A friend of mine is moving and she had a good question: What do I need to take with me when traveling with my dog?
Here's a good starting list:
1. Vet Records - if you are moving, definately have a copy on hand. Make sure it includes your dog's pertinent medical history, not just a list of the last vaccines given. If your dog needs medical attention, having a copy in hand will be very helpful and could save precious time.
2. Medications - Keep a supply of whatever medications your dog is using on hand. This includes any heartworm and flea preventives, anti-inflammatories, and any other prescription medicines. Should you run out of any of these meds while traveling, it can be extremely difficult to procure more. Having ample supply on hand will give you more time to find a new vet if you have moved.
3. Food and bowls - Pre-measured makes live easier when traveling. Having familiar food also helps keep tummy upsets at bay. Again, if it is a special food and you are not able to readily acquire it at a pet store without a prescription, make sure you have enough for the trip.
4. Leash and collar - Keep a 4-6 foot leash with you. These are far safer than the flexi-leashes that are all the rage. When you are at a rest stop, allow your dog opportunity to 'do business', offer some water, and a short walk. The collar should be well-fitting.
5. Identification - Microchipping is highly recommended, as well as a tag on the collar. Go to the pet store and make a special tag with your cell number on it. If your dog gets loose at a rest stop, having your cell number will help your dog get to you faster than a call on your answering machine all the way back at home.
6. Travel safety gear - seatbelts are required for humans, why not dogs? The best seatbelt I've found is the one at this site. At roughly $20, it is a great insurance policy. Ein wears hers when we travel so she won't become an 85 lb projectile in my car.
7. Cleaning gear - accidents happen. In the car, at a hotel, and anywhere in between. Be a responsible pet owner and have supplies on hand to clean up any problems. Nature's miracle or similar product and a roll of paper towels will make any dog owner look stellar.
While not comprehensive, this is a good starting point for your list next time you and your dog go on a trip!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Spring Tune Up!
Spring will be here before we know it. (not that it looks anything like spring today - the snow is still falling!) Have you thought about a "Spring Tune-up" for your dog?
If your dog is due for an annual check up, call your vet and get that scheduled. Spring tends to be a busy time for annual exams.
Does your dog need heartworm preventive? Heartguard, Interceptor, Sentinel and Revolution are all medications that prevent heartworm disease. Some vets have you treat your pet year round, others have you treat April through December. Make sure you have enough for what your vet recommends and mark your calendar.
How about flea medication? Frontline and Advantage are good. Do not use the stuff you can get from the discount stores. Stay with the medications your vet recommends. The discount stores may be cheaper, but you put your dog's life at risk when you use them.
Has your dog had any change in habits? Eating more, drinking more, acting sore are all things you need to tell your vet. Anything out of the ordinary should be discussed and addressed.
Is your dog spayed or neutered? If not, schedule that as well. Spaying or neutering will greatly decrease the risk of various cancers, as well as keep the unwanted pet population from increasing.
Happy tune ups!
If your dog is due for an annual check up, call your vet and get that scheduled. Spring tends to be a busy time for annual exams.
Does your dog need heartworm preventive? Heartguard, Interceptor, Sentinel and Revolution are all medications that prevent heartworm disease. Some vets have you treat your pet year round, others have you treat April through December. Make sure you have enough for what your vet recommends and mark your calendar.
How about flea medication? Frontline and Advantage are good. Do not use the stuff you can get from the discount stores. Stay with the medications your vet recommends. The discount stores may be cheaper, but you put your dog's life at risk when you use them.
Has your dog had any change in habits? Eating more, drinking more, acting sore are all things you need to tell your vet. Anything out of the ordinary should be discussed and addressed.
Is your dog spayed or neutered? If not, schedule that as well. Spaying or neutering will greatly decrease the risk of various cancers, as well as keep the unwanted pet population from increasing.
Happy tune ups!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
New year, new dog?
If you are like many in the USA, you have made some resolutions for the New Year. How are your resolutions holding up?
About this time, people seem to be realizing their resolutions may be a little too lofty and are starting to re-evaluate.
Was your resolution to loose weight/exercise more? Gyms see a spike in memberships at the beginning of a year, yet those people who buy the memberships aren't appearing in the buildings.
Here's a very inexpensive way to get fit.......walk your dog!
OK, I know it is freezing cold outside and the forecast says these few weeks are climatologically the coldest of the winter. Should you want to start this regimen on the slower side, you can visit Hill's Food's website PetFit. This is a great resource to learn how to safely get you and your pet fit and healthy for the new year.
