An informative fun blog to share information and stories with people who love their "Kritters". "Dogs & Cats are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole". In memory of my sweet little shy Shorty.
It took close to three months but I finally got to pet Midnight, the mommy cat. She is still not quite sure of me and prefers it when I’m sitting on the floor or bending to her level.But she started rubbing up against my leg so I figured I would give it a try.
My neighbors keep telling me they aren't seeing Midnight and Charley (baby cat) anymore. I said “that’s because they have it made in my garage”.Initially, they found the large dog crate that I had set up for the cats to recover in after their spay/neuter. It has food, water, a bed and a litter box. But it was a little small for two full-grown kitties. So I stuck one of my old dog beds in it.I put a large (hooded) litter box and their food and water on some cardboard. Even gave them a few toys, which they are playing with.Such is the life of a feral cat in my neighborhood.
Poor little guy had to have his teeth cleaned yesterday. I was more than petrified because of the anesthesia but the Doc promised me nothing would happen.
I had to hurry and get him in the car before feeding any of the other pets in the morning. He knew something was going on and was shaking the entire drive over there. But it wouldn’t be fair to feed them and not him so I just gave them breakfast when I got home.
They called me at noon and said he pulled through and they wanted to monitor him and I could pick him up at 3. I took Georgie over to have her eye checked as well, and it’s healing really well. The ulcer is so small now. He said it might take a few more weeks and she might have a small scar but her eye is open all the time now and she can see out of it.
Stinky had a rough night, he couldn’t get comfortable and was a little whiny from the anesthesia wearing off but he wanted to walk this morning. He ate a nice big breakfast and seems to feel pretty good now.
Georgie is napping in one of the window beds. I had just given her the eye drops and it ended up all over the window. She is the hardest cat to give medicine to.I told the vet today I might have to come in and get more.I am losing as much as I am using. I even got a little scratched up last night while I was trying to squirt the Prednisone down her throat. It may be time for the towel wrap.
Unfortunately, her corneal ulcer is the deep kind but the good news… there is plenty of blood going to the area and the vet thought it had improved a lot for 2 days.She even opened it a little today.
The clear outer capsule of your pet's eye is the cornea.Instead of being nourished by blood vesicles, the clear cornea is bathed in a protective liquid, the tears. Because of its position on the outermost edge of the eye and delicate nature, the cornea is subject to scratches, scrapes and ulceration.
If the ulcer or scratch is superficial, the cornea heals quickly. If left untreated, corneal ulcers can develop serious complications that can destroy vision, even leading to removal of the eye.
The ulcers can be shallow or deep. Deep ulcers take longer to heal requiring new blood vesicles to grow into the area. They may also leave a corneal scar. When there are underlying causes for the ulcer, some refuse to heal or heal only to re-ulcerate again.
Once the layer of the cornea has been torn, the area becomes irritated, itchy and painful. This causes the pet to squint and the eye to tear. It is referred to as blepharospasm. Things to watch for:
· The pet keeps its eye closed · A discharge nearest the nose · Enlarged blood vessels · The pet pawing or rubbing its eye
Hopefully, Georgie’s is just a shallow superficial ulcer.
I took Georgie to the vet about a month ago because she had an upper respiratory infection. The vet gave her a steroid shot, gave me some liquid Prednisone and Amoxicillin to give her at home.re
Everything seemed to clear up, her eyes weren’t goobery anymore, she wasn’t sneezing and acted like she felt much better. Almost a week ago, I noticed her right eye was watering again and she was keeping it closed so I called to get more medicine. I have been giving it to her twice daily but it didn’t improve at all. So I pried it open yesterday and it almost looked like she was blind.
I took her back in today and she has a corneal ulcer. Because I caught it so fast, he thinks it will heal and she won’t lose her eyesight. I take her back in on Friday for a follow-up. I’m only being optimistic right now.
He gave her a steroid/antibiotic shot and put a drop of Atropine in the eye. Atropine will numb the eye and can last a week to 14 days so that her eye won’t hurt and she won’t be tempted to rub it, which luckily she hasn’t. I brought home some Ofloxacin drops, which I have to give her 5 times a day, and some more liquid prednisone, which she hates. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Hopefully, this is just from a scratch or some other irritant and not some underlying condition. It’s usually caused from a wound, a scrape, even rubbing up against a tree with a limb. I’m really trying not to let her out but she’s sneaky sometimes. More about corneal ulcers in the next post…….
Yes… I’m a Valentine’s Day baby.Just a big lover boy!I am 5 years old today, although mommy says I act like I’m still 2.She says I am one of the sweetest dogs she’s ever had but I’m really loud, naughty and she has to wipe my paws every time I come in the house.She calls me her little pony.She also calls me a Migraine Inducer but I wasn’t going to tell you that.So big deal…. I get a little loud sometimes, especially when I use my sissy voice.But when I’m outside, I use my big boy voice and that isn’t so obnoxious.
