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A Pet Owner’s Guide to Savings
Feb 4, 2009

A Pet Owner’s Guide to Savings

  • Article 3Consider alternatives to veterinary care. If you can’t afford vet fees, check out humane society or university veterinary clinics which may offer thriftier medical services than private practitioners.
  • Look out for specials such as reduced veterinary-service events sponsored by government agencies or pet stores. Also, some vets will give you a discount if you bring in several pets at once, so bringing in the whole brood routine check-ups and inoculations will save you time and money
  • Tell your vet if your pet is a stray. Many vets offer a discount if a pet was an abandoned or homeless creature that you rescued. The discount is usually at least 10 percent off.
  • Seniors should also ask their vets about discounts. Some vets offer seniors discounts as high as 20 percent!
  • Reproductive reasons aside, spaying or neutering your pet decreases its chances of developing a number of illnesses.
  • Keep track of your pet’s records such as inoculations and other health-care services. If you switch vets, you’ll avoid having costly procedures repeated.
  • Be selective about follow-up care. Don't automatically follow up with expensive emergency-hospital staff (if you can avoid it.). See if you can instead follow up with your regular vet during normal business hours.
  • Learn what constitutes a true emergency situation. For example, weakness and difficulty in breathing is an emergency.
  • Consider purchasing pet health insurance. It works in much the same way as it does for people -- there's generally a deductible, a co-pay or both, and forms to be filled out
  • Don’t settle for prices; shop around for medicines, online and locally.
  • Seek a second opinion when your vet suggests a pricey procedure.
  • Brush your pet’s pearly whites! Not only will your pet's teeth suffer if you don't -- it can seriously affect your pet’s overall health. Oral bacteria can lead to serious problems and complications.
  • Ask your vet for samples.
  • Consider your pet’s diet. Upgrading to higher-quality premium foods can pay off in health dividends.
  • Take advantage of the free resources offered by your local pet-supply store. Their personnel tend to be animal lovers with a fairly good knowledge regarding a variety of pets.
  • Read, listen and watch. Take advantage of other free resources, such as pet publications, informative email subscriptions, and TV and radio programs.
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Posted: Feb 4, 2009 9:41am
'Twas the night before Christmas for a Chained Dog
Dec 16, 2006
'Twas the night before Christmas for a Chained Dog

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
With no thought of the dog filling their head.
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Knew he was cold, but didn't care about that.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Figuring the dog was free and into the trash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of midday to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But Santa Claus - his eyes full of tears.
He unchained the dog, once so lively and quick,
Last years Christmas present, now thin and sick.
More rapid than eagles he called the dog's name.
And the dog ran to him, despite all his pain;
"Now, DASHER! Now, DANCER! Now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! On CUPID! On, DONNER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Let's find this dog a home where he'll be loved by all"
I knew in an instant there would be no gifts this year,
For Santa Claus had made one thing quite clear,
The gift of a dog is not just for the season,
We had gotten the pup for all the wrong reasons.
In our haste to think of giving the kids a gift
There was one important thing that we missed.
A dog should be family, and cared for the same
You don't give a gift, then put it on a chain.
And I heard him exclaim as he rode out of sight,
"You weren't given a gift! You were given a life!"

---Author Unknown---
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Posted: Dec 16, 2006 7:52am
Pet Rules - Humor~
Oct 28, 2006
Pet Rules - Humor~
To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - nose height.*

Dear Dogs and Cats,

*The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other
dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the
middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food
and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

*The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me
to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall
faster than you can run.

*I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about
this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your
comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is
not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the
fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails
straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space
is nothing but sarcasm.

*For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the
bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door
shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get
your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through
the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years
--canine or feline attendance is not required.

*The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I
cannot stress this enough!