Before you start any exercise with your dog, please visit your physician and your veterinarian first! I don't want to be blamed if you try to do the weekend warrior thing and cause major injuries.
Once you are ready to start exercising with your dog, make sure you have the right equipment:
1. A good collar that fits well - you don't want your dog to back out of the collar and be running loose.
2. A good leash, 6 feet is enough length. Retractable leashes are just as bad as letting your dog run loose in my opinion. You want your dog to be working mentally as well as physically, and a shorter leash helps with that. Remember heeling? This is a good time to start that. If your dog is a puller, Gentle Leaders and Haltis can help.
Start your new regimen out slowly, especially if you or your dog haven't had much activity lately. Once around the block is sufficient to start, but make sure to work up from there. 30 minutes daily would be a good target.
Your dog will love you for this!
About this time, people seem to be realizing their resolutions may be a little too lofty and are starting to re-evaluate.
Was your resolution to loose weight/exercise more? Gyms see a spike in memberships at the beginning of a year, yet those people who buy the memberships aren't appearing in the buildings.
Here's a very inexpensive way to get fit.......walk your dog!
OK, I know it is freezing cold outside and the forecast says these few weeks are climatologically the coldest of the winter. Should you want to start this regimen on the slower side, you can visit Hill's Food's website PetFit. This is a great resource to learn how to safely get you and your pet fit and healthy for the new year.
Before you start any exercise with your dog, please visit your physician and your veterinarian first! I don't want to be blamed if you try to do the weekend warrior thing and cause major injuries.
Once you are ready to start exercising with your dog, make sure you have the right equipment:
1. A good collar that fits well - you don't want your dog to back out of the collar and be running loose.
2. A good leash, 6 feet is enough length. Retractable leashes are just as bad as letting your dog run loose in my opinion. You want your dog to be working mentally as well as physically, and a shorter leash helps with that. Remember heeling? This is a good time to start that. If your dog is a puller, Gentle Leaders and Haltis can help.
Start your new regimen out slowly, especially if you or your dog haven't had much activity lately. Once around the block is sufficient to start, but make sure to work up from there. 30 minutes daily would be a good target.
Your dog will love you for this!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Emergency Clinics and other musings
I know, it's been a while since I've posted anything......
Recently Channel 5 News did a story on Dr. Lisa Hart's Emergency Pet Clinic. You
can read the print article here.
I have read a lot of negative comments on Craigs List regarding Dr. Hart. I don't know how true they are, but the comments did make me do some thinking.
Dr. Hart has helped 2 of my pets with medical issues on an emergency basis. Both survived and are doing well.
What I did think about is how an expose can incite panic and cast a dark shadow over an entire profession.
Most veterinarians (and technicians) are not working to just make a buck. They are sincerely interested in your animals well being and fostering the human-animal bond.
The news article is correct in that vets (and technicians) should maintain licensure, attend continuing education classes and keep animals in their care safe.
So, how do you know who to trust? Ask questions. Look at the office. Are the waiting area and exam rooms clean and free of odor? Are the support staff (receptionists, assistants and technicians) happy? Is your pet comfortable at the office? Does your pet come back to you clean after staying the day at the vet's?
The American Animal Hospital Association is an accrediting company that ensures its members adhere to certain basic values and practices in the Veterinary profession. This can be a good starting point, though keep in mind that many good vets are not members of this company.
I will not tell you who is a good vet and who to avoid. I do want you to be an educated consumer though. Use the same criteria you used to chooose your family doctor and you wil be on the right track.
Recently Channel 5 News did a story on Dr. Lisa Hart's Emergency Pet Clinic. You
can read the print article here.
I have read a lot of negative comments on Craigs List regarding Dr. Hart. I don't know how true they are, but the comments did make me do some thinking.
Dr. Hart has helped 2 of my pets with medical issues on an emergency basis. Both survived and are doing well.
What I did think about is how an expose can incite panic and cast a dark shadow over an entire profession.
Most veterinarians (and technicians) are not working to just make a buck. They are sincerely interested in your animals well being and fostering the human-animal bond.
The news article is correct in that vets (and technicians) should maintain licensure, attend continuing education classes and keep animals in their care safe.
So, how do you know who to trust? Ask questions. Look at the office. Are the waiting area and exam rooms clean and free of odor? Are the support staff (receptionists, assistants and technicians) happy? Is your pet comfortable at the office? Does your pet come back to you clean after staying the day at the vet's?
The American Animal Hospital Association is an accrediting company that ensures its members adhere to certain basic values and practices in the Veterinary profession. This can be a good starting point, though keep in mind that many good vets are not members of this company.
