Okay, so after many years of living in PA I’m still not very aware of the many towns around me unless there’s a great mall involved, well actually any mall, but I do remember bad experiences and usually where they happened. Like the time I was so excited to be picking up a new dog from the pound that while backing out of the driveway I ran over my cat! I remember the vet who treated my cat and his horrendous bedside manner. I was so distraught when I left his office that I sought out another vet the next day. I wish I had come upon this site 15 years ago! But then again when I think back, I do not recall having computer 15 years ago!
So, the question is …have you ever wondered what other people think about your vet? Is there a vet that you have had a problem with and want to let the world know? Have you had such a good experience with a vet that you want to share it with the public? Have you moved to a new state and are wondering about the vets in your new area?
Well in today’s world there seems to be a site for just about everything, as unbelievable as it sounds. However this site is not a bad idea, a site you can go to and share your experience with the world about your pet's doctor. If your vet office is not listed on the site, you can add them to the list and put your opinion in print. On this same site there is a place to rate other places such as daycare centers, doctors, lawyers , and even funeral homes, although since their customer is not among us anymore I wonder who is writing the review!
The “Vet Rating” website goes by state so just click on your state and you can find your veterinary clinic, and as I said, if it is not there you can get an opinion going! It looks like the AAA clinic in Whitehall (where ever that is) didn’t fair so well but the Animal Care Center in Danville got a good write up, however to at least one viewer thought to be over priced.
Check it out and write your opinion because you could be helping someone!
http://vetratingz.com/ShowThingCats.jsp
Everything Dog
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Home Product Dyson Vacuum
Product, Dyson Vacuum (DC 14 telescope reach),
The list of vacuums I have gone through since my marriage some 30 years ago are numerous, and some I am sure I have forgotten about, but here are my thoughts on those that I remember and I write this now because the heat is causing so much shedding this time of year and the amount of rain we have had over the weeks has caused all of my dogs to become total dirt balls!
1- oddball Sears Kenmore canister which only lasted five months after I was newly married, and at the time I had only one dog and one cat. I think I threw that vacuum into the creek (or crick as Long Islander’s would call it) across the street from us. Hated it!
1 -Eureka (totally stinks, and is in a dump in eastern Long Island) Hated it!
1- Oreck (stinks, and is in some burial plot in State College PA) Hated it!
1- Fake Electrolux, aka Eureka (stinks, and was sent back to the company with a very nasty review from me!) Hated it twice over!
1 -Electrolux which is still running and being used by my mother. Loved it!
If you have a multiple dog household your vacuum is probably very, very important to you! It is going to be an investment that requires thought and compatibility for your lifestyle, your brood, and your home flooring for years to come. As I entered through the revolving doggie door of constant companions, I had experimented with different vacuums (do I sound like a vacuum junkie?), but as a back up to my experiments, I always had my Electrolux lurking in the background, one of the original ones, not the new ones you see in stores today which are actually made by Eureka but have the Electrolux name on them. For those of you who did not know this, a few years back Eureka bought the ‘Electrolux name’ and have been putting it on their cheap products under the guise of the good name of Electrolux. That’s a whole other story of my fury for a different time! Anyway, you won’t find a true Electrolux vacuum in a store such as Boscov’s or Lowes, you can only find one in an Electrolux store. Since my move to Pennsylvania some 15 years ago the only place I have found near me that sells Electrolux is a place in the Lewisburg flea market. There used to be an older couple that had their vacuum booth in the flea market who used to service my Electrolux when needed, although I am not sure they are still there today. They would drive to my house, pick it up, and deliver it when it was fixed. Usually it needed a new power cord because of all the teething puppies I had! I loved my Electrolux and thought there were none that could compare to it, until I came across the Dyson. After ten years of owning my Electrolux one of the motors finally burned out and needed to be replaced and after twenty years of owning it, the separate hose attachment wasn’t fitting quite as snuggly as it used to and at the same time I was upping the ante in my dog choice going from small to large breed dogs to owning a total of five giant breed dogs that carry much hair and dirt into the house. Needless to say I was going through vacuum bags like crazy. A box of 24 bags used to last me a year with my original group of six dogs, but when the Newfoundland’s came into my life, a box only lasted a few months and it cost about $30.00 a box!
Shortly after I got my Newfs Bentley and Abbey, I had joined a Newfoundland chat forum and the other Newf owners on the site always had great advice on everything as it pertained to Newfoundland’s. So I took a poll one day on the forum to see what vacuum everyone was using, and the name Dyson (or Dyson Animal) came up over and over again, it was basically unanimous. Having only seen the commercials for Dyson, I wanted to actually get my hands on it. I wanted to examine every part, take it apart and put it back together again, read about its functions, and see just how it performed.
While out shopping one day, Pete and I came upon a Dyson in a Boscov’s department store. Well obviously just looking at it was all I could do in Boscov’s. I wasn’t about to sit there in the middle floor and take it apart, but believe me I came as close to doing so as I could!
