URGENT PET CARE INFORMATION

My Veterinarian at The Morton Grove Animal Hospital has issued the following warning:

Recently, the EPA has prohibited the use of long-acting anticoagulant rodenticides (rat/mouse poisons that prevent blood from clotting, causing whoever consumes them to bleed to death). While this ban seems favorable at first glance, the concern is that the new poison, BROMETHALIN, will likely have scarier consequences.

With the older anticoagulant rodenticides, we have time (days) to diagnose and treat your pet. With BROMETHALIN, neurological signs such as depression, seizures, and coma may be seen within 2-24 hours, depending on how much your pet ate. THERE IS NO ANTIDOTE!!!

The most important part of treating BROMETHALIN toxicity is decontamination – making your pet vomit, ideally within 10-15 minutes of ingestion, then giving several does of activated charcoal over 24 hours. Once neurological signs start, hospitalization on IV fluids and medications aimed at decreasing swelling in the central nervous system are necessary. But even this aggressive treatment is no guarantee of a positive outcome.

Because of this new toxin, its extremely important to be aware of your pets surroundings!!! If your pets come in contact with anything questionable...contact your veterinarian immediately!!! and if your veterinarian is not available...have a back up Emergency Veterinarian Hospital on hand! Also, know where they are.

This is very important information! Please pass it on to every pet owner you know!

 

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact me at www.walkiesdoggies.com or walkies.doggies@yahoo.com

Why Do Our Pets Itch?

Does your pet scratch or lick themselves raw? Something is irritating them, and its up to you to determine if a trip to the veterinarian is in order. There are many causes as to what is irritating your pets skin, and since we are coming into spring I thought I would mention a few common causes that can cause your pets discomfort.

 

Allergies are one the most common ailments sited by major pet insurance companies deal with when treating cats and dogs. Much like humans, Allergens absorbed though the skin, inhaled or swallowed will cause hypersensitivity reactions in the skin, also known as "atopic dermatitis" or "atopy". Symptoms include redness in the paws, face, groin, flanks, armpits and ears, excessive licking, scratching and chewing. Since we are heading into spring, the common cause can be attributed to upgraded pollen count.

 

 

Fleas...dreaded fleas...when a flea bites, its saliva is injected into the hosts skin and acts like a potent allergen. Not sure if its fleas? you can do this simple test to rule these blood suckers out. Place your pet in the bathtub, or a counter in the sitting position. Next, rub your pets lower back and tail up and down with your fingers, if you notice flea droppings, which are basically little specks of flea digested blood from your pet, you now have a flea problem. The good news is mild infestations can be treated by your veterinarian. Heavy infestations will require that your home to be treated as well.

 

 

Food Allergies are also very common and can happen at any age. Have you recently changed your pets food? Have you noticed redness, hair loss or lesions? If you have, the only way to diagnose food hypersensitivity is by employing a strict elimination diet, which your veterinarian will be able to help you with. Food can either be prepared at home or purchased with your veterinarian. You will also need to eliminate all treats and table scraps from their diet for 10-12 weeks. Be cautious with pet foods labeled "hypoallergenic"...many of these brands have tested positive for items not suitable for diet trials. All of these probable causes to your pets itching and irritation can lead to more serious complications such as Staph Infections or Yeast Infections. If you suspect anything out of the normal, please consult your veterinarian immediately.

 

 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and as always leave on comment!

Wordless Wednesday

Good Luck making the bed!




Bloat is a dangerous condtion for dogs

Bloat, also know as gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV),  is extremely deadly to your large breed dog.  Please view this link, and be aware of the signs.

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-bloat.aspx

Solutions for Cat Scratching

Do you have a domestic house cat or a mountain lion?

One of the biggest pet peeves I have heard from cat owners is that they like to scratch on everything in the house, including their owners.  But why do they scratch? How do we as pet owners deal with this problem before our furniture, curtains and carpets end up looking like a Velociraptor lives in our house?

