Category : Dog Health

Keeping Your Dog Young

Did you know that dogs can suffer from dementia commonly called canine cognitive dysfunction and other mental signs of aging just like people can?  Knowing is only half of the battle, the other half is doing everything in your power to keep your dog young, mentally and physically for as long as possible!

Understanding Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

Like Alzheimer’s the causes of CCD are unknown, but physical evidence shows degenerative brain lesions and plaque in the brain. Dogs suffering from this disorder usually suffer from confusion and disorientation.  They might:

• Get lost in a familiar place like the hallway, behind a door, outside, or other places in their regular environment.
• Lose their house training skills
• Vocalize, cry, whine and/or bark excessively and inappropriately
• Pace and show other signs of restlessness
• Engage in repetitive or obsessive behaviors
• Stare blankly
• Seemingly forget friends and family and stop seeking attention or affection Read the rest of this entry »

My Dog Just Had A Seizure

 

I have insomnia lately.  I am not sure why, but I think it is heat related; pair that with the fact that my husband works at night and is up extremely late on the weekend and my desire to spend time with him, means I have been up till 4 or 5 in the morning each night.

It was a blessing that I was unable to sleep last night; otherwise I could have slept right through it.  At about 3 o’clock in the morning, this morning my 11 year old dog (who sleeps on the bed) sat up, his body got stiff, his tongue dropped out of his mouth, he started drooling, his head bobbed to the side and his eyes and pupils shook up and down.  He was suffering from his first ever seizure.

Automatically, thanks to my veterinary technician background, I recognized the signs and told my husband, who also acknowledged trouble, that he was seizing.  With calmness of mind, I asked him to press his stop watch and time the seizure and to also get up and turn on the light so I could see well and monitor his condition.  His seizure lasted for about 2 and a half minutes.  Most seizures last less than 2 minutes.

Thankfully I am good in an emergency and able to keep a cool head.  At one point I considered and began the process to becoming a police officer, but I enjoyed working with animals too much to give that up.  Once his seizure was over, he seemed normal laid back down and went to sleep.  That is when I lost all control. Read the rest of this entry »

A Skill That Could Save Your Dog’s Life; Leave It!

In my humble opinion, the “Leave It” command is one of the most important things you can teach your dog!  There are just some commands that may someday be invaluable in saving your dog’s life.  Coming when called and leaving things on command could potentially be lifesaving.

Imagine you are standing in the kitchen getting your morning prescription medications together for the day, when you drop a couple of pills.  What happens if your dog is typically a “Hoover” (floor vacuum-er)?  Most human medications can be fatal for your pet.  Even Tylenol is lethal for dogs and cats.  That moment of panic when pills spill on the floor can be lessened if you teach your dog the “Leave It” command.

When I was training Service Dogs with an organization in Denver, CO I was told “Leave It” meant; do not touch, eat, or even look at the object and that definition has stuck with me.  I think some people think it’s okay to at least look at a “Leave It” object but I think that can add difficulty to an already difficult proposal.

A “Leave It” means to completely ignore whatever the item or distraction is from a pill or a hot dog dropped on the floor, to a skateboarder flying past; Leave It means LEAVE IT! Read the rest of this entry »

HELP! For Your Dog’s Carsickness

Your driving down the road with your dog, headed to the park or to the vet when you hear the undeniable sound of retching coming from the back seat.  You turn around to watch your dog regurgitate his morning meal and the biscuit you gave him before you started out!  Carsickness is disturbing for both dog and owner!

Why Do Dogs Get Carsick?

Most often young dogs and puppies are the ones that suffer from carsickness.  The reason is that the ear structure used for balance is not fully developed in pups and young dogs.  Although most dogs outgrow carsickness, not all of them do!

What Are The Signs?

Although dogs don’t turn green, like humans sometimes do, they do show other signs of carsickness and getting ready to vomit.

• Whining
• Yawning (a common sign of stress in dogs)
• Drooling
• Inactivity
• And, most often just prior to vomiting they pull  their lips up into what almost resembles a smile Read the rest of this entry »

Top 5 Strategies to Help Alleviate Your Dog’s Shedding

Ahh spring has arrived, and so have the little furry bunnies that scurry across my hard wood floors and augment in size as the minutes progress.  I guess that is what I get for having 3 hairy dogs and one hairy cat in my house all of the time!

Spring and fall bring a kind of molting period for 2 of my dogs.  They resemble wooly buffalos as their fur cascades slowly down their bodies.  If I am quick I can grab a handful of fur as they fly past me galloping and playing with one another.

I hate to say I am a neat freak, because I don’t think anyone with multiple animals really can be, but I am as close as you can get for someone with a pack of pets.  I hate fur in my eyes, up my nose and swirling about my floor.  I do my best to vacuum daily to keep dirt and fur at bay, but during shedding season sometimes daily is not enough!

There are a few tricks of the trade to help keep the fur and dirt at bay, at least for a while! Read the rest of this entry »

Animal Hoarding; How Many is Too Many?