Since it was the last one they had left until the following month’s delivery, I bought it. It was not the Dyson Animal but the Dyson DC 14 all floor with extension handle. To sum up the Dyson in one word, FANTASTIC! My Electrolux was soon given to my mother who was in need of another vacuum. I felt it should remain in the family, much like a family heirloom! It is after all almost thirty years old.
The Dyson, I found, was a power machine that sucked the scatter carpets right up off the floor! Now mind you, of course I did the test in which I first vacuumed the floors with my Electrolux then went over them once again with the Dyson and the dirt that landed in the Dyson’s basket was amazing! I will never part with my Electrolux as it makes a good back up and for now it serves my mother well. But hands down I would be lost without my Dyson!
Pros: What I really like about the Dyson is that there are no bags to buy, with a simple push of a button the basket releases from the vacuum’s body and with another push of a button the bottom of the basket opens and empties easily into your garbage can. You don’t have to touch the debris or a messy bag with your hands. Just about every piece of the Dyson comes apart for easy cleaning, so should you happen to suck up little Johnny’s soccer socks or your husband’s tie they can be retrieved easy enough. If you have a nickel handy you don’t even need a screwdriver to take off some of the parts. The extension hose is built right into the handle and with a push of a button it easily releases and extends. The extra heads, stair tool, crevice tool, and brush tool for the extension are mounted right to the vacuum so no more searching for them in the vast darkness of the closet in which you saved every old vacuum tool from each vacuum you’ve ever owned. The vacuum can be switched from a rolling brush head used on carpet to just suction for bare floors.
Doing business with the Dyson Company seems easy. At one point I lost the small lint piece off the bottom of the stair tool and I happened to write a letter to Dyson stating that maybe there could be some improvements and made some suggestions. I was not looking for anything from them, just giving some ideas from a person whose vacuum never gets put away. Within a week of sending my letter, a representative from Dyson called me, thanked me for my letter and they sent me out a new stair tool.
Cons: After almost 2 years of very heavy use, the extension hose split at the top near the metal wand, and had to be taped to keep the suction when the wand was in use. So I do think that it would benefit Dyson to make a thicker hose and they should expect it is going to be used on a daily basis by their patrons.
Rather than going directly to the Dyson company though (stupid, stupid, stupid!) ,el cheapo here thought I could save a few bucks by buying a replacement hose on e-bay. Don’t do that! The one from e-bay does not stay on the metal wand making it a pain in the neck to use. Shame on me for putting a lesser priced item on my treasured vacuum! I will use the e-bay hose until it breaks then do the right thing and go through Dyson!
Hint for any vacuum with a roller brush: One thing that I do to make it easier on myself when it comes to cleaning the dog hair that gets wrapped around the roller brush is to keep a pair of needle nose pliers attached to the vacuum itself so I don’t have to scour the garage in search of a pair or be condemned by my husband for touching his stuff and not putting it back when I’m done! These can be attached with Velcro or if you have a Dyson already, a pair of spring loaded needle nose pliers can be stuck into the top of the crevice tool.
Dyson gets two paws up, way up. To me it was worth every penny on my husband's charge card!
The Dyson store http://www.dyson.com/store/
Next time I'll tell you the best dog hair tool I have found for furniture and carpets.
The list of vacuums I have gone through since my marriage some 30 years ago are numerous, and some I am sure I have forgotten about, but here are my thoughts on those that I remember and I write this now because the heat is causing so much shedding this time of year and the amount of rain we have had over the weeks has caused all of my dogs to become total dirt balls!
1- oddball Sears Kenmore canister which only lasted five months after I was newly married, and at the time I had only one dog and one cat. I think I threw that vacuum into the creek (or crick as Long Islander’s would call it) across the street from us. Hated it!
1 -Eureka (totally stinks, and is in a dump in eastern Long Island) Hated it!
1- Oreck (stinks, and is in some burial plot in State College PA) Hated it!
1- Fake Electrolux, aka Eureka (stinks, and was sent back to the company with a very nasty review from me!) Hated it twice over!
1 -Electrolux which is still running and being used by my mother. Loved it!
If you have a multiple dog household your vacuum is probably very, very important to you! It is going to be an investment that requires thought and compatibility for your lifestyle, your brood, and your home flooring for years to come. As I entered through the revolving doggie door of constant companions, I had experimented with different vacuums (do I sound like a vacuum junkie?), but as a back up to my experiments, I always had my Electrolux lurking in the background, one of the original ones, not the new ones you see in stores today which are actually made by Eureka but have the Electrolux name on them. For those of you who did not know this, a few years back Eureka bought the ‘Electrolux name’ and have been putting it on their cheap products under the guise of the good name of Electrolux. That’s a whole other story of my fury for a different time! Anyway, you won’t find a true Electrolux vacuum in a store such as Boscov’s or Lowes, you can only find one in an Electrolux store. Since my move to Pennsylvania some 15 years ago the only place I have found near me that sells Electrolux is a place in the Lewisburg flea market. There used to be an older couple that had their vacuum booth in the flea market who used to service my Electrolux when needed, although I am not sure they are still there today. They would drive to my house, pick it up, and deliver it when it was fixed. Usually it needed a new power cord because of all the teething puppies I had! I loved my Electrolux and thought there were none that could compare to it, until I came across the Dyson. After ten years of owning my Electrolux one of the motors finally burned out and needed to be replaced and after twenty years of owning it, the separate hose attachment wasn’t fitting quite as snuggly as it used to and at the same time I was upping the ante in my dog choice going from small to large breed dogs to owning a total of five giant breed dogs that carry much hair and dirt into the house. Needless to say I was going through vacuum bags like crazy. A box of 24 bags used to last me a year with my original group of six dogs, but when the Newfoundland’s came into my life, a box only lasted a few months and it cost about $30.00 a box!