*To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following
message on our front door:

*To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:

1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture.
(That's why they call it "fur"niture. )
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is
short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

*Remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
1. Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3. Are easier to train
4. Normally come when called
5. Never ask to drive the car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't have to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't want to wear your clothes
10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and...
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.
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Posted: Oct 28, 2006 8:47am
The dog philosophy
Aug 8, 2006
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue.
-Anonymous

Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.
-Ann Landers

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.
-Will Rogers

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
-Ben Williams

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
-Josh Billings

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.
-Andy Rooney

We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made.
-M. Acklam

Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate.
-Sigmund Freud

I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.
-Rita Rudner

A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.
-Robert Benchley

Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.
-Franklin P. Jones

If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.
-James Thurber

If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise. (I have also seen one that says: A lean dog shames its master - supposedly a Japanese proverb)
-Unknown

My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. That's almost $21.00 in dog money.
-Joe Weinstein

Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul -- chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!
-Anne Tyler

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.
-Robert A. Heinlein

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
-Mark Twain

You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'
- Dave Barry

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
-Roger Caras

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them.
-Phil Pastoret

My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.
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Posted: Aug 8, 2006 8:37am
A man and his dog
Aug 2, 2006
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"

"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.

"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.

"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."

The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?"

"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in."

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.

"There should be a bowl by the pump."

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.

"This is Heaven," he answered.

"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."

Soooo...

Sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding jokes to us without writing a word.

Maybe this will explain.

When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do? You forward jokes.

When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes.

When you have something to say, but don't know what, and don't know how, you forward jokes.

Also to let you know that you are still remembered, you are still important, you are still loved, you are still cared for, guess what you get?

A forwarded joke.

So, next time if you get a joke, don't think that you've been sent just another forwarded joke, but that you've been thought of today and your friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile.

You are all welcome @ my water bowl anytime.
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Posted: Aug 2, 2006 8:44am
Why Can't We All Just Get Along?
Jul 18, 2006

The complex dynamics of babies and pets.

By Emily Yoffe
Posted Thursday, June 22, 2006, at 1:10 PM ET

Reading the Humane Society of the United States' suggestions for how to prepare your pet for the arrival of your baby made me realize how negligent my husband and I had been before our daughter's arrival 10 years ago. In the months before her birth, I was supposed to be anointing myself with eau de baby wipe to get our two cats accustomed to new scents. I should have held, bathed, and diapered a swaddled doll in their presence. Thank goodness I didn't have a dog then, or I'd have to take it for walks accompanied by the doll in the stroller. (The HSUS does not offer counsel for what to do if the neighbors start worrying you're suffering from prepartum psychosis.) Finally, I should have familiarized my pets with baby sounds by playing a recording of an infant crying. I found one here: www.preparingfido.com. The sample is so enjoyable it made me yearn for "Teen Party Next Door" and "Broken Car Alarm."
Thankfully, our lack of preparation didn't prove too detrimental. Our cats initially boycotted the new arrival, but as the months went by they became remarkably patient playmates, letting our daughter conclude their tails were hairy, interactive baby toys. (I hovered to make sure things didn't get too interactive.) Indeed, children and pets have been happily mixing it up for millenniums, and now there's evidence that such interactions are good for children's health. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that children in multiple-pet households had about half the risk of developing allergies as children without pets—all those dog and cat licks might provide healthy stimulation to the child's immune system. But given that today's parents put locking devices on their toilets to protect their offspring, what are the sensible precautions one should take before baby and pet cohabitate?

The unbreakable rule of young children and pets is: Never leave them unsupervised. If things go wrong, particularly with a dog, tragedy can ensue. Cats don't typically present a biting hazard, but they often like to jump into a baby's crib or playpen to cuddle. It's unlikely, but a cat could suffocate an infant who's unable to push it away.


