the water to help preserve your tree. 

Poinsettias & Mistletoe:  Another beautiful but potentially dangerous decoration. If you must have these items… make sure they are in a place where they can not be reached by your pets (watch those cats!).  As soon as you see the beginning signs of dieing leaves it is time to get rid of them.

And last but not least:

Holiday People Food:  We all want to share in the Christmas Season by making sure our animals get some “goodies” too.  But let’s be mindful that there are a lot of people foods that are toxic to dogs and cats.  Number one on the list is Chocolate!  Make sure that all of your Holiday guests - especially the children know that it is not OK to share any good with your pets.

Have a safe and Happy Holiday Season!

 Holiday Pet Health

Toad Poisoning Prevention

Poisonous cane toads have been seen in Tampa, Florida!  Pet owners need to make sure they take measures to prevent their animals from coming into contact with these deadly toads.  There are several ways to control the toad population in your yard. Here are some steps you can take to make sure your pets are at a minimum risk.

• Toads are most active at night - make sure your pet does not go outside at night without supervision.
• Place a 1/8″ mesh screen around the outside of your fence.  The screen should be buried 4″ into the ground (to prevent toad tunneling) and at least 20″ above the ground (to prevent toad hop overs).
• During night time hours, you can try trapping the toads by placing a 5 gallon bucket of water near a light. Toads become attracted to the bugs because of the light, they then fall into the bucket and can’t climb out.
• Eliminate as much fresh standing water in your yard as possible. Toads look for fish free water in which to breed so if you have a swimming pool make sure you turn out the pool lights and outside lights as much as possible.

Knowing the signs of toad poisoning can save your pets life.  Rush them to the vet if you see any of the following symptoms:

• Drooling and/or pawing at the mouth
• Vomiting or dry heaving
• Weakness causing collapsing
• Blue gums
• Breathing difficulties
• Seizures

If you believe your pet has been poisoned, flush out their mouth with water (don’t allow them to drink the water) and seek immediate veterinary care.

Pass this information on to your friends and family with pets — you just may save a life.

toad poisoning prevention

Poisonous Cane Toads in Florida!
As if it’s not stressful enough to make sure our beloved pooches don’t get into any poisonous plants or worse yet — anti-freeze!  Now fellow pet lovers need to watch out for poisonous creatures that may hop right into our yards!Dogs and cats love to play with anything that moves… and hopping toads are no exception.  However, Cane Toads have killed animals that have gotten the toxin into their mouths.  Although cats are less likely to fall prey to a toad it has been known to happen.  Cats will very likely vomit and show hindquarter weakness and a fixed trance-like state. 

TOAD POISONING SYMPTOMS INCLUDE: Click here to continue reading »