Shortly after I got my Newfs Bentley and Abbey, I had joined a Newfoundland chat forum and the other Newf owners on the site always had great advice on everything as it pertained to Newfoundland’s. So I took a poll one day on the forum to see what vacuum everyone was using, and the name Dyson (or Dyson Animal) came up over and over again, it was basically unanimous. Having only seen the commercials for Dyson, I wanted to actually get my hands on it. I wanted to examine every part, take it apart and put it back together again, read about its functions, and see just how it performed.
While out shopping one day, Pete and I came upon a Dyson in a Boscov’s department store. Well obviously just looking at it was all I could do in Boscov’s. I wasn’t about to sit there in the middle floor and take it apart, but believe me I came as close to doing so as I could!
Since it was the last one they had left until the following month’s delivery, I bought it. It was not the Dyson Animal but the Dyson DC 14 all floor with extension handle. To sum up the Dyson in one word, FANTASTIC! My Electrolux was soon given to my mother who was in need of another vacuum. I felt it should remain in the family, much like a family heirloom! It is after all almost thirty years old.
The Dyson, I found, was a power machine that sucked the scatter carpets right up off the floor! Now mind you, of course I did the test in which I first vacuumed the floors with my Electrolux then went over them once again with the Dyson and the dirt that landed in the Dyson’s basket was amazing! I will never part with my Electrolux as it makes a good back up and for now it serves my mother well. But hands down I would be lost without my Dyson!
Pros: What I really like about the Dyson is that there are no bags to buy, with a simple push of a button the basket releases from the vacuum’s body and with another push of a button the bottom of the basket opens and empties easily into your garbage can. You don’t have to touch the debris or a messy bag with your hands. Just about every piece of the Dyson comes apart for easy cleaning, so should you happen to suck up little Johnny’s soccer socks or your husband’s tie they can be retrieved easy enough. If you have a nickel handy you don’t even need a screwdriver to take off some of the parts. The extension hose is built right into the handle and with a push of a button it easily releases and extends. The extra heads, stair tool, crevice tool, and brush tool for the extension are mounted right to the vacuum so no more searching for them in the vast darkness of the closet in which you saved every old vacuum tool from each vacuum you’ve ever owned. The vacuum can be switched from a rolling brush head used on carpet to just suction for bare floors.
Doing business with the Dyson Company seems easy. At one point I lost the small lint piece off the bottom of the stair tool and I happened to write a letter to Dyson stating that maybe there could be some improvements and made some suggestions. I was not looking for anything from them, just giving some ideas from a person whose vacuum never gets put away. Within a week of sending my letter, a representative from Dyson called me, thanked me for my letter and they sent me out a new stair tool.
Cons: After almost 2 years of very heavy use, the extension hose split at the top near the metal wand, and had to be taped to keep the suction when the wand was in use. So I do think that it would benefit Dyson to make a thicker hose and they should expect it is going to be used on a daily basis by their patrons.
Rather than going directly to the Dyson company though (stupid, stupid, stupid!) ,el cheapo here thought I could save a few bucks by buying a replacement hose on e-bay. Don’t do that! The one from e-bay does not stay on the metal wand making it a pain in the neck to use. Shame on me for putting a lesser priced item on my treasured vacuum! I will use the e-bay hose until it breaks then do the right thing and go through Dyson!
Hint for any vacuum with a roller brush: One thing that I do to make it easier on myself when it comes to cleaning the dog hair that gets wrapped around the roller brush is to keep a pair of needle nose pliers attached to the vacuum itself so I don’t have to scour the garage in search of a pair or be condemned by my husband for touching his stuff and not putting it back when I’m done! These can be attached with Velcro or if you have a Dyson already, a pair of spring loaded needle nose pliers can be stuck into the top of the crevice tool.
Dyson gets two paws up, way up. To me it was worth every penny on my husband's charge card!
The Dyson store http://www.dyson.com/store/
Next time I'll tell you the best dog hair tool I have found for furniture and carpets.
Friday, June 26, 2009
search
Okay this is getting a little frustrating because I don't quite understand how all of this blog google stuff works , so every now and then when something looks interesting I push a button, and surprise, something new appears on my blog site. Once it's there , it's there for good because I have no idea how to remove it The Daily puppy , which has a blog of its own as well as places to adopt dogs, puppy training, cute puppy pictures and breed specific advice. This may be a good site for rescue organizations to check out as well. The second feature I somehow managed to get on my blog was a google search for this blog only. (that I'm aware of:) So if you were looking for a specific product I might have given my opinion on before you spend your hard earned $$$, you can do a search and it should pop up at the top of the blog. I tried it and it does work. I typed in pedi paws and the post popped up. However I typed in a more vague subject such as products and got a variation of different posts at the top of the page.
