First Aid Essentials

Back in July, I was pet sitting for three weeks for a friend’s two dogs, two cats, two birds, and his daughter’s pet gecko.  He suggested that I live at his house to make it easier on his seven pets since my cats enjoy stalking birds.  Everything went well until we hit the mid-way point.  Lia, one of the dogs, came into the house with a 1½” gash on her flank.  After calling the vet on duty at their local vet’s office (thank goodness that Lia’s owners and I use the same veterinarian), I was told to bring her in the next morning but to cover the wound in the meantime. 

I scrambled around my friend’s house, searching for the proper means of covering her open wound which by this time was only spotting.  After flipping out for a short time because I thought I knew where everything was, I regretted not bringing my animal first aid kit.

Yes, that’s right, my animal first aid kit.  Our pets can get into just as much trouble as humans and children.  Thankfully, I have never needed it previously but as the story above shows, you’ll never know when you’ll need one (and to think that I’ve been pet sitting since I was 8, I’m 27 now, and have never had an emergency until that day).  So of course, this brings up the next few questions:

Should a pet owner buy an animal first aid kit?  Should they make it?  What should be put into it?

To answer the first question, buying a premade first aid kit is all well and good; however, even those do not have everything that your pet could need.  This is part of the reason I prefer to make my own.  However, buying the premade kits sometimes can be cheaper if you hit the right sale at the right time and are on a budget but be prepared to add to your kit a few additional essentials.

Here is what you should be prepared to put into a first aid kit:

Pepcid – Relieves an upset stomach.  Use the following dosage:  ¼ tablet for less than 20 lbs, ½ tablet for 20 – 60 lbs, 1 tablet for more than 60 lbs.   Cats may have ¼ of a tablet.  It is perfectly acceptable to switch this out for Pepto Bismol, however, please note that Pepto Bismol is toxic to cats.  I prefer to keep something cat & dog friendly as I do have both.

Benadryl – Like humans, pets can have an allergic reaction.  Give your dog one milligram for every pound twice daily.  Please note that this is not effective for cats.

Neosporin

Gauze – You can use rolls or squares, I prefer to have both on hand.

Vet Wrap/Vetrap – This miracle wrap is super handy and not super expensive either.  It sticks to itself and not your pet’s fur or skin.

Sceptic Powder – This will help stop your pet from bleeding if your pet breaks a nail or if you cut a nail too short.  It will form a blood clot to stop the bleeding.  I tend to use a Quickstop, however, you can use corn starch if you find that you don’t have any.

Rubber Gloves – it’s never a good idea to touch blood with your bare hands.

Waterproof or First Aid Tape

Thermometer – I go for the digital thermometers, stay away from the glass ones.  You never know when your dog will freak out and move, breaking the thermometer.  It would not be fun to be bringing your dog to the vet’s office to explain why there is glass in your dog’s rectum.

Petroleum Jelly – To aid the thermometer.

A muzzle – Your dog may not have a mean bone in its body but you’d be amazed at how mean a hurt dog can be.  Don’t take the chance of having your dog bite you when it’s hurt.  Although I cannot say from experience, I can assure you fairly well that it will hurt.  If you have taken an animal first aid course and they taught you with stockings or a roll of gauze, that’s fine but if you don’t know the method, use a muzzle.

Tweezers – a common item around the house however, it’s a pain in the rear end to not be able to find them when you need them most.  These are great for removing ticks, stingers, and other bugs that you do not want to remove with your fingers.

Scissors

Aspirin or Baby Aspirin – Which one you get will depend upon the size of your dog (not cat).  Please note that Aspirin is highly toxic to cats so do not give your cat Aspirin.  I honestly prefer to only give a dog aspirin under the direction of a veterinarian but I like to have Aspirin on hand just in case.  Please note that Tylenol and Advil are toxic to dogs regardless of the amount. 

Syringe without needle – This is a life saver when it comes to giving your pet a liquid medicine (if you don’t believe me, try giving your dog liquid Pepto  on a spoon and watch how fast the room looks like it went through a paint ball match).