I will not tell you who is a good vet and who to avoid. I do want you to be an educated consumer though. Use the same criteria you used to chooose your family doctor and you wil be on the right track.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Trick or Treat?
I want to move away from the dog-shape discussion for a bit because of the wonderful day at the end of the month where we knock on strangers' doors and they give us candy.
Halloween is a fun holiday, and here's a shameless FIDO plug for the Howl o Ween party on Saturday, October 27th form 12 - 3 PM at the DogPark. Hope to see you there!
*these figures are taken from www.hersheys.com*
So what?!
Here's why I gave you these numbers:
My dog, Ein, is about 90 lbs. Her lethal dose of theobromine is 9 mg X 90 lbs = 810 mg (roughly 11 Milk Chocolate or 4 Special Dark bars) to 18 mg X 90 lbs = 1620 mg (22 Milk Chocolate or 9 Special Dark bark).
What happens if your pet eats chocolate?
You could see nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, seizures, heart arrhythmias or death.
What do you do if your pet eats chocolate?
Call your vet or your nearest veterinary emergency center.
Tell them:
What kind of chocolate your dog ate
What volume of chocolate your dog ate (an estimate is ok)
How long ago your dog ate the chocolate
They will direct you on how to care for your pet.
Happy Halloween!
Halloween is a fun holiday, and here's a shameless FIDO plug for the Howl o Ween party on Saturday, October 27th form 12 - 3 PM at the DogPark. Hope to see you there!
As always, Chocolate is not good for your dog (and cat). You may have been told this by your veterinarian, but the reason why is not always communicated. So, here's why: (I took the scientific explanation from http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa090301a.htm.
Quote:
Cocoa and chocolate products may be toxic or lethal to dogs and other domestic animals such as horses because these animals metabolize theobromine more slowly than humans. The heart, central nervous system, and kidneys are affected. Early signs of theobromine poisoning in dogs include nausea and vomiting, restlessness, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and increased urination or incontinence. The treatment at this stage is to induce vomiting. Cardiac arrhythmias and seizures are symptoms of more advanced poisoning.
Different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine. In general, theobromine levels are higher in dark chocolates (approximately 10 g/kg) than in milk chocolates (1-5 g/kg). Higher quality chocolate tends to contain more theobromine than lower quality chocolate. Cocoa beans naturally contain approximately 300-1200 mg/ounce theobromine (note how variable this is!).
End quote.
Some facts:
Toxic doses of theobromine is 9 mg per pound of dog for mild signs, up to 18 mg per pound of dog for severe signs. (From www.vin.com)
One 1.55 oz Hershey's Milk chocolate bar contains 74 mg of theobromine.
*these figures are taken from www.hersheys.com*
So what?!
Here's why I gave you these numbers:
My dog, Ein, is about 90 lbs. Her lethal dose of theobromine is 9 mg X 90 lbs = 810 mg (roughly 11 Milk Chocolate or 4 Special Dark bars) to 18 mg X 90 lbs = 1620 mg (22 Milk Chocolate or 9 Special Dark bark).
What happens if your pet eats chocolate?
You could see nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, seizures, heart arrhythmias or death.
What do you do if your pet eats chocolate?
Call your vet or your nearest veterinary emergency center.
Tell them:
What kind of chocolate your dog ate
What volume of chocolate your dog ate (an estimate is ok)
How long ago your dog ate the chocolate
They will direct you on how to care for your pet.
Happy Halloween!
Friday, August 24, 2007
What's the score?
People often wonder if they are feeding enough, too much or too little food to their pets, but how can you tell if it's just fur or fat?
Body Condition Scoring (BCS) is the standardized way for owners and veterinary professionals to check on Fido's flab. This scoring system is done by evaluating 3 parameters of your pet: How easy it is to feel your pet's ribs and your pet's outline from the top and side.
Tickle those ribs! If you can run your hands across your pet's chest and feel ribs with slight pressure, that is good. If you can play the xylophone on those ribs, your pet doesn't have enough fat. If it feels like pushing a sofa cushion with the tv remote underneath, there's too much fat.
From the top! Your pet should have an indentation or waistline. If your pet has a nice gentle curve from above, that is good. If your pet has the waist of an 1800's Victorian lady, your pet doesn't have enough fat. If your pet looks like a link of sausage from Octoberfest, there's too much fat.
From the side! Your pet should have a nice gentle slope up from the chest to the abdomen. If it looks more like a steep ski jump, there's not enough fat. If your pets outline from the side looks like a level table or the outline goes on a downward slope, there's too much fat.