Well, feel free to give it a go and see what happens!
Well, feel free to give it a go and see what happens!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Dog Product~ Comfy Cone
Dog product~ Comfy Cone
The Comfy Cone is an alternative to the Elizabethan collar. For those of you who do not know what an Elizabethan collar is, and I suspect there are very few, it is that big plastic cone shaped collar that a vet will send home with you to keep your dog from chewing a particular stitched or wounded area. Sizes seem to range from petite to Elephant! Most dogs will have their first experience with one at about six months of age when they are spayed or neutered. The Elizabethan collar is one that you and your dog will never forget because as your pup comes out of that anesthetic, drugged induced state from an operation and realizes this huge intrusion around his neck he is going to start freaking out! The dog may look like he’s walking drunk, his navigational skills will go from running like a Gazelle to that of banging into and knocking over furniture, runing into door frames, flinging knick knacks off the table, banging into your shins, (ouch) and virtually anything that is not nailed down is not safe from a dog who’s wearing an Elizabethan collar. It is at this point that you will feel so bad for this pitiful looking animal that you may be tempted to take it off right then and there. But let me assure you, the majority of dogs get used to it by day two, although they may still not be able to navigate perfectly, they are not freaking out as they did on day one, by day two they’re just getting pissed off at having it around their neck and by day three they are beginning to think you are a sadistic owner and wondering why the shelter or breeder did not do a background check on you!
However, if you own an giant breed dog such as my Newfy Chance, who needs to have an Elizabethan collar on for longer than a five day period, you are soon going to have to break out the duct tape because with each bang into a door frame or a piece of furniture, and with the shear muscle strength of each hit, the plastic cone is going to start to crack and crumble and you will eventually have it so packed with duct tape that the clear plastic cone is no longer clear but is certainly much more decorated and flexible. If you never again have to buy an Elizabethan collar through the dog’s life, consider yourself very lucky!
Because of the hot spots that Chance is prone to, some type of collar on hand at all times is a necessity. If a hot spot is continuously licked and chewed there will soon be a full scale bacterial infection which will require a vet visit. So short from having to cut off his tongue to prevent licking, I opted to invest in a different collar. Enter the Comfy Cone; a flexible nylon cone that is already crunchable for those mishaps with door frames, so it yields to the hit against an object, but it bounces back into position once the hit is done. It attaches to the dog’s collar or you can use a separate band (not included) for attachment. Sizes come in small (8-10 neck) to X- large (21-25). Obviously I went for the X- large which was still a bit tight for Chance’s neck, but I managed to make it fit without cutting off his oxygen and turning his tongue blue. There are a few lines of Velcro to adjust the size and the Velcro lines are fairly thick giving it a stronger hold.
Pros: I think this was a good investment for the $30.00 (15.00 for a size small) which is about the same price for two Elizabethan collars, because it will last longer than five days for a giant breed dog. It did the job for the most part which was to make it difficult for Chance to constantly reach his hot spot. It bounced back whenever it took a hit and it seemed to be more comfortable for the dog to lie down in. When eating , I could also flip it over his back so it did not interfere.
Cons: I think the makers of this product could do a better job in the neck sizing for giant breed dogs as well as extend the length a bit. With the flexibility of the cone I did find that because of the strength of Chance’s head on occasion he was able to bend the cone and reach his hot spot, however, it was not a constant occurrence.
If the dog has long hair it really sticks to the thick Velcro strips that are not used which can be uncomfortable for the dog. I did find that I had to cut some of Chance’s hair off to free him of the cone.
For a giant breed dog I would give it one paw up and one down for the reasons stated above. The concept is good, but adjustments could be made.
Next I am going to put it on Casey, my Golden Retriever, for a week and see how it works on your regular large breed dog. Not that Casey has any wounds to warrant the collar, but the general public is more likely to have a regular run of the mill large breed dog so I want to be fair. So Casey, buck up, I’m about to torture you!
The Comfy Cone is an alternative to the Elizabethan collar. For those of you who do not know what an Elizabethan collar is, and I suspect there are very few, it is that big plastic cone shaped collar that a vet will send home with you to keep your dog from chewing a particular stitched or wounded area. Sizes seem to range from petite to Elephant! Most dogs will have their first experience with one at about six months of age when they are spayed or neutered. The Elizabethan collar is one that you and your dog will never forget because as your pup comes out of that anesthetic, drugged induced state from an operation and realizes this huge intrusion around his neck he is going to start freaking out! The dog may look like he’s walking drunk, his navigational skills will go from running like a Gazelle to that of banging into and knocking over furniture, runing into door frames, flinging knick knacks off the table, banging into your shins, (ouch) and virtually anything that is not nailed down is not safe from a dog who’s wearing an Elizabethan collar. It is at this point that you will feel so bad for this pitiful looking animal that you may be tempted to take it off right then and there. But let me assure you, the majority of dogs get used to it by day two, although they may still not be able to navigate perfectly, they are not freaking out as they did on day one, by day two they’re just getting pissed off at having it around their neck and by day three they are beginning to think you are a sadistic owner and wondering why the shelter or breeder did not do a background check on you!