Bee Sting Ointment – This is a must have but if you’re like me, I do a combination of baking soda and water, stir until it is a paste, and then put it onto the bee sting.

Ice Pack – This can help keep swelling down.

 Laminated card – This card should have primary contact information, secondary contact information, veterinarian contact information, emergency veterinarian contact information (If your vet doesn’t have an afterhours doctor on duty), and some general information regarding your pet such as weight, height, allergies, medications & dosages, etc.

A Blanket or Towel – This sounds like the strangest thing to have but if you’re traveling and your 120lb dog can’t walk, then you can put the dog on the blanket and carry the dog with help that way.  If you have a cat or small dog such as a Chihuahua, you can swaddle your pet so that it cannot bite or scratch you and you can make it easier to bring to your car.  I would recommend picking which one to use by the size of your pet.

Condensed and Up-To-Date Copy of Your Pet’s Vet Records – I know this sounds a bit strange, however, if you travel, the vet you may bring your pet to may not be able to gain access to your pet’s records.  As a result, they end up asking you and in an emergency; you may blank out on the answer.  I’d also recommend putting this into a plastic bag to keep it dry.

Photo Copies of Your Pet’s AKC/CKC Registration Papers –Again, please keep these with the condensed copies of your pet’s vet records.

If you have questions about dosages, a great website which I was referred to is http://www.walkervalleyvet.com/otc-meds.htm or ask your vet about the dosage which is right for your pet (I’d suggest this method more than looking up dosages up online as the average person is not a doctor).  There are also some REALLY great references to pet first aid.  I’d recommend signing up for animal first aid from your local humane society or read up on it from the AKA and CKC websites.

Most of these items should be available in just about any pet or drug store. 

Good luck!

Kim

Product Review: Kong Zoom Groom

I have used a good number of brushes during my time as a pet sitter.  Each brush I have used has been greeted with varying degrees of love and hatred from cats and dogs alike, depending upon whether they liked to be brushed or not.  My cat and dog are two animals who hate being brushed.  There were days with my cat where Justin would have to hold him down while I did my best to not hurt him as I brushed out his long fur.  My dog on the other hand would actually lunge at the brush, trying to get it out of my hands to scare me into stopping (she never bites but she does it to manipulate someone into getting her way).

About a year ago while Ashrah was in dog training classes, her dog trainer introduced me to the Kong Zoom Groom.  At first I looked upon this $9.99 piece of rubber with skepticism but when my common-law husband asked if we could try it on Ashrah, she just laid there and let him brush her.  I continued to watch with growing skepticism until he showed me the brush and I looked on the floor to see all of the dead hair the brush had managed to push out of her fur.  Of course, I ran to the nearest pet store and bought one that very day.

The Kong Zoom Groom is a cute rubber brush with blunt, cone shaped teeth which offers a nice, gentle massage on your pet’s skin while slowly getting the under coat to release loose and dead hair.  It comes in a dog version which has a trough for shampoo during baths and a cat version with has no trough.  The Kong Zoom Groom comes in five different colours (blue, green, purple, raspberry, and red) and for you American product fans, is made in the USA.  It can also be used in the tub or outside the tub.

Although it has helped me groom all of my animals and the animals I have pet sat for this year, I will warn everyone that although this works for most dogs, please don’t expect this to work for all dogs or cats.  Coming from someone who has watched a Siberian husky in the past and is good friends with a former Siberian husky breeder, this brush would not be the wisest choice to try grooming one with.  I have found, however, that this brush is a good choice for breeds and pets with shorter fur.  I will also say that this has helped me with Taven, my medium haired cat, but even I have to say that I will not only use this brush on him as it doesn’t always get all of the under coat out.  If you are going to be giving your long haired pet a bath, however, I will agree that this is a great choice to help get the shampoo all the way down to the under coat.

Like all products, it is not without its downfalls.  As I mentioned, this brush is not a good choice to use on a dry, long haired dog but what brush is universal?  None.  I also cannot say that this is a great brush to use exclusively for some breeds.  It does bring a lot of hair to the top so I often times have to go over the coat lightly with another brush or comb to get rid of the rest fur.