Rarely, a dog will mistake an infant for prey. Dr. Laurie Bergman, of the University of California Veterinary Medical Center in San Diego, helped clients turn around this potential disaster when their Jack Russell terrier was stalking their week-old baby. The couple was so terrified, they left the dog alone in the house and moved in with other family members. Dr. Bergman instructed the family to move back, keeping their dog outside for most of the day, so that it could get used to seeing the baby through the window. The dog was also allowed to go for walks on a leash with the baby in a stroller. By the time the son was a year old, the dog had accepted him as human, and they became happy playmates.

Owners must also convince the pet that the baby's arrival is not the worst thing to happen since the invention of spaying and neutering. Frequently owners make the mistake of only paying attention to the pet once the baby is down for a nap. The obvious conclusion in the pet's mind is, "Baby gone, life good." Dr. Marsha Reich, a Maryland veterinary behaviorist, says, "Try to find something that motivates the dog to couple with the baby. Throw the dog treats when you're nursing."

If pets are shunted aside, some may seek other ways to solicit attention. Shortly after one friend's first child was born, the cat, which had been ignored since the baby arrived, started limping dramatically on her hind leg. Many visits to the veterinarian later, the doctor remained unable to find a cause. Then one day the couple noticed that the cat only limped when it came upon the baby. Call it Munchausen's syndrome by feline.

Animal behaviorists warn that the most difficult moments in pet-child relations occur when the child becomes mobile. The animal is now confronted with toddling terror, and a once docile dog may growl and snap. But what looks like aggression is often fear: The dog finds itself cornered by a squealing, poking, pulling human. And the child, too young to realize a raised lip and growl means, "Please step away from the dog," continues to lunge.

Death by dog attack is extremely rare—about a dozen fatalities annually in the United States. But dog bites are common—around 4.7 million a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the 800,000 who need medical assistance, half are children, and the most frequent victims are between ages 5 and 9. Almost all the bites were inflicted by a known assailant—the family dog or that of a neighbor. (Those numbers become less alarming when you consider there are almost 70 million pet dogs in this country.) Animal behaviorists—who often are brought in to deal with the aftermath of a dog bite—say that attack statistics don't convey the dog's side of the story.

This is what happened to Sparky, a Dalmatian that bit a visiting 4-year-old boy. The boy had spent the day chasing the dog, climbing on him, and grabbing food from his bowl. Later, when Sparky was asleep, the boy approached him. The boy's mother heard Sparky growl just before her son was bitten on the face. The distraught owner called Dr. Bergman, wondering if she should euthanize her pet. Dr. Bergman instructed the owner to approach her dog, who was cowering behind the toilet. On Sparky's face were several small, crescent-shaped red marks. The boy had dug his fingernails in Sparky's face hard enough to draw blood. "It was a provoked bite," Dr. Bergman explained.

Then there's the other extreme in pet-child relations. Occasionally a pet will bond so completely with children that witnessing the daily upsets of child-rearing can become unbearable. Take the dog that Dr. Lynne Seibert, a veterinary behaviorist in Washington, was asked to help: The dog had become phobic about counting. Some detective work revealed that when the owner was about to discipline her toddler, she would give the child a warning of, "One, two, three." When the dog heard that, she knew her "sibling" was about to be punished. Seibert helped the owner desensitize her dog by sitting quietly with her, calmly counting.

Of course, the ultimate in pet-child devotion was portrayed in Peter Pan. Just think of the savings parents would reap if everyone could find a child-care provider like the Darlings': a "prim Newfoundland dog, called Nana. … She proved to be quite a treasure of a nurse."

http://www.slate.com/id/2144196?nav=wp
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Posted: Jul 18, 2006 11:00am
Ten Rules for Finding a Good Vet
May 30, 2006
Courtesy of All Creature Care
Ron Hines DVM PhD

1) Select A Veterinarian Whose Personality You Like
The best way to choose a veterinarian is the same way you would select a church – pay them a visit. Call ahead, don’t bring your pet, but tell the staff you would like to drop by and introduce yourself. Yellow pages ads mean nothing – generally the larger the yellow page add, the less likely you will like the veterinarian. For a start, ask some of your pet loving friends which veterinarians they recommend. If you don’t have any or are new to the areas then call a few local kennels and catteries. As a rule, veterinarians pull their clients from within a five-mile radius. If price is a concern to you, select veterinarians practicing in a blue-collar area. Call up the veterinarian’s office midweek and ask to introduce yourself on the telephone first. If you get the standard blow-off “Dr. Bones is in surgery” ask for him to call you back when he can.