However, if you own an giant breed dog such as my Newfy Chance, who needs to have an Elizabethan collar on for longer than a five day period, you are soon going to have to break out the duct tape because with each bang into a door frame or a piece of furniture, and with the shear muscle strength of each hit, the plastic cone is going to start to crack and crumble and you will eventually have it so packed with duct tape that the clear plastic cone is no longer clear but is certainly much more decorated and flexible. If you never again have to buy an Elizabethan collar through the dog’s life, consider yourself very lucky!
Because of the hot spots that Chance is prone to, some type of collar on hand at all times is a necessity. If a hot spot is continuously licked and chewed there will soon be a full scale bacterial infection which will require a vet visit. So short from having to cut off his tongue to prevent licking, I opted to invest in a different collar. Enter the Comfy Cone; a flexible nylon cone that is already crunchable for those mishaps with door frames, so it yields to the hit against an object, but it bounces back into position once the hit is done. It attaches to the dog’s collar or you can use a separate band (not included) for attachment. Sizes come in small (8-10 neck) to X- large (21-25). Obviously I went for the X- large which was still a bit tight for Chance’s neck, but I managed to make it fit without cutting off his oxygen and turning his tongue blue. There are a few lines of Velcro to adjust the size and the Velcro lines are fairly thick giving it a stronger hold.
Pros: I think this was a good investment for the $30.00 (15.00 for a size small) which is about the same price for two Elizabethan collars, because it will last longer than five days for a giant breed dog. It did the job for the most part which was to make it difficult for Chance to constantly reach his hot spot. It bounced back whenever it took a hit and it seemed to be more comfortable for the dog to lie down in. When eating , I could also flip it over his back so it did not interfere.
Cons: I think the makers of this product could do a better job in the neck sizing for giant breed dogs as well as extend the length a bit. With the flexibility of the cone I did find that because of the strength of Chance’s head on occasion he was able to bend the cone and reach his hot spot, however, it was not a constant occurrence.
If the dog has long hair it really sticks to the thick Velcro strips that are not used which can be uncomfortable for the dog. I did find that I had to cut some of Chance’s hair off to free him of the cone.
For a giant breed dog I would give it one paw up and one down for the reasons stated above. The concept is good, but adjustments could be made.
Next I am going to put it on Casey, my Golden Retriever, for a week and see how it works on your regular large breed dog. Not that Casey has any wounds to warrant the collar, but the general public is more likely to have a regular run of the mill large breed dog so I want to be fair. So Casey, buck up, I’m about to torture you!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Dog health~Celebrating July 4th BTFD
Dog health~ Celebrating July 4th BTFD (Before The Family Dogs)
Ah, the Fourth of July, the gathering of family and friends, the barbeque's, people blowing off their finger tips with illegal bottle rockets, the town fireworks display, and the drinks! Those were the days of fun and relaxation, the days before the family dogs came to live with us! Did you ever notice it only takes one dog to act like a complete lunatic to set off the whole pack? There’s not enough Prozac in the world for them or me on July 4TH!
BTFD I used to love the fourth of July, we’d bring our visiting New York family to Shamokin, or “smokin’ shmokin” as we New Yorker’s call it, a place that has no money for town revitalization, but boy can they put on a grand pyrotechnics display! We’d park on the street, put on our 3D glasses, strap on a thermos of drinks, and open a bag of snacks. The moon roof would glide open, the seats would recline and we were ready to watch the show. Pure delectable pleasure! Ah yes, those were the days!
At present, beginning on June 1st and up to July 4th (as well as sometime there after) is a total nightmare! Seemingly fireworks can be set off at any time in the neighborhood without warning and clearly by neighbors that are not dog owners, or if they are, then they sedate them heavily before they begin! It only takes one pyrotechnics blast in the neighborhood for my brood to be set off for a continuous two hour barkfest. Once they hear the snap, crackle, pop, and sizzle of a firecracker I know it’s going to be a long, long, night.
It’s about this time of year that I wish I had gone to school to become a veterinarian because surely I would have seven medically loaded needles laid out neatly on the kitchen counter ready to knock them all out. Sweet dreams guys! But alas, when I was in school, unless you were a persistent person, the future for girls was geared to being a good secretary, a good housekeeper or a good cook and we all know where I fall in the cooking category! After my first day in culinary class when asked to touch raw meat, I said, "Adios Amigos!"
July 4Th could be somewhat bearable if there were a specific time frame that we could lall ive by, at least give us time to prepare for the upheaval, the time to tether the dogs so they are not jumping out the window, and the time to mentally prepare ourselves for what is about to come! How about starting the blasting after 9 pm and ending by 11 pm, especially on a weeknight. I'm thinking there must be some rule in place already, but if there is, it is not enforced. Let’s face it, calling the cops on your neighbors, well, that’s just not neighborly, and so we endure and just when we think it’s over, Boom, another goes off.