We all had a little party.Just the dogs, no kitties allowed.We got Banana Biscotti, new toys, we sang and played and rolled around on the floor.And for dinner, I got an entire chicken breast all by myself.It’s a secret… don’t tell the other pups, they didn’t get as much as I did. I feel so special.I love birthdays!I wish they came everyday.
When I wrote about the “Cat Stats”, I was asked if dogs went into heat and could have the same amount of litters per year as cats. So I decided to write about the Dog Reproduction cycle.
Dogs usually don’t go into heat as early as cats but they can start as early as 6 months. The average time is more like a year but some dogs don’t reach mating maturity until 18 months old. And also unlike cats, they usually don’t go into heat as often but some dogs can go into heat 4 times a year, hence having 4 possible litters a year. The difference though is that dogs can sometimes have up to 15 puppies per litter so in six years, one female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies.
Unlike cats, dogs do not have a dormant cycle and can get pregnant any time of the year. They have 2 heat cycles. The first phase, pro-estrus, lasts about nine days. In this phase, female dogs will attract male dogs and may show bleeding, but usually won’t allow male dogs to mate. The second phase, estrus, also lasts about nine days. During estrus, a female will allow a male dog to mate with her and can easily become pregnant. And if a dog mates with multiple partners, she can have a litter with each puppy having a different daddy. If you’ve ever wondered why litters can look so different.
The average pregnancy time lasts about 2 months, or from 58 to 68 days. And unlike cats, dogs are unlikely to become pregnant while they are nursing. But they can go into heat and become pregnant as early as three months after giving birth. So as soon as the puppies are weaned, make sure the mommy is spayed.
And just like cats, female dogs do not go through menopause and can have puppies until they are old, although fertility does decline as they age. And of course, like cats, litter mates can also produce litters. Also like cats, they can be spayed while pregnant, but it’s a little more difficult on the dog. All the more reason to make sure they are fixed before they go into heat.
At the Shelters, they usually start the spay/neuter program at 8 weeks for dogs so they can adopt them out. But if you have your pooch at home and there are no unaltered dogs, it’s safe to wait until 4 months. And of course, make sure your pup is healthy before having the surgery.
Last night, I tried another method of cleaning their teeth and I think it might be the one that works for me. I put the gel on my finger and rubbed in on both sides of their back outer teeth, and then I quickly scooped some peanut butter with a spoon and just let them eat it right out of the spoon. It covered up the taste of the gel, helped them make more saliva but swishing it around their mouth and my fingers were clean and I didn't have to wash between each dog and get the containers all sticky. And of course, I bought an organic, low sodium, low fat peanut butter.
Brushing is still the most effective and fastest way to remove the tartar but it's really hard to spend any time in their mouth and do it properly.
When I took Stinky in for his shots a few weeks ago, the vet told me his teeth had so much tartar that I really needed to have them cleaned. I am going to do that, although it scares me because he is 9, and the anesthesia can be dangerous, not to mention expensive. I will take him in for blood work the day before to make sure it’s safe but if he has some underlying condition… I can’t even think about that.
Just as in humans, plaque and tarter build-up on doggie teeth can lead to problems including periodontal disease, gingivitis, swollen gums, gum disease, mouth tumors and infections in other parts of the body.
So I have decided to be diligent in brushing and cleaning their teeth. That’s almost like giving a cat medicine. Mac & Jazz are pretty easy going about it but they don’t like it. I have been brushing with a finger brush but most of the tartar is on the back outside teeth and it’s really hard to brush back there because they close their mouths. They don’t like my finger or the taste of the 3 different toothpastes I have tried.
There is a spray you can buy, as well as a fluid to put in their water, but they hated that and wouldn’t drink the water. So I bought a gel that says it reduces the plaque without brushing. I read an article that if I put it in peanut butter, they will eat it and it’s so gummy, they produce more saliva and it helps spread the gel around their mouth. That was true, they did like it if I buried it enough. But it sure was messy. Might not be so bad with just one dog but I had to wash everything when I was done including me.
Then I tried just putting the gel on my finger and sticking it on their back teeth, as best I could. They don’t like the taste but they did kind of swish it around. I will do both as well as brush. Too bad I can’t make them understand how important it is.
I also give them dental treats but that’s not enough. Mac & Melinda’s teeth are in much better shape but the vet said some breeds are more prevalent than others in getting the plaque and tarter build-up.
One important tip to remember, don’t give them any food or water for 30 minutes before or after the cleaning. Bedtime is usually the best time.
My little naughty Stinky has made friends with Joey and Jelly Bean, that is when he’s not chasing them and Joey isn’t tormenting him.He lets Joey share his food, and Jelly share his bed under the desk. They even cuddle with him on the big (my) bed, although he does get a little grumpy if they jump on him.
Took the trap up to my neighbor’s house today so I can try and catch Cowboy since I’m not having any luck.I was walking Mac & Melinda this afternoon, and darned if that cat wasn’t sitting on their patio table right next to the trap.Little bugger is just too darn smart.