As a group, veterinarians tend to be outgoing, sympathetic people who like to please. But there are a few of us – particularly in specialized or board-certified fields – who have weak inter-personal skills. A compassionate vet will stand within three feet of you, give you considerable eye contact, and address you and your pet by name. He should smile, joke and pet your pet. The vet should never act in a hurry or attempt to speed up the exam. If he or she does, you should probably seek a less busy practice. Lack of some of these attributes can be due to the burnout many veterinarians experience after twenty years in their profession. After twenty or thirty years of tending to other peoples pets some of us forget to wake up and sniff the roses every morning

Condition of the office is also a good clue to your veterinarian’s priorities. Are the rooms clean and free from odor? Are instruments arranged methodically or laying about helter skelter? While your waiting in the reception room notice the items on display. Is your vet active in social and community organizations? Is he or she a local science fair judge? Only plaques from the Better Business Bureau, the local veterinary association and a notice that payment is due upon exam are not encouraging signs.

Veterinarians tend to select staff similar in temperament to themselves. If you do not like the receptionist’s attitude you will probably not like the veterinarian either. As you enter the establishment does the receptionist look up at you, smile and ask how she can help you? While you wait, notice her telephone skills and demeanor. Too many auxiliary staff often means that the veterinarian is trying to maximize the number of clients seen in a day. In that case you will find you spend very little time in actual conversation with the veterinarian – another good reason to keep looking for another vet.

2) See The Veterinarian Yearly
Using your veterinary hospital as an emergency room leaves little time to make friends and have pleasant experiences. Set an appointment with the veterinarian you choose for a routine physical examination when nothing is noticeably wrong with your pet. Engage the vet in conversation until you get to know his style with you and your pets. By the way, bring in a single pet – not a carload. It is hard for me to concentrate on more than one animal at a time. When you contemplate purchasing a pet – insist that the seller allow you to have your veterinarian do a prepurchase examination before you have your heart set on a particular animal. Nothing upsets me so as to tell the recent owners of a pet bad news about its health. Usually, by the time they bring me new pets the pet is already a family member. If something serious is wrong, it leaves me and the owners feeling so guilty.

If you are of a devious nature – or just curious about the veterinarian, tell him your pet has been shaking its ears and head even though it hasn’t. After a thorough otoscopic examination by the veterinarian (not his technician) the right answer is “sir or madam, I can not find anything wrong with your pet’s ears (other than perhaps a little wax buildup)” If you leave loaded up with antibiotics, creams and liquids and recheck appointments go find another vet.

3) Have The Right Family Member Come In
Nothing makes for more miscommunication and veterinary frustration than one member of the family noticing a problem and a different, uninformed member of the family presenting the pet to the vet. Remember, the pet cannot talk. We rely heavily on the signs and symptoms that you tell us about. It is not uncommon for a husband to bring in their pet to tell me it is limping but their wife didn’t tell them which leg it was.

4) Set A Morning Appointment
We all fatigue during the day as we go about examining animals. If you want a thorough, considered examination for your pet, do not come in as a late afternoon appointment. And don’t make a Saturday appointment – Saturdays are always hectic at an animal hospital. Monday is not much better because all the emergencies of the weekend are waiting at the vet’s front door.

5) Make A List Of Your Questions Relating To The Problem That Brought Your Pet
I find that appointments go smoothly when owners have made a list of the questions they wanted to ask their veterinarian. This is also helpful if only one spouse of a couple can accompany the pet but they both have questions. It is quite exasperating to explain a problem in detail to one member of the family only to be called an hour later by the spouse requesting I repeat everything I had just explained.

