Understanding your Pets Blood Work

If you have ever had a blood test run on your pets, you know how hard it is to understand the meaning of it! So ... this will hopefully help! Sorry it is just a link... but the document is quite long!

http://veterinarybusiness.dvm360.com/vetec/data/articlestandard//vetec/392011/740627/article.pdf

Doggy Medicine Cabinet

There are certain items that you might have in your own medicine cabinet that you can use for Fido! I found this one on Paw Nation... thanks!!

30 Common Human Medicines for Dogs
• A & D Ointment: antibacterial for scrapes and wounds.
• Anbesol: topical anesthetic for mouth pain
• Artificial Tears: eye lubricant
• Aveeno Oatmeal Bath: soothing rinse for itchy skin
• Benadryl: antihistamine for bug bites-also makes pets sleepy
• Betadine: antiseptic for cleansing/soaking wounds or injuries
• Bufferin or Baby Aspirin: pain relief
• Burow's solution: topical antiseptic
• Caladryl: soothing topical for pain or itching
• Cortaid: anti-itch cream
• Desitin: for skin inflammation
• Dramamine: helpful for car sickness, nausea
• Dulcolax: for constipation
• Epsom salts: for soothing soak for sore paws
• Ipecac Syrup: to make dog vomit
• Kaopectate: to control diarrhea
• Lanacane: topical anesthetic
• Massengill Disposable Douche: body odor/skunk spray
• Metamucil (unflavored): for constipation
• Mylanta Liquid: for digestive problems and/or gas
• Neosporin: to help prevent wound infection
• Pedialyte: counteracts dehydration
• Pepcid AC: to control vomiting
• Pepto-Bismol: for diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
• Phillips' Milk of Magnesia: for constipation
• Preparation H: soothes sore bottom
• Robitussin Pediatric Cough Formula: cough suppressant
• Solarcaine: topical anesthetic, helpful for sunburn
• Vicks VapoRub: for congestion
• Witch hazel: topical antiseptic

23 Helpful Household Items
In the best of all possible worlds, emergencies never happen or if they do, dog owners have a professional medical kit handy. These should be stocked with sterile gauze pads in different sizes, elastic Ace bandages, needle-less syringes and eyedroppers for medication and even stretchers. You can buy commercial kits from pet supply stores and catalogues or put together your own, and it's very helpful to have a handy pet first aid how-to guide handy.

But all too often pet owners don't think about being prepared until after the first emergency. If you find yourself faced with a doggy health crises you may be surprised how many everyday items around the house or in your pantry can be helpful.

• Blanket/cookie sheet/ironing board: stretcher
• Bubble Wrap: stabilize leg fracture/injury
• Canned Pumpkin: for constipation or diarrhea
• Condoms: to cover injured/bleeding paw
• Dawn Dishwashing Soap: decontaminate fur
• Heat pad: for arthritis/aches
• Hose/sink spray: flushing wounds
• Hydrogen peroxide (3%): given orally to prompt vomiting
• Ice bag/frozen peas: topical pain control
• Karo syrup/honey: for shock
• KY Jelly: lubricant such as for eye out of socket
• Olive oil: to suffocate/kill ear mites
• Pliers: remove porcupine quills/foreign object in mouth
• Pantyhose/necktie: muzzle
• Mustache trimmer: clip fur around wounds
• Needle/Safety pin: acupuncture CPR
• Teabags, soaked and cooled: to treat hot spots
• Turkey baster: flush wounds, give liquid medicine
• Rectal thermometer
• Saran Wrap: seals wounds, holds bandage together without sticking to fur
• Sterile Saline Solution: flush wounds, eye injuries
• Squirt gun, squeeze bottle: give liquid medicine/flush wounds
• Yogurt: settle digestion, control gas

Happy 4th of July!!

Poor Liberty! This is her LEAST favorite time of the year .. .well, this week and New Year's! Why?? Fireworks! They scare both of my dogs like crazy! They just shake and look for a safe place... usually the closet or anywhere in our bedroom. This year I read an article about giving your dogs Melatonin (found in any store) for Thunderstorm phobia. These are very common.. .and it makes it very hard living in So Florida where they are a daily occurance in the summer. I found some chewable 3mg ones (for the size of my goldens) and now at the first sign of a thunderstorm, they get a "treat". Let me tell ya! I have tried every natural antidote out there for my dogs.. and this is the FIRST thing that works. I gave some to my dog sitters too for their dogs and it works for them also. It doesnt knock the pups out... just calms them.. so they can lay down on the bed and relax instead of pace all over the house, try to climb in my lap, shake, etc. I gave both dogs Melatonin last night for the fireworks (people in the farms here shoot them off all week).. and it helped both of them so much! No dopey feeling either... Scotty takes this for his jet lag.. and I take it when I cant sleep. So if you have this same problem with your pups, give Melatonin a try! The normal dosage for dogs is 1.5mg if under 30 pounds... 3mg if over. You can repeat this up to 3 times during the day. I would start it BEFORE the fireworks/thunderstorms begin. Here is a website with more info:
http://www.melatonin.com/melatonin-animals.php

Happy Spring and Easter!!

Today my good friend Jan reminded me that I do INDEED have a blog! So I thought to get writing! I spent an hour at our beautiful dog beach today.... getting caught up on my favorite magazine "Animal Wellness". I just wish I could give a gift subscription of this magazine to everyone I know that has pups! It is so informative... with all sorts of good stuff for healthy pets. Today, one of the great articles I read in Animal Wellness was a Beagle rescue called " Beagle Freedom Project"... they rescue Beagles that have... geez... been used for research labs. (How anyone can do this to pups is a whole nother story!). www.BeagleFreedomProject.org What a great project!!
So... in honor of my favorite Beagle, Champ... and his one year anniversary with my niece Aubrey and her husband Joe... I give you Champ!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

Yikes.... I have been uber lazy with my blog posts! As I sit here in South Florida enjoying 83 degree weather in January with my two golden kids, I am also wondering about all of those new puppies that were given as Christmas presents. You know, the ones that will end up in some shelter come September or October when the people find that having a puppy is tough work (no kidding!)... or they didnt realize their dog was going to shed.. or they just dont have time for the pup. It boggles my mind that people dont take the time to consider any of these things before they get a dog. So if you know of anyone in this situation... PLEASE suggest they find a rescue group instead of taking the dog to any shelter. There are thousands of rescue groups... breed specific groups... big dog groups... little dog groups... senior dog groups.. just mutt groups.. really... so many. These groups are run by tireless volunteers that find the pups foster homes until they can find their forever homes. A search on Google will locate many of them. www.petfinder.com is a great site for rescues... you can view pets in need of homes, but also get the names of rescues that post these pets. There is also www.bestfriends.org My favorite animal sanctuary! One of these days I will get to southern Utah to volunteer for the week... and if my dreams every come true.. I will be able to run my own animal sanctuary one day!
Anyway.... my new year's resolution will be to do a better job with my tailwagger blog! Life is short... play with your dog....