I have to admit watching Confessions: Animal Hoarding is difficult if not impossible for me, but I was also a Psychology Major in College and the interworking of the human mind is intriguing.  I wonder how things can go so far so quickly, and how the people in these situations let things get so out of hand.

I almost didn’t write this article just letting the information and my hypothesis swirl around in my psyche was almost enough, but truth be told in some aspects I see myself in some of these people.  Most of them just want to save animals and some of them work several jobs to try and pay for

At one point, I had 6 cats and more than 5 dogs living in a house that was less than 1,000 square feet.  So it poses the question, “How many is too many”?

All of my cats adopted me!  I think when I turned 19 my ex-husband got one of our kittens from the Humane Society, but all the others seemed to wander in and adopted me as their own.

As for the dogs, only 3 of them were mine!  The other dogs were in the process of being trained and placed as Service Dogs for adults and children with disabilities.

But none the less, I wonder if I fit into this group to some degree at some point in my life? Read the rest of this entry »

The 10 Things to Do When Searching for a New Vet

I hate moving; actually HATE is not a strong enough word for my loathing of the event!  Not only is packing, cleaning and unpacking despicable but I dread searching for a new veterinarian!

I am what is referred to as a “high maintenance client” in the vet world.  I know that because I have spent so many years being a veterinary technician.  I am blessed to have been trained by some of the best vets in the business, and I “know” too much about the inner workings of a vet clinic.  I have heard about and have witnessed some horror stories by vets that were lacking the skills they needed.

And, the last thing I need is to wait until an emergency to find a good vet.  I believe in building a relationship, so that my vet understands my views and wishes when it comes to the care of my furry children.  I also desire a vet who respects my opinions and knowledge when it comes to the veterinary world, and is not threatened by it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Heartworm Disease Exposed

I do my best to read through the comments and address the concerns of the readers as I become aware of them.  Often times, many people have the same concerns and also quite often previous blogs have been written that discuss these topics!  Be sure to scroll through our blog to find other good information when you are in need.  Sometimes I will rewrite articles on the same subject, but I want to keep things new and current.  Recently pleaded with, to write an article on Heartworm Disease and I could feel the sincerity!  So, in order to help save the lives of more dogs, please read on!

Heartworm is a parasitic round worm (a thread like filarids) that is spread from host to host (dog to dog) through the bites of mosquitoes.  The disease spreads by mosquitoes that become infected when they bite an infected dog.  While in the mosquito, the microfilaria mature into the infective larvae stage.   When the mosquito then bites another animal, the larvae are deposited and migrate to the new host.  The worms live in the arteries, the lungs and occasionally in the right side of the heart.

People in colder climates become complacent because heartworm disease may not be as prevalent, however, dogs move with their families all over the country…there may be someone in your neighborhood with a dog that just moved from the South and the dog maybe positive for heartworms and a carrier for the disease. Read the rest of this entry »

Trusting Your Instincts Regarding Your Dog’s Health

I have been a vet tech on and off for over ten years!  Living a lifestyle of watching animals healthy and sick come and go is a very educating and humbling experience.   I have been blessed to work with several excellent veterinarians who were happy to teach us vet techs as interesting or sad cases came through our doors.

But, the most important thing I have learned is to trust your instincts when it comes to the health and care of your animals.

Many people feel as if something is wrong, but they don’t trust their judgment or their first assessment, they convince themselves that nothing is really wrong or that they are silly for worrying about something that seems trivial.

I had the opportunity to work at a prominent veterinary clinic in Denver, Colorado for several years and the vet that owned the clinic was and still is absolutely a phenomenal veterinarian.  Her dog had vomited once, one morning so she had brought him to work with her.  During a break between clients we were able to get some x-rays and they revealed cancer.   Because she trusted her instincts and brought him in, she was able to treat him with chemo therapy and radiation and was able to get a little over a year with him because of treatment.  If she had waited until more serious signs had appeared it might have been too late to make a difference.

Read the rest of this entry »

Pets Mourn too

As I warmed up the car yesterday morning, it was a time to reflect on all things good in our very warm and caring relationship.  The night before I had noticed that my Mr. Snitch’s bone cancer had gotten to the point of no return and his foot was starting to die and become more painful.  I knew it was time, time for me to let go and say goodbye.

I scooped him up (all 70 pounds of him) and laid him down in the bed next to me and I held him and hugged him and cried and kissed his fur.  I know he patiently waited for me to drift off to sleep that night, he always hated laying in the bed and so when morning came he greeted me from his dog bed, his usual spot.

The pain had gotten bad but his thrill for eating could never be decreased so I let him share one more meal with his siblings and then we were off to Bojangles © for their famous chicken biscuits.  I have never been one to feed my dog human food, but I always make a special accommodation on their last day.

I was really proud of myself, I held it together while I ordered our breakfast knowing it would be our last meal together, until I got to the window and the young girl asked if my dog would like a treat.  With tears streaming down my face I thanked her and knew Mr. Snitch would never look a doggy biscuit in the eye either!

Read the rest of this entry »