My last down fall is the amount of fur it gets out of your pet will land on the fall and if your pet’s fur is short enough, it won’t catch in the brush.  So don’t use this brush on a carpeted surface unless you plan on doing a ton of vacuuming right after.  I have turned my beige carpet grey with my dog’s fur before and then I still had problems picking It all up with my vacuum.  Trust the voice of experience and do this outside or on a linoleum, laminate, or hard wood floor.

I have read many reviews on this and I keep seeing people screaming the same thing, “It’s not durable enough if my dog chews on it!”  I can attest to that as my cat has chewed a cone off my Kong Zoom Groom for cats.  Although this is a consistent complaint, like all non-toy items, I cannot stress enough to keep it out of your pet’s reach.  It’s a grooming tool.  I’ve heard of cats and dogs who hide their nail clippers, chew up handles, and who steal brushes.  Why are these people allowing their pet to gain access to it?  Again, if it’s not a toy, don’t keep it in a place your pet can get it.  Simple fix.

For $9.99 Canadian ($8.99 US), I have found that this brush is worth every penny for me.  Because there is not a huge difference between the cat and the dog Kong Zoom Groom, you can buy one and use it on the other.  It can be used wet or dry and works well on pets with most coat types (multitaskers, got to love them).  Bonus points for it being made in the US and the price is quite good for the fur that it can take off your pet.

So my rating for this product is 4.5 out of 5 for being able to go from a dog brush to a cat brush, working for most short haired coat types, and being able to use it in and out of the tub.  Plus a bonus ½ of a point for being made in the US (or in my case, North America in general).  It is not the ultimate choice in brushes, especially for long haired or thick under coated pets and it does leave a mess if done on a carpet.

Note: The Kong Zoom Groom is available in PetSmart (in both the US and Canada), Petco, and other pet stores.

Sorry for not posting anything as of late.  Things have been slightly nutty with a four week stint of pet sitting, especially when one of the dogs needed emergancy surgery.  I also lost a few of the articles that I have written so I need to re-write all of them.  *sighs* A girl's work is never done. 

Anyway, blog wise, I may end up focusing my blog to make things easier on the reader with similar articles being written for each animal type (of course they won't be the same but you get the idea).  I may or may not move the blog else where.  More on that as I decide.  In the mean time, I hope everyone has been well.

Be well and take care!

Kim

Grooming Unravelled For Dogs

There’s nothing worse than not using the right tool for any job.  Either you can hurt the project or not do enough to make a difference in the project.  If you damage the project, your project has the chance of never recovering.  Well, the same problem goes with grooming.  When you use the wrong tool, either not enough will be done to make a difference on your dog or you can hurt your dog, turning them off to the entire experience.

There are a large variety of grooming tools on the market, each having their own specific use and aimed towards a specific coat type.  My goal is to empower pet parents with the knowledge of how to properly groom their pets.  After all, knowledge is power.  Because brushing is something that pains some dogs, I will be focusing on the idea of brushing. 

Dog coats can be classified into six coat types (smooth, short double, long double, curly, silky, and wire) which all require their own set of grooming equipment.  At the bottom of the page, I will sum up what is needed for each coat type.  Please note that I will be discussing cat grooming, bathing, ear cleaning, eye care, and nail care in later entries.  So I have not forgotten about you cat parents or other areas in grooming.

Smooth Coats
Smooth coats are short and obviously smooth.  These coats are most commonly found on pugs, Dobermans, and basset hounds.  The basic grooming tool for these coats is a simple bristled brush and a hound glove (a glove with rubber nubs in the palm), or a curry brush (think the kind of brush horse owners use).  Consider yourselves lucky since many professionals agree that these coats need only a weekly brushing and the occasional bath.  However, that’s not to say that they won’t benefit from additional grooming.