Enter Rescue Remedy the first big chatter among dog owners, an herb that was supposed to calm dogs from such anxieties. Rescue Remedy came in the form of drops to put in the water or in a spray to squirt on the tongue. I chose the spray since it was only the main instigator, Bentley, that I was trying to calm down at the time. The cost in an herbal store was a whopping $15.00 for a 0.35 oz bottle, but I was desperate. Armed with this in hand I couldn’t wait for the next storm or fireworks blast ‘cuz I was ready to spay Crazy Bentley’s tongue with this miracle product!
Well, that didn’t go so well, I was only able to get three out of the four recommended sprays on the tongue as Bentley paced back and forth in his usual neurotic state and it made no difference in him at all. Each time thereafter that I reached for the bottle just before a storm, Bentley got wise and my squirts started to end up on other parts of his body, like his ears, jowls, or eyes, which might explain why he started walking around like he was blind for a few days!
A couple years later along comes Melatonin, supposedly an over the counter wonder herbal delight to help dogs with thunderstorm phobia, fire works, and other anxieties.
Ah, could this be? A cure to the Fourth of July nightmare? A cure for Thunderstorm phobia?
I highly doubted it, but again, why not try it? So I got on line to Puritans Pride and as usual they had their 3 for 1 sale going on so I ordered 3 bottles and by the next week I was rolling in 360 tablets of Melatonin heaven!
When using Melatonin I suggest you use it not only on the day of the fireworks but days before to get it into their system. It did help the dogs to be a little more calm and to calm down a bit sooner when the fireworks were over.
So this July 4th you may want to invest in a small bottle if your dog is bothered by fireworks and if it doesn't work for your dog, you can always use it for your insomnia!
Here is information on Melatonin. Always speak to your vet before trying any over the counter medication.
Melatonin and dosing information click here
You can read more on melatonin as well as other methods used for phobias here
http://www.ygrr.org/doginfo/behavior-phobia.html
Another over the counter medicine popular to use because it makes the dog drowsy is Benadryl. You can read about dosing by clicking here:
You may want to try the Thunder Shirt as well. You can find them in most pet stores.
Thunder shirt: click here
Some people will crank up the TV, turn on the AC and put cotton in the dogs ears to muffle the booming levels.
BTFD I used to love the fourth of July, we’d bring our visiting New York family to Shamokin, or “smokin’ shmokin” as we New Yorker’s call it, a place that has no money for town revitalization, but boy can they put on a grand pyrotechnics display! We’d park on the street, put on our 3D glasses, strap on a thermos of drinks, and open a bag of snacks. The moon roof would glide open, the seats would recline and we were ready to watch the show. Pure delectable pleasure! Ah yes, those were the days!
At present, beginning on June 1st and up to July 4th (as well as sometime there after) is a total nightmare! Seemingly fireworks can be set off at any time in the neighborhood without warning and clearly by neighbors that are not dog owners, or if they are, then they sedate them heavily before they begin! It only takes one pyrotechnics blast in the neighborhood for my brood to be set off for a continuous two hour barkfest. Once they hear the snap, crackle, pop, and sizzle of a firecracker I know it’s going to be a long, long, night.
It’s about this time of year that I wish I had gone to school to become a veterinarian because surely I would have seven medically loaded needles laid out neatly on the kitchen counter ready to knock them all out. Sweet dreams guys! But alas, when I was in school, unless you were a persistent person, the future for girls was geared to being a good secretary, a good housekeeper or a good cook and we all know where I fall in the cooking category! After my first day in culinary class when asked to touch raw meat, I said, "Adios Amigos!"
July 4Th could be somewhat bearable if there were a specific time frame that we could lall ive by, at least give us time to prepare for the upheaval, the time to tether the dogs so they are not jumping out the window, and the time to mentally prepare ourselves for what is about to come! How about starting the blasting after 9 pm and ending by 11 pm, especially on a weeknight. I'm thinking there must be some rule in place already, but if there is, it is not enforced. Let’s face it, calling the cops on your neighbors, well, that’s just not neighborly, and so we endure and just when we think it’s over, Boom, another goes off.
Enter Rescue Remedy the first big chatter among dog owners, an herb that was supposed to calm dogs from such anxieties. Rescue Remedy came in the form of drops to put in the water or in a spray to squirt on the tongue. I chose the spray since it was only the main instigator, Bentley, that I was trying to calm down at the time. The cost in an herbal store was a whopping $15.00 for a 0.35 oz bottle, but I was desperate. Armed with this in hand I couldn’t wait for the next storm or fireworks blast ‘cuz I was ready to spay Crazy Bentley’s tongue with this miracle product!
Well, that didn’t go so well, I was only able to get three out of the four recommended sprays on the tongue as Bentley paced back and forth in his usual neurotic state and it made no difference in him at all. Each time thereafter that I reached for the bottle just before a storm, Bentley got wise and my squirts started to end up on other parts of his body, like his ears, jowls, or eyes, which might explain why he started walking around like he was blind for a few days!