Body Condition Scores are usually reported on a 5 or 9 point scale. Example: Ein, the wonderpuppy, would score a 3/5 on the 5 point scale or a 4/9 on the 9 point scale.
I prefer the 5 point scale, just because of the simplicity. Some vets like the 9 point scale because it offers a greater chance to pinpoint the exact condition.
The 5 point scale can be found at Hill's PetFit website here.
Purina has a good explanation of the 9 point scale here.
On the 5 point scale, the ideal pet would score a 3. Ideal on the 9 point scale is a 4 or 5.
Next time you take your pet in for a check up, make sure to ask your Vet for the Body Condition Score. Keeping track of this is better than just going by weight alone.
Now that you know how, what's the score?
Next time, we will learn what to do if your pet scored high on the Body Condition Score.
Body Condition Scoring (BCS) is the standardized way for owners and veterinary professionals to check on Fido's flab. This scoring system is done by evaluating 3 parameters of your pet: How easy it is to feel your pet's ribs and your pet's outline from the top and side.
Tickle those ribs! If you can run your hands across your pet's chest and feel ribs with slight pressure, that is good. If you can play the xylophone on those ribs, your pet doesn't have enough fat. If it feels like pushing a sofa cushion with the tv remote underneath, there's too much fat.
From the top! Your pet should have an indentation or waistline. If your pet has a nice gentle curve from above, that is good. If your pet has the waist of an 1800's Victorian lady, your pet doesn't have enough fat. If your pet looks like a link of sausage from Octoberfest, there's too much fat.
From the side! Your pet should have a nice gentle slope up from the chest to the abdomen. If it looks more like a steep ski jump, there's not enough fat. If your pets outline from the side looks like a level table or the outline goes on a downward slope, there's too much fat.
Body Condition Scores are usually reported on a 5 or 9 point scale. Example: Ein, the wonderpuppy, would score a 3/5 on the 5 point scale or a 4/9 on the 9 point scale.
I prefer the 5 point scale, just because of the simplicity. Some vets like the 9 point scale because it offers a greater chance to pinpoint the exact condition.
The 5 point scale can be found at Hill's PetFit website here.
Purina has a good explanation of the 9 point scale here.
On the 5 point scale, the ideal pet would score a 3. Ideal on the 9 point scale is a 4 or 5.
Next time you take your pet in for a check up, make sure to ask your Vet for the Body Condition Score. Keeping track of this is better than just going by weight alone.
Now that you know how, what's the score?
Next time, we will learn what to do if your pet scored high on the Body Condition Score.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Protozoa, Bacteria and Algae, Oh My!
Many people have been asking about the safety/health issues with letting their dogs swim in ponds and other public water areas. There are a number of parasites, bacteria and algae that can harm our pets.
The first and foremost of these is Giardia. Giardia is a protozoal (meaning they can swim) parasite that causes a really bad diarrhea. It can be found in standing water such as puddles and ponds. Giardia can also be caught from eating poop that is infected (Butt sniffing/licking is a way this happens).
Giardia has 2 stages: cyst and trophozoite. The cyst stage is what your dog picks up, basically a package of 2 little Giardia waiting for a good environment to wake up and reproduce in. The cysts can survive in moist environments for a very long time. After your dog ingests the cysts, they travel to the intestines where they break out of the cyst and go into the trophozoite stage. This is when they multiply faster than teenage bunny rabbits and cause your dog to have really yucky diarrhea. The cysts can survive in moist environments for a very long time.
At this point, usually you take your dog to the vet because you are tired of cleaning up nasty poop. (Be prepared to bring a sample of the stool for the vet appointment - make sure it is something less than 24 hours old and has not been frozen) Your vet will do a complete physical and will have the Technician do a few tests on the poop to check for parasites- usually a fecal float (will check for the usual parasites - sometimes they can see the trophozoites or cysts of Giardia but they are very tiny so they usually aren't seen on this test), and if your vet has the test kit, they can do a special test for Giardia. Make sure to tell your vet if your dog has been in areas of standing water or has been swimming in ponds. This will help him to choose the best tests and treatments for your dog.
If your dog tests positive for Giardia, he/she will be given medicine to treat the problem. The medicines are typically Metronidazole (name brand is Flagyl) or Fenbendazole (name brand is Panacur). If you own more than one pet, make sure to tell your vet this as well. Sometimes he will treat all the dogs in the household at the same time. Keeping your dog's enviroment clean will help keep Giardia from reappearing in your dog. Make sure to wear gloves and wash your hands after cleaning up the yard -- People can get Giardia too!