To thoroughly groom this coat type, use medium pressure starting at the head and working your way down your dog’s back to their rear, going in the direction of the fur.  A key rule in this case is to go over your dog’s fur twice.  This should get a vast majority of the fur off your dog.

Short Double Dog Coats
These coats tends to have a soft but short insulating coat and a longer outer coat.  Dogs such as Rottweilers and Labradors tend to have this double coat which needs brushing at least two to three times per week.  Again, this is not to say that these dogs will not benefit from additional grooming.  The basic grooming tools needed in this case is a slicker brush or pin brush (imagine how a pin cushion looks).

To thoroughly groom this coat type, simply take a section of your dog’s fur and part the fur.  At this point, you should be able to see the dog’s skin.  Get as close as you can to the dog’s skin without getting the dog’s skin and brush out the undercoat by pulling the brush outward.  Then brush in the direction of the fur.

Long Double Dog Coats
Similar to above, dogs such as Siberian Huskies, Pomeranians, Corgis, and Akitas have the short insulating coat with a long outer coat.  Also like the dogs above, these dogs need to be brushed at least two to three times per week but do benefit from additional grooming.  They shed the most during the spring and the fall.  The proper grooming tools for these dogs are a slicker or pin brush as well as a wide tooth comb, commonly known as a rake.

To begin grooming, go over the outer coat with the pin or slicker brush before parting the fur with your hand.  Like the short double dog coat, put the brush as close to the skin as you can without having the brush touch the coat and pull the brush outward to remove the loose fur.  After you do this all over your dog’s body, use thee rake to go over your dog’s body, going in the direction of the fur.

Curly Coats
As many of you can guess, poodles and bichon frises fit into this coat type.  As the reoccurring trend shows, a slicker brush is going to be one of the primary tools you will need.  The last tool required as a necessity for grooming this coat type is a long pin brush with a cushioned back.

To groom, start out by the head’s shorter fur, part the fur and brush out the fur starting at the skin and going outward.  For the longer fur, simply use the pin brush to brush out the longer fur starting at the end and heading in towards the skin, similarly to how you’d brush your own hair.  For super stubborn knots, mats, and tangles, use a pair of grooming scissors to cut them out but never use scissors to cut mats under or on the ears as you can easily cut your dog’s skin.  Remember, just brushing the to coat will not accomplish anything.

Silky Coats
This is probably the one coats which needs the most grooming due to their long, silky hair in places that hang away from the body.  Maltese and Yorkies are only two of the breeds which fall into these categories.    The proper tools which an owner will need are a spray on conditioner, a comb, a pin brush, and scissors.  As a note, for dogs with this coat type, they should be groomed daily.

Start with spraying a spray on conditioner to keep the hair from breaking.  Then brushing the face and head first and move in the direction of the fur.  Comb the cheeks, under the chin, and down the neck.  Last, brush under the ears using light pressure.  If there are bad tangles under the ears, do not cut the tangles with scissors as it is easy to cut the dog’s skin with scissors.  Remove knots and tangles one at a time. 

Wire Coats
With these coats, a slicker brush (yes, this does seem to be the multipurpose brush) is the brush of choice and a metal comb will also be needed.  Simply start at the dog’s head and neck and move down the rest of the body including the legs.  Brush in the direction of the fur to remove tangles.  Then go back and brush out the undercoat by starting at the skin and brushing outward.  Last, do the same with the metal comb.

End Remarks
Many of you may be asking “well what about the deshedders like the Furminator?”  To be honest, I have found that they tend to hurt dogs by pulling their fresh fur rather than the loose fur.  If you own one and swear by it, then I’d honestly suggest doing the proper grooming above and as a quick once over, using the deshedding tool.  This is the method I use on my own pets and I’ve found that I’ve had great success. 

I hope that this has given everyone a bit of confidence to begin grooming their dog.  If you still feel a bit shaky on this, two resources that I found useful are http://www.petuniversity.com  and Grooming Your Dog by the editors of Dog Fancy or you can simply consult your veterinarian, Animal Health Tech, or pet groomer.  If anyone has any other great resources, please let me know.  I would love to post them to assist others.