A couple years later along comes Melatonin, supposedly an over the counter wonder herbal delight to help dogs with thunderstorm phobia, fire works, and other anxieties.
Ah, could this be? A cure to the Fourth of July nightmare? A cure for Thunderstorm phobia?
I highly doubted it, but again, why not try it? So I got on line to Puritans Pride and as usual they had their 3 for 1 sale going on so I ordered 3 bottles and by the next week I was rolling in 360 tablets of Melatonin heaven!
When using Melatonin I suggest you use it not only on the day of the fireworks but days before to get it into their system. It did help the dogs to be a little more calm and to calm down a bit sooner when the fireworks were over.
So this July 4th you may want to invest in a small bottle if your dog is bothered by fireworks and if it doesn't work for your dog, you can always use it for your insomnia!
Here is information on Melatonin. Always speak to your vet before trying any over the counter medication.
Melatonin and dosing information click here
You can read more on melatonin as well as other methods used for phobias here
http://www.ygrr.org/doginfo/behavior-phobia.html
Another over the counter medicine popular to use because it makes the dog drowsy is Benadryl. You can read about dosing by clicking here:
You may want to try the Thunder Shirt as well. You can find them in most pet stores.
Thunder shirt: click here
Some people will crank up the TV, turn on the AC and put cotton in the dogs ears to muffle the booming levels.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Dog health~ Hot Spots
Hot Spots GRRRR!”
Every spring and summer poor Chance and Steeler have to suffer with hot spots, also known as moist dermatitis. Hot spots happen when moisture stays under the fur and the skin remains wet. With all the rain we’ve had it was inevitable that it would soon come to this. The problem with hot spots is that you have to keep them clean and dry in order for them to heal, which means you have to keep the dog from constantly licking them.
Hot spots seemingly happen over night, one minute you’ve put everyone to bed and you snuggle into your own bed nice and comfy, then when you wake with the sun’s rise you notice that your dog has chewed all night long, the hair is gone, the skin is raw, and there is blood and pus in a wide spread area. Gross, I know, especially when said dog is a therapy dog. Hot spots can bring therapy visits to a dead halt. Sometimes as the wound is healing I’ll cover it with gauze so we can attend a visit, but let’s face it, no one wants to look at an ugly wound on a dog.
When people notice the bandage they always ask, “Ah, with a little pity in their voice, what happened?”
I used to explain that the dog had hot spots but not many people knew what a hot spot was so rather than trying to explain over and over again how hot spots occur I now say, “Someone thought he was a bear and they shot him!”
The general public seems to understand that a lot better and the look on their faces is priceless until they realize I’m kidding.
So, tonight I saw Chance chewing his hip area and sure enough there it was, the start of a hot spot, although it did not look very big from where I sat.
Yes! I thought, I’ve caught it early enough! And I promptly broke out the shears all the while smirking that I caught it before it got too large and ugly.
Buzz, buzz, buzz went the shears and as Chance’s hair fell off I realized I was not that lucky after all. The undercoat was kind of molded together leaving me with only one choice, a full shave down of about a four to five inch diameter.
Blasted anyhow, no therapy visits for a while. In my effort to keep this from happening to the other side of his hip, or to Steeler, I shaved them both in the hind quarters leaving only an inch of hair. If it works I’ll do it each spring. Who cares if they look part poodle!
Hot spot care: Should your pup get hot spots the best thing to do is shave the area right away, wash frequently through the day with antibacterial soap, dry well, and apply a triple antibiotic ointment on it. Use an Elizabethan collar so they can’t continuously lick it. Sometimes the hot spot is so bad that that the dog will not allow you to touch it and in that case you’ll need a vet to do the shaving and probably some oral antibiotics for a bacterial infection. The vet can also give you a bacterial spray to use rather than the rub on ointment which is much more helpful if it hurts to be touched. My other three Newfies do not get this problem each year and I believe it is because they are shaved down for pool use so the skin dries more easily.
Every spring and summer poor Chance and Steeler have to suffer with hot spots, also known as moist dermatitis. Hot spots happen when moisture stays under the fur and the skin remains wet. With all the rain we’ve had it was inevitable that it would soon come to this. The problem with hot spots is that you have to keep them clean and dry in order for them to heal, which means you have to keep the dog from constantly licking them.
Hot spots seemingly happen over night, one minute you’ve put everyone to bed and you snuggle into your own bed nice and comfy, then when you wake with the sun’s rise you notice that your dog has chewed all night long, the hair is gone, the skin is raw, and there is blood and pus in a wide spread area. Gross, I know, especially when said dog is a therapy dog. Hot spots can bring therapy visits to a dead halt. Sometimes as the wound is healing I’ll cover it with gauze so we can attend a visit, but let’s face it, no one wants to look at an ugly wound on a dog.
When people notice the bandage they always ask, “Ah, with a little pity in their voice, what happened?”
I used to explain that the dog had hot spots but not many people knew what a hot spot was so rather than trying to explain over and over again how hot spots occur I now say, “Someone thought he was a bear and they shot him!”
The general public seems to understand that a lot better and the look on their faces is priceless until they realize I’m kidding.