Dogs can get bacteria such as E. coli from swimming in infected water. E. coli is a bacteria that normally occurs in many animals' stool. When dogs swim in water and poop, E. coli is present. If enough dogs poop in the water, others can become infected. Again this causes a yucky diarrhea. Vets typically use antibiotics to treat this bacteria.
There has been talk of a blue-green algae that dogs can ingest while swimming in algae-infested ponds. This blue-green algae can be toxic when it is ingested in large amounts and dogs can become really sick or can die. It is not very common, but is it dangerous.
So, what should you do? Keep your water loving retriever out of all but the backyard swimming pool? Discourage your dog from drinking in puddles at the park? No, but you should use some common sense. Don't let your dog swim in areas where other dogs poop and the water is untreated. Even if the water is treated, keep your eyes out for signs of diarrhea and call your vet as soon as the problem arises. Pick up your dog's waste, even if you are in the park and no one is around to see you pick it up. Keeping dog waste from entering the water supply will do a lot to keep other animals and people healthy.
This is not an exhaustive list of problems associated with water and dogs, but Giardia is very common. A recent Idexx (veterinary laboratory) study showed that about 11% of dogs with diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems test positive for Giardia.
If you have questions about these problems or are concerned about letting your dog swim in ponds, call your vet and ask him his recommendations.
See you at the park!
The first and foremost of these is Giardia. Giardia is a protozoal (meaning they can swim) parasite that causes a really bad diarrhea. It can be found in standing water such as puddles and ponds. Giardia can also be caught from eating poop that is infected (Butt sniffing/licking is a way this happens).
Giardia has 2 stages: cyst and trophozoite. The cyst stage is what your dog picks up, basically a package of 2 little Giardia waiting for a good environment to wake up and reproduce in. The cysts can survive in moist environments for a very long time. After your dog ingests the cysts, they travel to the intestines where they break out of the cyst and go into the trophozoite stage. This is when they multiply faster than teenage bunny rabbits and cause your dog to have really yucky diarrhea. The cysts can survive in moist environments for a very long time.
At this point, usually you take your dog to the vet because you are tired of cleaning up nasty poop. (Be prepared to bring a sample of the stool for the vet appointment - make sure it is something less than 24 hours old and has not been frozen) Your vet will do a complete physical and will have the Technician do a few tests on the poop to check for parasites- usually a fecal float (will check for the usual parasites - sometimes they can see the trophozoites or cysts of Giardia but they are very tiny so they usually aren't seen on this test), and if your vet has the test kit, they can do a special test for Giardia. Make sure to tell your vet if your dog has been in areas of standing water or has been swimming in ponds. This will help him to choose the best tests and treatments for your dog.
If your dog tests positive for Giardia, he/she will be given medicine to treat the problem. The medicines are typically Metronidazole (name brand is Flagyl) or Fenbendazole (name brand is Panacur). If you own more than one pet, make sure to tell your vet this as well. Sometimes he will treat all the dogs in the household at the same time. Keeping your dog's enviroment clean will help keep Giardia from reappearing in your dog. Make sure to wear gloves and wash your hands after cleaning up the yard -- People can get Giardia too!
Dogs can get bacteria such as E. coli from swimming in infected water. E. coli is a bacteria that normally occurs in many animals' stool. When dogs swim in water and poop, E. coli is present. If enough dogs poop in the water, others can become infected. Again this causes a yucky diarrhea. Vets typically use antibiotics to treat this bacteria.
There has been talk of a blue-green algae that dogs can ingest while swimming in algae-infested ponds. This blue-green algae can be toxic when it is ingested in large amounts and dogs can become really sick or can die. It is not very common, but is it dangerous.
So, what should you do? Keep your water loving retriever out of all but the backyard swimming pool? Discourage your dog from drinking in puddles at the park? No, but you should use some common sense. Don't let your dog swim in areas where other dogs poop and the water is untreated. Even if the water is treated, keep your eyes out for signs of diarrhea and call your vet as soon as the problem arises. Pick up your dog's waste, even if you are in the park and no one is around to see you pick it up. Keeping dog waste from entering the water supply will do a lot to keep other animals and people healthy.
This is not an exhaustive list of problems associated with water and dogs, but Giardia is very common. A recent Idexx (veterinary laboratory) study showed that about 11% of dogs with diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems test positive for Giardia.
If you have questions about these problems or are concerned about letting your dog swim in ponds, call your vet and ask him his recommendations.
See you at the park!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)