Good luck, dog parents and take care!

Kim

Short Haired Breeds
1.) Bristled Brush
2.) Hound Brush
3.) Curry Brush

Short Double Coat
1.) Slicker Brush
2.) Pin Brush

Long Double Coat
1.) Slicker Brush
2.) Pin Brush
3.) Rake/Wide Tooth Comb

Curly Coat
1.)Slicker Brush
2.) Pin Brush with a cushioned back
3.) Scissors

Silky Coat
1.) Spray on Conditioner
2.) Comb
3.) Pin Brush
4.) Scissors

Wire Coat
1.) Slicker Brush
2.) Metal Comb

Stressful Move, Stressed Dog

For those of you who know me well, you would know that I was/am in danger of going back to the US due to Immigration Law. I will put your minds at ease and say that no, I am not going back yet...I am only packing up my bedroom and to get ready to start house sitting and pet sitting for three weeks.

The reason why I am being forced to give up my bedroom is because our housemate has decided to allow his eighteen-year-old cousin to come live with us. Joy. Although I am completely opposed to the idea of adding a 4th person (particularly an 18-year-old boy whom I don't even know) into this house, I have no choice/say in this matter. Therefore, I am afraid that I will be spending the next little while packing while going back and forth from pet/house sitting.

So unfortunately, there will be no entries for the next little while. On the upside, I will be getting my first hands on experience with reptiles! YAY! Hey, I'm a hands on learner and I learn best by doing.   I still won’t be writing anything on them as I probably won’t feel comfortable with them enough to write about them but one of these reptiles is blind so I will write a bit about what I’ve had to do with that one.

Unfortunately, Ashrah has noticed the room being cleared out and has begun following me around.  For the most part, I am positive that she knows that something's happening so she's getting stressed by the whole situation.  She's following me from room to room, not letting me out of her sight.  Of course, she's also noticed the suit cases (hers and mine) out so I think she knows I'm going to be leaving for a while but she doesn't realize that she's coming with me as we are pet sitting her two best puppy friends, Buffy & Lia.  Hope she relaxes after this weekend.

Sorry to announce that there will be no entries other than this one and I hope to get something up sooner than later.

Take care!

Kim

Recipes: Party Pupsicles

I am a horrible insomniac some nights. So of course, while I'm awake, I always end up searching for the newest information relating to animals. While I was awake, I stumbled across a great and healthy summer treat on www.dogchannel.com, Party Pupsicles!

The recipe is fairly simple and it's something that even your kids can help you make.  All you need is:

1 banana

1 quart orange juice

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Simply mash the banana and add all of the ingredients into a pitcher with a spout. Then pour into an ice cube tray. Then serve one at a time once solid.

There is a video on the website which walks you through step by step on how to make these located at DogChannel.  To get to the video, click on DogChannel and it should take you there.

To eliminate concerns regarding this recipe, I will explain a few things which have been told to me previously by my vet:

1.) Orange juice is okay provided you're using natural juice and not something with added sugar. I urge you to check the ingredients on the carton to be sure of this.

2.) I have been told by my vet that yogurt is good for dogs in small amounts provided that you're using plain yogurt that has probiotics added to it as it aids in digestion.

I am looking forward to trying this out in the morning! For those of you who have dogs, let me know how your dog liked this recipe if you tried this.

Take care!

Kim

Animal Grooming Equals Allergy Minimization

I am an allergy sufferer.  Not only do I suffer from the seasonal ‘bout of Hay Fever but I also suffer from pet allergies.  Yes, pet allergies.  I have the paperwork from the allergist to say that I have severe allergies to cats and some allergies to dogs.  So what am I allergic to exactly?  The dander.

Let’s face it, for those of you who suffer from some sort of seasonal allergies, we can all agree, allergies suck.  The itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, etc is just not what anyone could call fun.  So what does this mean?  Simple, imagine how your guests feel when they step foot into your home.   So how do you minimize allergens?  Simple.

Groom your pets!