So, tonight I saw Chance chewing his hip area and sure enough there it was, the start of a hot spot, although it did not look very big from where I sat.
Yes! I thought, I’ve caught it early enough! And I promptly broke out the shears all the while smirking that I caught it before it got too large and ugly.
Buzz, buzz, buzz went the shears and as Chance’s hair fell off I realized I was not that lucky after all. The undercoat was kind of molded together leaving me with only one choice, a full shave down of about a four to five inch diameter.
Blasted anyhow, no therapy visits for a while. In my effort to keep this from happening to the other side of his hip, or to Steeler, I shaved them both in the hind quarters leaving only an inch of hair. If it works I’ll do it each spring. Who cares if they look part poodle!
Hot spot care: Should your pup get hot spots the best thing to do is shave the area right away, wash frequently through the day with antibacterial soap, dry well, and apply a triple antibiotic ointment on it. Use an Elizabethan collar so they can’t continuously lick it. Sometimes the hot spot is so bad that that the dog will not allow you to touch it and in that case you’ll need a vet to do the shaving and probably some oral antibiotics for a bacterial infection. The vet can also give you a bacterial spray to use rather than the rub on ointment which is much more helpful if it hurts to be touched. My other three Newfies do not get this problem each year and I believe it is because they are shaved down for pool use so the skin dries more easily.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Dog product ~ Pedi Paws
So what’s the difference between Pedi Paws and a regular dremel? Power! More Power! Boy those commercials looked great didn’t they? If you were like me you ran right out and bought one and if you couldn’t find one, panic started to set in. I thanked God I was able to find two, one for me and one for my son! Lets face it those dogs looked as comfortable getting their nails done as their human counterparts look in a nail salon! I paid $19.99 for one and only $14.99 for the second, what a bargain! Or was it?
Pros: Two things I really like about the Pedi Paws is that it is quieter than the dremel and it’s got a nice little guard attachment at the top to keep the dog’s hair from getting tangled in the spinning mechanism. Price wise, the product cost was $5.00 cheaper then the dremel I purchased at Wal*Mart, but with shipping costs added it was about the same.
Cons: The 2 C battery power is not comparable to the dremel that is charged via the electric outlet. When I use the dremel I only need to do about three very quick taps on each nail to get it down to where I would like it. The Pedi Paws takes a longer hold on the nail and more taps to get the nail down thus seeming to stress Chance out a bit more.
So, paws up and paws down, if your pup does not mind spending the time to get the nails done then by all means go with Pedi Paws for the safety and noise features alone.
I feel the old suggestions still hold true, get your dog used to having the nails trimmed when they are very young and don’t feel like a failure if they still don’t like it when they’re older! I started cutting all seven pup’s nails from the time they were only four weeks old. Chance hates it, Steeler doesn’t mind it at all, but would prefer clippers to the dremel. Emma doesn’t mind it either, but again would rather the clippers be used. I think it has more to do with the dog’s personality and the persistence of the owner in the first place that makes a difference. Chance, my baby, will fight me tooth and nail as soon as he even sees the dremel, but if I don’t give in, he eventually will. It’s awfully hard though to pick up a Newfoundland’s head once he’s planted it firmly over his two front paws in effort to keep them from being touched! I can’t believe the strength in their neck muscles! Cody, my Cocker, yelps if you just touch his foot in any manner and Casey, my Golden, will do anything for a biscuit!
So what’s your take? Leave your comment. Even opposing views are always welcome :)
Pros: Two things I really like about the Pedi Paws is that it is quieter than the dremel and it’s got a nice little guard attachment at the top to keep the dog’s hair from getting tangled in the spinning mechanism. Price wise, the product cost was $5.00 cheaper then the dremel I purchased at Wal*Mart, but with shipping costs added it was about the same.
Cons: The 2 C battery power is not comparable to the dremel that is charged via the electric outlet. When I use the dremel I only need to do about three very quick taps on each nail to get it down to where I would like it. The Pedi Paws takes a longer hold on the nail and more taps to get the nail down thus seeming to stress Chance out a bit more.
So, paws up and paws down, if your pup does not mind spending the time to get the nails done then by all means go with Pedi Paws for the safety and noise features alone.
I feel the old suggestions still hold true, get your dog used to having the nails trimmed when they are very young and don’t feel like a failure if they still don’t like it when they’re older! I started cutting all seven pup’s nails from the time they were only four weeks old. Chance hates it, Steeler doesn’t mind it at all, but would prefer clippers to the dremel. Emma doesn’t mind it either, but again would rather the clippers be used. I think it has more to do with the dog’s personality and the persistence of the owner in the first place that makes a difference. Chance, my baby, will fight me tooth and nail as soon as he even sees the dremel, but if I don’t give in, he eventually will. It’s awfully hard though to pick up a Newfoundland’s head once he’s planted it firmly over his two front paws in effort to keep them from being touched! I can’t believe the strength in their neck muscles! Cody, my Cocker, yelps if you just touch his foot in any manner and Casey, my Golden, will do anything for a biscuit!
So what’s your take? Leave your comment. Even opposing views are always welcome :)
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