Why do cats scratch?  Scratching enables the cat to shed dead claw tips and it also is away of marking his or hers territory.  Cats are territorial creatures, marking their presence helps them to feel more comfortable in their surroundings.  Even if you de-claw your cat, which I would never recommend, the behavior will not go away.  Providing your cat with appropriate scratching surfaces will help save your sanity and your furniture.  First you have to determine what type of scratcher your little mountain lion is.

Cats who attack carpeting or the top of the sofa are horizontal scratchers.  Try using on the ground flat cardboard scratchers with a little dried catnip placed by where the cat is already accustomed to scratching.  You can also discourage them from their known targets by buying carpet runners and placing them bottom side up, the prongs will make this undesirable to them.  Yes, it will not look good, but trust me, after a few attempts kitty will be totally turned off by this area.

If your cat is a vertical scratcher, try a tall cat tree, just make sure that they have something other than carpet to scratch, like Sisal Rope.  Again, a little dry catnip will encourage your cat to use the cat tree as opposed to your leather couch.  Double stick tape made specifically for furniture can be found at most pet supply stores and placed on your furniture, this will stop your cat from scratching there once he figures out that its not fun having sticky paws.

Good Luck with this...may I suggest full plate armor before attempting.

If all else fails, you can try nail caps...they come in nice colors...red being the most popular because it will match the wounds you will receive trying to put them on the cat.




Keep in mind that if you are a multiple cat owner, each cat is different and you may have to provide several alternative spots where they can feel free to scratch as they please without having to run into territorial issues between them.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave a comment!  I love feedback!

Wordless Wednesday

My new adopted cat Buddy - He already has taken over!

What to do if you find a lost pet

So you found a stray dog or a cat, now what do you do? 

Our first instinct as animal lovers is to try to help, and we should if we are able to. Keep in mind that it might not be that easy to get the frightened animal to trust you, and that’s the first thing you need to do. Remain calm, and follow these simple steps to contain the dog or cat as safely as possible for the both of you.

1. If the dog appears to be aggressive, do not approach him. Call the police or animal control right away. Have these numbers programed into your phone.
   
   
2. Do not chase the animal. Especially if you are near a busy road. Needless to say, do not bolt into traffic after the animal.
   
   
3. In a calm voice, try to call the animal to you, this will probably not work for the cat, but you never know!
   
   
4. Carry treats with you! And if you don’t have treats with you, act like you do! A little deception will be forgiven if you are able to save their life.
   
   
5. Once the animal is close enough to you and is calm, you can try to secure them with a slip collar, which can be easily made by slipping a belt trough hoop or a leash. Again, this will not go over well with a cat, instead try to scruff the cat and get him into a box or pillowcase. This will keep little Freddy Krueger's nails from tearing you up.
   
   
6. Once the dog or cat is contained, shelter them in either your garage or some room in the house that will not have access to small children or other pets. You have no way of knowing if this animal is infected with a contagious disease or parasites. Make sure the pet has food, and fresh water.  Supply them with bedding and make sure the room's temperature is not too hot or cold.
   
   
7. Now the detective work comes in. Hopefully the animal has some ID, and hopefully that ID is up to date. If so, call the owner right away. If the animal does not have ID, call your local animal shelters and give them all the detail you can about the pet. Breed, Sex, Distinguishing Marks, Where the pet was found. You can also bring the animal to your local shelter or veterinarian to have them scanned for a microchip.

8. Social Media works wonders in finding and reporting lost pets. There are several Facebook Pages that post lost and found dog info non-stop all day. My favorite Facebook Page is Lost Dogs Illinois. They have a great success rate. There are similar sites all over the country. Get involved on their Facebook page. Forward info to friends and family that are in the area of the lost pet.
   
   
   www.lostdogsillinois.org
   
   
   www.helpfindmypet.com
   
   
   www.lostpetusa.net
   
   
   If all else fails, contact the local no-kill shelter. It may be heartbreaking, but its the only thing you can and should do, especially if the animal appears to be well cared for. Someone is looking for them. They will have a better chance of being found at a shelter.
   

If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you!

Either leave a comment or contact me at walkies.doggies@yahoo.com

Leslie Fiore

Owner

Walkies Doggies

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