6) Confine The Discussion To A Single Major Problem
It is quite rare that major unrelated problems occur simultaneously in a pet or a person. If you present a shopping list of problems that concern you you are probably not visiting your veterinarian frequently enough. A common dialogue goes like this: “Doc, I brought Peaches in because she is lame in her left rear leg, hasn’t been eating well the last few months, has a bald spot on her right shoulder and scoots. What do you think’s bothering her?” To make an accurate diagnosis a veterinarian has to focus. Presenting multiple, unrelated problems all at once make focusing very difficult.

7) Ask Questions When You Do Not Understand
Some excellent veterinarians are better explainers than others. If you do not have many questions when a veterinarian is finished telling you what he thinks is wrong with your pet then your are either extraordinarily well informed about veterinary medicine or you have not considered the problem fully. This goes for most medical conditions that pets suffer from – not such things as a splinter or fishhook. Some common questions you might ask are is this a common or a rare condition? What do you think caused it? What is the likely outcome? Ask to read through some articles that the veterinarian has on the subject.

8) Discuss Cost
Because we have no third-party payers in the United States the cost of veterinary care can be high. Ask the veterinarian or his/her assistant to give you an expected estimate of the cost of the procedure. Be sure to inquire as to the cost of follow-up visits and as to who bears the cost of extra supplies or treatment that might later be required. Less financially successful veterinarians often offer 'package deals'. This does not mean they are any less competent or reputable – just poorer businessmen. If the procedure is not life-threatening you may choose to inquire at a number of veterinary hospitals – prices are often quite arbitrary and vary greatly between facilities.

9) Be Nice
You get more butterflies with honey than vinegar. I know you are perturbed that your pet is ill and that is what brought you to us; but try to be polite and courteous with the veterinarian and his staff. They are there because they want to help you. You will never know how important a thoughtful note; a bouquet of flowers or box of chocolates can be to the veterinary staff. It makes our day. You will become the apple of our eye and get superb treatment when your pet needs it.

10) Tell Your Friends About The Great Vet You Discovered
Very few veterinarians in the United States have as many clients as they would like. There are just too many of us. Nothing will make your veterinarian happier than for a valued client to recommend him/her to their friends. And be sure you tell him what you did.
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Posted: May 30, 2006 5:46pm
Aging Pet Needs Extra Care
May 18, 2006
courtesy of University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine

By Sarah Probst

"Your pet ages seven times faster than you do; consequently, the potential for age-related disease also progresses seven times as fast," says Dr. William Tranquilli, veterinarian and anesthesiologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital in Urbana. "At the age of seven (when your pet is about 50 in people years), we suggest
biannual visits with your veterinarian. That may seem like a lot, but if you think of it in terms of how fast your pet is aging, it would be like a person going for an annual physical every 3 to 4 years," explains Dr. Tranquilli. Also realize that large dogs age faster than smaller dogs. The attached table shows how old your pets really are and how fast they are aging .

During biannual visits, ask your veterinarian to do a lab analyses-complete blood count, urinalysis, fecal exams, and chemistry profiles. Having these tests done twice a year helps veterinarians detect any age-related disease that your pet may be developing before the disease progresses too far.

As your pet ages, the chances of its developing a life-threatening disease such as kidney failure and cardiac disease increase. Prevention and early detection of these diseases are imperative to extend the life of your beloved companion. Taking a preventive approach to your dog's senior status could increase the amount of time you get to spend with your companion.

Part of prevention includes controlling your pet's weight. This decreases the rate that your pet ages and definitely decreases susceptibility to serious diseases. Older dogs naturally decrease their activity and thus have reduced energy needs. It's not necessary to feed your 11-year-old Dalmatian, Johnny, as much as the 2-year-old Sparky. Ask your veterinarian
what diet and amount of food is best for your dog's age and activity level.

