PetSugar

How Many ER Trips Have You Taken For a Pet?

PetSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 09:00:00 -0700

To the Rescue: Stool Samples Made Easy

PetSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:00:45 -0700

One of the ickiest, but most important, parts of a dog's annual checkup is the stool sample. Usually we scoop poop several times a day, but it goes straight into the trash without a second thought. However, most vets require and request this very deposit to check for worms and other diseases. For first time visitors, the logistics (How much? How fresh?) can be baffling. Here's a simple how-to for this doodoo must do:

Mark a freezer-style resealable plastic bag with your pet's name, your name and collection date.
Turn this bag inside out being careful to have the sealing part safely covered.
After your dog's most recent meal before the doc's visit, bring this bag along with your normal scooper of choice.
Collect a small deposit (like one poop) – they actually don't test much more than a tablespoon – and seal up the bag taking care not to smush it.

It's as easy as that! Labeling helps make certain your pup's sample is correctly matched – remember, less is more, and fresh is best.

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Does Your Pet Love the Vet?

PetSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 07:00:49 -0700

North views the doctor's office as a big adventure! Other dogs in the waiting room . . . and at least a couple new people to kiss! I remember the biggest problem on our first visit was getting him to stand still enough on the scale! Is my pooch alone in his vet love, or do your pets enjoy their doc QT, too?

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Try This Trick to See If Your Cat's Dehydrated!

PetSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:15:32 -0700

Wow, there were so many great suggestions for that kitty who just wouldn't drink! We can all agree that it's an important problem that should be addressed pronto, and I'd like to give a special thank you to TsuKata for offering this tip from the vet who shared it with her after she had a cat that refused water. She writes:

Grab at the kitty's loose skin a little, not a pinch, just a gentle grasp that moves the skin up. It should be almost like you're scruffing her but not so much that you're lifting the kitty and not necessarily at the scruff. See if the skin has elasticity and goes back to the body immediately when you release. If it does not, your cat is dehydrated and should be taken to a vet to be given fluids immediately. If it does go back quickly, even though the kitty hasn't theoretically had water two weeks, your cat is likely drinking from a sink, toilet, or other source . . . and you just need to find that source.

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True Tails: My Dog Has Lyme Disease!

PetSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:00:21 -0700

You may be wondering why I've been going a tad tick crazy on the site during the Dog Days of Summer. Well, there's a reason. Last week when chatting with a pal in NYC, she shared a scary story about her rescued Rottie mix, Jack.
While he's seen here in sleepier times, my friend woke up one morning a couple weeks ago to find him not only resting, but totally unable to get up. Obviously, she freaked out and called a friend with a car to help carry the dog to his doctor. The vet did some tests but initially asked if her pooch had spent anytime in the country. Countryside? Does Brooklyn count? To learn where and when he contracted the disease, and what's happening now read more.

Even though her pooch is always on his tick medication, it's not 100-percent guaranteed. Tracey was home visiting her parents in rural Massachusetts last Fall when she found a tick on her pooch. She removed it, and assumed all was well. Not so, as he was eventually diagnosed with Lyme Disease.

It seems that he exhibited some of the symptoms I mentioned when not being able to walk . . . and it's true that this disease can be dormant in pets for months before owners can notice it. While he's now on medication and doing much better, I know my take-away lesson from this was to never overlook a possible illness – even though I sometimes overreact, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Dog Days of Summer: What Is Lyme Disease Anyway?

PetSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:00:46 -0700

I hope I didn't scare you with those tips on tweezing ticks! Keep in mind that the insects don't actually cause the disease, they merely harbor and transmit the bacteria that cause the disease. Unless you're an expert, or a super savvy ex-science major, the distinction may mean nothing to you. But since I took the time to understand the path from bug to infection, I knew I had to share my shocking finds with you. First off, the disease begins with a miniscule deer tick. This bug passes a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi into the bloodstream of a pet. However, in order for the deer tick to infect a dog with this bacterium, the tick must remain attached to the dog for about 48 hours. So spotting and quickly removing those pests can save a pet's life!

To learn my most surprising discovery, read more.