Yes, grooming your pets can mean the difference between having allergy suffering guests and not.  Minimizing your pet’s shedding fur can and most often will, minimizing dander.  Brushing your pet brings and distributes your pet’s natural oils to the surface and cause dander (flakes) not to be seen and drop.  Your dog should be brushed, on average, every few days, more if your pet seems to need it. 

As an allergy sufferer, I brush my dog daily as she is a constant shedder.  As for my cats, I do what I can to groom all of them.  Not only does the brushing help in terms of allergies, the grooming helps keep the fur on the floor to a minimum!  Granted, grooming will not eliminate the need to sweep and vacuum but it will help with making the house more manageable when you have those unexpected guests drop by. 

Another thing to remember to do is bathe your dog.  This will help keep dander under control by using a moisturizing shampoo.  With this, I have been told to avoid shampoos with the SLS (sodium laurel sulphate), a degreasing agent which dries a dog’s skin.  I have found Pet Head (Yes, by the makers of Bed Head) No More Ruff Skin Soothing Shampoo for Dogs works well if you must go with a fragranced shampoo or any other shampoo with botanical oil extracts and fragranced-free shampoo.

The last thing that I would like to mention is the importance of the between baths cleanings.  There are a variety of products on the market that can do this.  Although it is fragranced, I have had good luck with Pet Head’s Dry Clean Waterless Spray shampoo, however, it usually is recommended that pet parents use wipes instead. 

Although I am neither a doctor nor a vet, yet, I have found that I have had excellent luck with these methods and products.  Not only have I noticed a decrease in my allergies, but I also have noticed that there is less pet hair to clean up which is another big plus, especially when you have in-laws dropping in unannounced.

Take care and keep those pets well groomed!  After all, not only will you get great compliments about how great your pet looks but your friends with allergies or your own body will thank you for it!

 Be well!

Kim

PS - Pet Head’s Dry Clean Waterless Spray shampoo and Pet Head's No More Ruff Skin Soothing Shampoo for Dogs  are both available in PetSmart, PetSmart.com, and Amazon.com in both the US and Canada.

Intoduction

Hello, my name is Kim.  I am currently living in the beautiful land of Alberta, Canada but I am originally from New Jersey.  My typical pack consists of myself, my common-law husband, a dog and three cats (four if you count our housemate’s cat).  I'll quickly give you an introduction to my pack.

The Dog

Ashrah is a four year old Labrador/Australian Shepard cross.  She’s a wonderful pup and a great companion.  She was adopted from a rescue group called Prarie Animal Rescue Society (PARS) in Alberta who was only able to give me minimal information about her past as they don’t even know what her past is like.  She was with them for nine months before I adopted her.  She has a sweet personality and is being trained to be a therapy dog to visit the nursing homes and hospitals.  Her favorite things consist of cuddles, food, her ball, frisbee, and being with her humans. 

The Cats

Taven is a long haired, black male who just loves people.  He loves his people and is the ever curious cat about dogs.  He came with me into the relationship and he’s also the youngest.  He’s easy going and loves to be petted.  His personality is that of a sweet cat who just wants to be around his humans.  He seems to enjoy following dogs and has never hissed in the time he’s lived with me.  He was adopted in Canada and is a rescue as well. 

Riley

Velcro

Velcro and Riley came with my common-law husband, Justin.  They are littermates and are the offspring of a feral cat.  They were born beneath a shed where a dog killed a few of their siblings.  Luckily, this hasn’t stopped them from loving Ashrah.  Velcro is our black, short haired female who sometimes tries to nurse on Ashrah.  Riley is our grey, short-haired male who enjoys being in the highest spaces that he can find ways up to.  They are both very skittish but they do come for their nightly cuddles and love being brushed when they see me with a brush in my hand.

Misty, our housemate's cat, is long-haired grey female who is a complete lap cat.  She is a sweet little kitty who has a random playful side to her.  While being petted, she will turn onto her back and try to play with your hand.  If you sit down, expect her to be coming up.

I hope you enjoy this blog and you learn lots from it.

Take care!

Kim