Besides increased veterinary visits and weight watching, be sure to monitor your pet's behavior. "Behavioral changes are some of the earliest signs of disease," says Dr. Tranquilli. Changes that may indicate a problem include confusion, decreased interaction with family members, inconsistent sleeping pattern, or loss of house training. You know your pet's behavior best, so trust your judgment.

Other behavioral changes are associated with specific diseases. As in humans, arthritis may become a problem in senior pets. Watch for stiffness, lameness, reluctance to climb steps or jump up, and perhaps difficulty rising after lying down. Dermatologic problems may also
increase with age because of metabolic changes. Increased water intake, increased urination, increased weight loss, and decreased appetite may indicate developing kidney disease.

Dental problems increase with age as well. Juno may not need a full set of dentures like Great Aunt Selma, but watch for increased salivation, bleeding, and inflammation, which may result in serious infection and loss of appetite.

Veterinarians understand that your pet is part of the family and they are willing to assist you with your health care decisions as your companion ages. Your local veterinarian can help you give your senior pet the best quality of life for as long as possible.


Dog's Age up to 20 21-50 pounds 51-90 pounds over 90
pounds pounds

6 40 42 45 49

8 48 51 55 64

10 56 60 66 78

12 64 69 77 93

14 72 78 88 108

16 80 87 99 123

18 88 96 109

20 96 105 120
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Posted: May 18, 2006 8:53am
Ten Tips for Protecting Pooch
May 14, 2006
courtesy of Safe-T-Pet.com

  Protecting Your Pooch
TIPS FOR DOG WATCH


1. If you only do one thing: Make sure your dog always wears his current I.D.

A diamond-studded collar is worthless if your pet doesn't have an identification tag attached. The only time to take off your pet's collar is when you are giving him a bath. Put it back on before he's dry.


2. Train your dog.

Teach him he's not allowed to leave home without you. Find a local trainer who will assist you. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers ( 800-PET DOGS ) will help you locate a trainer that is right for you and your dog.


3. Keep a padlock on all gates.

This can discourage theft. But remember, it is only a momentary inconvenience for a thief.


4. Never leave your dog in the yard where he can be seen.

This is like window shopping for the thief.


5. Always walk your dog on a leash.

According to the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, "Even a dog who graduates at the top of his obedience class can become scared, distracted, or tempted. And in a moment he can be hit by a car or lost forever."


6. Don't leave your dog in the backyard when guests or service people have access.

You can't expect anyone to be as diligent about keeping him in or as concerned about his getting out as you would be.


7. Never leave your dog unattended on the street.

A dog left hitched to a tree, lamp post or parking meter looks like a wallet full of money sitting on a sidewalk to a thief- and just as easy to steal.


8. Protect your dog from loud noises.

Fear is one of the most common reasons for why a dog runs. Loud noises are usually the cause. It can be a firecracker on the Fourth of July, a thunderstorm or even a backfiring car.


9. Teach children to keep gates and doors closed.

Sometimes this requires practice, but it's a lesson well worth learning. It's also a chance to teach children about the responsibility of caring for a pet.


10. Spay or neuter your dog.

Even the most loyal dog will leave his or her happy home when love is in the air.

This article appears courtesy of City and Country Pets.
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Posted: May 14, 2006 8:04am
DOG CHESSE & VEGGIE TREAT
May 10, 2006
  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup grated chedder chesse
  • 1/2 cup cooked peas and carrots
  • 1/2 cup soft butter
  • 1 tsp. garlic
  • chicken broth


    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    Mix butter and cheese. Add peas, carrots, garlic, and flour. Mix until blended.
    Add enough broth to help form a ball. Chill for one hour, roll on to floured counter.
    Cut 1/4 inch thick. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
    Let them cool a bit and then let the pups chow-down!!

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    Posted: May 10, 2006 7:00am

     
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