Did you know that symptoms of the disease usually don't occur until two to six months after the tick bite?! That means even though your Summer may hold more outdoor adventures, your pup could not become ill 'til it's practically wintertime. Some things to look for include very high fevers (over 103 degrees), swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite, lethargy, shifting leg lameness, and inflamed joints. Sounds like something I'm not sure I could diagnose, so the best bet is to take your pooch to a vet if he exhibits any symptoms at all – let the professionals check for these in a physical, and perform a blood test to look for the bacteria! It's better to be safe than sorry!

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Dog Days of Summer: How to Remove a Tick

PetSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:15:12 -0700

Ummm, yuck! Turns out there's a word for what I'm feeling when I look at this bug – entonophobia, or fear of ticks! And, trust me, your pets should be scared, too. If you see one of these creepy crawlers on your furry friends, I've got tips for tweezing ticks.The common external parasite can transmit fatal illnesses like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease, and you should do daily checks for the dangerous ticks, especially if you live in woody, grassy, or brushy areas.

Ticks look like this creature – they're tiny black, brown, or reddish eight-legged insect about the size of a pinhead. However, when they attach themselves to your pet, they can swell up several times their original size! See my removal tips when you read more.

Safety first so put on latex gloves! It's important to avoid direct contact with the tick and contaminated skin, as diseases can be transmitted from tick to pet to human.
Place your pet somewhere where you can get a good grip . . . and he stays as comfy as possible. It helps to have another set of hands to hold or distract him.
Try to ID the head or mouth parts of the tick – you'll want to grasp it with tweezers as close to your pet's skin as possible. If you grasp it by the body, it can get crushed and force harmful bacteria into your pet's bloodstream.
Pull the tick out using a straight, steady pulling motion. It's important to be slow and gentle so its head will not remain lodged in your pet's skin (which can lead to inflammation and secondary infection).
Safely dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet.
Apply a pet-safe antiseptic ointment to the bitten area.
Throw away your gloves and sterilize the tweezers, too.
Now give your pet a treat – he's been through a lot!

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What Is the Most You've Ever Paid for Vet Services?

PetSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:00:23 -0700

Giggle tipped me off to a story the other day about a woman who spent nearly $12,000 dollars in reconstructive surgery on her cat after he was injured in a car accident. While I was stunned at the amount, I was not completely surprised.

How much is too much to spend on the health of your pet? I'm sure the answer may be "money is no object" but after reading her story, I was still very thankful that North and I have not encountered any catastrophic injuries that would literally break the bank to pay for. That's not to say that I haven't had some insane vet bills to deal with in my lifetime, but they were nowhere near the $12,000 dollar mark like in this story. What was the most that you've ever had to pay on a vet bill?

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I Need Your Help . . . Is the Vet After My Money?

PetSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:30:56 -0700

Eeks! Mom to my two favorite kitties, Milo and Minou, just came to me with a recent problem. BellaSugar's felines went in for an annual checkup with a new vet . . . and she left hundreds of dollars later (with more recommended tests possibly to come) wondering if her kitties weren't so healthy after all.

She'd suspected Milo had hairballs because he was vomiting up a long, squiggly grayish thing. The vet insisted on several tests (totaling $500) only to tell her . . . "yup, it's hairballs – brush him more and give him hairball formula food." It doesn't stop there – learn what was recommended for Minou in Bella's own words when you read more.

At this point, she says Minou’s heart rate is too high and that his heart looks enlarged “from a certain angle.” She wants me to do a pricey kitty EKG and a kitty ultrasound. After the way she handled Milo - rushing the poor thing through tests that he clearly did not need - I don’t want to spend a lot of time and money putting sweet Minou through tests that might not even be necessary. I want the best for my pets’ health, but c’mon - would you trust this vet?

I know there were some red flags going up for me – good vets should make you, and your pets, feel comfortable – so I'm thinking a second opinion is a good bet. What do you think?

Do You Know Where the Closest 24-Hour Vet Clinic Is?

PetSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:30:48 -0700

Take a minute and look for the closest emergency vet to your home . . . if you don't already know it. Since North's regular doc is at a 24-hour facility, I have the phone number already in my phone in case of an accident. Even if you don't program it in, it's good to know how far you'd have to go if need be. Did you already know the location of the nearest urgent care for animals, or was this your first search?

Source: Flickr User Dimmerswitch